Trouble with rear LED turn signals

Larry S

Larry S

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I’ve already replaced my front turn signals with LED turn signal mirrors with a new electronic flasher unit and all worked well. My rear turn signals remained incandescent so I recently decided to buy some LED replacements. After installing they didn’t work. Everything worked with the incandescent setup. What do I need to do to resolve this problem?
 
+ or - ground? If the latter, you may need to make sure the rear signals are compatible.

What type of flasher? Load sensitive or adjustable for LED?

Check the ground?
 
Do the lights stay on and not blink? If so, you need a LED compatible flasher.
If all 4 lights come on, you need to address the indicator wiring.
 
maylar said:
If all 4 lights come on, you need to address the indicator wiring.
Click to expand...
Not your problem, but you'll need a diode if you run all led signals with an indicator. The voltage "bleeds" through the indicator without a diode and causes the other side to blink. Or bypass the indicator

The lights not coming on is a power or ground problem. You just need to trace it back with a continuity tester.
 
You stated it worked fine with an incandescent lamp on each side (rears). So load would still be within acceptable range for a standard flasher to work, even with led's at front. You stated it was "electronic" flasher, that is not necessarily an LED compatible flasher.
 
TomU said:
Not your problem, but you'll need a diode if you run all led signals with an indicator. The voltage "bleeds" through the indicator without a diode and causes the other side to blink. Or bypass the indicator

The lights not coming on is a power or ground problem. You just need to trace it back with a continuity tester.
Click to expand...
Actually two diodes.;)
There are two methods two solve the problem. Either the preferred method with a LED compatible flasher relay or fitting two resistors increasing the load.
On the indicator lamp problem there is also two solutions. Either two diodes or fitting two indicator lamps, one for left the other for right.
 
Mike40M said:
Actually two diodes.;)
Click to expand...
Correct. And you can get a kit that packages them together

www.superbrightleds.com

Metric Bike Diode Kit - Motorcycle Diode Kit

Required when installing LEDs as turn signals on motorcycles with single turn signal indicator light. If Diode Kit is not installed, power will back feed across the indicator light and all turn signals will flash at once.
www.superbrightleds.com www.superbrightleds.com
 
Kit o
TomU said:
Correct. And you can get a kit that packages them together

Click to expand...
TomU said:
Correct. And you can get a kit that packages them together

www.superbrightleds.com

Metric Bike Diode Kit - Motorcycle Diode Kit

Required when installing LEDs as turn signals on motorcycles with single turn signal indicator light. If Diode Kit is not installed, power will back feed across the indicator light and all turn signals will flash at once.
www.superbrightleds.com www.superbrightleds.com
Click to expand...
Kit ordered, thanks.
 
I installed the diode kit today and it cured my turn signal woes. Mostly anyway. There now seems to be a five or six second delay for the rear signals to turn on compared to the front. They also seem to blink rather rapidly. Do you think that an adjustable LED flasher will solve this problem? Thanks for everyone’s responses.
 
Larry S said:
I installed the diode kit today and it cured my turn signal woes. Mostly anyway. There now seems to be a five or six second delay for the rear signals to turn on compared to the front.
Click to expand...

Try connecting a jumper wire between a rear signal bulb holder (or both bulb holders?) and harness red (or the battery positive terminal) and see if that reduces the delay?
 
L.A.B. said:
Try connecting a jumper wire between a rear signal bulb holder (or both bulb holders?) and harness red (or the battery positive terminal) and see if that reduces the delay?
Click to expand...
Both rear signals are tapped into red ground already. Upon further reading, I think the adjustable LED relay should cure the problem. I hope.
 
Do you have an LED relay to begin with. You need at least that (or resistors)
 
There should be no difference in turn on rate between front and back unless there is some kind of load difference or bulb circuitry. Are the front and rear LED bulbs the same output/brand/version lamps?
Have not seen you state if your flasher is actually an LED compatible type. This will make a difference to proper flash rate. Should not need an adjustable rate flasher to solve that.

Ideally you want to have amber LEDs for turn signals, not straight white. This is because LEDs emit a more limited range of light frequencies, so putting whites behind amber lenses will reduce effective brightness. Same is true for tail/brake lights, use red LEDs.
 
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