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Just installed a pair of new flush mounted LED indicators on the front (they look hot btw). The flash rate is now super fast. Does anyone know how to slow this down or am I stouck with it?

While I'm on the subject, can someone advise the pros and cons between LED and globe?

Cheers
Wax

Bulbs drain a lot more power from the indicator circuit than LEDs, so when you replaced the bulb with a led, the indicator circuit thinks one of the bulbs broke --> it flashes rapidly to draw your attention.
This can be fixed by making the indicator circuit think there IS a bulb present (by adding a resistor before or after the LED indicator), or by replacing some component in the indicator circuit (don't know exactly what) that is programmed for LED indicators instead of bulbs.

Pro's of LED indicators: better looking (IMHO), smaller, and you won't ever have to replace them, the lifespan of a normal LED is over 70.000 hours...

Motrax Flash It

designed for just such an occasion

You might want to try this.

http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=&L ... MRX_FRU1_G

I don't know how well it works, but I'm thinking of using this when I change out my turn signals.

Does anyone know where the stock turn signal relay is located?

I would just go to a Radio shack and buy a resistor, and wire it in series with the led. The resistor would need to be an ohm value of the original bulb minus the LED's resistance.

Wrong !

Not in series but parallel.
You have to simulate a impedance of 21 Watt.
Let's take out some formules from school

U = i x R
P = U x i

so R = U x U / P

R= 12 x 12 / 21 = 6,8 Ohm.... (!! 20 Watt !!)
In the E-range of resistors choose 10 % tolerance and 6,8 Ohms

RUDE!!!!

I can't figure out your equation, we dont use U in the states.

My thinking was that the original bulb is X Ohms. The LED is Y Ohms. We know X>Y. Loads in series R= sum of the individual resistances. So a resistor of the value X-Y would in series would give the same resistance as the original bulb. Where did I go wrong? Not saying I didn't, but it's been awhile since I've done these calcs, and like I said, I can't figure out what you are usiong for U.

I'll try to explain

U = Voltage = 12 Volts
R = Resistance in Ohms
i = Current in Amps
P = Power in Watts

Some formulas we had to learn @ school
U=i x R
P=U x i
1/totaal resistance = 1/resistor1 + 1/resistor2 + 1/resistor3 ....


A LED indicator light is consuming 2 Watts @ 12 Volts (about), so there runs a current of i=P/U i=2/12 = 0,166666 Amps.

When you calculate the resistance this LED has..... R= U/i = 12/0,16666 = 72 Ohms.


The original 21Watt bulb has a resistance of i=21/12 = 1,75 Amps
R= 12/1,75 = 6,8 Ohms

How wil you get 72 ohms down to 6,8 Ohms ??
Just put the extra resistor PARALLEL to the 72 ohms.

The resistance seen is 1/R = 1/72 + 1/6,8
It comes out to 6,2 Ohms.... nearly the same as an original bulb.

When you put it in SERIES... 72 + 6,8 ohm = 78,8 ohms total.
@ 12 volts... 12/78,8 = 0,1522Amps.
And the powerconsumption is 0,1522 x 12 = 1,82 Watts.
Even less consumption With the resistor then without one.
So the indicator will even flash at a higher rate.

So your relais can't tell the difference between a LED with a parallel reisistor or an original bulb ald flashes in a normal speed.
Only thing is.... see an other topic...the resistor will get WARM, about 20 Watts of heat must be dissipated, so be ware of al wires, plastics .... they will melt !

There is however an other sollution to this problem.
Replace the original Flasher relais........with an electronic one.

But who knows where they have put it on our bikes, because it makes no noise when working......

Is it near the battery ??

The Resistance of an LED is much HIGHER than that of a standard lamp (thats where you went wrong) Which means that it will draw much less current. so you need to add a resistor in parrallel with the LED so that it gives another path for the current to flow and draws more current overall.

And for reference, the term 'impedance' is in this case wrong since we are dealing with DC and inductive and capacitive effects are not being considered. It is simply resistance we are concerned with.

Other than using U where I would have expected to see V for voltage, Lampies' maths is accurate. But dont forget that when the engine is running you will have somewehre in the region of 14V instead of 12 so taking the same formula

R = V^2 / P

R = 196 / 21 = 9.3ohms

so something around 8 - 9 ohms should do the trick but definalty in parrallel

Thanks guys, I was incorrectly informed once that the LED's were lower resistance then standard bulbs. (If they were, my math and memory of Ohms law didn't fail me). I took that info at face value, and never considered that the lower amp draw would mean they would have to be much higher resistance.

Sort of. It's actually behind the left cover plate between the seat and the footpeg, if memory serves me right. I found pictures once but I don't recall where now (sorry).

Our bike's relay isn't plug-and-play with aftermarket flashers -- but it's still easy to replace. With ours, flashing the signals is just one function of a plug-in unit that serves other purposes too. Not a big deal though. The way I saw it done is you just disconnect two wires from the connector plug and reconnect them to your new relay.

If I can find the info again from which that memory comes, I'll certainly post it.

The only question will be, in which of the remarkably numerous and redundant threads on this topic should I post it! lol

Here's a trivial little schematic I whipped up to help illustrate the resistor thing in case anyone is still confused.



R1 makes sure the LED gets the correct current it needs. But with almost all LED light kits you buy, R1 is already part of the assembly so you don't need to provide that one.

R2 is the load added to fool the relay. It has to be in parallel so that it has no effect on the amount of current delivered to the LED. It is only there to consume more power from the signal source.

Also, you only need one resistor per side, IF you calculate it to present the load equivalent of two original bulbs. I don't think it needs to be fully double, but I do know it needs to be more than one bulb's load.

The calculations earlier in this thread are based on one bulb's load, if I read them right. That means you'd need two. I'd rather keep it simple and just use one, if I was going the resistor route (I'm not, see below).

I performed a little experiment on my bike once. Removing one signal bulb caused fast flash when signaling that side, but not for hazards. With one on each side removed, hazards still flashed slow. Taking out a third caused fast hazard flashing. In other words, one bulb's worth of load (or less) equals fast. Two (or more) bulb's worth of load equals slow.

But, I wonder, what is the actual threshold? Certainly not precisely two, because that would cause fast flashing in some cases just because bulbs vary a bit. So it must be somewhere between one and two bulb's worth of load. I'd shoot for 1.5x if I was in a hurry, but it would be more interesting (and proper) to find the relay's data sheet (which seems unlikely) or experiment and measure for the actual threshold, and then present the lowest load that still gains the desired effect.

Again, though, I don't like wasting power by heating up some carbon just to fool a relay. So no load resistors for me.

I bought a replacement relay (which I haven't installed yet). The one I bought also has cool patterns you can select. I posted a link in another thread somewhere, but I'm too lazy right now to dig it up and the actual part is in the garage. I'm looking forward to playing with it.

hey people.....
ok i installed a new under tail in my bike todayand the install went fine till i got to the lights. Came with led turn singals and plate light. Plate light was no problem but turn singals were a pain in my ass.
so led lights in the rear and bulbs in the front so can't use a relay.
tryrd some resistors 1 ohm to 6 ohms in parellel and would not work for me. So here is my quick and eazy , cheep fix to the problem.
So i removed the old light bulbs and sockets from the old lights and i bought some old chevy tk plate lights and put the factory bulbs and sockets in to the plate light that i bought, tape it up so you could not see the blinking and wired it in parellel with the led lights and all works great.
I put the plate lights holding my extra turn singals under the tool kit and wire tied them in place and you can never tell that they were there.
Just thought i would tell you how i did it since i only have rear led lights and it was pissing me off trying to use resistors what better resistor than the one that was made for it.

GSX rider

Just order a electronic relay.
Plug and play




You can buy it on EBay .
keywords : Suzuki + LED + relais

Also works with 4 bulbs,
works with 2 LED and 2 bulbs,
and works with 4 LED