Indicator Flasher Relay + LED

[chronyx]

I actually slipped a blue wedge LED into my hi-beam idiot light ages back, and it's amazing how much better they are isn'y it??!!!

Yes those ones are quite spectacular I noticed too! The yellow and green ones appear identical, and the red oil light is slightly darker than a normal bulb, but still visible.

[chronyx]

Just an update. A bridge rectifier in line with the LED allows the LED to work when the indicators are going both ways.

I ordered 'W01 BRIDGE RECTIFIER, 1.5A 100V' from eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=180140780300

[Xander]

Just an update. A bridge rectifier in line with the LED allows the LED to work when the indicators are going both ways.

I ordered 'W01 BRIDGE RECTIFIER, 1.5A 100V' from eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=180140780300

Why???? I offered to give you two of them???? Oh well a fool and his money will soon be parted..

By the way remember that the type you ordered are not fitted with heat sinks, and could get very hot.. be careful where you stick em..

[Steve C]

...snip Oh well a fool and his money will soon be parted.. .snip

That explains my problem then...

[chronyx]

I have a couple of bridging flasher relays that i dont need. I could shoot them your way if you want em...

Why???? I offered to give you two of them???? Oh well a fool and his money will soon be parted..

By the way remember that the type you ordered are not fitted with heat sinks, and could get very hot.. be careful where you stick em..

Whoops, at the time you offered I thought that was something to do with LED bulb conversions, not just the dashboard light as you mentioned a relay...

These aren't whole relays, just little tiny rectifiers.

[Richardg]

It is not necesary to change the Flasher relay to get LED indicator to work, just a small wiring change and two cheap diodes costing £0.50p.

OK, I have the cure for your flasher indicator lamp problems, but first the problem.

The reason your LED replacement lamp only works on one side indicators is because of the way the little LED works and the way the original lamp is wired into the bike. If you check the circuit diagram it show the little lamp is connected to the live side of each indicator, in other words the little lamp uses the live side of the opposite flasher to complete the circuit. As the little lamp only uses a small amount of current then it cannot light the 'off side' indicator (sorry I know this is complex) at the same time. When you switch to the other indicator then the reverse applies. It is important to realize that the little indicator bulb carries current in both directions to light i.e. one direction for the right indicator on, and the other way for the left indicator on.

Now, when you fit an LED lamp in replacement of the original it only lights in one direction (dependant on which way round the LED is fitted into the lamp holder). You need to remember that an LED is in fact a Diode, and as such it will only allow current in one direction hence lamp works one way but not the other (a kind of electrical one way valve).

The cure is to do a little re-wire and add a couple of very cheap components.

Go out and buy two normal diodes from a radio spares shop (should be about £0.50 for a bag of 20), They are normally black and have a small grey band printed on them that indicates the current flow (remember, one way valve for electricity), Cut the wires going to the little lamp holder about 2’’ from the holder. Wire one diode each to the wires that come into the lamp holder (that is the small idiot light holder) from the wiring harness of the bike with the grey ring closest to the holder (i.e. current flow towards the little lamp). The two other ends of the diodes (grey ring ends) are now soldered together and on to one side of the little lamp holder (chose any side). Now wire the other side of the lamp holder to earth on the bike.

Fit the LED into the holder and test, If the LED fails to light then switch it around 180 degrees and try again. If one side indicator lights and the other fails to light then one of the Diodes you have wired in is in the wrong way round (swap it and all should be well), if the LED fails to light in both directions then both the Diodes are wired the wrong way round so swap them over.

Finally, The diodes are very small and it should be possible to fit shrink sleeve to the soldered ends and fit another bigger one over both diodes to look like the original bike wiring loom. So if done correctly no one should see and change to the bike.

Interestingly, if the Diodes chosen are sufficiently large capacity then fitting the normal lamp should also work as well as the LED lamp.

BONGO, job done

Sorry if I have confused you on this one.

I converted my @ over 12 months ago and all is fine, total cost to me £0 FREE, I robbed the parts from an old radio

[chronyx]

That's even better than the rectifiers as that will work 'in-line' with the holder - I've been trying to make a little case to house the rectifier without much luck!

What is a diode's capcity measured in? Ohms? What would a suitable rating to allow a normal lamp to be used?

Many thanks Richard

[balee]

Sorry my bad.. i got distracted... it is a resistor not a relay... basically it makes the flasher unit think that the correct voltage is being used and then the flasher unit flashes.. (i had to install em when i changed over to led turn signals... if you want em pm me your addy and ill go dig em out.. (that could take a couple of days though)

greetings to all! i have a simillar problem. i changed my turn signals, and the bulbs are 10W each instead of 21W, and when i turn them on the flash rate is too fast. i read that i should install a resistor, but i haven't a clue on what type of resistor to use and where and how to install it. any help will be much appreciated.

[Grumpygit]

Hi,

The reason the indicators only flash one way is that LED's only allow current to flow through them one way, they effectively block current flow in the opposite direction....ie they are "polarity sensitive"

If you reverse the LED connections the other way around it will work for the other direction indicator only.

The way arround this is to fit a thing called a "bridge rectifier" available from Maplin , Radio spares, Farnell.etc...a small "1 Amp" one will do nicely. or raid an old mains powered radio,!! etc

Wiring:

Connect the wires that originally went to the dash indicator bulb to the connections marked like as "S", either way around!!

Connect the "+" on the bridge rectifier to the "+ on the led.

Connect the "-" on the bridge rectifier to the "-ve" on the led.

It will now work!!!..the reason I know......I have a voltage "polarity sensitive" warning buzzer fitted to my indicators as I kept leaving them on to the annoyance of my mates and encountered the same problems when I tried to wire it up.....being an electronics engineer I soon thought of the above way around the problem!!

Hope this makes sence as I am in a bit of a hurry ...will probably be back on the forum later tonight to no doubt answer any questions!!

Hope this helps

Grant

[balee]

thank you for your answer but i was asking about the flash frequency being too fast due to 10watts bulbs instead of 21watts, and i read in this thread that i should install a resistor, but i have no knowlidge of where to install it and what type of resistor to use. i appreciate your time.