Wiring Rear SIgnals as Running Lights

[woodardhsd]

I just got some new signals for my CB400T. They are 3-wire EMGO's. They wired up fine in the front; signals work and running lights also. I installed the same set on the rear, but the bike only had 2-wire rear signals. The stock rear didn't stay lit up like the fronts. I got the rear signals to work, but cant figure out how to wire up the rear running lights. I tried running the other lead to the tail light signal, but I just blew out a bunch of fuses.

I attached a PDF trying to explain the wiring setup. I have the extra wire coming from the signals taped off. I need to know where to connect them.

Is this possible? I'm not the best with wiring.

 

[Maritime]

I have the same bike, unless you wire in a running light circuit, it won't work. The factory wiring is set up only for the rear to be flashers, not running lights. You could use the power from the brake/tail ight, but it would have to be the tail circuit not the brake circuit. Also if you make your signals running lights in the rear, they have to be red lenses in most places. Just leave them signals and heat shrink the end of the wire not used if you don't want to run more wires. Cheers

 

[SkiMan]

I have basicly the same problem with my 360 project however I'm using my new signal lights for their intended purpose, signal lights! I purchased new signal lights that use a 3 wire system and the 360 originally used 2 wires. The new lights have red, black and blackwhite wires. I assume the red is the hot, black the ground and the blackwhite is.....? As Maritime noted, is the blackwhite wire an extra that I don't need to use? Tape it up and forget about it?
Additionally, do I need to change out the "winker relay" to something more appropriate to the new signals I'm using?

Ahhhhh..... Can you tell I know zip about electrical?

 

[Blake]

strange. I just got an Emgo rear light with R/G/Y wires. It didn't work until I ran the R to a Green connect, the G to a Red connect and grounded the yellow on a post with a Green from the right turn signal. These bikes are bonkers. That or the previous owner was a Wonka.

 

[Maritime]

Ok, the 3 wire signals will work fine on a 2 wire set up. The differnece is the bulbs are double filiment, they have one filiment for flashing and one for running lights, like a tail/brake light. The instructions should tell you which wire is running and which is flashing, They may be different brightness so you want the brightest to flash. the other wire just tape it up and forget about it. I went the opposite way on my bike, from 3 wire fronts, to 2 wire. I dropped the running lights. As for your flasher relay, if they aren't LED it should work just fine. Basically attach the Hot flasher wire to the bikes signal wire and ground the ground on a green in the bikes harness of any piece of metal on the bike and you should be golden.

Cheers,

Maritime

 

[Fishhead]

You'll need to run 2 wires (1 for each side) from your front running lights to the rear lights to have them as running lights. I'm not sure if your particular bike turns off the running light on the side that the turn signal is being used on, but if it does (on the front) you would need to run a wire for each side (running lights) to the rear to have the rear turns act the same as the front.
Or you could just wire it to the tail light (running light) and have the running lights on all the time (like suggested above).

 

[woodardhsd]

These POS signals didn't have any instructions (j/k they are nice signals) at all. I e-mailed the ebay store I got them from about the wiring and they said "use a battery and check them yourself". Thanks a lot assholes.

On mine, the red was ground, black was running light, and black/white was turn signal. Everything was cool on the front, cause the factory signals were 3-wire. The backs are 2-wire and that's where the confusion set in.

I thought about running wires all the way from the front to the back, but haven't got around to it. Not sure where the wires come from so I didn't want to run 2 wires out of the headlight bucket all the way to the rear signals. I think I'll leave them as they are for right now. They work fine right now.

 

[woodardhsd]

Or you could just wire it to the tail light (running light) and have the running lights on all the time (like suggested above).

I tried running the running light wire from the signal to the taillight (not the brake light) wire, but it just blew my 7.5A taillight fuse. I even tried putting in a 10A fuse and it still blew.

 

[Maritime]

Weird, could be that the 3 bulbs together are overloading the circuit. If you can look at the bulbs they should be like a dule wattage and if you were using the wire to the higher watt filiment, you may be able to try the lower watt wire and not blow the fuse. Sounds like you may have a short on the tail circuit that only shows when you add more juice. Even just corroded connections can cause enough resistance to pop your fuse. My CM had one of the fuse holders that was slightly corroded. It would only pass half the current it needed to and everything was week and cruddy on the circuit and it was blowing the fuse. A little emry cloth and it started passing the proper current and stopped popping fuses. I spent 2-3 hours with emry cloth and cleaned all my connection on the whole bike. Made a huge difference and was really worth it. I have spare fuses in the bike I never need now. The connectors can be taken apart with a small screwdriver. make sure you only remove one at a time and put it back, otherwise you might mix up wires.

Cheers,