LED turn signal bulbs

[djh3]

OK so I have been searching around looking for info on LED bulbs for the turnsignals and also the brake. What I would like to know is if you use the replacement type looking LED bulbs do you still have to put the special flasher units, resistors, controller or whatever in the mix? And I thought I read somewhere that the auto cancel function dont work with the LED's either. Something like this.

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDIzWDQ0MA==/$(KGrHqN,!oME9c54uKu(BPr+S840(g~~60_1.JPG

[gator06]

I have LEDs front and back turn signals and brake light.

When I replaced just the back or just the front turn signals they functioned normally.

If you replace both front and back turn signals they will blink fast.

My auto cancel function still works with both front and back LED turn signal bulbs installed .

 

If your bulb cover is amber, use amber LEDs.

If your bulb cover is red, use red LEDs.

If your bulb cover is clear use the proper color LED for it's function.

I kike the crispness of LEDs.

 

I tried LEDs in my spot lights, and liked them, but the vibration broke them after 1 month. I haven't found a sturdy H3 LED as of yet.

[dacheedah]

I bought 4 on fleabay cheap, can only get one to work on my bike but the same bulb works on my boat trailer. They came from China and took about 20 days, I think my cost was about $2.00 with shipping.

[Yamamike]

If I'm not mistaken the auto cancel is built into the flasher so you don't loose the featuee if you keep the OEM flasher. If the LEDs don't work, the resistors will allow you to keep the OEM flasher.

[djh3]

Thats sort of what I need to know. What resitor and where do you need to install? Am I going to have to cut into the harness. I want to be as minimaly invasive as possible as its still under warranty.

 

Gator06- What did you finnaly do? Do you have a resistor or whatever do dad installed? I wonder if there are any sport bikes that have LED turnsignals from the factory with an auto cancel flasher we could swap.

[ChrisFrench]

Hello,

 

I changed my indicator bulbs with LED.

I changed my central flashing OEM by an electronic worth 15 dollars.Maintenant they blink normally.

 

Chris

[djh3]

Well now its really going to take some research. The flasher on the RSV dont look anything like the ones they sell for LED turn signals. I still dont know for sure if the auto cancel is buit into the flasher or not, and I never did hear or feel the flasher fo the hazards. So unfortunatly this dont look like an easy mod either. Options are running thin. Looks like would have to use the load things. I dont know what you call them right now but I guess basicly they short the sytem into thinking it has more draw.

[gator06]

I let them blink fast. Gets the attention of the cagers

[gator06]

With the LEDs in, you are drawing so little current, the flasher system thinks one of your bulbs is burnt out, and is letting you know there is something wrong. A load resister increase current and the flasher system is satisfied. I'm not sure what unit or relay controls this effect. I can try to look into it more tomorrow.

[djh3]

I dont know if both trun and hazzard flashers are built into one unit. I supose a fellow could install a turn specific flasher but if the auto cancel is built into the function of the current flasher I dont want to loose that. Do they flash brite enough even though they look like they are in overdrive?

[Flyinfool]

That is one of the great things about LEDs. they do not warm up and cool down like an incandescent bulb. If the LED is flashing slow enough for you to tell that it is flashing, then it is reaching full brightness.

[gator06]

There are 3 boxes in the turn signal / emergency flasher system.

From looking at the wiring diagram, the box that actually turns the bulbs on and off (flashes) and most likely a current sensing circuit, has 2 wires going to it, Brown and Brown/ White. The second box is the auto cancel and has a wire coming from the speed sensor, and the third is a control box for the turn signals and emergency flasher functions.

 

If anyone has tried to put in an aftermarket flasher unit, it would be the two wire electronic type. (example: the same flasher unit you would put in a car after installing trailer wiring and your blinkers flash to fast).

 

:no-no-no:This info is looking at a wiring diagram only.

[Bummer]

LEDs are LEDs. It's going to take a bunch of 'em to add up to the same load as standard bulbs. All else being equal, a different load means a different flash speed. Load equalizers do exactly that, so the load on the electrical system stays pretty much the same. I didn't want that, so I didn't use load equalizers.

 

I replaced my turn signal bulbs with the Custom Dynamics LED boards. Very easy mod - a couple (rears I think) took a few swipes with a file around the edge for final fitment. Very bright lights. I did not originally change the relay and just let the thing flash fast. Technically it's not exactly legal. (USDOT has a flash per minute specification. I don't know if any States go that far. Absolutely no idea about Canada or elsewhere.) I was never hassled about it, though I had a few cagers tell me I had a bulb out. I just thanked them and went on my way with the realization that if they noticed, they were pretty unlikely to run me over.

 

The emergency flasher is in the fairing on the brake side. The turn signal flasher is on the right (brake) side behind the side cover. The emergency flasher is a two wire type. The turn signal flasher has five wires.

 

I've installed a "Trick Flasher". (Actually two, one for each flasher.) At the time of purchase this was a brand name which is no longer available. I think the Custom Dynamics flashers should work using the Yamaha Cruiser installation instructions from that page. I do not think it'll be necessary to remove the OEM flasher, just pull the two original connectors and insert the two from the replacement flasher. That's how I run my turn signal. Note that the Trick Flasher Custom Dynamics sells is probably also not technically legal due to the USDOT, but again, nobody seems to care. I've run my Trick Flashers for several years (and at least 30k miles) using a non-stock flash pattern with no hassles. This is another case of 'the cagers notice'.

 

With the bulb change I still had auto-cancel. I swapped my turn signal flasher with the one from my Sister's Royal Star, doing some testing. When I put mine back auto-cancel didn't work. The trick flasher change killed auto-cancel every time.

 

And to wander a bit further off topic, I also got a RadiantZ 128 LED tail light (no longer made) very similar to the Custom Dynamics 100 LED tail light. This thing is also poke-your-eye bright. Well worth the money. Plug and play. No other changes needed.

[Trader]

If you install LED bulbs to replace the original, wouldn't the purpose be to increase brightness but ALSO to reduce the load on the electrical system?

 

If you have to install resistors to make it work, doesn't that negate the reduced load benefit???

[OB-1]

If you install LED bulbs to replace the original, wouldn't the purpose be to increase brightness but ALSO to reduce the load on the electrical system?

 

If you have to install resistors to make it work, doesn't that negate the reduced load benefit???

 

Yes, installing load resistors with LED bulbs eliminates the power savings of the LED's. However, I don't think that power savings are a major consideration when we're talking about turn signals.

 

I have LED's for my rear turn signals, running lights, and brake lights. I went with LED's on the rear because the ones I installed are brighter than the stock bulbs and leave no doubt when the brakes are applied. I did not install load resistors and my turn signals flash quicker. The increased flash rate "seems" to get the attention of other drivers.

[Flyinfool]

If you install LED bulbs to replace the original, wouldn't the purpose be to increase brightness but ALSO to reduce the load on the electrical system?

 

If you have to install resistors to make it work, doesn't that negate the reduced load benefit???

 

As mentioned, if you get the right LED bulbs they are brighter than incandescent. The load resistors are not an issue since you only use them for the turn signals.

If you think about it, how much time does the turn signal spend actually lit up. First the signals are only used when you are turning or changing lanes, and even when they are on they are are really only lit for half of the time. Your electrical system can deal with the extra/normal current draw for those short times while signaling and the bulb is lit. But you are still getting the full benefit of the reduced amp draw all of the time on the running light part of the LED bulb.

[Bummer]

If you install LED bulbs to replace the original, wouldn't the purpose be to increase brightness but ALSO to reduce the load on the electrical system?

 

If you have to install resistors to make it work, doesn't that negate the reduced load benefit???

 

My primary interest in going with the LEDs was the huge increase in brightness. Load was a thing I considered, then pretty much dismissed. Is there an electrical load savings to not using equalizers? Yes. Is it significant? No. In the end it was just another item to get hot and eventually cause problems. Why bother? I actually liked the attention the faster flash brought. The savings of six electrons was ok too. Still, it wasn't even close to the main point.

[BuddyRich]

The faster flash works fine. Actually the 1 sec flash on normal turn signals is so the incandescent bulb can reach full brightness. Takes it about a quarter second to reach full brightness and about the same amount to go (cool) off. So you wind up with a half second full bright. The LED's come up in microseconds to full brightness and the faster flash is about a half second. I have had mine all LED since about a month after I got it in 05. Never have replaced any bulbs since .

[spear]

Yes, installing load resistors with LED bulbs eliminates the power savings of the LED's. However, I don't think that power savings are a major consideration when we're talking about turn signals.

 

I have LED's for my rear turn signals, running lights, and brake lights. I went with LED's on the rear because the ones I installed are brighter than the stock bulbs and leave no doubt when the brakes are applied. I did not install load resistors and my turn signals flash quicker. The increased flash rate "seems" to get the attention of other drivers.

 

What's the fastest allowable flash rate for turn signals?

Some jurisdictions give a range of flashes per minute and you have to be between the lower and upper figures to be legal.

[Yeah, Just Dale]

I let them blink fast. Gets the attention of the cagers

 

 

Why complicate things?

[djh3]

OK I tried this today. Pulled the 2 wires for the flasher out of the connector for the OEM flasher unit. Plugged those into a flasher unit off my pick up. Went for a ride around my neighborhood and turned on the left signal. It never cancelled. This was done with regular bulbs still in. I did this to check and see if by chance I could replace just the flasher with a LED flasher and still retail the self canceling properties. No such luck. So while i'm messing around with this the mail man comes. All my turn bulbs show up. So I put them in. They flash like they have been on 5hr energy drink or something but they work. Well now they do. I had to crimp one of the front sockets down a little to get a good enough connection. So now I have to decide if I want to add the load things. Do you add one for each light? Or for each side? Saw the ones from signal dynamics and it left me confused on the wiring diagrham. Looks like from the schematic you need 2 for thier deal.

[GeorgeS]

The Flashers, and brake lights are very seldom " ON " so, why bother to change them to LED. Your saveing an extremely small amount of current, so why bother with all the trouble ??

 

I can see replaceing the tail lights, and forward markers with LED, but, the brake lights, and Turn signals, hmmmm ??? whats the point ??

[djh3]

The LED for the brake light is quite a bit brighter than the stock bulb. I think the turn bulbs look a bit brighter also. So its an appearence thing I guess. And LED's should last way longer and are not as suseptable to burn out or a filament getting broken.

[Bummer]

The Flashers, and brake lights are very seldom " ON " so, why bother to change them to LED. Your saveing an extremely small amount of current, so why bother with all the trouble ??

 

I can see replaceing the tail lights, and forward markers with LED, but, the brake lights, and Turn signals, hmmmm ??? whats the point ??

 

I changed to LEDs for the brake and turn signals because they're bright. As in bright with a capital F. The brake light is part of the tail light, so if you replace one you're replacing the other.

 

As far as I'm concerned the electrical savings was a case of "oh yeah, and it saves a little electricity". It's there, but it had little to nothing to do with the decision to make the change. Now, poke 'em in the eye with light? Yep. That's the plan. That's also part of why I didn't care about the fast flash. It's all about getting attention, and not bad attention, not little kid attention, but please don't run me over attention. Once run over, twice shy.

[Leadwolf56]

I replaced my tail/brake light with the 100 LED board from Custom Dynamics. WAY brighter than the stock bulb, will do so with my Harley brakelight bar too, along with the LED light bar under the trunk you WILL see me when I hit the brakes. i agree with Bummer all of the LEDs are brighter than bulbs and more eye catching.