LED rear signals

[MasterAtArms]

Ive done extensive searching and I cant find an answer to this specific issue.

I bought a couple LED rear turn signals for my 06 FZ6. When wiring them up and testing them they would not flash or light up fully (I tested them on a battery to insure theyd light up all the way and they do). When checking with the normal incandescent flashers theyd light up fully and flash.

I know a lot of people report a quickened flash when switching to LED flashers but NO FLASH AT ALL? And not all LEDs lighting?

Can this be remedied by installing an LED specific relay? Or what about wiring in resistors (if so how many ohms?)?

Or is this a different ball game? Thanks!!


ps- I bought my fz6 laid over so it was missing a headlight and fairing. All I have are two wiring harnesses exiting on the port (clutch) side of the bike. Where would my flasher relay be? I know its there as my incandescent signals flashed.

 

[Motogiro]

It's very easy to just replace the OEM flasher unit with a very economical electronic flasher.

You can make up a resistor equivalent to emulate the incandescent bulb load but the downside of resistors is they heat up, have to be the correct resistance, have to be insulated so they won't short out, don't save current blah blah blah blah blah...and some other technical jargon.....

Go here; Super Bright LEDs - Electronic LED Flashers Specifications Done deal!

LF1 S Flat $8.95

 

[MasterAtArms]

NICE! So are we pretty sure thats the cause of all this trouble? Where to I find the relay on the bike anywho? haha

 

[Motogiro]

If your incandescent lamps work and the LEDs don't swap out to an electronic flasher relay. Left hand side of your fairing. You can reach up from the bottom inside of the fairing and against the plastics you'll feel the flasher unit mounted on a little rubber assembly that slips onto a plastic tab. Slip the rubber upward and off the tab. Drop the relay from the bottom of the fairing. Swap to your new unit and re install. Now your flash rates and operation should be good!

 

[MasterAtArms]

When you say fairing do you mean the tail plastics where all of those relays are?

 

[Motogiro]

When you say fairing do you mean the tail plastics where all of those relays are?

No, the front fairing... The flasher, although it is called out in one of the plastics on the side, is in the front fairing, left side.....

 

[MasterAtArms]

Ill have to keep an eye out for it. Since I got my bike damaged without a headlight or fairing, Ill need to research

 

[turbid]

No, the front fairing... The flasher, although it is called out in one of the plastics on the side, is in the front fairing, left side.....

hi cliff,

are you postive that the relay is in the front fairing? the reason im asking is because mine is definately under the lhs sidepod, as i ve changed it for an electronic relay and it was definately there. is it because yours is the american version maybe it varies from the european one.

 

[chunkygoat]

+1 on the electronic flasher relay

I use this site below from time to time when wiring LED's to anything - I've done them on Xbox's, my bike, my car, inside my computer....

Current limiting Resistor calculator for leds

Makes life easy if you don't want to do the math yourself. Just crunch your numbers in, how many volts your source is, how many LED's you have, the desired voltage drop on each, and the rated current for your LED's and it will give you a direct schematic with exact ohmic values for resistors according to how many LED's you want.

I used to blow LED's....until I used this. Eventually I learned ohms law and now it all makes sense!

 

[2006_FZ6]

hi cliff,

are you postive that the relay is in the front fairing? the reason im asking is because mine is definately under the lhs sidepod, as i ve changed it for an electronic relay and it was definately there. is it because yours is the american version maybe it varies from the european one.

Definitely in the front for the US versions as Cliff pointed out.

Good point about different versions around the globe. But since the OP is in VA, I'm assuming he has the US version.

 

[MasterAtArms]

I do! Found the relay, Im gonna order one of those direct plug in relays!

 

[Motogiro]

hi cliff,

are you postive that the relay is in the front fairing? the reason im asking is because mine is definately under the lhs sidepod, as i ve changed it for an electronic relay and it was definately there. is it because yours is the american version maybe it varies from the european one.

Non naked bike with the fairing in the US, in the fairing...

 

[Motogiro]

+1 on the electronic flasher relay

I use this site below from time to time when wiring LED's to anything - I've done them on Xbox's, my bike, my car, inside my computer....

Current limiting Resistor calculator for leds

Makes life easy if you don't want to do the math yourself. Just crunch your numbers in, how many volts your source is, how many LED's you have, the desired voltage drop on each, and the rated current for your LED's and it will give you a direct schematic with exact ohmic values for resistors according to how many LED's you want.

I used to blow LED's....until I used this. Eventually I learned ohms law and now it all makes sense!

I believe what you're calculating is resistance for voltage drop to meet the current limitation of the LED. This would be a series resistor as compared to a parallel resistor which is what you would use to emulate current draw of an incandescent lamp to match impededance design for the OEM bimetal flasher. They are 2 different applications. The LEDs made for 12volt application already have the series resistor in the assembly.

If you're making you own LED set up then you do need to calculate the series resistance..

 

[chunkygoat]

Couldn't have said it better myself.....:BLAA: