Hey, sorry for putting up another integrated tail light thread but I am looking for a more specific answer then I have found in the old threads. I installed an LED integrated tail light and the brake/ run light are working perfect, but the turn signals both go on at the same time. I read on the older threads I need a diode or resistor. I picked up a 50v 1a (1n4001) diode and when that didn't work I tried a 10w 50-ohrm resistor after talking to the guy a radio shack. Unfortunately it still doesnt make a difference. Can someone tell me which diode or resistor I need?
You need 2 and here's the circuit to do it
(http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb442/adidasguy/Assorted/Turn_LED_Wiring_smaller.png)
As you do it, it will look line this: (I used LEDs for the indicators. You can still use your existing incandescent bulbs)
(http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb442/adidasguy/GS500%20Bike%20Build/DSC01494.jpg)
And when re-installed:
(http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb442/adidasguy/GS500%20Bike%20Build/DSC01495.jpg)
Thank you! Can't wait to try it out
Ahhhh it worked but now I put it back together the high beam light wont go on and the bike wont start
Did I blow a fuse nothing is working
Be sure you didn't cut the black/white wire to the high beam light. You scrape off a little insulation to connect the wire from the turn lamp. If you cut the wire, the high beam indicator won't go on.
You can test it all by having it hanging out before you stuff the lights back in.
By "nothing works" do you mean that no lights or anything come on? Possible the fise. however since all the wiring on an "F" joins under the tank, maybe you pulled out another connector.
There is a polarity to diodes. I used 1N4001's like you bought. Be sure the diodes are the way in my picture. That harness is on my project bike Phenix. It works fine. Power has been connected to the bike and all is OK.
You can check the fuse - its under the rubber cover under the right side plastics to the right of the battery. Your owners manual or a service manual will show exactly where.
Unplug the indicator harness and try things again.
Maybe when you stuffed everything back in you shorted something or pulled out another connector.
When I turn the bike on the oil n N light are very dim, the head light is as well. None signals or tail light work. And the bike won't start. O and the horn doesnt work either
Something is shorting out and/or drained your battery. Your fuse is OK.
Disconnect the indicator wiring harness and see what happens.
Check the diodes. Are they in backwards?
If still a problem with the indicator harness removed (unplugged), do you have a volt meter? Check the battery voltage with the bike off. What is it?
The diodes are in right. I did cut the high beam light and reconnected all 3 together. Everything was working perfect before I went to put everything back together. And can't remember if i have a volt meter. Fuse looks good. Wife and kid came home so now I have to wait to try and fix it till tonight. The wait is gonna kill me. Thanks for the help.
Fuse is good. Dim lights mean fuse is still good.
If all was OK until you put everything back, my guess is you pinched some wires in reassembly and shorted things out somewhere causing the battery to drain. That's usually what it means when "everything worked until I put it back together".
I know - been there... done that... opened it back up... saw smashed wire that got squished or poked with a screw. (Not on a bike, but in other electronic projects I've done)
Ok so I hook it back up stock... N nothing. At first it seem to have power but it drained quickly, now nothing. Left the dash undone... Basically I'm f*****
I'm guessing you have a short somewhere. Or you did have a short and how the battery is drained. Charge it back up or jump start from your car (car not running) and run her to recharge the battery. Leave the harness disconnected until you get it charged back up. Then plug it in. If all is OK, then put things back together. Look for shorts somewhere. Did you insulate everything dealing with the diodes? Maybe your short was there - turn signals shorting to ground. Wouldn't blow the fuse but could drain the battery really fast.
What about the other things you connected? Could you have a short somewhere else?
Could your battery just have decided to die? How old is it? Checked acid levels (if lead acid type)?
Adidasguy Thanks. Jumped the bike, set the dash to stock except I left of the turn signal indicator. Bike is working and the signals are all workng the way it should. Thanks :cheers:
I made up my own diode y piece, and got a led specific flasher when I did my indicators. I didn't like the idea of using resistors. Works a treat.
Just want to bump this thread. I did mine tonight and they worked flawlessly.
Before and after pics as well as where I made my connections (soldered and heat shrink)
Picked up a pair of the diodes at Radio Shack for less than $2
(https://qko07q.bay.livefilestore.com/y1p2jgUdXBTKsAJ3WVMzR3VtBUCaZR9eQyBYXiYcl-QvDsLQx4IoG9RcoeCMK51ME1XBR-DnG4GT_k/2012-11-18_19-32-16_80.jpg?psid=1)
(https://qko07q.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pku850voxR9gcGO5r5EiUYj6GHR8LcPYr9DSa-LeEFqVIqrbZ_kpRyZJqkwcSe6YXlqh73bb71uU/2012-11-18_18-42-36_658.jpg?psid=1)
(https://qko07q.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pQXHeadnr9BdkuoqeUI9BCWqG1_Y9a2uEtvewiML8NeFhfpCZOF1QbP-4QtFcuJSxrnKnRWMhR6s/2012-11-18_22-55-02_835.jpg?psid=1)
(https://qko07q.bay.livefilestore.com/y1p_GQ57Cue2A3OPFwtM1h87aINdYfyIYiFgRWXaET_nP27cb8wfQElIi8kNAGUox5nNv8i341UXLY/2012-11-18_21-45-19_701.jpg?psid=1)
I did all my wiring exactly the same way but I did it all under the tank where the connector is. There is more room to work and less chance of crushing or shorting. I will try to get some pics.
One thing to remember is diodes have a polarity - they can't go backwards or you could get a short or something else or nothing working at all.
The white band or other obvious marking indicates the plus side (if you can call it that. If I said cathode and anode, everyone would really be confused). When you look at the photo of my assembly, you'll see the correct way to put the diodes.
FYI: Resistors have no polarity. Doesn't make any difference which end goes where.
In my mind I picture electricity flowing through wire and objects like water in a hose. so on a diode the white or marked end is where power can come out but cant go in. much like a check valve. Plumber and electrician. amazing how much of it is interchangeable. lol
If you really want to be confused, electrons are negatively charged. They really flow from positive to negative!
Odd how we think of electricity flowing from negative to positive.
Other noteworthy factoids:
Typical diodes have a 0.7v drop across them. 12v on one side will be 11.3 on the other.
The field effect transistor was discovered early in the 20th century. Because it switched so little current, and everything of that era needed lots of power, no one saw any use for it and it was ignored until transistor technology and low power devices came into being in the 40's and early 50's thanks to Bell Labs.
Transistors work better and completing a circuit to ground rather than driving current. That's why so many electronic devices seem to be backwards: the device (LED, relay, etc.) is connected to the plus side and the transistor circuit completes a connection to ground rather than connecting to positive voltages as normally done with switches.
Thanks adidasguy for guiding !
2001 GS500E sorted out ;)
Now it signals and indicates properly.
I know that this is an old thread but I just went through an LED conversion for the dash lights on my '08 (T5 bulbs) so that I could actually see them.
I thought rather than using two diodes and scraping off insulation on another wire I decided to do a similar trick but with a bridge rectifier. That way you only have to cut into the two wires that go to the indicator dash bulb.
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/RnKGjk.jpg)
^Locate the two wires to the bulb in the dash (light green and one of the black ones)
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/921/CcjRFn.jpg)
^You'll need 4 x schottky diodes (1N5819 is what I used). Schottky diodes rather than normal diodes because they have a lower forward voltage drop than regular diodes (as discussed previously in this thread)
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/921/6f2IlZ.png)
^Arrange them like this (note where the silver bands are on the diagram). +ve to LED is to the dash light and -ve from LED is from the dash light.
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/Ub8gG1.jpg)
^As the diagram but in real life. Twist the ends and solder
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/MTlcIy.jpg)
^Cut the two wires you found earlier, strip the ends and wire your new schottky bridge rectifier in in the right way (hopefully your soldering job is better than mine). Note the lead where the two silver bands on the diodes point together is positive and -ve is where there isn't a silver band from the diodes pointing together. These two leads will always be positive and negative respectively. The other two leads doesn't matter which way around you put the lime green / black leads as a bridge rectifier always corrects and puts the current / voltage the right way around. Wrap some electrical tape around each connection and around / over the rectifier and reinstall in the bike. If the bulb in the dash doesn't light up, flip 180° and it should work which ever way you are turning.
For those of you that are still reading - the reason I used Schottky diodes is due to the low forward voltage drop. Due to the design of a rectifier, there are always two diodes in the circuit. You can buy rectifiers off the shelf but they all tend to be with normal diodes (they work the same). Rectifiers are commonly used in AC circuits to turn AC into DC voltage (hence if you ever look up circuit diagrams online you'll often see "AC input" and "DC output".
Just another option if people are interested.