Wiring LED Strip question

spc2125 · June 17th, 2013, 11:46 AM

I had these two red strips of LEDs from my car after I sold it and I was just playing around and thinking of putting them on my bike. Ive researched this and found mixed opinions on this. I just want to make it clear that these will be mounted to show the engine and internals NOT the pavement. Anyway, back to the wiring question.

I have two strips so I soldered both the (+) red positive wires together. And same with the (-) black negative wires. Then I tested them them by hooking them up to the battery and they turned on... but wouldnt turn off even when the key is OFF. This is obviously because its getting straight power from the battery.

So I set out this morning to get a switch. I got a switch and had to still keep the wires the same. So you can see in the picture below that I cut the wires after I converted them into 1 (+) positive and 1 (-) negative wire. But i couldnt just hook it up to the switch because I still need to get power. So, I spliced them and ran two wires (one red and one black) to the switch... then the other two separately to the positive (+) terminal on the battery. Then the (-) negative to a bolt as a ground.

Here's the part that I dont understand. When I hooked the (+) positive to the battery and the (-) negative to a ground... the LEDs would turn on. But as soon as I flipped the switch, the (-) negative wire around the bolt would begin to smoke...

Can anyone explain this to me?
Should I just have ended the (-) negative to the ground on the switch and not continued it to another ground?
How did other people hook up their wiring?

If someone could use paint or some type of drawing to describe their explanation it would be greatly appreciated because Im a visual learner.

Thanks !

Steven

TBC · June 17th, 2013, 12:11 PM

I'm not an electrician by any means, but I think your diagram (if you wired it like that) is horribly wrong. If you split the wires like that, then the switch doesn't stop (interrupt) the flow to the LEDs - all it does, when active, is create a short between the battery and the ground (bolt).

Do this:
-Have both sets of wires from the LEDs come to two points, as you had it.
-Attach the pair of ground wires to the bolt.
-Attach the pair of hot wires to one side of the switch.
-Attach the positive side of the battery to the other side of the switch.

That way the switch interrupts the power flow. Take that advice with a pinch of salt, but that's what I would do.

spc2125 · June 17th, 2013, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TBC

I'm not an electrician by any means, but I think your diagram (if you wired it like that) is horribly wrong. If you split the wires like that, then the switch doesn't stop (interrupt) the flow to the LEDs - all it does, when active, is create a short between the battery and the ground (bolt).

Do this:
-Have both sets of wires from the LEDs come to two points, as you had it.
-Attach the pair of ground wires to the bolt.
-Attach the pair of hot wires to one side of the switch.
-Attach the positive side of the battery to the other side of the switch.
How do I do this step? Which wire do I use?

That way the switch interrupts the power flow. Take that advice with a pinch of salt, but that's what I would do.

Oh no offense taken at all. I posted a question... I expected an answer. Im a noob in this field so I expected some smart ass remark.

Do I just use a spare piece of wire to connect the positive (+) terminal of the battery to the other side of the switch so it looks like this?

spc2125 · June 17th, 2013, 12:32 PM

So it looks like this?

TBC · June 17th, 2013, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spc2125

Do I just use a spare piece of wire to connect the positive (+) terminal of the battery to the other side of the switch so it looks like this?

Yup.

Quote:

Originally Posted by spc2125

So it looks like this?

More or less.

indr · June 17th, 2013, 01:40 PM

Put a fuse in there somewhere too.

spc2125 · June 17th, 2013, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by indr

Put a fuse in there somewhere too.

On the blue one closest to the battery right?

indr · June 17th, 2013, 02:04 PM

Yes. On the positive side of the batter. Or since LEDs don't draw that much current, you can splice the wire coming from the taillight fuse.

spc2125 · June 19th, 2013, 04:25 PM

I didnt want to start a new thread so i figured I would just post it in here.

So after I installed my lights and everything works, I went to bed. Hadnt turned on the bike till this afternoon. I got on the bike and turned the key to the ON position and no lights on the dash showed up.

Im thinking maybe dead battery. So while im waiting for my plug in battery charger I decided to see what you guys think.

I was also searching around and found this wire sticking out underneath. I didnt know what its from. I searched and found where it might have belonged so I plugged it in. I went back to the bike and saw that the red oil light turned on. (which i read indicates low oil pressure)

Is that suppose to be plugged in?

And the red backlight comes on behind the gauges, as well as my LED strip when i flip the switch.... but the green neutral light doesnt come on, nor does the high beams or headlights.

Any opinions?

indr · June 19th, 2013, 07:53 PM

You might have better luck posting the pics in http://www.ninjette.org/forums/forum...sprune=-1&f=11

That wire is for the oil pressure sensor.

The oil pressure light will come on when the bike is not running because there isn't enough pressure in the bike because it isn't running. I.e. the oil pump isn't spinning and building up pressure.

spc2125 · June 19th, 2013, 08:21 PM

So i popped the clutch and it started... then i smelt gas and found there was a leak coming from where the gas line connects to what looks like a filter?

Anyways, I had a spare worm clamp and put it around it and it stopped the leak... it also coincidentally fixed my high idle problem. I would normally idle around 3k rpm. And i learned today its suppose to be between 1100-1500. And im sitting between those now.

Heres a pick of where it was leaking. I must have hit it when i installed the LED strip.

indr · June 19th, 2013, 08:38 PM

It might be idling lower now because of the small kink/dent in the fuel line. You adjust the idle speed via the idle adjustment knob on the left side of the bike. It's close to the carbs.

spc2125 · June 19th, 2013, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by indr

It might be idling lower now because of the small kink/dent in the fuel line. You adjust the idle speed via the idle adjustment knob on the left side of the bike. It's close to the carbs.

I noticed that too. But ill see whats going on with that in the morning.

Ive got to say, I hate that my bike seems to be having problems left and right... but i love being able to fix them myself

This weekend I will start my build thread for my full yoshi exhaust and rejet.

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June 17th, 2013, 12:11 PM	#2
TBC ninjette.org guru Name: Dave Location: Pittsburgh Join Date: Oct 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2004 Ninja 250F Posts: 308	I'm not an electrician by any means, but I think your diagram (if you wired it like that) is horribly wrong. If you split the wires like that, then the switch doesn't stop (interrupt) the flow to the LEDs - all it does, when active, is create a short between the battery and the ground (bolt). Do this: -Have both sets of wires from the LEDs come to two points, as you had it. -Attach the pair of ground wires to the bolt. -Attach the pair of hot wires to one side of the switch. -Attach the positive side of the battery to the other side of the switch. That way the switch interrupts the power flow. Take that advice with a pinch of salt, but that's what I would do.

June 17th, 2013, 01:40 PM	#6
indr ninjette.org guru Name: . Location: . Join Date: Nov 2010 Motorcycle(s): . Posts: 331	Put a fuse in there somewhere too.

June 17th, 2013, 02:04 PM	#8
indr ninjette.org guru Name: . Location: . Join Date: Nov 2010 Motorcycle(s): . Posts: 331	Yes. On the positive side of the batter. Or since LEDs don't draw that much current, you can splice the wire coming from the taillight fuse.

June 19th, 2013, 04:25 PM	#9
spc2125 ninjette.org member Name: Steven Location: MA Join Date: May 2013 Motorcycle(s): 10 Ninja 250 Posts: 172	I didnt want to start a new thread so i figured I would just post it in here. So after I installed my lights and everything works, I went to bed. Hadnt turned on the bike till this afternoon. I got on the bike and turned the key to the ON position and no lights on the dash showed up. Im thinking maybe dead battery. So while im waiting for my plug in battery charger I decided to see what you guys think. I was also searching around and found this wire sticking out underneath. I didnt know what its from. I searched and found where it might have belonged so I plugged it in. I went back to the bike and saw that the red oil light turned on. (which i read indicates low oil pressure) Is that suppose to be plugged in? And the red backlight comes on behind the gauges, as well as my LED strip when i flip the switch.... but the green neutral light doesnt come on, nor does the high beams or headlights. Any opinions?

June 19th, 2013, 07:53 PM	#10
indr ninjette.org guru Name: . Location: . Join Date: Nov 2010 Motorcycle(s): . Posts: 331	You might have better luck posting the pics in http://www.ninjette.org/forums/forum...sprune=-1&f=11 That wire is for the oil pressure sensor. The oil pressure light will come on when the bike is not running because there isn't enough pressure in the bike because it isn't running. I.e. the oil pump isn't spinning and building up pressure.

June 19th, 2013, 08:21 PM	#11
spc2125 ninjette.org member Name: Steven Location: MA Join Date: May 2013 Motorcycle(s): 10 Ninja 250 Posts: 172	So i popped the clutch and it started... then i smelt gas and found there was a leak coming from where the gas line connects to what looks like a filter? Anyways, I had a spare worm clamp and put it around it and it stopped the leak... it also coincidentally fixed my high idle problem. I would normally idle around 3k rpm. And i learned today its suppose to be between 1100-1500. And im sitting between those now. Heres a pick of where it was leaking. I must have hit it when i installed the LED strip.

June 19th, 2013, 08:38 PM	#12
indr ninjette.org guru Name: . Location: . Join Date: Nov 2010 Motorcycle(s): . Posts: 331	It might be idling lower now because of the small kink/dent in the fuel line. You adjust the idle speed via the idle adjustment knob on the left side of the bike. It's close to the carbs.