Where is the red wire with a yellow stripe in the driving light harness?

[shikano53]

I have my bike all torn apart, gas tank removed, faring parted. But I can't find the red wire with a yellow stripe on it anywhere to save my life. Here is a picture of the wires that are outside the harness.

 

The first picture shows no red wires. The second picture shows a neutral coloured connector with one red wire with a yellow stripe in it. This is the only red/yellow wire I can see anywhere.

 

Could someone please confirm if this is the correct wire to tap into in order to have my driving lights on at all times?

 

Thank you in advance

 

Chris in Red Deer, Alberta

Edited August 5, 2011 by shikano53
Add a picture

[ahoutzer]

Hold on there. Are thou looking for that wire because you intend to use it to power passing lamps, according to Yamaha's instructions? Despite the fact that Yamaha instructs you to do that, it is a bad idea. the passing lamps draw a lot of power and will slowly cause your ignition switch to burn out, because the ignition switch controls that headlight wire.

[shikano53]

Hold on there. Are thou looking for that wire because you intend to use it to power passing lamps, according to Yamaha's instructions? Despite the fact that Yamaha instructs you to do that, it is a bad idea. the passing lamps draw a lot of power and will slowly cause your ignition switch to burn out, because the ignition switch controls that headlight wire.

 

Ok, so if that is the case what is the best alternative?

 

Thanks

Chris

[shikano53]

My understanding is if you use a relay, and I am, then it only draws about 100 milliamps.

[Guest]

Ive been running my lights through the red/yellow wire for years. Shouldnt be a problem with a relay. But why would you want it on all the time? Wire in a toggle switch so you can shut them off when not needed.

[wes0778]

That red/yellow wire is hard to fine and where it goes in one side of a plug it comes out a different color on the other side.

 

http://venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=44360

[shikano53]

Ive been running my lights through the red/yellow wire for years. Shouldnt be a problem with a relay. But why would you want it on all the time? Wire in a toggle switch so you can shut them off when not needed.

 

Hi Ruffy,

Yup. I forgot to mention that I'm running it through a toggle switch.

 

Chris

[wes0778]

That red/yellow wire is hard to fine and where it goes in one side of a plug it comes out a different color on the other side.

 

http://venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=44360

 

 

Also take a look at http://venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?p=426827

[dingy]

I think it is the one the red arrow is pointing to.

 

Verify this, as I don't have an RSV to verify this.

 

It should be in a six pin connector, the wire on opposite side of connector should be a Blue with Black tracer.

 

To verify this put meter on a scale higher than 12VDC, hook black lead to a good ground. Take a paperclip and straighten out (or something similar) clip this to red lead and insert paperclip into side of connector the red/yellow wore goes in. You should read 12vdc (mabye a little higher) with the KEY ON. Turn KEY OFF and voltage should drop to 0vdc. One more check you can do to verify it is right wire is with KEY ON and reading 12VDC, pull the signal fuse out of fuse block. Voltage should drop to 0vdc. Looks like this is in fuse box #2, #4 fuse. See thumbnail picture attached.

 

As far as your wanting them all the time and others telling you not to, whose making the payments or whatever on the bike, listen to that voice. I personally would put a switch in, just in case you ever got into a low battery condition and you need to conserve power. It has happened to some with this bike. The relay you are putting in is probably going to pull less than 250 milliamps, (1/4 amp). Any circuit on a somewhat stock bike should handle that.

 

Gary

 

http://i1007.photobucket.com/albums/af193/gdingy101/rsnred-yellowwire.jpg

[shikano53]

Gary, that's awesome dude! That's exactly what I have done only I used a straight pin to test for +12vdc.

 

Now I just have to finish the wiring, test it and slap it all back together again. I've parted the faring so many times now I can do it with my eyes closed. And you were right, taking the tank off was dirt easy even for a non mechanical guy like me.

 

Chris

 

 

I think it is the one the red arrow is pointing to.

 

Verify this, as I don't have an RSV to verify this.

 

It should be in a six pin connector, the wire on opposite side of connector should be a Blue with Black tracer.

 

To verify this put meter on a scale higher than 12VDC, hook black lead to a good ground. Take a paperclip and straighten out (or something similar) clip this to red lead and insert paperclip into side of connector the red/yellow wore goes in. You should read 12vdc (mabye a little higher) with the KEY ON. Turn KEY OFF and voltage should drop to 0vdc. One more check you can do to verify it is right wire is with KEY ON and reading 12VDC, pull the signal fuse out of fuse block. Voltage should drop to 0vdc. Looks like this is in fuse box #2, #4 fuse. See thumbnail picture attached.

 

As far as your wanting them all the time and others telling you not to, whose making the payments or whatever on the bike, listen to that voice. I personally would put a switch in, just in case you ever got into a low battery condition and you need to conserve power. It has happened to some with this bike. The relay you are putting in is probably going to pull less than 250 milliamps, (1/4 amp). Any circuit on a somewhat stock bike should handle that.

 

Gary

 

http://i1007.photobucket.com/albums/af193/gdingy101/rsnred-yellowwire.jpg

[ahoutzer]

If you are using the headlight wire for switching the relay, that's no problem. I used the aux plug inside the fairing, which is easy to find, but either one will work. If you are using the headlight wire to *power*, then that relay isn't doing any good, as far as protecting the circuit is concerned. If you are using 35 or 37.5 watt each passing lamps, that power has to come from somewhere. The idea is to get power from the battery, independent of any other circuit, and let some existing switched circuit (headlight wire or aux plug) switch the relay on (for a few milliamps).

[shikano53]

Success! Everything works perfectly the way it is supposed to.

 

Chris

[dingy]

Gary, that's awesome dude! That's exactly what I have done only I used a straight pin to test for +12vdc.

 

Now I just have to finish the wiring, test it and slap it all back together again. I've parted the faring so many times now I can do it with my eyes closed. And you were right, taking the tank off was dirt easy even for a non mechanical guy like me.

 

Chris

 

Whose your Daddy.

 

Never having laid hands on an RSV. That ought to quite the naysayers.

 

 

Gary

[wes0778]

If you are using the headlight wire for switching the relay, that's no problem. I used the aux plug inside the fairing, which is easy to find, but either one will work. If you are using the headlight wire to *power*, then that relay isn't doing any good, as far as protecting the circuit is concerned. If you are using 35 or 37.5 watt each passing lamps, that power has to come from somewhere. The idea is to get power from the battery, independent of any other circuit, and let some existing switched circuit (headlight wire or aux plug) switch the relay on (for a few milliamps).

 

The idea is that the headlight wire is used to control the relay. The *power* comes from a fused wire directly from the battery. This gets the load off the ignition switch.

[Seaking]

I'm one of those poor sods who found out the HARD way why its a STUPID STUPID STUPID idea to hook your driving lamps to your headlight circuit.. and it almost cost me my life and or bike or both..

 

I had bought my bike used from a gent who bought it from the original owner so I don't know to whom these daggers should be pointed to but who ever wired the front end of the bike had done such a pissy job of it that the wiring was drooping into the steering stops and shorting out.. but I could never find the source.. Change the fuze, it would work but eventually later it would again blow a fuze.. trace all I could I simply couldn't find the short..

 

Well one night I'm coming home, it was deep dark night.. no moon.. no street lights.. nuttin..

 

And just as I'm cutting through a nice curve on the highway, out goes the lights.. head light and driving lamps.. DING! and there's a guard rail there somewhere in the dark, a curb and a heck of a deep ditch somewhere out there ahead of me..

 

For what ever reason, I kicked on the 4 way flashers and voila.. on and off I could see the orange guard rail.. dark.. orange guard rail.. dark.. until I could come to a safe stop.. after an underwear change and a fuze change, I made it back home and kept searching for the short until I found it and was able to resolve the issue once and for all..

 

Ever since, I'd never recommend anyone wiring their highway lights to the headlight..

 

Stupid and Dangerous!

 

But that's just me.,

[dingy]

Ever since, I'd never recommend anyone wiring their highway lights to the headlight..

 

Stupid and Dangerous!

 

But that's just me.,

 

 

I don't think anyone is recommending he wire his driving lights into the headlights.

 

What is being discussed and the OP says he did is tap into head light circuit to power a low current relay. The driving lights would then be powered through a contact in this relay with a circuit not tied to the headlights at all, preferably a fused connection to the battery.

 

Directly powering the driving lights from the headlight circuit would be a poor choice.

 

Gary

[Bobby G]

I don't think anyone is recommending he wire his driving lights into the headlights.

 

What is being discussed and the OP says he did is tap into head light circuit to power a low current relay. The driving lights would then be powered through a contact in this relay with a circuit not tied to the headlights at all, preferably a fused connection to the battery.

 

Directly powering the driving lights from the headlight circuit would be a poor choice.

 

Gary

 

I am an electrical system numbnutz. What is a "low current relay", what does it look like, and what do you connect it to to power the highway lights?

 

I wired mine according to the Yamaha instructions, and have had no problems so far, and I run them all the time on low beam. The only mod I made was replacing the crappy plastic fuse link with a waterproof blade fuse link. This whole relay thing has me confused about how this should be wired up.

 

Thanks.

[wes0778]

I am an electrical system numbnutz. What is a "low current relay", what does it look like, and what do you connect it to to power the highway lights?

 

I wired mine according to the Yamaha instructions, and have had no problems so far, and I run them all the time on low beam. The only mod I made was replacing the crappy plastic fuse link with a waterproof blade fuse link. This whole relay thing has me confused about how this should be wired up.

 

Thanks.

 

The "problem" here is that you have added more load (extra amps) to the already weak ignition switch. Putting in a relay for the passing lights keeps this extra load off the ignition switch.

[Bobby G]

The "problem" here is that you have added more load (extra amps) to the already weak ignition switch. Putting in a relay for the passing lights keeps this extra load off the ignition switch.

 

I'm getting that message, but I still don't know what a relay is, what it looks like, where you hook it up to, etc.

[dingy]

I am an electrical system numbnutz. What is a "low current relay", what does it look like, and what do you connect it to to power the highway lights?

 

Thanks.

 

I do not know what Yamaha recommended, so I can't help there.

 

By "Low current relay' I was refering to the power that it takes to energize the coil that is inside of the relay. This type relay is often refered to as an 'Auto style' relay. There are several relays on the 1st gen, probably also on the 2nd gens that are similar in power draw. These relays are about 1" on each side and have either 4 or 5 spade terminals on the bottom.

 

The power to energize the coil is very small compared to the power required to lite the driving lamps. The coil is near 1/4 amp and the driving lights are in the 10 amp range.

 

The relay coil is used to flip a switch that transfers power from a source unrelated to the head light circuit. This source of power can be the battery, through a fuse to the driving lightd then to ground.

 

This way there is very minimal addition to the head light circuit.

 

Gary

Edited August 8, 2011 by dingy
no spell check at work, IE8, sorry

[MikeWa]

A relay is a type of switch. It can be used to turn a circuit on and off. Instead of being controlled by a mechanical toggle it is controlled by another electrical circuit. The advantage is it's control side uses a very small electrical current to turn it on and off.

 

So connect its control side to your headlight circuit. Connect it's load side to the battery and your passing lights. When your headlight is turned on the relay will energize and connect your passing lights directly to the battery.

 

Hope this helps.

Mike

[Guest]

I'm getting that message, but I still don't know what a relay is, what it looks like, where you hook it up to, etc.

 

Bobby, a relay is a small square electrical box that can be mounted inside the fairing to take the load off of the ignition switch. Below is a wiring diagram to wire one in. They can be purchased at any auto supply stores, usually near the driving/fog light section.

 

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/imagehosting/12527647e9129233622.bmp

[Bobby G]

Bobby, a relay is a small square electrical box that can be mounted inside the fairing to take the load off of the ignition switch. Below is a wiring diagram to wire one in. They can be purchased at any auto supply stores, usually near the driving/fog light section.

 

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/imagehosting/12527647e9129233622.bmp

 

Thanks Ruff. I watched a short video today on what they are and how they should be installed. Your diagram makes it even easier to figure out. I'll work on this later in the week. I appreciate the assist.

[dingy]

Here is another thread that may help if you want a primer on relays & usage.

 

There is a PDF attached to the first post, kinda long a techy, but it will help if you are interested in learning a little about relays & how they work.

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=43150

 

Gary

[Guest]

Here is another thread that may help if you want a primer on relays & usage.

 

There is a PDF attached to the first post, kinda long a techy, but it will help if you are interested in learning a little about relays & how they work.

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=43150

 

Gary

 

And to think that I had a hard enough time with the old "Paint by Numbers" paint sets.