I replaced 1 of 2 fluorescent light fixtures in my garage.

[oracle]

I replaced 1 of 2 fluorescent light fixtures in my garage. Coming out of the ceiling is a white wire, a black wire, a metal wire(ground), and a black wire twisted together with a red wire. I connected the fixture white wire with the ceiling white wire and the fixture black wire with the ceiling black wire, then connected the ground wire to a screw on the fixture. I had forgotten what I was suppose to do with the black and red wires so I just covered the bare ends with a wire nut. I flipped the breaker switch and Viola! the light turned on. Unfortunately, I quickly found out the garage light switch no longer works. In other words, there is no way to turn the light off now except to switch the breaker. I am thinking the black and red wires that I didn't know what to do with are the light switch wires, but I don't know where I should put them. Do I connect them to the fixture black wire or the fixture white wire? By the way, the other fluorescent light fixture switches on and off with the light switch just fine.

[markmark]

You say the new fixture does not work with the switch, but the other fixture does?
Do you have two switches? If you have a continuity meter, see if the red and black wires that are tied together, are controlled by the switch. If you do have two switches, the black and red wires probably go to the switch. If this is the case, connect the black wire that is in the ceiling, to the black wire that goes to the switch. Then, connect the red wire from the switch, to the black wire on the fixture. Leave the white neutral wires the way they are.

[oracle]

Mark, thanks for the reply. There is one switch that controls both fixtures in the garage. I replaced one and I am going to replace the other one, but first I must get the replaced light to work via the switch. The fixture that was not replaced still works via the switch. As for the red and black wires that are tied together, they were tied together in the old fixture also (I didn't untie them when I replaced the fixture) therefore, I think they belong tied together. The fixture that was not replaced does NOT have a tied-together red and black wire coming out of the ceiling. It only has a separate white wire and a separate black wire coming from the ceiling.

[markmark]

Are the red and black wires tied (spliced) bare metal to bare metal? On the new fixture, take off the black wire from the ceiling and cap it off. Then take the red and black wires that are tied together and splice them to the black wire in the new fixture, and see if that works.

[oracle]

That did it. Thanks for your help. I knew it would be something simple.