rear end lighting

[Nails]

I'm trying to modify the electrical connections on the rear, especially to use the resurrected rear fender light. I hope to take off the top box except when I'm actually traveling. My problem is that I can't read any of the schematics I have. Also, I have all the plastics off; and I can't start the bike right now to check these with a meter.

Could you verify some things?

1. For the 4-way plug to the top box, is red for brakes and blue for tail lights?
2. What's the green 3-way plug for, trailers? Red/blue seems to be tail lights; but what's green? (Hope it isn't brakes!)
3. I have a single bullet plug that's white/yellow. Is this another hot wire, like for a 12V outlet?
4. What's the white 3-way plug for? I suspect for tail lights (red/blue) and emergency flashers (gray). I don't see how to get the turn signals to a trailer without splicing into both pannier wires.

Sorry for asking. Maybe I should just ask for a readable schematic ('94 XII).

--
Neal

[Mr Jensee]

There are actually open wires under the box. I guess still left over from the first year when the fender light worked. I managed to get the tail light wired with the positive and the ground wire. However I have yet to figure out what happened to the brake light wire. If this oppressive heat were to let up I plan to remove the top box and see if it is somewhere in the harness these two wires came from. Others swear it is there but until I see it for myself I remain a sceptic.

[triton28]

Click the link below Mr Jensee's signature for information/schematics/manuals.
Or as well, on the AVA Home Page, click on the Tech Section, select Voyager XII, and in the window that opens there is a link to colour wiring schematics as well as the other manuals.
For the fender light, Blue is the brake lights and red is the tail light.
My '87s had the main harness connector and fender tail/brake light assemblies, but I don't know if any models years after that had the main harness connector left in place, maybe a few '88s. Carl Leo would know for sure as there is no one more familiar with these bikes than Carl.
With respect to main harness colours only:
the White/Yellow 12 Volt + is usually a double connector and has a double connector, Black/Yellow (ground), partner. The W/Y is accessory 12 Volt and the B/Y is ground. Green is turn signal related. Red/Blue is accessory lights. Green 2 wire connector is LH audio. Green 3 wire connector is LH saddlebag. White, similar in wire numbers to the Green, connectors are RH audio and saddlebag.
Dave

[Nails]

> Click the link below Mr Jensee's signature for information/schematics/manuals.

That's where I got them. The schematics are there but unreadable.

I did some Adobe-Fu including OCR, to allow word-search. I also combined other manuals and got the whole shebang down to 83MB. I spot-checked the graphics and didn't obviously lose anything. But maybe I screwed up the schematics.

> Or as well, on the AVA Home Page, click on the Tech Section, select Voyager XII, and in the window that opens there is a link to colour wiring schematics as well as the other manuals.

I'll try that.

> For the fender light, Blue is the brake lights and red is the tail light.

Okay, I guessed backwards.

> My '87s had the main harness connector and fender tail/brake light assemblies, but I don't know if any models years after that had the main harness connector left in place, maybe a few '88s.

My '94 has a gob of unused connectors under there.

> the White/Yellow 12 Volt + is usually a double connector and has a double connector, Black/Yellow (ground), partner.

My only double-connector is ground. My white/yellow is single. A PO already hooked up a 12V socket in the top box, using the Brown/White wire that runs the lid light (before the lid switch). At least that way I still have just one connector to the top box.

> Green is turn signal related.

Okay, I was confused. I thought my saddlebag connectors were somewhere else further forward. It looks like Green is left turn and Gray is right turn. I notice that the Hazard switch connects Gray, Green, and Orange/Green all together -- if those colors stay consistent.

> Red/Blue is accessory lights.

AKA tail lights. My saddlebags have a ground, Gray-or-Green, and Red/Blue.

> Green 2 wire connector is LH audio.

I don't have a green 2-wire connector. But I don't have a radio either -- I removed the radio and all of its harness. Don't need no stinkin' radio.


Bottom line, it looks like the only available brake light is Blue running to the top box. I already have bullet connectors available for the ground and tail light. Or I'll just hardwire them.

I changed the forsaken fender lights from 1156 to 1157, to have both tail and brake lights. I put bright LEDs in the fender because that lens isn't totally clear (after getting the paint off). The top box has dimmer LEDs, but the kind that flash four times. I mean, the brake lights should spark up pretty good; and I'll be remove the top box without losing brake lights altogether.

Thanks a bunch, that's what I needed.

[Nails]

For the back fender wiring, the red wire to the trunk is tail lights and red/blue is auxiliary lights. The only practical difference I found is that red comes on with the key, but red/blue comes on after it's started.

Maybe one day I'll figure out how to turn the lights off for daytime driving; and this might make more sense then.

I mean, the primary reason to buy a headlight modulator apparently is because cage drivers become immune to the daytime headlight. Seems a little like building a box (house) to keep warm, then a box inside it (refrigerator) to keep the beer cold, and then another box in that one (butter tray) to keep the butter soft.

[cranky]

Thanks for the Red/Blue note!

[Nails]

Sorry to resurrect this old thread.
I spoke too soon. I think the red/blue wire is supposed to come on with the key, but mine isn't hot.
This color wire runs all over the bike, including the dim side of the 1157 bulbs in the turn signals. It's obviously running lights. But mine is dead.
Does anyone have a clue where I should look for the break in the circuit? (Gawd, it'd be great if someone else had this problem and could tell me exactly where to look ;)

[triton28]

I can't tell you where to look but perhaps an explanation of some of the circuitry may help:
The Red/White wire from the battery powers five circuits in the fuse box, one of them being the Main circuit which is a White wire leaving the fuse box. This wire, provided the 30Amp fuse is good, sends 12V power to the ignition switch and the Main relay. Coincidentally this White wire is also the charging feed from the alternator to the battery, said feed supplies the 12V once the alternator is rotating above 850-900 rpm.
Once the Main relay is triggered by the Yellow/Red power feed from the ignition switch, the White wire now completes a 12Volt circuit which leaves the Main relay as a White/Black wire which then goes to the fuse box to power the Ignition circuit, which is the brown wire from the fuse box, and the Headlight circuit which is the Red/Blue wire. This of course is dependent upon the Main relay functioning as designed.
Note that the Yellow/Red wire is only hot with the ignition switch set to the ON position, AND, also note that the only lighting circuit showing 12Volts is the Tail light, ( Red wire), UNTIL the start button is pressed with the Engine Stop Switch set to the RUN position, whereupon all the remaining Red/Blue lighting circuits will only then show 12Volts.
I hope that helps some,
Dave

[Nails]

Thank you, very good info. Now I know where to start putting my voltmeter.