LED Compatable Flasher Relay

[Zacsdaddy]

I've decided that one of my winter projects is to change all the lights to LED's. So the first step is to install a LED compatable Flasher Relay.

Some companies install load equalizisers but they negate the savings in usable power and they cost just as much as a good LED relay so the load equalizers just don't make sence to me.

I purchased a Peterson Mfg. model 5000 Flasher Relay from O'Reilleys. They had to order it but had it overnight for less than I would have had to pay for overnight shipping from anyone else.

It has three wires and will work in place of either a 2 or 3 wire relay. The 1100 Wings all had three wires running to the relay even though only the 82 and 83 used all three.

The Red wire runs to the power wire from the fuse box. The green wire runs to the load wire to the lights and the black wire runs to the ground wire that all the 1100s have (its the wire that's not used on the 80 & 81).

I ran the wires under the false tank and positioned the relay next to the radiator cap fastened with quick ties.

The blinkers now flash at the same rate no mater what's hooked up to them.

One word of warning. The relay will give you no warning that a light may be burned out. Check your lights often!

Now, since I'm too cheap to buy new fixtures, I'll start modifying the fixtures to use LED bulbs.

Zacsdaddy

[Dirty_D]

I really want to do LED's on my 78..Is the install about the same for the 1000's?

[Zacsdaddy]

According to my handy, dandy Clymer schematic - Yes.

The Green/White wire should be the power, the Gray should be the load and the unused wire is the ground.

Zacsdaddy

[Geno]

Another alternative to buying new fixtures is Radio Shack has the little black LED mounts that should make it very easy to adapt LEDs to the old bulb sockets, they are sold by the bagfull and are dirt cheap, I will take a couple pics and try to post them tomorrow, Geno.

[Zacsdaddy]

So far here's what I've done on bulbs.

My front handlebar mounted turn signals used a minibayonet base that I could not find a LED to fit so I took an old trailer light (like I have on the side of my headlight) and broke the fixture out then rewired and mounted it into the housing using bondo as a holding agent.

Now the fixtures that are on the headlight will need a side firing wedge base bulb - found them for $8.99 a pair, ordering today.

The tail fixtures are presenting the biggest challenge. They take an 1157 with only a 3/4 inch globe. So far I've found a single dual intensity LED that I think will fit but they cost $24.00 each.

I've also looked at the idea of just replacing the entire fixture with new ones but can't find LED fixtures that are both running lights and turn or brake signals. That's why I wanted the 1157 bulb in the first place - I want my rump lit like a christmas tree.

So if there's a way I can build my own bulbs from Radio Shack parts, I'm interested.

Zacsdaddy

[Dirty_D]

Thanks for looking that up for me! Heres an ebay link for LED's that have running lights and turn signal in one unit.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2-LED-AM ... enameZWDVW

[Zacsdaddy]

Thanks for the link!

Now I've got some thinkin' to do - do I spend a little more and have less work involved or do I save a little and rewire the entire rear end again?

Zacsdaddy

Edited to add: Hmmmmmm--- If I buy the new lights and rewire the rear I'll have the old set to sell complete with extra bulbs ---Hmmmmmm

[scadaman29325]

I was trying to confirm this but the CarQuest website sucks, no parts search...

My notes indicate:
#552 x electronic
FSH 7212 CarQuest Flasher
for about $8

It worked great on my '78. I just made sure that "X" and "Y" were hooked up correctly.

Later, Phil

[Zacsdaddy]

Great input! Thanks for posting.

Zacsdaddy

[Sidecar Bob]

Keep in mind that it isn't necessarily a good idea to reduce the power used by your lights.

Your alternator's output is the same for a given engine RPM no matter what the load. The voltage is regulated by dumping current to ground until the voltage drops to the desired level. In other words, any current that doesn't flow through the lights &c flows through the regulator.

Unless you are planning to have some other load that is on most of the time you will cause your regulator to run hotter, and this could result in a shorter life for it.

[Zacsdaddy]

Sidecar Bob makes an excellent point!

Your alternator's output is the same for a given engine RPM no matter what the load. The voltage is regulated by dumping current to ground until the voltage drops to the desired level. In other words, any current that doesn't flow through the lights &c flows through the regulator.

Excess voltage is converted to heat so the Regulator (on GL1000's) and the Regulator/Rectifier (on GL1100's) will run hotter with less load requirements from the lights.

My personnal goal is to reduce the load so I can run a set of running lights similiar to the harley three head light set up. Since most of my driving is around town my stator is simply not able to keep the battery charged at reduced RPMs.

Thanks for the input Bob!

Zacsdaddy

[scadaman29325]

Sidecar Bob makes an excellent point!

Your alternator's output is the same for a given engine RPM no matter what the load. The voltage is regulated by dumping current to ground until the voltage drops to the desired level. In other words, any current that doesn't flow through the lights &c flows through the regulator.

Excess voltage is converted to heat so the Regulator (on GL1000's) and the Regulator/Rectifier (on GL1100's) will run hotter with less load requirements from the lights.

My personnal goal is to reduce the load so I can run a set of running lights similiar to the harley three head light set up. Since most of my driving is around town my stator is simply not able to keep the battery charged at reduced RPMs.

Thanks for the input Bob!

Zacsdaddy

Oooh ahhh, feels good to know a little more about this!

As in Zacs case, I too am going to brighten things up a bit (on my GL1000) and did not want to fry the charging system.

Thanks for the info!

BTW, this appears to work similar to CTs (Current Transformers) in the Electrical Substations. Pretty simple really, a wire is passed through the middle of a circular transformer ('donut'), then the secondary is fed to a metering device. If the secondary is disconnected (without being shorted first) the CT WILL burn up.

Later, Phil

[Sidecar Bob]

I would recommend getting a set of driving lights with 35W H4 bulbs and connecting them the way I did:

They are wired to a DPDT switch so that when the switch is in the daytime position they are in series across the low beam. They are plenty bright enough for daytime running lights and in series they only draw 17.5W.

With the switch in the night time position the left hand running light is across the low beam. It is aimed to hit the shoulder of the road a bit past where the low beam hits the road so that it helps me see but doesn't dazzle oncoming drivers. The right hand running light is across the high beam and is aimed straight ahead to give maximum visibility on unlit roads. Since only one driving light is on at a time they only add 35W. They are only switched to the night time position on unlit roads and most of them have 80 Km/h (50 MPH) speed limits, so the alternator has no problem keeping up

I also installed a modern headlight unit - with the same 55/60W H4 bulb I had in the old headlight there is about 300-400% more usable light on the road in front of me.

[CYBORG]

I was trying to confirm this but the CarQuest website sucks, no parts search...

My notes indicate:
#552 x electronic
FSH 7212 CarQuest Flasher
for about $8

It worked great on my '78. I just made sure that "X" and "Y" were hooked up correctly.

Later, Phil

just came across your post. i'm expermenting with a flasher that has the 'x' and 'y' posts. can you tell me which is power and which is load?

[shoe]

I guess I should have found this site a little earlier. I put resistors on my blinkers to increase the load. But in general, the blinkers aren't on all the time. I got a few years before I leave the left one on while I'm driving. I also replaced all the dash lights with LEDs too. Got to save what watts I can because I really need to get some lights on the sidecar.