LED Light Success!

[wolfy]

Finally found time to finished fitting my LED indicators today. I will cut a long story short by just giving you the details of what worked rather than what didn't

I have Bike It short stem 'spear' type indicator units. At the rear I connected them directly to the loom. In the middle, I fitted an electronic flasher unit, and at the front I fitted the LED units *and* a ballast resistor in parallel on each side. The reason for this is because even though I have an LED flasher relay fitted, which removes one reason for ballast resistors, the instrument panel indictor light wiring on the bike means that without ballast at the front, all four indicators will flash at once (like hazards on a car) on either left or right indicator switch settings. This is most disconcerting the first time it's noticed, but a bit of googling brought the problem to light so I just fitted the resistors at the front only.

They are very bright and look very tidy indeed on the bike. I had to go out before I could get round to photography, but I will take some pictures and post them up here in due course.

[McF]

That sounds very odd
I would have thought with the electronic flasher unit all would have worked properly - clear not.
Just be careful how long you have the indicators on for and where you mount those ballast resistors because they get bluddy hot.

[yellowmelos]

If it was a proper digital electronic flasher unit then you should not have needed the ballast resister.. these are designed for LED indicators. but the ballast resistor would stop current going to the LED not draw more current ( which would be required for normal indicator relay ) i suspect it's to stop the LED's going pop when the there is a charging voltage going through the wiring.

unless it's a voltage shunt and not a ballast resistor ??

[wolfy]

Ballast us in front circuit to stop the idiot light's route to earth from carrying too much current, because if the way it is wired across each side. I'm not good at explaining these things (who is !?), but it made sense enough to try it out when I came across a few incidents on the web and studied the wiring diagramme....

[Buzzin (^_^)]

actually it's got to do with the power going through the dash light......because led require only a little power, the leaking power crossing the dash light will be enough to light up the other side as the one turned on.

Or at least....so I am told

[wolfy]

Sept 23, 2011 18:08:22 GMT 1 Buzzin (^_^) said:

actually it's got to do with the power going through the dash light......because led require only a little power, the leaking power crossing the dash light will be enough to light up the other side as the one turned on.

Or at least....so I am told

That's precisely what I was rather ham-fistedly attempting to describe. I read it somewhere so gave it a go and it worked, so I'm a jolly happy bunny. Must remember to post some pics this weekend.....