aux led tail light wiring advice please

[robinpinkney]

I've a 1200GS 2009 model and I'm in the process of wiring an aftermarket LED brake and tail light fitting it below the the BMW led one ( using both together)
I don't really want to splice into the 3 wires that go into the bmw tail light( which is the way most people seem to do) is there a neater and less invasive way?( the wires are very thin looks too tricky)
By the way the LED light I'm using has 3 wires, brake tail and earth
cheers

 

[Deleted account 190920001]

The tail and earth is easy enough, you could use the frame and the aux socket wiring. The brake has to come from the brake circuit though. By far the best way to do it though is to come off the light wiring which is why everyone does it.
To do it any other way is going to involve a fuse box and secondary switches.

 

[robinpinkney]

Thanks Mark for replying( bear with me as I'm not to tech aware with electrics)
I was hoping not to have to cut into the brake tail light wires to solder to etc, as they seem very thin and a fiddly job
what's the best way to do that ?

 

[Deleted account 190920001]

You could use something like Scotchlocks which aren't very good or positaps which work well. Other way would be to only strip a little insulation, wrap the striped end of your new cable over the stripped part of the original wiring and solder. Then tape it up. You need to be careful stripping the original wiring so you don't damage the copper.
If you aren't very confident the I would go the positaps route. They are quite bulky but are easy to use.

 

[robinpinkney]

You could use something like Scotchlocks which aren't very good or positaps which work well. Other way would be to only strip a little insulation, wrap the striped end of your new cable over the stripped part of the original wiring and solder. Then tape it up. You need to be careful stripping the original wiring so you don't damage the copper.
If you aren't very confident the I would go the positaps route. They are quite bulky but are easy to use.

I don't mind the soldering and taping bit ,Its the stripping of the orig bmw wire that's bothering me as it could easily cut right through
are the positaps are a reversible solution so I can put it back to standard if needed?

 

[Deleted account 190920001]

Yes they are reversible. They just puncture a small hole in the insulation through to the copper. Look for them on Ebay.

 

[robinpinkney]

Yes they are reversible. They just puncture a small hole in the insulation through to the copper. Look for them on Ebay.

apologies if I'm repeating myself Mark but the three wires coming out of the tail light that I'm going to tap into look far to thin and delicate to work with the positaps? unless I'm missing something?

 

[Deleted account 190920001]

You get them in lots of different sizes http://www.posi-lock.com/posiplug.html to check the specs.

 

[Deleted account 190920001]

The brown ones do 0.4mm to just over 0.5mm. Yours are bigger than that.

 

[robinpinkney]

Thanks for your patience , so I just piggy back off the 3 bmw wires using 3 "posi taps" onto the three wires to my light?
thanks again