Was replacing dash indicator lights with LEDs, ignition was turned to "ON".

Had installed red ENGINE bulb, which was glowing, but the blue BRIGHT bulb was not working. I went to remove and turn it 180 degrees as per manufacturers instructions, when the whole lighting system flickered and went dark.

Now, nothing works. No light, ignition, nothing.

Called bike shop and he said check main circuit breaker board first.

I dont know what that is but I am going to find the fuse right now.

just open up your breaker box and look at which fuse is blown.  If this is too difficult for you I strongly suggest not taking on a task as complicated as changing light bulbs.

You'll also need to try and find what wire you let touch the frame and short the circuit out.

This is why its good practise to disconnect the battery before doing any work on the electrical system.

Not too difficult to find the blown fuse on a GS....there is only 1. 

Quote from: dgyver on June 04, 2007, 06:07:57 PM
Not too difficult to find the blown fuse on a GS....there is only 1. 

+1  Right side under the seat inside the plastic cover 

however, sometimes there are 2 fuses... ( the space for the spare may be used  )

The fuse is fine.

Where's the breaker box?

I bought a multimeter, do I need it?

f%$k you makenzie.

Lights may have all gone out when I flicked the bright switch on and off to test the blue LED. A clue?

EDIT: after searching "fuse" on here I realize the fuse I "checked" was the spare. This is a good thing. I might just make it to kung fu class tonight after all...

Quote from: nightrider on June 04, 2007, 07:24:32 PM

f%$k you makenzie.

...

EDIT:  Oh and I did something else stupid.

I mean come on...we all do the occasional stupid thing but that last part I just wouldn't have admitted to.

after replacing the blown fuse with the spare, I turned the ignition to ON with the new LEDs in.

Fuse blew.

Is this a problem with the LEDs being polarized? If one of them was in the wrong way, would it cause this to happen? Or perhaps the cheap, loose wire ends on the bulb are ending up too near together?

Would somebody help me please. Not MacKenzie.

hmmmmm...I wonder where MacKenzie is?  I haven't seen him in FoReVeR...

Do you know what it means when bulbs are polarized?  It means juice only flows one way through them.  If juice won't flow through them backwards, how could the fuse blow?

Try putting the stock bulbs back in.  If it works, leave them there.

Since you're obviously new to all of this "tinkering" stuff I'll let you in on the secret everyone should already know:  If it worked before you fixed it and not after, try putting it back the way it was.  If it works after you un-fix it, STOP f%$king WITH IT.

considering a lot of ppl have successfully installed LEDs in their bikes, I am going to go ahead with trying to make use of the $20 use of LEDs I have already purchased, but thanks for the help McKenzie.

Would crossed bulb wires cause a blown fuse? The LED bulb wiring is loose and a little cheaply done.

If you bought the right components to do the job properly you'd be out a lot more than $20.  You get exactly what you pay for, and you paid for cheap shaZam! that probably won't last the test of time anyway.

Any variety of short circuit could blow a fuse.

makenzie, while you're certainly more knowledgeable than I about mechanics, I wish you would stop flaming me and putting me down in my own thread. I am dealing with a problem here and I don't need to put up with your shaZam!.

I'm on this board for a reason: to get help. If you dont want to be helpful without spewing out your condescending put-downs, holier than thou insults, and vicious little digs to make yourself feel superior to someone (anyone?) and better about your lack of friends/females/penile length/a life, then just stop posting on my thread.



The superbrightled website says these leds are built in with current limiting resistors... then how could this happen?

You should not need a resistor, since no one else has. 

The resistor is to let the blinker work in a non-electronic turn signal flasher (and not in this application).  A lack of resistor won't cause a blown fuse. 

It's very likely that one or more of the leads on the LED "bulbs" is bent and shorting across the bulb socket, blowing the fuse.  Make sure that the wire leads are only in the same places as the brass strip on your original incandescent bulb.

If all else fails, put the originals back in and wait for someone who can help in person.

Sorry about all the negativity you have received nightrider 

Mate first of all, replacing your lights with LED's should be a simple swap over as long as you purchased the right LED's. Unplug your old bulb and plug in your new LED. Simple.

Now if it works with your old bulb but not with the LED then its the LED that's faulty.

Hopefully its just that the wires on the leds socket are crossing over. If so just gently bend them out wider on the socket. Also try switching a known working LED into the socket which caused the fuse to blow. If it blows again, then their is a problem with that socket. Maybe the wiring got bulled partially out of the socket when you removed it from the bike.

Basically we need to try a few things to try and weed out the culprit.

i changed my bulbs , and they worked fine , there has been times where , the bikes lost complete power ,and then after bout 2 mins , just comes alive agen , tis rare

took the light rail train to a 24-hr auto store in the outer boonies and came back with a bunch of 20 amp fuses...

with my thumbnail smoothed out the leads on each and every LED bulb.

installed and checked each until they were operating fine. easy cheesy.

must have been a lead on one of the first 2 bulbs I installed, they are flimsy, and when I pulled one to put it the other way it must have shorted then.

well now I know 1) how easy and also cool the led replacement is, 2) what happens when two live wires touch, 3) where the fuse box and spare are,  4) makenzie71 is a ginchy dork who will cyber-step on you if he can  

thanks for the suggestion trumpetguy 

Quote from: nightrider on June 04, 2007, 11:47:27 PM
took the light rail train to a 24-hr auto store in the outer boonies and came back with a bunch of 20 amp fuses...

with my thumbnail smoothed out the rather sloppy leads on each and every LED bulb.

installed and checked each bulb one by one until they were all in and operating fine. easy cheesy.

must have been a lead on one of the first 2 bulbs I installed, they are rather flimsy, and when I pulled one to reinsert it the other way it must have shorted then.

well now I know 1) how easy and also cool the led replacement is, 2) what happens when two live wires touch, 3) where the fuse box and spare are,  4) makenzie71 is a ginchy dork who will cyber-step on you if he can  



thanks for the suggestion trumpetguy 

He probs has more knowledge on how a bike works and is put together than you will ever no , considering , he had the idea and method for SSWA on a gs , but no1 was willing to pay , to me is incredable , why dont you get some idea on how things work , eg , had u done this proir , we wouldnt have to deal with all your bitchin , over it wont work , measure twice , cut once ,easy to remember and use ,

so yea , i think Makenzie is a very clever inventive person, .what are you ? a kid who throws insults . have fun

h6

Im making as far as i can see a rebutle , i didnt say anthing mean about anyone , i said dont be bitchin , and that Makenzie is very intellengent ,  i dont see what i did wrong

Mak, when did you become such an asshat  Help the guy out or don't say anything at all