LED warning light. (2015)

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Diver3284

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I was fooling around with some small T5 wedge LED's and decided to see if I could replace the turn signal warning light in my headlight shell. I have a standard (pattern) 12 volt lucas set up on my '74 Roadster. I guess the LEDs are single polarity because it only worked when one side indicator was flashing, and if I reversed the connection it worked with the other side.

I am an electrical idiot so my questions are: 1] would a dual polarity T5 work, if there is such a thing?
2] is there another gizmo that will fix the problem without costing an arm & a leg?
 
Did you wire the diode between the flasher can and the indicator switch?
Ta.
 
needing said:
Did you wire the diode between the flasher can and the indicator switch?
Ta.
Click to expand...

Don't think an LED will work in series with the flasher and lights. LED's are very low current. They usually need a resistance load to limit the current to a few milliamps.

Manxman
 
Diver3284 said:
I was fooling around with some small T5 wedge LED's and decided to see if I could replace the turn signal warning light in my headlight shell. I have a standard (pattern) 12 volt lucas set up on my '74 Roadster. I guess the LEDs are single polarity because it only worked when one side indicator was flashing, and if I reversed the connection it worked with the other side.

I am an electrical idiot so my questions are: 1] would a dual polarity T5 work, if there is such a thing?
2] is there another gizmo that will fix the problem without costing an arm & a leg?
Click to expand...

An LED is a light emiting DIODE. A DIODE is a solid state device that only allows current o flow in one direction. Like a one-way valve. It just happens to emit ligh while current is flowing through it.

The indicator light needs current to flow in either direction, depending on which indicator is used. This is because it is grounded through the unused light. Sounds weird, but it works.

if you insist on using a LED, you will need 2 of them wired in parallel. An alternative is to put in a relay, powered off the flasher can, driving a single LED. But that would be a bit silly. I would leave it as is.

Manxman
 
Install your LED lamp in the shell and ground the negative side of it. Take the two wires coming from each indicator lamp and install a diode in each so power can only flow in one direction through the wire. Pay attention to direction of current flow through diode! Connect both wires to the positive side of the LED indicator and it will work fine. The in line diodes keep current from one lamp backfeeding the other and turning on all four blinkers at once. I'm assuming you have a negative ground LED as thats most common, it will not matter if the bike is still positive ground or not.
 
"Install your LED lamp in the shell and ground the negative side of it. Take the two wires coming from each indicator lamp and install a diode in each so power can only flow in one direction through the wire. Pay attention to direction of current flow through diode! Connect both wires to the positive side of the LED indicator and it will work fine. The in line diodes keep current from one lamp backfeeding the other and turning on all four blinkers at once. I'm assuming you have a negative ground LED as thats most common, it will not matter if the bike is still positive ground or not."
What value diodes would be used in this set-up? Thanks !
 
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