LED Issues

[Marc_B]

Yes! It was a nice end to a very strange issue. Here's a link with the rear blinker working https://drive.google.com/open?id=1eb...ozb-fc4FcDBZra

[bikerphil]

I still think it had something to do with the single dash indicator which is unique to the 79 Special.

[Do Lee]

LED Issues

It's been several years since I've logged on the sight, I'm back into riding again.

This is what I encountered when I converted my 79SF to LED lighting.

Scott,
If you have a 79 Special and your using the stock pilot box the problem is at the turn signal indicator light. The left turn signal (brown wire) goes into the socket and the right turn signal (dark green wire) is attached to the outer part of the socket (shell). So the left and right turn signal circuits are linked at this point. The incandescent bulbs don't care which way the voltage flows as long as it goes to ground. The LED with little resistance sees the voltage coming and lights all the turn signals. I can't remember how the lights work when the left or right signal switch is turned on but one would flash the instrument indicator and the other would turn the instrument indicator on dim. The 79 XS Special was the only year model to have the turn signal indicator as a single light in the instrument pilot box. To make the 79 Special turn signals to work properly you will have to change out your instrument pilot box with a 1980 or 1981 Special or any Standard instrument pilot box (with indivual lights for the left and right turn signal indicators) and rewire the plug to work on your bike.
I went through the same problems a couple years ago.

I hope this helps.

I forgot to say that I used a standard pilot box and I'm just using the turn signal indication lights.
I also tried to use LED's for all my instrument lights and found out that the high beam warning light would stay on all the time with an LED. I guess this circuit has a small amount of current flow to light the incandescent bulb (very dim) for bulb burn out. All others worked fine.

[Marc_B]

The issue was definitely solely due to the indicator light... Thankfully the blinkers I replaced the OEM ones up front with mimic the wattage close enough so the little power from the indicator light does not turn on all the blinkers. I think for now I am going to keep the small incandescent aftermarket ones up front and LED's in the back as they look pretty good (almost exact to the original LED's I bought for the front) and run it as is. I am glad to know I could use a different year pilot box, didn't even think of that.

Appreciate the help!

[Jeff Pattee]

LED blinkers

I got two lamp pigtails and wired them under the seat and blacked them out with ele. tape....why buy resisters when an old lamp will do.

[Schming]

I got two lamp pigtails and wired them under the seat and blacked them out with ele. tape....why buy resisters when an old lamp will do.

Be careful of the heat the incandescent bulbs produce.

Electrical tape wrapped bulbs may catch fire.

You can also paint the bulbs black.

[Osprey2]

Here is my experience with installing LED turn signals...

After riding for a couple years with no turn signals - hand signals only, I decided to add them back to my restored pony. I didn't want to put the original flasher fixtures back on and decided to try the LED type. After hooking them in with no other consideration, they of course didn't blink. Come to find out from these forums that the original flasher relay needs a certain load resistance from the lights to work properly so I bought an LED flasher. My wiring harness is set up for a single pilot box indicator light and I was fully expecting to have to switch to a 2-indicator light setup. I understand how the two side of the T/S circuit comes together at the indicator light, and how this can cause a problem but for some reason the single indicator light still works just fine. Somehow the circuit side not in use provides a temporary ground to make the incandescent indicator still work. Anyone know why????

[DiverRay]

I don't know why, but mine also works! My SF has full LED bulbs, headlamp, tail lights, turn signals AND instrument lamps. I DID need to cut the RLU and the "tail light warning" sections of the harness. I did NOT change anything with the pilot box other than going to all LED lamps. I also installed the LED compatible turn signal flasher, so I did loose the auto-cancel on the signals.

[Osprey2]

Hey, DiverRay thanks for the comments. We would probably have to ask an electronics engineer how this works...

I also found out that a single LED indicator light doesn't need the "diode splice" to work. I must have watched a dozen Youtube videos on why diodes are needed and how to make or buy this device. And the 1/4" colored LEDs I bought from Amazon are not polarized - so a positive signal on either lead will still light the LED making it just as compatible as the original incandescent bulb. An LED also works with the oil pressure/tail light warning circuit. And yes, I removed the T/S cancellation unit. The only thing that I don't believe can be converted to an LED light is my "low fuel" warning light. That circuit needs the incandescent light bulb to transfer power to the resistor that is submersed in the gas tank. Let me know if you think otherwise or if you have a fuel level gauge instead.

[DiverRay]

I have the light, and it's on all the time, just not "bright" all the time. I use the trip odometer to know when to look for fuel.
And yeah, I'm a retired Electronics Engineer....