Bandit Alley
GENERAL MOTORCYCLE FORUMS => GENERAL MOTORCYCLE => Topic started by: Nacho2059 on May 05, 2006, 01:15:44 AM
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I am going to be replacing both front and rear signals with LED signals and I have heard that when you use LED lights sometimes they wont flash at the right rate or wont flash at all. True or not? and what can be done to fix this?
thanks for you help in advance
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true, you'd neeed to put a resistor in there. if you have the basic electric skills then it's easy to compare the 2 circuits (one with the normal bulb, and one with the led-resistor combo).
You simply need to mimic the characteristics of the bulb with help of the Law of Ohm
Like this i found on the net:
Example calculations
A red, a yellow and a green LED in series need a supply voltage of at least 3 × 2V + 2V = 8V,
so a 9V battery would be ideal.
VL = 2V + 2V + 2V = 6V (the three LED voltages added up).
If the supply voltage VS is 9V and the current I must be 15mA = 0.015A,
Resistor R = (VS - VL) / I = (9 - 6) / 0.015 = 3 / 0.015 = 200ohm,
so choose R = 220ohm (the nearest standard value which is greater).
i hope this helps
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It's true and I will garentee it will happen to you.
You will have to put load equlizers on the lines to fool your flaser into thinking it has the correct voltage of bulbs in place.
I will warn you that I have not found an LED bulb which is brighter than stock.
You can read about em here.
http://www.customled.com/PRODUCTS/THE_EQUALIZER/the_equalizer.htm
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I haven't seen the MoTrax LED Arrows in person, but from the looks of the pic on their site (below), they seem to be pretty bright. Can't be any worse than the minis that use bulbs, they don't show up well at all - and is the #1 reason I want to ditch mine. (#2 reason is their bulb life is short and they're a PIA to find replacements for on the road.)
(http://www.motrax.co.uk/Images/Accessories/ledarrows/ledarrow3.jpg)
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thanks for the help. Now all I have to do is get the signals hooked up and figure out which of the problems I have. :thanks:
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I did a taillight integration and LED conversion on the 919 last weekend, this weekend I finally got it blinking at the right speed. I just went to Autozone and picked up an EL-12 blinker relay and wired it in place of the old one, problem solved for about $8. :grin:
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Hey Maniac is this the relay you used?
http://www.napaonline.com/MasterPages/NOLMaster.aspx?PageId=470&LineCode=NF&PartNumber=EL12&Description=Flasher+-+Turn+Signal
Did your signals come on steady with no flash? Thats the problem I am having.
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Yep, signals are working fine. Sounds like you may have the wire backwards, try switching the leads around. :grin:
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Leads were just fine. New relay installed as well as new, working, rear signals. Now all I need to do is the fronts, which will hopefully be in tomorrow afternoon. thanks
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I will warn you that I have not found an LED bulb which is brighter than stock.
Hey Bazza where the hell are you from again?
Cause I thought we down here, are the ones, out the back of butt F*#* Idaho.( sorry guys) Man we got heaps of aftermarket led indicators that absolutely kill stock indicators for brightness, and style, and they come with the resistor kit.
Just check out the difference between, a standard 2 element Brake/Tail globe and the new led type, chalk and cheese mate, and the led wins hands down for brightness and difference between tail and brake. Sure the led is pricey but in theory should never blow out. We even get led replacements to the standard globes for standard indicators.
The only 1 I’m having problems sourcing is the small stubby standard number plate globe.
I was talking to a supplier last year about the led revolution, he was telling me how in Europe, they are now producing led reversing lights for semi’, trucks, they have to be pretty bright, and are hoping soon to have the first led headlights, now that’s really really bright.
I'll have to start up that import/export business, I'll import them to here, then export them to you. So good are they the word on the street is we will some time down the road, be unable to buy element type replacement globes, Ie brake/tail, signal and aux as the led replacements are already available, and better.
Come down here man, I think you would be hard pushed to even find a single interstate truck still running element type brake/tail, and signal, all led bloke. Now I can tell you that if they were not brighter and better than element globes, the road transport authorities, would have outlawed there use, and big time transport companies would not spend the extra bucks to change over to them.
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The majority of LEDs you can buy easily aren't made for this type of application, like the one's from Radio Shack. They are just for panel lights or replacement stereo indicators, or something like that.
The LEDs in my ClearAlternatives tail light are -wicked- bright. Brighter than stock, at least. It came with resistors, but one resisted a little to well (no current passed through) and the other didn't resist very well at all (fast flash), so I put the EL-12 in.
I want to do LED tails on my Mazda3 as well, but the bulb is in on an angle. Thats the thing with LEDs, you have to view them dead-on to get them to be very bright, they aren't ment to be viewed side-on.
If you want some bright LEDs, check out the Luxon LEDs (I think that the name), those things can cause retina damage!
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sorry to nit-pick but it's Luxeon, i was playing with the idea of putting 2 of those in the Taillight, but never gotten to it, the heatsink-situation made me think it was going to be too much trouble.
Got a NovaLED here, thought it would be differently, but it also needs a heatsink attached :duh: Not so expensive, though, bought it via internet from Conrad, for the Europe ppl, if anyone's interested, tons of electronic tidbits there
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sorry to nit-pick but it's Luxeon
Thats the one!
Yeah, the heatsink situation is a scary prospect. I've considered trying to retrofit them into my car, but the more I think about it, the more the thought of having a heatsink on the light just seems wierd. Plus since it's in an enclosed space, I'd need to have some form of active cooling (fan), and that just seems a little much.
I need to pick up a set of tail lights from Ebay to butcher. Same thing with the 919, I need a junk instrument cluster to place with. There is a spot for another indicator light, and I want to try and squeeze a radar detector into it. :grin:
Always nice to know when your about to be pulled over!
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I haven't found LEDs to fill the lens with light as well as a bulb. Like when seen from the side. Real pretty from the rear, so to speak, though.
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I have come to the conclusion that turn signals, LED turn signals to be more specific, are a pain in the rear. Like I stated in my previous post, I got the rears hooked up and working just fine. Tonight I got the fronts, also LED signals, hooked the right side up and they worked awesome, little slower than normal but were working fine. Get the left side hooked up and I get a flash on all four when I click the left side and the same when I hit the right. Just to add to this, when the original signal was connected to the left side and I hit the left all four lights turned on.
Why is it doing this?
I hate electrical anything. :crybaby:
almost forgot.. when I say flash I mean they turn on but are very very dim almost unnoticeable.
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My conclusion is this, the world must be dumping all its crap on you guys, to use up.
Cause the standard replacement turn signal globe in leds, is heaps better than the stock 32cp filament globe, as for the tail stop unit, it nothing less than brilliant, the led replacement dash lights are also very good, as I said the only 1 I’m current having problems sourcing is the stubby 5w license plate globe.
Now I agree there is lots of dodgy aftermarket led indicator sets around, but having said that, there is just as many great quality extremely bright and visible from extreme angles, at prices, still cheaper than genuine replacement units. And I do believe, that leds are now being used as stock standard fitted equipment, example straight off the chuff the SV1000 tail/ brake unit.
Now just straying for motorcycle lights to the push bike stuff, its all leds now, and why?
No its not cheaper, but it shyte loads better. The little units {Front & rear} I have fitted to our push bikes, are outstanding to say the least, you would have to be blind Freddie not to see these suckers, even in broad daylight.
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Ok, question for any electrical guru that may be out there. Why when the LED load equalizers that I picked up from custom Led do my blinkers not work? The equalizers are connected correctly, double and tripple checked. I checked the positive and ground wires and they are correct, all four, positive has power and ground has none. Now if I check the left positive while the right is on there is some, not very much but enough power so that I can see the filament glow in the tester. Same story with the other side, when I check the right while the left is on the filament in the tester glows just a bit.
I will also add that as long a set of stock blinkers are hooked up, either front or rears, and the opposite end LED's are hooked up everything works just fine. Its when all four LED's are hooked up that I get basically nothing.
Any one, anyone at all know what the deal is or what I should do to get all four LED's working?
Thanks for everyone that chimed in previously and thanks to those that will here in the next day or so.
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"Red01" I haven't seen the MoTrax LED Arrows in person, but from the looks of the pic on their site (below), they seem to be pretty bright. Can't be any worse than the minis that use bulbs, they don't show up well at all - and is the #1 reason I want to ditch mine. (#2 reason is their bulb life is short and they're a PIA to find replacements for on the road.)
ON MY SUZUKI B-12 AND MY SON'S ZX-6R KAWASAKI, WE USED A HEAVY DUTY TURN SIGNAL FLASHER IN PLACE OF THE ORIGINAL FLASHER; AND THAT SOLVED THE PROBLEM WITHOUT HAVING TO SPLICE IN RESISTORS.....(CORRECTION: ONLY THE KAWASAKI GOT THE HEAVY DUTY FLASHER.....SINCE I HAD THE EXTRA SET OF LIGHTS ON THE BANDIT, I DID NOT NEED THE FLASHER REPLACED.)
ON THE ZX-6R WE HAVE FLUSH MOUNTS ON THE FRONT AND SCOOP LED'S ON THE REAR.....
ON MY B-12 I HAVE MINI'S AND SCOOP LED'S ON THE REAR AND I HAVE MINI'S ON THE FRONT.....
THEY WORK AND LOOK GREAT.....
I ALSO HAVE A CYBER LIGHT, SEPARATE PULSATING BRAKE LIGHT ON THE REAR.....WE HAVE A LOT OF "BLIND CAGERS" IN THIS AREA WHO SEEM TO HIT BIKES IN THE REAR REGULARLY.....
THEY MOSTLY HIT HARLEY'S, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW WITH THEM.....
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"Nacho2059" Ok, question for any electrical guru that may be out there. Why when the LED load equalizers that I picked up from custom Led do my blinkers not work? The equalizers are connected correctly, double and tripple checked. I checked the positive and ground wires and they are correct, all four, positive has power and ground has none. Now if I check the left positive while the right is on there is some, not very much but enough power so that I can see the filament glow in the tester. Same story with the other side, when I check the right while the left is on the filament in the tester glows just a bit.
I will also add that as long a set of stock blinkers are hooked up, either front or rears, and the opposite end LED's are hooked up everything works just fine. Its when all four LED's are hooked up that I get basically nothing.
Any one, anyone at all know what the deal is or what I should do to get all four LED's working?
Thanks for everyone that chimed in previously and thanks to those that will here in the next day or so.
OKAY.....HERE IS WHAT I THINK THE PROBLEM MAY BE:.....
EITHER YOU HAVE A STRIPPED OR DAMAGED WIRE IN ONE OF THE TURN SIGNALS, OR YOU HAVE SOMETHING CROSS WIRED ON THE BIKE.....(YES, I KNOW THAT YOU SAID THAT YOU TRIPLE CHECKED EVERYTHING).....BUT CHECK AGAIN; REMOVE THE EQUALIZERS, AND ESPECIALLY CHECK AT THE TURN SIGNAL FLASHER, IT MAY BE SHORTED OUT ON THE INSIDE.....
TRACE THE WIRES FROM THE TURN SIGNAL TO THE FUSE BOX OR SIGNAL SWITCH, WHERE EVER THEY END AT.....
IF YOU DON'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE WIRES AND THEY ARE ALSO WIRED CORRECTLY, THEN YOU MAY HAVE A FAULTY TURN SIGNAL SWITCH (THOUGH, I DOUBT IT, BASED ON YOUR DESCRIPTION OF YOUR PROBLEM).....
ONE SOLUTION, IS TO INSTALL THE LIGHTS THAT ARE WORKING PROPERLY AND DIRECT WIRE THE SET OF PROBLEM LIGHTS TO THE SET OF WORKING LIGHTS, AND BYPASS THE ORIGINAL WIRE HARNESS ON THE PROBLEM SET.....
THIS IS NOT THE BEST SOLUTION, BUT IT SHOULD WORK.....
GOOD LUCK.....