Topic: Converting turn signals to LED CB550

[Uncoiled]

So I have looked around and have tried quite a few different things, but I installed new LED turn signals on my bike and I cant get them to function correctly. The old signals worked when I took them off except the front left stayed on all the time(but still blinked).

I have installed a new LED flasher relay and the right rear works fine and flashes (although dimmer then I thought LEDs would be.) The left rear does not blink and stays on all the time.

The turn signals only have two wires coming from them, perfect match for the rear but on the front the wiring diagram shows 3 wires from the stock signals. I have tried to ground out the signal on the metal stalk but no luck. I have reattached the oem signals and they work when ground.

All my connections have been checked and rechecked. Anything I haven't touched should be fine since it worked before hand. Sorry if this is hard to follow, I am by no means an electrician.

Any ideas?

[RodPlunger]

What kind of LED's are you using? Did you make them yourself? Polarity might be an issue....

[Uncoiled]

They are cheap cycle gear signals

http://www.cyclegear.com/CycleGear/Parts/Electrical/Signals/brand/SPEEDMETAL/LED-Lighted-Tip-Indicators/p/38088_59409

[RodPlunger]

This might sound super stupid... LED's like the juice to flow in one direction only. I don't know how the manufacturer wired them, but maybe just switch your wires around. AKA: swap the polarity... Do the manufacturers instructions say anything about resistors? I would imagine they are built in. The lights didn't come on once really, really bright did they?

[FrankenFrankenstuff]

3 wire front is for running (lights on when bike is running) then blink when you use switch, rear 2 wire is directional only.

[IndyFour]

If you have the single light "dash" indicator (I.e. Not a separate right and left arrow indicator), that sometimes presents a voltage bleed issue for LED blinkers.  The pre 1977 bikes had a dash light like this.  LED bulbs are very sensitive to voltage and the small amount of juice that bleeds across that single dash indicator bulb is enough to make them misbehave even with an electronic blinker relay.  Try pulling or unplugging the bulb for the dash indicator and see if it helps.  This was the root of my blinker problems when I tried LED bulbs a few years ago.

Good luck. 

[Dr. Noisewater]

I had similar issues when I changed to LED signals on my 75 cb550. I also installed new gauges at the same time, and the new speedo only had one bulb for the turn signal indicator. This caused all four turn signals to come on at the same time because the current would pass through the indicator bulb and carry over to the other side. So I had to wire in a diode on each side so that the current would only flow in one direction. The LED's don't do this on their own, not sure what RodPlunger's talking about.. All of my new signals were two-wire units, a black wire and a black/white wire. Typical bulbs only need a positive and a negative, so it shouldn't matter which wire does what. Although I think I used the black/white for all the positives. Maybe I just got lucky.

Anyway, got the diodes in and had each side working independently from the other, but now they wouldn't flash. So I installed an EP35 electronic relay from AutoZone and everything works perfectly. Well kinda, it seems the relay doesn't turn off. The lights work as they should but when the signals are off you can still hear the relay clicking. This just happened today so I've yet to figure it out.

If none of this helps I would also make sure the front's are wired to the switched positive wire and not the constant (running light) wire, make sure the battery is fully charged, and take 30 mins to clean up all the wiring connectors around the bike. Seemed to make everything smoother for me.

[RodPlunger]

This is what I meant about LED's having polarity...



When you are soldering up your own, they will not work if they current is going the wrong way.... Just an idea for why they might not be working. More likely that the voltage isn't correct or is fluctuating like Indyfour said. Have you measured what you are getting on your hot wires?

[Uncoiled]

I have tried switching them around but no luck, and I have not had them come on super bright yet at all. Guess I need to go buy a volt meter and check things out. The right side indicator bubl on the dash is burned out so I'll try pulling both of those and see if makes a difference, and try replacing the burnt out on as well.

So on the front since the oem is 3 wire what do i do with the extra wire? Which ones do I use, and will i need to wire up a ground since the original signals were grounded to the mount (no wire gorund)?

Also inside the headlight there were two green wires (ground if I'm looking correctly)  attached to the bolt holding the headlight on. I replaced those bolts and used my turn signals to hold the headlight on, what should I do with those wires? So far I just have them grounded out at another spot.

Thanks everybody!

[Jay Ace]

Also inside the headlight there were two green wires (ground if I'm looking correctly)  attached to the bolt holding the headlight on. I replaced those bolts and used my turn signals to hold the headlight on, what should I do with those wires? So far I just have them grounded out at another spot.

Thanks everybody!

Isn't that where your winkers should be grounded?
Pretty sure that's how I have my LED's done.

[wowbagger]

I had these same turns on my cb500. Plug the yellow(or red) wire into the power feed (where the orange or blue wires came out of) and plug the black wire into a ground plug. You will also have to swap your blinker relay for a three prong electronic relay. There should be an unused ground spade plug hanging down behind the current relay.

If they are lighting then you have the turns wired correctly. If they don't flash it's because you have the wrong relay.

[Uncoiled]

I didn't see another plug for a relay but I wasn't really looking when i was in there. I have a three prong relay already that I bought on accident so if it does have one Ill try that.

I 'm pretty sure I wired it up like wowbagger mentioned and it worked somewhat correctly but not fully yesterday when I went for a ride. I will confirm this the next time I work it on, which may be after Christmas now...

Thanks again for all the replies, this board is amazing and a huge wealth of knowledge. I have a lot of things to look at/try now.

[Jay Ace]

This is the only relay that worked for me - https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/led-vehicle-replacement-bulbs/lf1-s-pin-universal-motorcycle-electronic-flasher/193/841/

[wowbagger]

This is the one I'm running. It was like $10 at the auto parts store:

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_electronic-turn-signal-flasher-tridon-(novita-tech-inc)_5081297-p

[jesseflorig]

This is the one I'm running. It was like $10 at the auto parts store:

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_electronic-turn-signal-flasher-tridon-(novita-tech-inc)_5081297-p

Hi wowbagger, I picked up the same relay you linked to but couldnt get it working. I noticed it has three prongs versus the two prong flasher I have on there now. Would you mind sharing how you wired it up and got it working?

Cheers!

UPDATE

A friend told me two prong relay was odd and then I was able to find the third wire after some digging around under my seat.

[Deltarider]

As far as attention value, I favour ordinary bulbs over leds. It may sound strange but LED brake- and indicatorlights do not draw as much attention as bulbs do. Maybe the reason is that ordinary bulbs glow on and off, where Leds are either on or off. In other words: with glowbulbs there is more chance you'll see something is changing. My hypothesis is this: our brain is set to detect changes. Now we all blink our eyes, in such a blink a led can be switched on where with conventional bulbs after you've blinked you can still see the lamp glowing on. The other day I almost ran into a bus in front of me. I had missed brakelights glowing on in my eyesight and it's clean Leds had not alarmed me at all. And this was not the first time...
Led lights could be a good thing for taillights and daylight running lights but I don't want them in my blinkers and certainly not as a brakelight. If other drivers are like me, I must fear I would run a higher risk being rearended.

[RAFster122s]

Too bad that a hybrid taillights/turn signal of LED taillamp, with second bulb for turn & stop that are incandescent.  Or a sequence of flashes will usually get a driver's attention.  I have even seen a car that had modulation of tail lamps for brakes.  Wonder what they do for those cars whrre modulators are illegal?