Wiring/small engine experts

[Rebel4055]

Anyone out there a wiring/small engine expert?

I'm wanting to put a tail light/brake light on my lawnmower.

[Maxim]

New project, eh?

I'm no expert but I feel like the tricky part's gonna be getting it to light up bright when you're braking. Lighting up when the headlights are on will be much easier. I'll wait for someone else to chime in.

[Rebel4055]

LOL a riced lawn mower!

And yeah want to start a little project.

I was thinking on just doing the tail light right off the head lights but I thought of the brake light deal.

i know there is a switch on the clutch/brake but I'm not for sure how I would tap into that.

Edited December 14, 2010 by Rebel4055

[casemods]

It's pretty simple really

You just have to open the entire thing up (just like a car to install speakers/run wire)

[Rebel4055]

It's pretty simple really

You just have to open the entire thing up (just like a car to install speakers/run wire)

I know how to wire the tail light up but not for sure where or how I would tap into to get the brake light to work.

The light I have is a trailer light deal.

[Benji0687]

Wow casemods...have you ever posted a relevant piece of information?

Rebel, what model/brand is the lawnmower? One of my good friends owns a small engine repair shop. I might be able to get him to chime in n help ya out.

[Maxim]

Wow casemods...have you ever posted a relevant piece of information?

Rebel, what model/brand is the lawnmower? One of my good friends owns a small engine repair shop. I might be able to get him to chime in n help ya out.

LOL have to agree with this. Saying you just have to open the entire thing up" makes more questions than it answers.

This is kinda one of those projects that I could totally figure out if I was there working on it with you but typing out instructions would just make no sense.

Also, I dug around a little on Google and found this:

http://www.diygokarts.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1135

It's a thread on someone trying to add tail lights to a go-kart. Not sure if it's any help but I figure it's a similar application with a lawnmower.

[rusty959]

Im no lawnmower expert... but I am close to halfway through my electrical engineering degree. My suggestions for the easiest solution: Hook up a relay just like you would for an amp.

Slightly longer answer: Get a dmm. Find a spot on the wire you said you have for the switch on the brake pedal. Tap it. Check and see if it has voltage. If so, check and see if it grounds (goes to 0 volts) when you hit the pedal. If it doesn't have voltage, see if it does when you hit the pedal. If it only has + voltage when you hit the pedal, hook it up to the + side of a relay and the - side to ground. If it has voltage before you hit the pedal and grounds when you hit the pedal, either tap the other side of the switch (Id recommend because its late and I haven't really thought this through) or hook the - on the relay to the original tap site and the + to constant +. Obviously hook the relay up to the brake light as you would expect.

Note: I didn't read that thread that was posted.

Note2: I apologize if I didn't explain that well. Its late and ive been doing homework all day.

[JaM Customs aka mprete]

hey. you will need some sort of switch at the brake pedal to activate the brake light. but like on a car. but if i may ask why do you need a brake light? i understand a tail light but not really a brake light. anyway. also check and make sure your tractor is on a 12v system, some are on 6 volts... but just get a small fuse box with room for at least 4 fuses. wire a power to the fuse block which will give you your power, but put a on off switch in between the power so you supply power to the fuses when you turn the switch on. run 2 wires to each tail light (both power) and ground it somewhere in the back where the lights are. do the same with the headlights. then wire a switch under your brake pedal and put a power from your fuses to it and then one out of it and split it to your brake lights. and a wire to the switch on the brake pedal. i will draw a picture for you, i just have to turn on my desk top to get into paint. give me a little while.

[JaM Customs aka mprete]

dont make fun of it i put a lot of work into it lol but here you go. this is only for low beam headlights cuz you dont need high beams. good luck. if you have a specific question try to pm me so i dont have to keep track of the thread.