Turn Signals Help??

I'm going to upgrade my turn signals and was wondering if there was any certain style I need to get, To work with my stock flasher relay. I guess what kind of wattage and wiring. Are led's ok to use with stock wiring and flasher relay. Will everything work all right together?? Thanks for any help....

 

I believe you will need to use 27 watt incandescent (regular) light bulbs in order to draw enough current to make them flash. The stock flasher uses a bi-metallic strip which heats and cools thereby changing it's shape and causing the lamps to flash.

LED's draw just a fraction of the current of incandescent lamps. Not enough current equals not enough heat to change the shape of the strip which results in an "always on" condition.

LED's use a flasher containing a timer circuit instead of current to cause the flashers to blink.

Stay away from LED's if you want to stay stock.

Loren

 

So What can I do to make the leds to work properly is there a trick or a diffrent relay that I have to buy and replace because I like the looks of the led lights not worried about staying stock Thanks...

 

If you're a bit handy with a soldering iron, you can make a replacement flasher as I've outlined here: http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=14068.html

Otherwise you'll probably need to add load resistors to make up the load that the LEDs don't draw.

By the way, this flasher does not use a bimetallic strip, it uses an LR time constant (magnetic field build and collapse time in an inductor). The details are described in the post I linked.

 

PS, here's what the replacement flasher that I built looks like.

 

One other thing I forgot to mention is that, for a 650, with LED's, you'll need to rewire the flash indicator lamp in the instrument cluster. The way it's wired stock won't work with LEDs and will cause all four signals to flash when the turn signal is set to left or right.

The rewiring requires cutting the Dark Green and Dark Brown wires that run to the indicator lamp, then attaching the anode (end without the line) of a 1A rectifier (diode) to each of the wires from the harness. The cathodes (ends with lines) get connected together and go to one contact of the indicator lamp. The other contact of the lamp gets a new wire to ground.

 

Has anyone else converted to leds with success and have used any other method.. Just wondering if I'm going the wrong direction for new turn signals? So if I use non Leds I should not have any issues just plug and play?
Thanks for any suggestions just trying to see if I'm going to make more trouble for myself by going led?

 

BUT... How effective are they? Sure they LOOK cool; but can they be SEEN be OTHER motorists?

Most LED signals I've seen on bikes are so dim as to be completely ineffective, especially in bright sunlight. I often run across "crotch rockets" in traffic with tiny little LED signals; most can't be seen at all or you have to really "look for them" to tell they're there, let alone see if they're blinking.

Not the most effective thing for indicating to a texting-while-driving 20-something DITZ in a cage that you want to change lanes or turn.

I too think the original Yammie signals are too big and "clunky" so I replaced mine with modern Yamaha-style (FJ/FZ) signals with real light bulbs in them that can be seen.

(They are aftermarket signals so I still had to replace the 18W bulbs that were in them with proper 27W 1156's.)

My point being, before you go through all of the electrical engineering necessary to install LED signals, make sure they're actually an improvement.

 

Mine are just as bright as the stock lamps, light up immediately (rather than the bit of delay on/off that incandescents have), and use about 1/20th the power.

There are supposedly studies out there saying that LED stop and turn signal indicators (assuming they are bright enough) are safer than incandescents, because the brain reacts more quickly to a light that turns on more quickly.

 

So pretty much anything with a 27 watt1156 bulb will function properly with my relay and canceler unit. So that means I have a lot of options for turn signals?

 

Relatively speaking, yes.

But be aware; as I found out: A lot of aftermarket signals, even though capable of fitting 1156's (or 1157's) come with cheap, lower wattage bulbs. Mine, which are aftermarket copies of the Yamaha FZ/FJ series' signals, came with like 18W or somesuch bulbs; all I had to do was replace them with the proper bulbs.

Just be sure whatever signals you choose can actually run 1156's.

 

I have only one brown wire to each side does that sound correct, power and signal to the turn light from one wire? I planed on digging into the wiring a little because of my prior problems of no turn signals no tachometer and brake lights not working properly. I also thought about replacing the whole wiring harness if it is all chopped up and dysfunctional what would you suggest on a budget but want it proper but it can be custom. Your thoughts..

 

One brown wire to each side of what?

Turn signals should have Dark Green and Black, or Dark Brown and Black, depending on which side.

 

I only have one brown wire going to each turn signal thats how the person before me had it could be why they didnt work properly?

 

Certainly could be. What signals were on it to begin with and what problem were/are you having?

 

My signals completely stopped working before when I bought the bike signals would light up and stay light up. Once or twice for a couple days and I don't know why they started working properly and now they dont even light up?? I have only one brown wire coming from the headlight to each front turn signal. I have the bike pretty much all apart right know I will take all the wires from the headlight and see what the deal is??? What should I look for any suspicious things you could suggest. Oh by the way my tachometer also stopped working completely but I think the tach is bad unserviceable because I had a good 12 volt power wire the earth wire had resistance and the signal wire had continuity so I am going to replace the tach with one off ebay and hope all is well any suggestions on that? The brake light also stopped working properly It worked fine at one time. This all happened about the same time same week or so. I am going to change out the fuse box to blade style and take a look at all wires and make they are in proper order and condition. So thats were I am going to start. Any suggestions or things to look for would be much appreciated Thank you ..

 

Fuse box good idea. I would look for loose conections and bad bulbs as well. Be funny if it was just bad bulbs. I would use my multimeter one end on the positive from battery (battery off the bike) and other at bulb. Follow it back and see where it stops working. Basically chase the signal. Could be a switch, bad wire to ground, or something really strange.

 

I wouldn't order the New Tach until after you do the Fuse Box upgrade.
That's Job One for everybody.

Then, ... Get a TEST Light and one of these rigs from RadioShack'


Put some Current to each Signal Light after checking the Bulb.
Once you determine the Pigtail will light the Bulb; you need to find the Source that feeds the Signal.

http://www.marketworks.com/StoreFrontPr ... =245017967

Measure Alternator Brushes ... 10mm or less / Replace.
Inspect Bulb Sockets for Dried Grease / Clean
Clean Terminals on Male ~ Female Bullet Terminals / Crimp Female tight.
Test Flasher
Test Handlebar Switch

Tach might be Stuck needing a Clean and Drop of Lube.

Clean and Lube the Brass & Nylon Pivot Bearing Bushing
Isopropyl Alcohol
Electronic Parts Cleaner
Move the Needle over and back delicately.