Topic: neutral and oil indicator LEDs not working? (help please!)

[osirisdean]

hey gang. im a long time lurker, and this is the first time i havent found a solution by searching or reading the FAQs, so im putting it to ya. :p

info:
1976 cb750 k6, stock engine. updated regulator/rectifier to solid state one. (not sure if that's relevant.)

problem:
recently switched stock speedo and indicator lights to the mini speedo from mikessxs.com, model #03-0744. the high beam indicator, turn signal indicator, and speedo housing backlight all work fine. however, neither the oil or neutral indicator become lit when i turn the key to ignition (in neutral). i did notice when turning the key back to off, for a split second (in between key positions, basically), both LED's light up.

what i've tried:
tested the LEDs individually (hooked them up as turn signal indicators instead) and they work fine. no dead LEDs.
disconnected new speedo, reconnected old indicator bulbs (which are 12v 3W bulbs, i believe), both neutral and oil lights work fine.
still with old bulbs connected, shifted in and out of neutral; bulb functioned properly.
tried both (old bulbs and new LEDs) connected at the same time, and only the old bulbs will light.
fuses are all fine.
switches should theoretically be fine since using old bulbs work.

i know that in some cases LEDs dont draw enough power to work properly so folks have used load equalizers to add resistance, but i dont know if that is the case here or not. it might also be possible that i have the oil/neutral indicator LEDs connected backwards, but i doubt it -- instructions that came with the speedo said positive wires are solid, negative/gnd wires are the same color with a black stripe. the bike's wiring harness has MALE terminal connections for what i am assuming is the positive/hot side for these, but all other connections (turn signals, signal indicators, high beam indicator, etc) have FEMALE terminals -- could i be connecting them backwards? i have their hot wires (from speedo/indicators) hooked to the respective male connections on the wiring harness (i think neutral indicator is red/white and oil is purple but i forget) and their ground wires connected to a four-way female terminal that has a black wire going back to the harness.

so... yeah. hopefully that isn't too much information but i figured too much is better than not enough. im stumped, so any help would be great!

thanks in advance!

[bollingball]

Most of the time the hot side is a female connector so in case it comes unpluged it will not short out. You can check it with a meter or test lamp.

[malcolmgb]

Standard Honda wiring black wire is 12v (it's only hot if wrongly connected). This hot wire business is one of my pet hates. On my 400f the neutral switch grounds the lamp so should connect to the -ve (cathode) side of the LED.
I would guess you have connected the wrong way around, the fact it flashes when you switch off suggests it is back feeding for that short period of time.

[Jon]

+1 on connected back to front.

Neutral & Oil Pressure lights should both get power when the key is on, the switches makes a circuit to earth when in Nuetral and when no oil pressure.

Cheers
jon

[osirisdean]

you guys nailed it, easy fix: switched my wires around, they both work now. thanks!

now, another issue: how to wire the turn signal indicator LED to work for both turn signals. (i can only get one at a time.) but i'll poke around first and post another thread if i cant get it.

again, thanks!

[malcolmgb]

That has already been covered in another thread, try a search.

[malcolmgb]

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=90488.msg1011603#msg1011603
Try this link

[osirisdean]

awesome, thanks mate!