LED Signals

So... I've been working on my new LED turn signals for a couple days now, and I'm getting unbelievably frustrated. I followed the suggestions from this thread: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=4489.html , including buying that EL13 flasher, with zero success. I have a $5 flasher from the local tractor store, that kinda works. The lights blink, but very slowly, and at about half-intensity from hooking them directly to the battery.

I also bought a $30 LED-specific flasher today from a local electrical supply store, and they don't even light up through it.

I'm completely stymied, anyone have any ideas?

Quick ninja-edit: I should say, also, that with the stock flasher relay in place, I get full intensity of the LEDs, but obviously no blink.

 

I run LEDs in the rear and the stock bulbs in the front with an electronic flasher. They blink a bit faster, but work well.

 

Do you think the issue is that there isn't enough load on the circuit for the flasher to work properly? I don't have the stock signals any more to test with, although I could get ahold of my buddies' off his cb750... I keep coming to the idea that the flasher doesnt work because of how low-draw the LED signals are, but that doesnt make sense with an electronic flasher really. Even the "LED specific" flasher I bought today for an absurd amount specifies minimum 1 amp load .... I don't even know if these draw that much.

 

Could be? You could try getting a resistor from Radio Shack and trying adding some resistance inline to see if that works? I don't know right off hand what size resistor however. You'd have to ask the experts there.

 

You'd think the LED specific one would work...perhaps the polarity is reversed?

 

A resistor in line would lower the current - wrong direction from what I think he's trying to get at.
If LED polarity was reversed, she wouldn't light up.

Not blowing my own horn, just sayin'...

 

I just bought this flasher, since the Rumble Concept I had was too variable in rate depending on how hot it was:

http://www.superbrightleds.com/specs/LFS-1-PIN.html

I can say that both this and the Rumble Concept flash my no-load-resistor LED blinkers at full brightness. The only thing I liked better about the Rumble Concept than the SuperBrightLEDs one is the former goes cleanly on/off/on, while the latter goes to a half-on before the off of the flash. On the other hand, the latter on is much more consistent in its rate (about 90/min).

Here's the article I did on my original conversion:
http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/p=120474.html

Cheers,
Paul

 

Running some resistors parallel in my circuits trips my cheapo relay, I'm takin the $30 one back, hah. If I have to have load balancers I'm using the $4 relay.

 

I've done this conversion and it worked without a hitch. Only thing odd i found was the flasher unit i got from superbrightleds.com has a bit of a flutter to it when it's "off", meaning when it's on its on, but when it's off it's flashes very very dimmly at like 10Hz. This only happens on the "off cycle" of the flasher, when the signal system isn't active the lights do nothing.


I can live with this tho, maybe it'll attract some cagers eye to me turning and he doesn't smoke me

 

Ive been researching doing the Bulb to LEDs conversion and found a simple way to get the job done with minimal cost.
I have not tried these yet but if someone beats me to it kudos.

http://www.jcwhitney.com/turn-signal-lo ... ilterid=j1

 

when i switched mine over i put in an electronic flasher but still had to put resistors on 2 of the blinkers to get it to work.

 

do you think these would work?
http://www.jcwhitney.com/turn-signal-lo ... ilterid=j1

 

they would most likely work just fine, my signals came with resistors so i can't say for certain which other brands to use

 

I had the same problem. I went to an auto electrician and bought a Nava flasher unit part no 68245BL .

http://www.narva.com.au/products/browse/led-electronic

I fitted that outside his shop and it still didn't flash! (although each light glowed brightly) He pulled the cover off it and did something inside, only took a second, but I missed it and it worked. Maybe that's the best thing for you to do...

 

What, fly to Australia so the same guy can do whatever mysterious adjustment he made in the flasher unit?

Even electronic flashers (most anyway) are looking for some load for them to work. Adding resistors is the most practical.

A quick note: the problem isn't just limited to LED signals. When I bought incandescently-lit aftermarket signals, they came with bulbs in them that were too low of a wattage to make the (stock) flasher cycle. Once substituted with proper 1156's they came to life.

 

...."fly to Australia" ...no, ask an auto electrician..

 

Description of flasher unit - Suitable for L.E.D indicator lamps. Operates at ultra low current of 1mA (0.02 watts) or higher currents to a maximum of 2.5 amps per side (30 watts) where a mix of L.E.D and incandescent globes might be used

Resistors can be used but are often a PIA as if you use the wrong ones they get too hot.