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Light question please help.

  • Thread starter Thread starter cid
  • Start date Start date
C

cid

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I originally bought led front indicator lights. I bought a napa flasher and off I went. I notice the led's were burning out due to no resistors being added. In addition i noticed that no one could tell I was turning with these LEDs, they are very directional sensitive. Couple that with the clear lenses and they were just hard to see. I bought some stock looking, but smaller, incandesants put them on and they won't work with the new flasher or the stock flasher. Do the new incandescent s need a resistor? Do I need to spend even more money for a new flasher? Any help is appreciated.
 
I remember your prior post about LED's burning out- you never did explain what exactly you meant. Anyways, yes, indeed, you want people to notice that you're turning. Your new incandescents have to be at least 20 watt (23 better)-front and rear- or they won't flash with regular flasher- you will need an electronic flasher that doesn't care about watts.
 
I thought the napa flasher never cared about watts? It worked well enough with the LEDs. And the LEDs were getting to much power to them therefore burning them out.
 
Incandescents do not require resistors

LED MUST have resistors either internally or externally or they will burn out quite quickly.

Thermal flashers require a specific current draw to work, electronic flashers will flash regardless.

Do you have to spend more money, probably not but you do need to get the lights straight and done right. The right resistors in series with your led's along with an electronic flasher should do the trick for you. Your small incandescents along with an electronic flasher will work too. Getting a thermal flasher to work is possible but more work and parts needed unless you go with stock equivalent bulbs/lights.
 
Killer2600 said:
LED MUST have resistors either internally or externally or they will burn out quite quickly.
Click to expand...

I have put on LED's on my bike with no resistors, and they have yet to burn out. Put on over a year ago.
 
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To my knowledge resistors are used to fix no flash or to fast of a flash, a 12volt LED with electronic relay should work fine. A 12 volt LED cannot draw to much power from a 12 volt battery and cause them to burn out, its just not possible without another underlining issue.
 
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kjsamm said:
To my knowledge resistors are used to fix no flash or to fast of a flash, a 12volt LED with electronic relay should work fine. A 12 volt LED cannot draw to much power from a 12 volt battery and cause them to burn out, its just not possible without another underlining issue.
Click to expand...

That would be a misconception, all LEDs have to have a resistor in series to limit current or they will blow.

The resistor can be built in to the light (typical for automotive conversion bulbs) or external as found in electronic circuits.

The resistors wired in parallel so that thermal flashers will work an led setup are a separate application of resistors.
 
I have no resistors on my bike or in the LED's while running LED flashers and electronic flasher relay. They have not blown, and have been on for over a year.
 
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LEDs aside. The new incandescents arrest not functioning as intended. I wired them is as they should be and with the new electronic flasher, when right is selected the right light will go out but not flash. Same with direction left. With the stock flasher unit nothing happens . When I remove them from the equation the rear lights work fine.
 
I had a similar problem before....turned out the flasher relay was bad ( the one that turns signals off if you dont) I unplugged it and grounded the ground wire of the electronic relay directly to bike....worked fine.
 
kjsamm said:
I have no resistors on my bike or in the LED's while running LED flashers and electronic flasher relay. They have not blown, and have been on for over a year. You cannot draw to much current from a 12volt light made to run on a 12 volt system. The resistors are to be used in place of an electronic relay.
Click to expand...

Again I stress the word "internal" which means you won't see them unless you break your led bulb apart. Unfortunately not all LEDs are sold ready to throw in like that.

For the OP: I suspect even with electronic (supposedly) you need a flasher designed for "heavy-duty" or various load use. The kind that don't give any blown bulb indication-they flash even if a bulb goes out.

The only other way is to put in stock equivalent bulbs and not custom type stuff otherwise you'll be wiring loading resistors.

Also make sure your connections and grounds are good, solid, and clean.
 
Please note that I said I have no resistors in the LEDs or on the bike. Resistors are meant to fool your relay into how much load is actually there.
 
kjsamm said:
Please note that I said I have no resistors in the LEDs or on the bike. Resistors are meant to fool your relay into how much load is actually there.
Click to expand...

Your trying to explain a misconception to an electronic engineer

I already explained how it is...without resistance an led won't last a minute
 
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thanks killer. i would love to get these lights working. they look just like stock but smaller. assuming smaller wattage as well. im thinking of trying another flasher see how she goes
 
cid said:
thanks killer. i would love to get these lights working. they look just like stock but smaller. assuming smaller wattage as well. im thinking of trying another flasher see how she goes
Click to expand...

your welcome, with the right flasher all will be well...they do make "led flashers" which are nothing more than electronic flashers that flash even with very low current loads (i.e. LED turn signals) - same as the flasher I already described above except it's labeled LED so you know it'll work and they can charge more...gotta love marketing.
 
Killer2600 said:
Your trying to explain a misconception to an electronic engineer

I already explained how it is...without resistance an led won't last a minute
Click to expand...

If that's the case then please Mr. Engineer, explain to me how I am running LED flashers w/o a resistor.
 
kjsamm said:
If that's the case then please Mr. Engineer, explain to me how I am running LED flashers w/o a resistor.
Click to expand...

The resistor would built in to the LED assembly itself to form a bulb that you plug in, a plain jane led is small to miniature in size and requires soldering for installation.

The resistor isn't for the flasher, it's to limit the amp draw the led pulls and subsequently controls the brightness of the led. LED's have very low resistance and if hooked up to a power source without any current limiting device (resistor/resistance) in the circuit they will pull enough power to burn them up in an instant.

Again I repeat the resistor isn't for the flasher. The resistor that you wire up when the lights don't flash is a different and separate resistor that's much larger in size and has a completely different purpose and isn't always needed or used.
 
There is the problem....we are on two different pages and talking about seperate issues.:) I apologize
 
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