LED Light Bulb Issue?

[natemoen]

I got some 1157 bulbs and when I put them in the socket it is like they half light up, and when I turn the turn signals on everything flashes but every signal light is extremely dim (indicator bulb, rear, and front turn signal). Even the flasher doesn't click like it usually does. I did try the LED bulb with a battery charger and it does function correctly and it does seem that the appropriate contacts are in the correct place on the base and contact the right correct contact in the socket.

All the other bulbs are LED (only the original tail light and the headlight are the only non-led lights left on my bike) and I am using a 2 prong electronic flasher. This was done with the bike off and the key on, I am going to try with the bike running today if I have time, although I don't know why that would make a difference.

Anyone have some ideas?

For those that participated in my "Making Marker Lights Flash" thread, I have not done anything with that yet so none of that crap to get in the way.

[CatatonicBug]

You have to switch out the tail light bulbs as well. They are in the same circuit as the rear flashers for the running light feature. I had the same issue until I ponied up and bought the proper bulbs for the tail light AND the turns.

Make sure you're using the proper COLOR LED bulbs for each location as well. Using wite bulbs behind a red or amber filter will dim the final product considerably.

[natemoen]

Hmmm, I don't see why it would matter, but I am going to go pull the bulbs out of the tail light and see if that changes things. My tail light was going to be a mod for winter, didn't want to do that right now.

It did not make a difference with the bike running.

[natemoen]

Removing the tail light bulbs altogether does not make a difference. I do have other tail/brake lights back there that are already led so there is still something in the circuit at least.

[crazy steve]

I'll agree with 'bug that the wrong color lamp will make a big difference; LEDs radiate in a much narrower spectrum compared to incandesent and putting a different-color lens over one will kill the output...

Although that may not quite explain the indicator light..

The only other thing I can think of may be the flasher; some 'electronic' flashers need at least a minimum load to work right, but if the lights are blinking I wouldn't think that could be it.

[natemoen]

I missed the part about color, but yes amber in amber and red in red.

[skids]

I have all standards.

I have one with LEDs in the front as runners and turn signals, and with regular bulbs in the rear turn signals. I could not make LEDs work all the way around; however the brake/tail light is LED.

I have another one with LEDs in the rear as turn signals and with regular bulbs in the front as runners and turn signals. I could not make LEDs work all the way around; however the brake/tail light is LED.

I used electronic blinker units for each. The way I figure it, I still conserve some running amps that way even if I couldn't get them to work for both front and rear on a given bike.

[jwhughes3]

Make sure they dont share a ground wire. Current may backfill from one side to other.

John

[natemoen]

Make sure they dont share a ground wire. Current may backfill from one side to other.

John

How would you split the grounds on an 1157 bulb? It grounds through the bulb base.

[jwhughes3]

I meant from left to right not within the bulb.

John

[TopCatGr58]

Hey again Nate,

I've not reviewed the wiring diagram for the 78E, but I'm thinking that must be some wiring issue going on somewhere, a shared wire or something causing the turns to appear so dim?

When I did my LED conversion many years ago, I used the multi-led array style marker lights for my turn signals. They were earlier technology, but still had fairly low current draw....0.3 amps per array, so only 0.6amps per side, but also an additional 0.75 amps for the incandescent dash indicator light.

I got a 2-prong Trident brand electro-mechanical flasher unit. At idle it would flash a bit slower, but would flash at a normal pace with just a modest rpm increase, but they shown with the same brightness intensity no matter fast or slow rate. I've got an 81SH and it doesn't use dual running/turn signals so I can't speak about that. But I also do have several 56 led bulb arrays for my tail/brake lights, 1 in the OEM reflector housing, and 2 additional ones on my luggage racks. And just the running lights are considered quite bright, just ask the folks at XS SouthEast that rode behind me! I felt that using the smaller 1157 bulb arrays are just not big or bright enough to provide the amount of visibility I desired, and so that's why I used the larger TRUCK STYLE arrays.

Hope you are able to figure out why they are not shining brightly!
T.C.

[natemoen]

I sent the bulbs back. They were not high quality bulbs and I didn't want to mess around with them and loose my window to return them and then find out it truly is the bulbs that is the problem in the end. I will keep messing with it though cause I will be all LED (except headlight) by spring.

I meant from left to right not within the bulb.

John

I see what you mean now but that is a little hard to do in a fairing when you only have some many wires to utilize. I guess I could put a diode in at each turn sig bulb to eliminate back feeding though and that would in effect do the same thing.

But I also do have several 56 led bulb arrays for my tail/brake lights, 1 in the OEM reflector housing, and 2 additional ones on my luggage racks. And just the running lights are considered quite bright, just ask the folks at XS SouthEast that rode behind me! I felt that using the smaller 1157 bulb arrays are just not big or bright enough to provide the amount of visibility I desired, and so that's why I used the larger TRUCK STYLE arrays.

Hope you are able to figure out why they are not shining brightly!
T.C.

I know what you mean about the larger LED arrays, that is what I have on the back of mine as well.





And then I am going to modify something like this to replace the OEM tail light.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...A281ICWJBRZ31L

[crazy steve]

..I guess I could put a diode in at each turn sig bulb to eliminate back feeding though and that would in effect do the same thing...

No additional diodes needed; LEDs are diodes.....

[natemoen]

No additional diodes needed; LEDs are diodes.....

So there is now way backfeeding through the ground could effect them?

[crazy steve]

So there is no way backfeeding through the ground could effect them?

Not in the sense like you could have with an incandesent lamp. Diodes (and LEDs) only allow current through them in one direction, preventing any backfeeding. But you could have a low-grade short from a positive wire into the grounds for these, which would reduce the difference of potential and cause them to go dim. But I don't see that as likely, as I would expect problems on the 'contributing' circuit to show up.

A defective diode can allow 'wrong' current flow on rare occasions, but they usually just go open. Another possiblity is most aftermarket LED lamps have a little 'mini circuit board' on them to regulate/limit the voltage actually applied to the LED; if that's bad, you might see an issue. You may have just got a set of poorly designed/built lamps.

Solid-state electronics are touchier about circuit integrity, so it's likely you have a bad connection of some sort somewhere...