LED turn signal question.

[Steve]

OK, I have seen many posts about LED turn signals, and I know that I will need an electronic flasher unit to get them to flash at a somewhat correct rate, but would like to know if anybody has actually done this, and can tell me whether there is any problem keeping the self-cancelling feature.

On second thought, it really does not matter if you have changed to LED signals.
The main question revolves around the use of the electronic flasher and retaining the self-cancelling feature. 8-[

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[Steve]

Anyone?

37 views and NO replies?

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[TheCafeKid]

eh....what's 'lectrics? I thought the lights came on by magic??

 

[n1elkyfan]

I think it would really depend on how the self canceling is triggered. Which bike is it on

 

[Steve]

I think it would really depend on how the self canceling is triggered. Which bike is it on

Yeah, I guess you would have to pick one of the GSs in my profile, but looking specifically for the '81 850G and the '82 850GL. 8-[

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[basic]

i think it would really depend on how the self cancel is connected. could you use a load diode in series with the LEDS to increase the load seen by the stock mechnical flasher and trick it into seeing a higher load, therefore flashing at a somewhat correct rate? The electric flashers are all well and good, but it would depend on where they have to be wired up and stuff.

EDIT - something like this maybe, one for each side? - http://www.customled.com/PRODUCTS/THE_EQUALIZER/the_equalizer.htm#StageII

 

[Guest]

this isnt exactly what you're asking, but...

this isnt exactly what you're asking, but...

if you use the standard mechanical flasher unit but add resistors to the led indicators, that'd work all right for sure and the self-cancelling unit would have no probs

 

[tomm]

Never done it and don't know how the self-canceling feature works on the GS. I do know that on my Kawasaki, it has something do with the bike moving some 200+ feet after an 8 second delay. Not something that would seem to be tied into the flasher unit itself so guessing the self-canceling would be unaffected by changing it.
It's not much, but all I have to offer on this subject.

 

[Steve]

Yeah, I know all the logistics of how long you have to travel at a certain speed to get the system to cancel, but I am wondering what it is in the cancelling system that actually turns it off. Most of the turn signal systems I have had to deal with only had two terminals on the flasher relay. I am not really sure what the third terminal does on our GS relays. I guess I will have to do some poking and prodding with a test light to see just what happens when.

Psyguy and basic, yes, I know that adding a load resistor will restore the proper load for the stock relay. Right now, I am not very concerned about the load-saving properties of the LED turn signals, so that may be a viable option. I was following my wife for many of the miles we did in West Virginia last weekend and got to see just how pitiful the stock signals are. I would like to put some super bright LEDs in there to make SURE that the signals are visible. :shock:
Then, if I can get the LEDs to work with an electronic flasher without the load resistor, all the better. \\/


Now, I know that SOME of you have installed electronic flashers on your bikes. Did you also eliminate the self-cancel or did you retain it? :-s

 

[tomm]

Found this in a Kawasaki forum.

?The self-canceling portion has a few things that can go wrong. The key components involved are the odometer sending unit, the signal control unit, and the solenoid inside the selector switch housing. When either turn signal is activated, a signal is fed from the switch to the control unit. It initiates a timer inside the unit. At the same time, the control unit starts counting pulses that are sent from the odometer-sending unit. Both conditions (time & distance traveled) must be met and whichever condition is last to be satisfied, is the one that determines when the 12v is sent to the solenoid. The signal switch is spring loaded and is attempting to return to the center position anytime you have one of the signals on but it has a small catch holding it in place. When the solenoid receives the 12v from the control unit it releases the catch and the switch returns to the center/off position.?

If the Suzuki system works the same way, the flasher would have nothing to do with it. Doesn't seem to make much sense to integrate similar functionality into the flasher itself, but again, nothing I have direct experience with.

 

[mortation]

I have an 83 GS 850 GLD and I used LED dual filament lights all around.

For the rear I added the low filament into the brake light and the high into the corresponding directional wire.

For the front I wired the low into the low beam (will be changing that tonight as flipping to high turns em off) and the high again into the respective signal wire.

Grounds were all kept the same. Installed a two prong electronic flasher in the socket.

Everything works great. No self canceling.

 

[Guest]

Everything works great. No self canceling.

no sel-cancelling as in:
1 - your bike never had it, or
2 - it no longer works due to led's

 

[bakalorz]

<snip>
I was following my wife for many of the miles we did in West Virginia last weekend and got to see just how pitiful the stock signals are. I would like to put some super bright LEDs in there to make SURE that the signals are visible. :shock:
<snip>

FWIW, I want my signals brighter too, and bought a bunch of different types of the 1156 and 1157 LED bulbs. None of them was equal to the stock incandescent bulb.

Eventually I bought some semi-truck LED Assemblies (4 inch rounds and 2x6 ovals)
Some of those are brighter than stock.

When I figure out how to mount them, thats what I will use.

 

[Steve]

Installed a two prong electronic flasher in the socket.

Everything works great. No self canceling.

no self-cancelling as in:
1 - your bike never had it, or
2 - it no longer works due to led's

My guess is that there is no self-cancelling due to the two-prong flasher. I will be testing here over the next few days to see what I can find.

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[Steve]

?The self-canceling portion has a few things that can go wrong. The key components involved are the odometer sending unit, the signal control unit, and the solenoid inside the selector switch housing. When either turn signal is activated, a signal is fed from the switch to the control unit. It initiates a timer inside the unit. At the same time, the control unit starts counting pulses that are sent from the odometer-sending unit. Both conditions (time & distance traveled) must be met and whichever condition is last to be satisfied, is the one that determines when the 12v is sent to the solenoid. The signal switch is spring loaded and is attempting to return to the center position anytime you have one of the signals on but it has a small catch holding it in place. When the solenoid receives the 12v from the control unit it releases the catch and the switch returns to the center/off position.?

If the Suzuki system works the same way, the flasher would have nothing to do with it. Doesn't seem to make much sense to integrate similar functionality into the flasher itself, but again, nothing I have direct experience with.

That is exactly the way that both of my Kawasakis operated. However, looking at the wiring diagram in my 850 manual, I see the flasher relay and the signal control unit are both fed power by the Green/Orange wire. The Sky Blue wire from the flasher appears to be the flasher output, as it goes to the signal switch, which determines whether it goes to the left or right signal. There is a Green/Black wire that comes from the signal switch that is switched by either signal, and appears to turn the control unit ON. There is a Blue/Black wire that goes from the control unit to the flasher, and appears to be the output of the control unit that turns the flasher relay ON. This third terminal on the flasher unit is the one that makes me wonder whether other 3-terminal flashers are wired the same. I will be doing some testing over the next few days and let you know.

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[Guest]

I will be testing here over the next few days to see what I can find.

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sounds like we can expect a pictorial if not a video-tutorial on cliff's website 8-[

not that i'm complaining :-D

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[Steve]

There will be a report, but probably not a pictorial, let alone a video. :shock:

Just got back a little bit ago from a 1037-mile trip in the last 30 hours

and the garage is a little too warm to go out there now, so it will have to wait until tomorrow.

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[Guest]

There will be a report, but probably not a pictorial, let alone a video. :shock:

i was only joking, hope you got that 8-[

 

[Steve]

Ya never know, I might be joking, too.

Just for that, I might make it into a half-hour infomercial.

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[EZman]

Hi guys,
I replaced the incandescent lights on my Gold Wing with LEDs and had the light out flashing signal.
I went to auto zone and got a flasher that does not recognize lights out. This thing actually blinks on the bench when power is applied.
It did not interfear with the autocancel or anything else.
You just have to know if you have a 3 or 2 pin connector.
It cost about $4.00.
Ernie