LED Bulbs Maintain Turn Signal Running Lights?

[IanDMacDonald]

Ray and Phil rejuvenated my interest in LED turn signal bulbs. Right now, all four turn signals are acting as running lights. If I switch to LED bulbs, will they work in the same manner?

[DiverRay]

Yes, but the flasher will not work. You would need to put in a resistor, or change out the flasher to an electronic one and loose the self cancel feature. There ARE work arounds, if you do a search you should find the threads. Just remember to get the brightest LED in the same color as the lens, amber lens, amber LED (or yellow).

[natemoen]

I had to put diodes in on each side of the turn signal/running light circuit to make it all play nice. I am not absolutly positive but I am pretty sure that I put the diodes in the turn signal side of the lights wiring. I put the up in the front on the fairing since there was lots of space to do it.

[IanDMacDonald]

Lol, everybody gets caught-up on the auto-cancel, but how many of us kill the signal prior to it self-canceling? I do, so it won't be an issue. However, what will be an issue will be the fact that I'm on the highway @ 5:15a. So, visibility is a HUGE concern for me. Those rear running lights add that visibility. HIGH POWER led's will be a major hunt for me.

[natemoen]

Yes, but the flasher will not work. You would need to put in a resistor.

Putting in a resistor negates any gain you would get by switching to leds.

[skids]

Well, I am no rocket surgeon, but I put Jam Straight LEDs in the Tail/brake lights, and it seemed that I had to use regular bulbs for turn signals on either the fronts or the rears, otherwise nothing worked right. Yes, you need to use electronic flasher units and you lose self-cancelling...that is something that you get used to.

[IanDMacDonald]

I don't want to turn this into another LED bulb thread, as there are many already out there. I can attest to the fact that regular LED bulbs suck, and the high power one's are good. I'll look into it again down the road. Gotta start saving money for a few things.

[natemoen]

Well, I am no rocket surgeon, but I put Jam Straight LEDs in the Tail/brake lights, and it seemed that I had to use regular bulbs for turn signals on either the fronts or the rears, otherwise nothing worked right.

It has nothing to do with the brand of bulb. The way the circuitry is designed inherently allows feedback into the other side of the bulb. That feedback is not enough to light the filament on an incandescent bulb, but it is enough to screw with an led system.

I had led rear and incandescent front turn signals for a long time and never had an issue. When I finally decided to commit to led then I had to finally dig in and figure out what the issue was, and it was the feedback in thE turn/running light circuit. Only way to solve it was the diodes in the system.