Does anyone know the tail light wire color functions?

I see these wires:
Red
Black/Yellow Stripe - ground
Blue/Red Stripe

I need to know which is the running light and brake light for the red and blue/red stripe wires.

Thanks,
Dan

Red is brakelight, blue/red is (I can't remember offhand) probably running light. You already know ground.

Recommend you look in the shop manual and study the wiring diagram. I did 3 winters ago when I added so much electronics to my ZX14, and it was a godsend. A little complicated, but well worth studying. Once you tap those brake wires, make sure you leave "room" (wire length) so you can tap for some other reason.

For instance, when I install the Rostra electronic cruise control, I need to tap the red wire so the cc knows when I brake and disengages.

Also, on my ZX14, which I won't have anymore after Wednesday, I had to tap both the brake wires and the turn signal wires for the LED light kits for my side- and top-case. I was glad I left a couple inches extra on the new (tap) wires where I could piggyback a second or third tap.

I'm surprised I have had no trouble hanging so much off the brakelight "on" wire, but the LED light kits don't draw much juice.

How to find a hot/on-off/ground wire:

1. I build or buy a test light. This is one wire with a 12v bulb in the middle, with two alligator clips at each end.
2. I know I need one wire to ground is the test light.
3. I now probe or touch a prong and do not ground that direct or I blow a fuse. The bulb is taking the heat to ground in other words.
4. I turn key on and touch that metal female/male connecter end.
5. I have zero at the bulb.
6. I now step on the brake, the bulb lights = I found the brake light wire.
7. I prong another of the 3 wires = I have a solid bulb at the touch = I found the running light.
8. I probe the last wire and find nothing, with key on, step on a brake = I found ground.
9. I now take that ground prong, attach the test light's alligator clip to the the ground wire.
10. I now prong the running light to see the system is working as is sending the other clip to the stop light wire, I completed a loop of the system and found which wire is whom?

Thanks for the guidance.

One more:
I'm changing the rear (and later fronts) turn signals from 2 way (ground/turn signal) to 3 way (ground/turn signal/running light) with new sockets. Since the rear light is LED, can I tap into the running light, blue/red stripe, just before the tail light? Or should I use the license plate light wire for the running light tap?

I'm not to sure about the differences with the LEDs and normal lights and if that would cause a problem.

I haven't started to work the fronts yet but maybe you'll have some ideas on where to tap in there also (for the running lights).

You might ask why. I just like a little extra lighting - hopefully to be seen.

Thanks again,
Dan

Very first warning. Buy a heavy duty car flasher; to replace the bike's OEM flasher. Find it under the seat (as you sit on the bike); it is at the left middle? Hung on a rubber frame stay? Just leave it there. Unplug the wire harness plugged to it. Plug in the HD flasher. You finalize with the HD flasher as you R&D your wire integrity.

Remove the winker connectors, use the wire female ends for your aftmtk winkers. You can make a Y kind of wire harness with 3-wires:

1. One wire is going to be bled off the main headlight running wire. How do we find our 3-generic wires?
2. Next wire goes to the running light; side right.
3. Last wire goes to the left side running light.

We already found our wires for the winker and ground, right? We finalized our 3 winker aftmrk wires to our one winker side, as we needed to make the Y wire; extend up to the winker... Wherever you place that. We sort of followed our generic wire tie up?

Now for the loophole, we never messed with, cut with, sniped on the main wires or connectors:

A. I want to pull back my wire on the aftmrk winker wire(s) is the sacrifice to any wires. Never the bike!
B. I have a soldering gun and now can dab a drop on the end of the winker wire.
C. I can now hit a hammer's worth of flat to the soldered tip.
D. I can now send it down. shit! I have to snip some off, so it slides down the female slot on either side?
E. I don't care how it slides down, as long as I make good and snug so it won't fall out.
F. I now use the brand name 'amazing goop' glue. I dab a drop on this wire to connector.
G. I want all metal covered with the glue. I also made a zip-tie to the original wires so there is a double tug, I have:
1. My soldered end is snug = Good contact integrity.
2. My zip-tie is snug #2.
3. My glue set is damn! That ain't going anyplace now!

The beauty of that glue is you can pull it off, snip the tie off, pull the wire out, connect the original winkers back on... You got the generic don't mess with the wire harness of a computer bike? Or for that matter, any OEM harness to aftmartk wire?

* Last updated by: Hub on 2/13/2012 @ 10:01 AM *

Hey Dan

This Might Help You Out!

2012 ZX14R Service Manual

Snuffy