New Tail Lights

[will4104]

Hi Everyone!

Needed to replace my tail lights, but the new ones I purchased have three wires while the existing have two. Am I correct to assume the third is for ground: since the old one was metal and used the housing as ground?  (new ones are plastic housing, led)
If someone in the know will chime in, I will thank you ahead of time.
Thank you all for the help. I, as well as many, are glad you are all here!
( attempted to post pics, not edumacated enough to accomplish it... )

Will

[RJ]

Will -

What color wire are the leads on your new lights?

That will help us answer your question more intelligently.

[will4104]

The wires are red, black and white. The white wire has an eyelet on it while the others are bare...   

[wagwar]

The white is ground.

[Cary and Don]

Usually if there are three wires, one is stop and one is tail light.

Don and Cary

[gus]

I think the original 4104 had separate stop/tail/turn lights. If so you probably don't use one of the wires.

Three wires are needed when the stop/turn/tail lights use the same two contact bulb. Your old ones are probably single contact.

[will4104]

Thanks all,
Does anyone know how the lights operated originally? Right now both top and bottom act as stop and turn...
Any opinions on having tops and bottoms act independently, tops for turns bottoms for stops?


Will

[Ed Hackenbruch]

If you tow anything the bottom lights will not be visible to anyone behind you, and if for some reason the lights on the tow quit working and you have to stop suddenly, you may find yourself becoming acquainted with the driver behind you.

[will4104]

Good point Ed....    you think I should add a few more 

[Ed Hackenbruch]

Probably no need to add more, just keep the same setup as you already have.

[RJ]

Good point Ed....    You think I should add a few more?

Will -

What you might consider is adding an additional stop lamp assembly in the panel below the rear window and above the engine tailgate.

Or get really creative with some electronic do-dads and make the top Michigan Markers (the center cluster of three) flash whenever you step on the brakes?

Anything to keep others from trying to drive up your exhaust!

FWIW & HTH. . .

[will4104]

Something I didn't think of until after the installation, how the lights will hold up with the heat off the engine. They are plastic...
Anyone win experience with these ?

[gus]

All my 4104 lights are the round plastic generic types, never any heat problem.

[usbusin]

Something I didn't think of until after the installation, how the lights will hold up with the heat off the engine. They are plastic...
Anyone win experience with these ?

I had "Truck-lite" units in my 4104.  No problem in 16 years.

[belfert]

A lot of newer buses have high brake lights in addition to the ones at the normal level.  I suppose it gives them better visibility as hardly any of them will ever tow a trailer.  City buses locally have high mounted lights that are not red that flash when the bus is braking.  My bus is new enough to have a factory installed third brake light, but I replaced it with LED since the bulbs were hard to replace.

I almost always tow a trailer and have never thought about what happens if the trailer lights go out.  I have LED lights on the trailer so they shouldn't burn out, but what if the plugs comes out or something.  Nobody would ever see the bus brake lights.