Electrical problem

[Chris Bohane]

I have problems with LED's.

My set up is front LED "turn signals" and normal lights at the rear for running lights, brake and indicators.

I also have an LED numberplate light and two marker lights on my mudguards.
I also have hazard indicators. (4 way flashers)

Everything works just fine............ until I switch on the headlamp.

Then the front indicators stop working and the marker lights on the wings flicker (in time to the flashers I think)

With the headligh switched off all is fine again.

Any suggestions for a cure please?????????

 

[Nessism]

How is the battery charge?

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Here's how I would proceed.

Disconnect everything except the head light.

Reconnect one light circuit at a time (front blinkers, rear running lights, hazard indicators, marker lights, brake light, etc) and test. When it stops functioning correctly, trace wires on that circuit until you find the cross-connection.

You may have to connect one circuit and test (the front blinkers, for example). If that works, disconnect the front blinkers, connect the marker lights and test. If that works OK, disconnect them and move on to the next circuit.

I know, it's a tedious process of elimination.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[Redman]

WHat bike.
With a headlight switch I would think is pre 1980 (if were US anyway).

FIrst I would ask: DO you have a volt meter?

See if the voltage at mainfuse or at battery is dropping when you turn headlight on.

Does the problem get worse the longer you leave the headlight on?

Is the problem worse at lower rpm?

You starting with a well charged battery? Maybe put battery on a charger for a while if you have one.

I could yammer on about some other suspects, but lets look at these first.

.

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Mr. Redman and Mr. Nessism are right. If you don't have enough voltage from the battery or charging system, funny things start to happen with flashers and such. Do you have a mixed bag of LED and incandescent blinker bulbs? Are you using an electronic flasher? The stock flasher won't work in that situation.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[Flyboy]

Check your earths, thouroughly, a bad earth will bring on this kind of havoc as one system with a bad earth, tries to earth through another system.

 

[Redman]

Check your earths, thouroughly, a bad earth will bring on this kind of havoc as one system with a bad earth, tries to earth through another system.

Yep. If a bad ground connection where the headlight and t/signals are grounded then there is some resistance there, but is not too significant without headlight on because the current flow is low (and low amps time resistance is low voltage drop) but the bad connection will be more significant when headlight is on (higher amps times same resistance is higher voltage drop).

But first lets see if the main voltage at battery (or main fuse) is okay. WHich will require a volt meter.


Chris,
Without a volt meter then are not able to identify where the problem is.
If dont have a volt meter, then can not really narrow down where the problerm is.
If dont have a volt meter, then just try various different things. Like look at the ground connections there in headlight shell. Should be a few black/white wires all connected together, try taking those apart and clean them and put them back together.

.