LED resistor question:

[Chuey]

The mystery continues. Since we last talked, the resistors were added into the wires for the turn signals. The resistors were made into assemblies by the supplier of the lights. Under the shrink wrap, one end of the resistor was attached to the ground wire with the other one being connected to the power wire. There is one of those assemblies for each turn signal. I added them to my existing wiring by soldering the ground wires together and using the other wire to go to power. In other words, I siamesed the grounds and I surmise that is OK.

Trent, the man at ElectroSport, supplier of the turn signals, said that in order for the lights to work at full intensity, (all LEDs lit), the three prong, original flasher relay will need to be in place.

Here are the results: With the electronic flasher (two prong), the lights all flash at a normal rate and are all bright with the exception of the two ElectroSport turn signal lights. About half of the LEDs light up with the two prong relay.

With a brand new three prong flasher relay from BMW, the left signal works at about double speed, as if there is a light out. With the switch in the right turn signal position, the flasher relay buzzes and no lights come on. It buzzes really strongly, not a faint buzz.

To recall something that may help anyone trying to help me figure this out, if I run the turn signals directly to the battery, all the LEDs light brightly.

I had planned to do this test early in the week but can't find the old turn signal relay and got my new one just today. Thanks for the help.

Chuey

[Deleted User 72]

Remind me again .... why do you need LED turn signals?

[Chuey]

Remind me again .... why do you need LED turn signals?

Turn signal use is a safety and politeness matter. I want to be safe and polite. It is a bike that will be used on the street.

Chuey

[Major Softie]

Remind me again .... why do you need LED turn signals?

Turn signal use is a safety and politeness matter. I want to be safe and polite. It is a bike that will be used on the street.

Chuey

That is an answer to why you need turn signals. That was not his question.


Your current (sorry) symptoms speak to some other wiring problem, likely related to ground.

[Chuey]

Remind me again .... why do you need LED turn signals?

Turn signal use is a safety and politeness matter. I want to be safe and polite. It is a bike that will be used on the street.

Chuey

That is an answer to why you need turn signals. That was not his question.


Your current (sorry) symptoms speak to some other wiring problem, likely related to ground.

First, I knew that about Native/5's question and my answer. That's why there's a smile at the end of my reply. My answer was intended to avoid a question that I felt impertinent.

As for the possibility of a ground problem, wouldn't that show up with the electronic flasher relay as well?

Chuey

[Deleted User 72]

First, I knew that about Native/5's question and my answer. That's why there's a smile at the end of my reply. My answer was intended to avoid a question that I felt impertinent.

As for the possibility of a ground problem, wouldn't that show up with the electronic flasher relay as well?

Chuey

Impertinent?!

No more impertinent than all your questions about un-needed LED turn signals. You want to know why they don't work, I want to know why they need to work when incandescents work as well (better, apparently.) One is as pertinent as the other.

[Major Softie]

First, I knew that about Native/5's question and my answer. That's why there's a smile at the end of my reply. My answer was intended to avoid a question that I felt impertinent.

As for the possibility of a ground problem, wouldn't that show up with the electronic flasher relay as well?

Chuey

Impertinent?!

No more impertinent than all your questions about un-needed LED turn signals. You want to know why they don't work, I want to know why they need to work when incandescents work as well (better, apparently.) One is as pertinent as the other.

I agree, and I thought the smile, rather than suggesting sarcasm, was reinforcing Chuey's claim of being polite.

Obviously I was mistaken.

[Chuey]

I want LED turn signals on my Cafe Racer. I'm hoping to learn something on the way. I already have the license plate cluster (with LED turn signals) made and in place. It took some time to make and I don't want to have to make a new one.

When someone asks a question about high performance cams on the forum, they usually get answered by those who know the answers or think they do. Maybe it will come to pass that they will be asked why they need a performance cam when stock ones work just fine. I haven't seen that as being the way things transpire around here.

I was sarcastic to a question that I read as sarcastic. I am grateful for the help that has been given here and hope to find out what's making the relay buzz.

Chuey

[Chuey]

I'm still trying to figure this thing out. A friend has assured me that by buying a LED specific flasher relay I will achieve success. He told me to google LED flasher relay. I found some on ebay and there are ones that say they are specifically for LEDs and have three pins. I've got one of those coming. I also bought a cheap set of LED lights that are very similar to my not so cheap ones. I figure that way I'll have a set to test with.

Can anyone tell me why the stock relay buzzes? It buzzes only when the right signals are switched on. It flashes the left signals rapidly, as if there is a short. The two pin relay flashes the lights at a normal level and all but the rear signal lights that are made up of about 13 LEDs in one housing, work perfectly. Those lights work but only a few of the 13 lights come on.

Chuey

[Major Softie]

Can anyone tell me why the stock relay buzzes? It buzzes only when the right signals are switched on. It flashes the left signals rapidly, as if there is a short. The two pin relay flashes the lights at a normal level and all but the rear signal lights that are made up of about 13 LEDs in one housing, work perfectly. Those lights work but only a few of the 13 lights come on.

Chuey

Mechanical flashers do not flash too fast if there's a short - in fact, just the opposite. Mechanical flashers are designed for a fairly narrow range of loads, and they flash too fast if there is too little current passing through the circuit: like if one bulb is burnt out. A flasher flashing too fast with LED's is a sign that they do not pass enough current for the mechanical flasher to work correctly. It's possible the buzzing could also be related to the load not being correct.

If an LED system was designed for lower voltage than your bike supplies, then an in-line (in series) resistor could reduce the voltage to the LED's, but I don't know if this would have any effect on the flasher. If an LED was added in series to LED's that were originally receiving correct voltage, then it would drop the voltage to the LED's and might make them fail to light, or make only some of them light. If the LED's worked fine, but the flasher was too fast, then adding a resistor in parallel with the LED's would slow the flasher, but have no impact on the voltage at the LED's.