Quick LED Question

[kamikaze]

I just wanted to confirm, if I replace all 4 turn signals with LED bulbs (the 360 degree SMD type), I don't need to use resistors if i buy one of those electronic flasher relays, right? I wanna keep things as plug 'n' play as possible, I hate cutting up factory wiring.

Thanks guys

edit: looks like I'm going to need to do this diode mod I've been reading about tho

[kevlar250]

Make sure it's an electronic LED flasher and yes you will need to do the diodes.
Superbrightled's CF12ANL-01 works great.

[shadowskater]

Yeah in addition to the new flasher relay you are going to want to do the diode mod in to ensure that only one side of the bike's turn signals flashes when you activate it. Here is the thread, post #25 also has thorough images. It's really quick and and makes it a cinch to hook up the LED's afterward. Once both 'mods' are in place you can just wire up each signal to their respective wiring that went to the original signals in that location.

Many flasher relays work, just make sure they are designed for LED's, they will say electronic relay or something similar, autozone has the FL32 which is easy to just pick up rather than order, and it plugs right into the stock harness that held the old relay.

I assume you mean buying a already soldered together signal that you just need to wire in, that was designed for the application or something similar(12v), if you are planning on actually buying the Surface mount LED's and building the signals then there is a much different tedious process you would have to go through.

[HKr1]

Originally Posted by kamikaze

I just wanted to confirm, if I replace all 4 turn signals with LED bulbs (the 360 degree SMD type), I don't need to use resistors if i buy one of those electronic flasher relays, right? I wanna keep things as plug 'n' play as possible, I hate cutting up factory wiring.

If you dont like cutting up the wiring, just use a resistor on each side(along with e-flasher). Just a few bucks for some factory turn sig plugs, do all your wiring on them. Everything else would stay intact......

[kamikaze]

Originally Posted by HKr1

If you dont like cutting up the wiring, just use a resistor on each side(along with e-flasher). Just a few bucks for some factory turn sig plugs, do all your wiring on them. Everything else would stay intact......

yea, I'd thought about doing the resistors, but since I'm gunna have to cut things to do the diode mod anyway, it's not a big deal. Besides, I think the e-flasher + diode mod is cleaner than load resistors, dunno why but I just like that idea better.

these are the bulbs I'm thinking about using. I kinda like the factory housings, i just wish they'd put the bulb in there sideways, so you could fit a longer bulb with more SMD's on it.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

[shadowskater]

Originally Posted by HKr1

If you dont like cutting up the wiring, just use a resistor on each side(along with e-flasher). Just a few bucks for some factory turn sig plugs, do all your wiring on them. Everything else would stay intact......

Nah power resistors are really not fixing the problem they are just putting a bandaid on it, I would go with the diode mod, it is actually extremely simple, it's only 4 splices. You can pick up the diodes at any radioshack, check to see if the 'various diode' package is as cheap as buying 2 seperate 1N400? diodes and you get a bunch of them for the same price. The final number on the line is just how much repetitive peak reverse voltage, and surge peak reverse voltage the diode can take. The lowest of the series, 1N4001 can take 50V on both and that is more than enough for the 12v signal that is coming down to go to the indicator bulb. Anything above that is just extra protection, but not necessary.

[kamikaze]

Originally Posted by shadowskater

Nah power resistors are really not fixing the problem they are just putting a bandaid on it, I would go with the diode mod, it is actually extremely simple, it's only 4 splices. You can pick up the diodes at any radioshack, check to see if the 'various diode' package is as cheap as buying 2 seperate 1N400? diodes and you get a bunch of them for the same price. The final number on the line is just how much repetitive peak reverse voltage, and surge peak reverse voltage the diode can take. The lowest of the series, 1N4001 can take 50V on both and that is more than enough for the 12v signal that is coming down to go to the indicator bulb. Anything above that is just extra protection, but not necessary.

there's a place in barrie that actually sells stuff like diodes and resistors and such for a reasonable price (think around a buck for 10pcs) unlike Radio Shack which would be 6.99 for 2 LOL so finding those aren't a problem. I've got a little electronics experience as well, but the bike is pretty new to me, so I really don't want to bugger it all up.

a little off topic, but does anyone know what bulbs are in the cluster off hand? if I have to pull it to do the diode mod I figure I may as well replace all the cluster lights with LED's as well. the only info I've found say that the white lights for illuminating the gauges and such are 194's, and that the idiot lights are 74's but if anyone knows for sure I'd appreciate it

[kamikaze]

oh, and something else while i'm thinking about it, where is the flasher relay located? I'm assuming it's under the seat somewhere, but which one specifically is it? I found an electronic flasher at a local store for a lot less than the ones online. it's a 2 pin, the pins are labeled X & L

thanks

EDIT: nevermind, found it. it's behind the left rear fairing, and plugs right in. works great with the factory signals, now I just need to pick up some led's and do the diode mod

[kevlar250]

Electronic flashers are not necessarily designed for LED use unless they specifically say so.

[kamikaze]

Originally Posted by kevlar250

Electronic flashers are not necessarily designed for LED use unless they specifically say so.

guess I'll find out if this one works the hard way.

looks pretty well identical to this guy: http://roadmonster.org/wp-content/up...ic-flasher.jpg

except that it's marked as a bf-12v instead of ef-32. if it doesn't work with the LED's i'll just return it.

[kevlar250]

You need an EF-32L with ground pigtail for LED specific.

[jonthechron]

That flasher unit looks like it has a coil in it. My relay is composed of a cap, a transistor and a resistor i believe.

[nattygirl]

Kamikaze:

Just an FYI, those LED bulbs you want to buy for your stock turns are not 100% plug in play with our bikes. You're going to have to file down or shave one of the pins on it in order for it to fit.

This is how our socket looks:



This is what you're getting:



Also, I can confirm that the dash leds are 194's.

If you're looking for a brighter LED bulb, this is the one I bought for my bike and I am very happy with the brightness of them. I think they are even brighter than the stock bulbs. They are pricey, but worth it IMO. They have double the amount of leds yours has. I buy all my leds from v-leds.com. Never had any problems with any of them. Also, I can confirm that they will fit in our stock housing. You'll still have to shave down one pin like the one in your link, but they work and look good.

http://www.v-leds.com/Exterior-LED/T...-p4748463.html

[kamikaze]

Thanks for the tips

I figured I'd just be able to file down one of the little nubs. I already ordered the bulbs from ebay, so I'll see how those work. if i'm not happy with them I'll look into the ones you linked

[kamikaze]

so I had decided that resistors were easier, and bought some at my local electronics supply store. wired one up, and it got so hot after 30 seconds of flashing i decided to just suck it up and do the diode mod.

got it all stripped down, and did the mod, and the LED bulbs that I got from that eBay auction worked like a charm. Even that cheap 2 wire flasher works fine. I think the stock bulbs are a little brighter in the daytime, but these things just look great.

[FrugalNinja250]

Originally Posted by kamikaze

a little off topic, but does anyone know what bulbs are in the cluster off hand? if I have to pull it to do the diode mod I figure I may as well replace all the cluster lights with LED's as well. the only info I've found say that the white lights for illuminating the gauges and such are 194's, and that the idiot lights are 74's but if anyone knows for sure I'd appreciate it

Those are the correct bulb numbers. However, the bulb sockets for the general cluster backlighting (the 194's) are arranged such that side-lighted LEDs would be required and I haven't found any that work well yet. The warning lights are available in colors, you need to get the LEDs in the matching color; white will not work well because of the way white LED's work.

[DarkNinja52]

+1 to shadowskater for referencing the DIY post I made. It's always nice to return to the forum after months and see a post referenced. Also nice to see a lot of the old faces are still around

[Mike1357]

Just wanted to throw out there that I went to all LED the other day. Had a problem with backflow through the other side causing all sorts of confusing flashes when my signals were activated. As a quick fix, I left the stock rear signal bulbs attatched and wired my rear integrated signals in to their hot side. The stock ones are inside the rear farings with black tape on them and all my flashers work fine lol

[kamikaze]

Originally Posted by Mike1357

Just wanted to throw out there that I went to all LED the other day. Had a problem with backflow through the other side causing all sorts of confusing flashes when my signals were activated. As a quick fix, I left the stock rear signal bulbs attatched and wired my rear integrated signals in to their hot side. The stock ones are inside the rear farings with black tape on them and all my flashers work fine lol

that's what the diode mode fixes.