How do you make LED turn signals work?

[Guest]

I just bought replacement turn signals for my bike. They don't work .... hmmmm something about an LED Flasher? Anyone care to explain this to me - I am brand spanking new to this.

[dig dug mx6]

Electronic flasher will flash no matter what the resistance is. Or the cheaper altenative what I did was get a flasher from NAPA it was a round metal one.

[aosmith]

I'm running LED blinkers and i did replace my blinker relay at the same time (it needed it as well) but your blinkers should have resistors integrated into them so you really shouldn't have to replace anything. Check and make sure you're getting 12 volts. My "new" oe flasher cost a wopping $9

[harry69koi]

Led`s will only work it they are wired the right way,try swopping the wire round to see if they work m8ty[-o<

[Redman]

Schweiss,
In what manner dont they work?
Dont light up at all?
Or do light up but don't flash?

Some answers about would be for one problem, and other answers above would be for the other problem,

[Jaguarjoe]

LED's are polarity sensitive. You must have the (+) and (-) correct or they won't ever light up.
Most flashers are made to work with a certain load on them like incandescent lamps which draw a certain amount of current to make them flash. LED's do not draw enough current to work with a regular flasher. I don't know if you can replace the original flasher with a heavy duty one (like they use for towing trailers). Some heavy duty flashers are designed differently so that they flash regardless of what load you have on them.
The other alternative is to hang dummy load resistors across the LED's to make the flasher think its driving an incandescent lamp load.

[Schweisshund]

They are not working at all.

[Jaguarjoe]

Try taking the LED lamp and putting it across your battery. It should light up solid that way. If it doesn't you may have the polarity backwards. Switch the wires around and try it again. This will prove that your light is OK.
If your light is OK then you have flasher issues.
If the old lights worked your wiring should still be OK.

[8trackmind]

.......Go here.

[Schweisshund]

I went there 8track - I got them to light up but no flash.

[Schweisshund]

The flasher I have is for a 1983 Suzuki gs 550 e. Its a nippendenso FU249SD 12v flasher. I took the cover off and inside it said it was for 16v and there was no chip (looked at your 4x4 flasher mod link).

But .... all of the LEDs light up when I flip the swith to signal (no running lights) but they simply do not flash.

[Schweisshund]

I bought a replacement electronic two prong flasher (the circle kind). I put on the connections (both ways) and the led turn signals will not turn on but the instrument panel will show the turn signal very dimly. Hmmmmmm - should I get a three prong and ground wire?

[aosmith]

my advice would be to go to a suzi dealer and buy one they're like $9 and most places stock them

[Schweisshund]

I went to O'Reilly's, NAPA, Autozone, Advance Auto, Honda motosports dealership, Suzuki Dealership and Radio Shack. Everyone looked at me funny when I asked for an LED compatible flasher relay.

At the Honda Motosports, they told me they had to order two seperate LED flash relays - one for the right turn signal and one for the left turn signal and they are $29.00 each.

Radio Shack had two kids working at the time and one was very rude. He kept telling me I needed to know the amperage of the LED's before he could find me the correct LED flasher relay. He tried to sell me blinking LED lights instead. He tried to confuse me into buying about a $100 worth of blinking LED lights. That is when I started to speak in German to him to every one of his questions calling him a scheisskopf as I left the store.

at Autozone, they laughed at me and said "What in the damn hell ya talking about there sonny?" I replied "I am looking for an LED compatible turn signal flasher relay" They in turn very lazily said "well, we don't carry that". I later looked it up on autozones website - they do carry it and its almost $50.00.

Napa told me to come back on Thursday

Advance Auto were actually helpful and one of the guys there said he knew what I needed (finally) but I had to go to radio shack to get it.

Suzuki tried to sell me the original turn signals at $29.00 each.

I am flustered, tired, and a little bit ticked off. I want my lights to go blinky.

[longgreensilverado]

good news good news!!!! I gigured it out. never tell rat shack (radio shack) people what you're doing and never ask auto parts people for tech info and especially bike shops they all want your $$$$$$$$.

This mod is for (3) Terminal socket flashers. I have a 1980 gs850g.


enough BS..

shopping list:
here's what U do. buy an electronic flasher. at auto zone or advance autoparts look for Tridon Stant EP34 electronic flasher. Also buy a head light socket (3) prong that the flasher will plug into with 3 wires coming out of it (advance auto part number 85810) . You will also need blade or spade connectors (they are flat connectors that crimp onto the end of wire) these you will later plug into your connector on the bike). you will need a loop connector to attach to ground (big enough for the battery box bolt to fit through).

here we go.
first remove your stock flasher unit.
now with a volt meter find the positive outlet by attaching the positive lead to the positive lead on the volt meter and athe negative lead of the volt meter to the frame. you will need to do this with the key turned on.

when you find 12 volts that is your positive. a hint look for the outlet on your bike that is paralell. (looks like this + I _ I-) i hope you get this.

ok now in this configuration I_I the bottom line (underscore) is the line out to the lights (this plugs into the exact same spot as the original on bike).

now on the back of the package of the flasher you will see the picture of the poles of the flasher indicating which is which. positive, negative (ground) and the odd or turned blade is out to the lights. basically the positive and negative are paralell to each other.

now crimp on the loop connector to the negative or ground wire coming out of the headlight socket mentioned in the shopping list. Also crimp on the (2) blade connectors to the positive and the lead coming out of the odd blade. remember positive will use a blade and for the odd blade marked (L) on the back of the package for teh flasher.

ok now that you have your connectors, connect ground to a battery box bolt and push the positive blade into the positive you found on your bike connector. connect the odd blade marked (L) to the odd blade on the bike.
you will be left with an open terminal on the bike connector. do not connect anything to it, unless you wish to plug it to prevent corrosion. This open terminal is not needed and should be left alone unless someone else has a better idea. i'm open to suggestions.

Put a dab of dielectric grease on each terminal of the socket before plugging in your flasher. now plug in your flasher and turn on the bike and check. the lights will come on for a second then will start flashing. WAH LAH now you've done it. don't forget to secure your wires and the flasher with zip ties and put a fresh band of electrical tape around where the flasher plugs into the socket for sure fit.