Help my lights wont work!!

[penty2008]

Hi i need some help with my flashers they work on their own both ways just as they should... but once i try my hazards they just flash once and stop i then have to turn the bike off for 10 secs and turn it back on to even use the turn signals...i did change them all for smaller arrow lights... what could it be thats stopping my hazards from working i did think it would be the relay not so sure tho

just for a little more information the lights i changed to are not LED they are standard blubs and i chopped the lines off the other pair that was originally on the bike and joined them to the ends of the new ones...so i cant see that i need a rectifier......

someone help!!!! please!!!!!!

 

[penty2008]

has anyone out there got any ideas at all?

 

[Motogiro]

For a start...
Other than a short circuit, which doesn't sound like it's the case, I would say try removing the front bulbs and see if the system works. They will probably flash at a faster rate at the rear signals. Try it in 4 way flash mode also. In 4 way mode it should flash at the correct rate. If that's the case I would suspect you have a problem with a crossed signal at the front lamps.

You have 2 filaments for the front signals. One filament is a running constant (running light) when the headlamps is on. The other filament is the turn/flasher signal, left or right. Make sure these signal to filament are properly isolated and that there is not short to ground where you splice your wires. Even one little strand that you might not notice will cause a problem.

Give it a try and get back to us...

Edit::welcome:to the forum!

 

[sublime0713]

+1 on Cliff's comment. Try to isolate in order to troubleshoot.

On a side note, new username Cliff? I just figured out who all the heavy players are and now you throw confusion in! :BLAA:

 

[Motogiro]

+1 on Cliff's comment. Try to isolate in order to troubleshoot.

On a side note, new username Cliff? I just figured out who all the heavy players are and now you throw confusion in! :BLAA:

Just tryin to stir things up! Haha!:spank:

 

[penty2008]

sorry i must not of stated my problem correct..... when i indicate they do flash at the correct rate... both back and front... its only when i use 4way flash it stops working... they flash once and its asif they have shorted... they just stop and i can then not indicate either side untill i turn the bike off and start over so basically its only my 4 way flash mode that is not working....

 

[RJ2112]

sorry i must not of stated my problem correct..... when i indicate they do flash at the correct rate... both back and front... its only when i use 4way flash it stops working... they flash once and its asif they have shorted... they just stop and i can then not indicate either side untill i turn the bike off and start over so basically its only my 4 way flash mode that is not working....

The other point that needs clarification, is whether you have converted to LED turn signals or not.

LEDs have much lower resistance than the OEM filament bulbs. Really messes with the flasher unit.

 

[Wavex]

First post states they are not LEDs...

My bet is that the new bulbs you are using require more power to turn on, and that the excess is OK for 2 signals at a time but not 4.

LEDs would actually do the opposite...

And if you had a short, your tail fuse would have blown a long time ago...

 

[Hutchmaster34]

Yeah i gotta agree sounds like a wattage issue, i would start by using small wattage bulbs if you can find some

 

[RJ2112]

First post states they are not LEDs...

My bet is that the new bulbs you are using require more power to turn on, and that the excess is OK for 2 signals at a time but not 4.

LEDs would actually do the opposite...

And if you had a short, your tail fuse would have blown a long time ago...

Thanks for catching the filament thing, David.

Pretty much the only way to make a filament bulb brighter, is to make it consume more juice....more juice, more heat, more light. You do that, by lowering the resistance.

An LED does not need to consume very much current to make light, but it has the capacity to flow a lot of current through it without consuming it.... An LED is a Light Emitting Diode. Diodes are one way valves, which ensure current only flows one direction. They work best when they influence that current flow the least. This is why putting an LED in circuit where a filament bulb was designed to be makes the flasher run faster. The higher current flow through the LED heats the flasher much more quickly than the current allowed by the filament. The typical solution is to add resistance to the line the LED is in, to emulate the filament bulb's resistance.... now, the current that would have been used to make light by the filament, is instead turned into heat.

The best way around that, is to use a digital flasher, instead of the OEM analog unit.

The LED's biggest advantage is it's more rugged..... unless the digital flasher is used. Current consumption with the OEM analog flasher, has to remain nearly the same, for the flasher to work correctly.

I'd think you are on the mark, that the new bulbs are overtaxing the flasher assembly somehow.

 

[Wavex]

Thanks for refreshing what we already knew about LEDs Basically LEDs draw very little current compared to the bulbs, which means the relay get the excess and flashes more quickly. I believe the OP's case is the opposite. Bulbs draw too much, leaving the relay with too little current to energize itself (flash).

 

[RJ2112]

Thanks for refreshing what we already knew about LEDs Basically LEDs draw very little current compared to the bulbs, which means the relay get the excess and flashes more quickly. I believe the OP's case is the opposite. Bulbs draw too much, leaving the relay with too little current to energize itself (flash).

Probably the best answer, if the OP want to use the replacement signals, is to upgrade the flasher to a digital unit.

 

[Motogiro]

First post states they are not LEDs...

My bet is that the new bulbs you are using require more power to turn on, and that the excess is OK for 2 signals at a time but not 4.

LEDs would actually do the opposite...

And if you had a short, your tail fuse would have blown a long time ago...

Yes if he removes front lamps and the 4 way flash rate is normal it's probably additional current draw.

 

[Ryan T]

It seems as though you are low on wattage when the hazards are used. I guess the only way to reset this is to turn the bike off and then back on. Try the previous suggestions and see where that gets you.

Check the obvious first, once that's eliminated, move on to the next possible solution to the problem.

Good luck.

 

[SANGER_A2]

It is definitely too high watt bulbs! Take those bulbs out now! You will burn something out! The stock bulbs are only 10-13 watts (can't remember exactly). You now have bulbs that are 20-23 watt bulbs! The bike relay can just about cope with that doubled current when just two of the bulbs are on, but not when all 4 are on (when the hazards are on).

I had exactly the same problem and I just lived with it as I didn't realise what was going on. Then it shorted out a connector that I had to pay a garage £50 to trace back and replace. I bet this is a really common problem people get as most aftermarket indicators are twice the wattage of our stock bulbs. The system is just not built for it.

Maybe this post should be stickied???

 

[mred]

To check you have not made a wiring mistake and caused a problem when you changed the indicators you could work back and re-fit the originals and see if the problem persists.
I know it is a pain to do this but it would eliminate some potential mistakes incurred along the way when fitting the new ones!