LED Turn Signals?? What to do to make them work

[pcaden]

I have a stock 83 GS 1100E and I want to put some LED turn signals on for looks and safety. I have installed them and they are not working. I think it is because they are probably too much for the system. Does anyone know what I need to do to get them to work?

[BassCliff]

Hi Mr. pcaden,

The stock flasher wants to "see" a certain load. The LED bulbs do not have enough resistance. You'll have to replace the stock flasher with an aftermarket electronic flasher. See the guide on my website or look in the "Electrical Odds and Ends" for a couple of two prong flashers that might just plug right into the existing socket. In the meantime, here's your "mega-welcome".

I just stopped by to welcome you to the forum in my own, special way.

If there's anything you'd like to know about the Suzuki GS model bikes, and most others actually, you've come to the right place. There's a lot of knowledge and experience here in the community. Come on in and let me say "HOoooowwwDY!"....

Here is your very own magical, mystical, mythical, mind-expanding "mega-welcome". Please take notice of the "Top 10 Common Issues", the Carb Rebuild Series, and the Stator Papers. Now let me roll out the welcome mat for you...

Please click here for your mega-welcome, chock full of tips, suggestions, links to vendors, and other information. Then feel free to visit my little BikeCliff website where I've been collecting the wisdom of this generous community. Don't forget, we like pictures! Not you, your bike!

Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[pcaden]

Thank you!

GS Resources rocks! I just ordered the piece that I will need. I might just LED out the whole bike knowing it is this easy! I should get the part and will throw it on and keep my fingers crossed. Thanks again for your site link too. Fantastic info source.

[pcaden]

One more LED Turn Signal question

I purchased a new flasher to fix the lack of action now that I put the LED turn signals on. Is the flasher the same thing as the turn signal relay? Will there be any requirement to get load regulators too? This is on my otherwise stock 83 GS 1100 E. I just dont want to get the part to find out that I will need even more parts. This bike is begging to be ridden. Thanks agai for any help. I an not too much of an electrician but I sure want these LEDs to work!

Thanks,

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Yes, "flasher", "blinker unit", and "turn signal relay" all refer to the same device. An electronic flasher doesn't care what load it "sees". It just flashes at a set rate. What part did you order?

Note that on those bike with auto-canceling turn signals there is also a "turn signal control unit", separate from the flasher. Replacing the stock flasher with any other part will disable the auto-canceling feature of the circuit. Just remember to turn them off yourself.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[salty_monk]

Just an addendum... An electronic flasher does require to see some load...

On my 750 I had LED signals working fine on an electronic flasher with stock gauge set (which flashes a 3W bulb on the dah).
When I switched to a digital gauge which also had LED tell tale lights it would no longer flash.... I had to put a 200 OHM 2W resistor across the flasher input to ground in order to get them to work.

Dan

[BassCliff]

Hi Dan,

Thanks, that's good to know. As long as the electronic flasher has one or two incandescent bulbs in the circuit along with the LED blinkers, everything is OK. But if you have all LEDs in the blinkers and dash, you'll need to add a load. Good stuff.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Redneck]

Okay this isn't an LED question but it is along the same lines. I just replaced my stock turn signals with Bikemaster Ministalk blinkers. Much smaller blinkers. I believe the wattage on the bulbs is considerabley less. Which equals to the fact that the resistance is much less. Now that said will a flasher unit work for the ministalks also? second part of question if I installed a resistor in line with the ministalks that would make up for the additional load, shouldn't that provide enough load to make the flasher work? I have heard the guys on a truck forum talking about the LED change out and they all install small resistors from Radio Shack in line with their LEDs to provide the proper load drop. Thanks ahead of time.

Paul

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Yes, if the system is all LEDs, or if the incandescent bulbs do not have enough resistance to trip the flasher, resistors will be necessary. Have a look at Mr. Matchless' guide:

Convert Gauge Lights To LEDs

Are the bulbs in your new blinkers LEDs or incandescent?


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[salty_monk]

Those 20w resistors they install are anything but small...

Easier to get an electronic flasher in your case. About $4 at Kragen.

[Redneck]

Pulled off the old flasher today to see about taking it in to Napa to match it up with a Universal flasher, when i heard a wierd rattle. I so I moved over to the parts bike and removed the flasher relay from it and installed it on the bike. The lights blinked the first couple of times I tried it then they just stayed on. But I also noticed the guage lights were beginning to dim so I put the charger on battery and came back 30 minutes later. Bam the blinkers are kicking away. The relay on these 550Ls are voltage dependent also. If your battery is wearing down then the flasher will quit working. I drove it around the block a few times tonight and the blinkers are working like a champ, but the auto cancelling is not. I will measure the resistance later and get back to you on what the wattage is. I could not find out what wattage it was on line so I will measure it.

Paul

[Matchless]

Have a look here ; http://www.mediafire.com/file/zzgjzjyhozb/New Flashers Suzuki GS1000GT 1980.pdf

[pcaden]

One last question...I hope

Thanks for all of the input. I now have a new flasher that has two wires and I have no idea where it goes! I am working on the 1983 GS 1100E and I changed the turn signals to LEDs and I now need to change the flasher unit. Can anyone help me locate it? I have both the covers off and the diagrams but there is nothing that only has two wires. Everything on the bike seems to have about six wires. Hmmmmmm????? Thanks for all your help!

[Steve]

Not sure about SIX wires, but the stock flasher probably has THREE. There is one for power from the battery, one to send the intermittent current to the lights and the third is from the control unit, which tells the flasher when to work.

I just looked at some parts diagrams, your turn signal flasher might not be under either of the side covers.

Try looking under the tank.

You won't see it until you remove the tank from the bike, but it's there.

.