2009 GS500F Indicator Lights

[DoktoroKiu]

So, I followed this thread about replacing the indicators and speedo/tach lights with LEDs and have run into a bit of an issue: http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=53436.0

I bought the lights indicated a few posts into the thread, and it appears that the indicator lights are all too big to fit on my bike.  The wedge-type connector is not right and the bulbs are too large to install in the tubes anyway.  The lights I have use the same wedge connector that the speedo and tach lights use.  Apparently there was a change at some point to smaller bulbs...

I have looked up the actual part on partzilla, but I'm at a loss to figure out what type of bulb it is to find an LED replacement.  This is the part: http://www.partzilla.com/parts/detail/suzuki/SP-09471C12218J000.html, and the only info I can make out is T6.5, which doesn't bring up anything similar looking on Google.

Does anyone know what LEDs will fit these bulbs, or at least what replacement bulbs would work (non-Suzuki) to give me something more to go off of?

[JAS6377]

I think I got 360 degree, 5led T10 wedges for mine (I splurged). They are a tight fit, but they'll go in. You just have to go in at an angle, and be gentle.

I'll double check the size for you momentarily.

Edit: These are the ones I got for both the bike and my car gauge clusters: http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/miniature-wedge-base/194-led-bulb-5-led-wide-angle-wedge-base/199/876/

[DoktoroKiu]

Thanks, but even that much is getting me varying results on superbrightleds' search engine.  The T10 is linked to some large tube-bulb replacement lights.

[JAS6377]

Whoops! Definitely NOT T10 lol. My bad on that. They're listed as "miniature wedge" base.

Also, the bulb size should be T3-1/4.

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cat/miniature-wedge-base/filter/Cross_Reference_Number,194,21,201

[DoktoroKiu]

Those look like they should work; they're definitely different from the ones I ordered previously.  They actually look the same, though, but pictures with no scale are practically worthless.  Thanks for the help.

[iceman86]

Hello DoktoroKiu,

What year is your GS500E/F?

Below are the bulbs I used for speedo/tacho/indicators:

I brought some LED bulbs from superbrightleds.com that work perfectly on GS500F 2005.

Speedo/Tach Background Lights: 194 LED Bulb - 5 LED Wide Angle Wedge Base - Cool White - Fits perfectly no modification needed.

Turn Signal Indicator: 194 LED Bulb  1 LED Wedge Base- Green - Just need to shave the base a little bit to fit snuggy in. Rewiring not needed.
Neutral/High-Beam/Oil Indicator: 74 LED Bulb 1 SMD LED Wedge Base - Green/Blue/Red - Fits perfectly no modification needed.

Or you can also use jsyzdek's bulbs which is cheaper:

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=976505 - that's where I got the headlight, but as I said - it's a sucker to put in.

LEDs for indicator lights (T5) I got here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007G67JCS/ref=oh_details_o08_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

LEDs for the clock backlight and the front parking light (T10): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EPA7CZC/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
but you can also go with these (although I haven't received them yet, I'm not sure how much brighter they are and how they fit): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006R34PB4/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I haven't received the turn signal bulbs, but I ordered these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006RFC60Y/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I will only change the back bulbs. They draw a lot less current so their effective resistance is much higher. So when you swap both, the blinker will be more of a strobe. If you swap only one on each side, it will only double the blinker speed.

I'm planning to leave the front turn signals and rear braking/riding lights stock for now. There are some decent 2-intensity bulbs for the braking/riding light, but they are really expensive. And cheapies have very little difference in intensity between the low and high intensity (and they also leak current to the other circuit). And I want to avoid changing the entire system for the turn signals, so the front will remain as is (for now). I'm not a purist, won't split hair over just a few extra watts that I could shave off.


Coming back to turn signal indicator: a regular polarized LED will either show you right, or left turn blinker, not both (the way the circuit is wired, makes the current go either one way or the other, depending whether it's right or left turn). You need to either get a non-poralized LED, or solder in a couple of diodes. I'll dig out a diagram posted by late Adidasguy (RIP) that shows how to do it. I'm actually going to do it right now, because I just got the diodes in mail today

[DoktoroKiu]

Hello DoktoroKiu,

What year is your GS500E/F?

Below are the bulbs I used for speedo/tacho/indicators:

I brought some LED bulbs from superbrightleds.com that work perfectly on GS500F 2005.

Speedo/Tach Background Lights: 194 LED Bulb - 5 LED Wide Angle Wedge Base - Cool White - Fits perfectly no modification needed.

Turn Signal Indicator: 194 LED Bulb  1 LED Wedge Base- Green - Just need to shave the base a little bit to fit snuggy in. Rewiring not needed.
Neutral/High-Beam/Oil Indicator: 74 LED Bulb 1 SMD LED Wedge Base - Green/Blue/Red - Fits perfectly no modification needed.

Interesting, the blue LED I have for the brights is the 194 model, but the rest definitely are not...  I think I'll just order the rest of the lights and try again.  My model is an '09 and should be no different from the '04+ models.

[iceman86]

Hey you are welcome! If you are interested in these bulbs or would like to see them in picture.

I can show you pictures of it right now. A least this way you get can a understanding how they fit.

[DoktoroKiu]

Hey you are welcome! If you are interested in these bulbs or would like to see them in picture.

I can show you pictures of it right now. A least this way you get can a understanding how they fit.

That'd be great.  I might re-examine the blue bulb I have and see if it looks like it could fit, but it would be a waste of my time to tear it down again to install only one light.

Just for clarity's sake, the indicator lights are smaller (including the spacing of the contacts) than the gauge lights?  The size I have match the gauge lights and will not even fit in the tubes of the indicator lights.

[iceman86]

Here is a still image of the bulbs all lite on:


Here is a GIF of the bulbs in action:


Comparisons of the bulbs:
High Beam bulb in BLUE on the left (same bulb used for Oil/Red, Neutral/Green).
Non-polarized bulb for Turn Signal in GREEN - Needs some shaving with a dremel or similar to reduce the size for a snug fitting.


Red Arrows indicates that I've shaven/grinded down the plug area. Fits perfect.
Yellow Arrows indicates the widest part of the bulb which I actually need to shave a little bit so it fits properly (it is a little too wide and without a little force it won't fit in the housing tube).

I hope this help you on your next purchase(s) of LED bulbs and potential barriers you may encounter (which you have already experienced! lol).

[JAS6377]

Holee crap. I'm so sorry. The links I gave you are for gauge lights, not high beam/neutral indicators. The indicators may be smaller. My fault...

[DoktoroKiu]

Holee crap. I'm so sorry. The links I gave you are for gauge lights, not high beam/neutral indicators. The indicators may be smaller. My fault...

No problem, I wouldn't have started this thread if the issue weren't absolutely confusing in the first place.

[DoktoroKiu]

Here is a still image of the bulbs all lite on:


Here is a GIF of the bulbs in action:


Comparisons of the bulbs:
High Beam bulb in BLUE on the left (same bulb used for Oil/Red, Neutral/Green).
Non-polarized bulb for Turn Signal in GREEN - Needs some shaving with a dremel or similar to reduce the size for a snug fitting.

Red Arrows indicates that I've shaven/grinded down the plug area. Fits perfect.
Yellow Arrows indicates the widest part of the bulb which I actually need to shave a little bit so it fits properly (it is a little too wide and without a little force it won't fit in the housing tube).

I hope this help you on your next purchase(s) of LED bulbs and potential barriers you may encounter (which you have already experienced! lol).

Awesome, thanks for all the help.  All of my lights are of the 194 type, so I'll definitely be ordering some 74s for the rest of the indicators.  I may even get a 74 for the turn signal and just modify the wiring with some diodes to get it to function properly  (I'm more comfortable modifying the circuit than the light).  Only the blue 194 light I have is like yours, the rest are the 5-LED ones which run even wider in diameter on the bulb.

[DoktoroKiu]

Here's a post from an awesome guy (myself) from another thread on the same subject that I think pertinent to this thread as well:

On my 2009 only the speedo and tach gauges use 194 lights.  The rest use smaller lights. Others have reported success with the 74 type lights, but those are not exactly the right size (US standard instead of metric).  According to what I've found they must have changed the bulb size on the indicator lights at some point, because some with earlier model bikes are able to use 194s for all of the lights (A 194 has both an incorrect plug and too large a diameter to fit in my indicator light sockets).

On partzilla (http://www.partzilla.com/parts/search/Suzuki/Motorcycle/2009/GS500F/SPEEDOMETER+-+TACHOMETER+%28GS500H+E28,+E95%29/parts.html) parts 14 and 15 are the gauge lights and indicator lights, respectively.  The gauge lights are listed as T10 (metric sizing standard) bulbs, but apparently T10 and 194 type lights are one and the same even though they are listed as T-3 1/4 sized (US standard).  The indicator lights are listed as T6.5, which corresponds to a type 24 LED from superbrightleds.  Unfortunately, even though these 24 LEDS have the proper T6.5 base, the bulb itself violates this diameter restriction and will probably not fit inside the instrument panel (the stock bulbs fit tight).  So I'd go with the tested 74 LEDs even though they are T1-3/4 US sized.

There are no "unpolarized" 74-type or 24-type LEDs, so you have to modify your turn signal indicator light wiring with a couple diodes to get it to work properly.  In all truth there are no "unpolarized" LEDs, and the bulbs advertized as such have additional components to correct for this.

I used two of these (in blue) for my speedo and tach lights and they work perfectly:
http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/miniature-wedge-base/194-led-bulb-5-led-wide-angle-wedge-base/199/

I plan to buy these 74-type lights for the indicators and modifying the turn signal light with the diodes:
http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/subminiature-bulbs/74-led-bulb-1-smd-led-wedge-base/227/#/tab/Overview


In case you are curious, these are the 24 type lights.  If you look at the picture comparing them to the incandescent you can see how much wider the bulb is (NOTE: I do not recommend buying this bulb, as it will most likely not fit):
http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/subminiature-bulbs/24-led-bulb-1-smd-led-wedge-base/229/

[jsyzdek]

Or you can also use jsyzdek's bulbs which is cheaper:

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=976505 - that's where I got the headlight, but as I said - it's a sucker to put in.

LEDs for indicator lights (T5) I got here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007G67JCS/ref=oh_details_o08_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

LEDs for the clock backlight and the front parking light (T10): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EPA7CZC/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
but you can also go with these (although I haven't received them yet, I'm not sure how much brighter they are and how they fit): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006R34PB4/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm cheap (if you didn't figure that out yet) - and so far I'm very happy with my little cheapies from amazon. Work just fine. If anybody is interested, I can post exact mA and W characteristics of all the LEDs I've ever bought

[MaxyMax]

Or you can also use jsyzdek's bulbs which is cheaper:

Bro would love you to share the details of what you got from Amazon . (if you see this)

Im trying to replace my Neutral. But not quite understanding everything. would love some assistance

[ShowBizWolf]

Not exactly sure why this thread got bumped but IMO the link to the wiki section about this needs to be in here. Especially for search results and bulb information.

http://wiki.gstwins.com/index.php?n=Upgrades.LEDIndicators

[MaxyMax]

my fault. i was trying to get jsyzdek to share his details/links to what he mentioned.

what he said he bought on amazon

[ShowBizWolf]

No worries!

I bought amazon bulbs once but much prefer ones from superbrightleds.com. I put my links to the bulbs in the wiki.

[MaxyMax]

Thanks legend, thats great you shared.

Im in Aus , so cant order from same place as you .

but looks like this might do the trick   it sayd T10 194 168 SMD 5050 12V White LED - This woudl be for my neurtral bulb.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/174449050197?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-139619-5960-0&mkcid=2&itemid=174449050197&targetid=1137570801586&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9072258&poi=&campaignid=10101785225&mkgroupid=102311925020&rlsatarget=pla-1137570801586&abcId=9300368&merchantid=107439612&gclid=CjwKCAiA1eKBBhBZEiwAX3gqlxqdJfoTvG4ZngeqUxlu6OXOroSaC74EG3S0N8FmURissnQ8VGDKwxoCAKIQAvD_BwE