front flasher problem

[festy]

So I am getting ready to finish up this past winters project, turning my xj400 into a cafe i've run into a wiring hiccup. i have a LED rear tail light/blinker set up that i just wired up and it worked first try ( flashers blink fast tho) but its something. i did not increase resistance or anything, i wanted to get everything hooked up to c what happens. Well after wiring that up my stock front flashers just stay lit when i hit the signals ( i knew something was going to happen, just didnt know what).

So im thinking maybe just switching the front flashers to LED ones and maybe that will work. Or following the flasher relay guide on here although i am no wiring expert

Thoughts?

Maybe replace the fronts with something like this http://www.bikebandit.com/bikemaster-arrow-head-l-e-d-turn-signals?m=138211

 

[Sesty]

Did you swap out ur relay with a LED one?

i have an integrated tailight and OEM front flashers, had to swap out the old flasher for a new LED one to get them to blink.

 

[16VGTIDave]

Double check your connections - without assuming anything!

 

[festy]

relay is stock i didnt touch that. connections are good i really only messed with the tail light and rear flashers.

sesty what flasher relay did you get? So changing it to a LED relay will allow the front stock flashers to work as well as the rear LED blinkers?

 

[arfstrom]

There is a thread marked Success LED conversion. It was not fully successful. The stock relay is using math to determine if the blinkers are working, and then its registering addition input from either the speedo, or Tach, I forgotten. for the auto cancel to kill the signal. So once you put the LED flashers, your not using the same amount of energy that the old ones did. doesn't help that the pre 81 bikes use a single signal light for the notification that a turn light is on. I am sure I put in that thread the items I had to get. I still haven't figured out to get the autocancel to work. Most of us, have given up on it. , its not important anyways. but it can be nice if it doesnt shut off too soon. Key word to look for is Metric superbrightled with diode kit.
http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/motorcycle-accessories/metric-bike-diode-kit/1190/ That might expain a bit better than me.

 

[BBS360]

I haven't changed to LED yet but plan to in the future.

My stock flasher relay burned out so I bought this one with a future LED conversion in mind: http://www.ebay.com/itm/380736197204
Should work with both, without adding resistors.

 

[festy]

If i do just switch my stock front blinkers to LED ones and keep the same relay will they both work or will doing that make neither of them work i guess is what i really want to know.

I haven't changed to LED yet but plan to in the future.

My stock flasher relay burned out so I bought this one with a future LED conversion in mind: http://www.ebay.com/itm/380736197204
Should work with both, without adding resistors.

Good find seems like it is what i am looking for but im worried about not knowing exactly how to wire it in lol does it replace the existing flasher completely?

 

[Sesty]

https://www.superbrightleds.com/mor...versal-motorcycle-electronic-flasher/787/842/

used this flasher, was plug and play. you will lose AutoCancel function and the clicking noise

you will need a new flasher if you are going LED. unless you are putting in dummy lights which would defeat half the purpose of LEDs

 

[BBS360]

If i do just switch my stock front blinkers to LED ones and keep the same relay will they both work or will doing that make neither of them work i guess is what i really want to know.
Good find seems like it is what i am looking for but im worried about not knowing exactly how to wire it in lol does it replace the existing flasher completely?

You will need a new relay and you'll need to isolate the turn signal indicator with diodes, either the kit above or DIY.

With the stock relay the flashers will flash too fast if at all. You could keep it if you add resistors inline to bring the current draw back to what it was before LED, but that defeats one of the main reasons for going LED.

Without the diode modifications all the flashers will turn on, left and right.

The relay I linked to above was a straight swap for the stock relay on my bike. Same connectors. Didn't need any of the adapters that it comes with.
Might be the same for your bike, BUT you could probably go with something cheaper that would be LED-only if you are not keeping any of the stock bulbs.

This thread details the diode modifications necessary: http://www.xs400.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7175
There are quite a few threads on LED conversions, some more successful than others.

 

[arfstrom]

JMD, and myself were not as successful as we had hoped, the LED conversion worked, just not the auto-cancel.

Unless you take out the single turn signal bulb, that might work for the turn signals. The issue is the new DOHC has two dashboard signals. So that system is (should be, I don't have one, so I don't know for sure)

The SOHC models pre 82 models, only have the one light. (on dash) so the system uses a ground point at the dashboard signal light, to gound out the turn signal. Which is why the diode kit works, is that it allows both front turn signals to process at the same time, but with the diode, the other side doesn't flash due to using the same ground point.

Make sense?

Think of Beer, you have two cans of 16 ounces. one funnel, To the ground, I can't come up with any easier, (i just too tired right now) I am sure I can get this too work ... later, I am going to have to do some experimenting with the beer, to see if I can the theory to work :beer: one of these will work

 

[festy]

Awesome beer analogy haha thanks for all the info. BBS ill probably end up trying that flasher so i can just leave the stock front flasher bulbs.

sesty yea that flasher looks like itll work if i switch the front blinkers to LED as well. Either or its riding season and i need to finish this fast with the limited time i have to work on the bike hah.

 

[arfstrom]

Yup, It might even fit into the harness without using its harness adapter. Let us know if you get the clicking noise when you get it, and if was a direct fit. And if Autocancel works!

 

[festy]

i used the one bbs suggested from ebay, wired it all up andddd nothing haha both front and rear blinkers wont even turn on. back to the drawing board

 

[BBS360]

Damn.
Should be drop-in.
Middle pin to yellow/green wire?
Still using the stock lights on the front?

 

[festy]

plugs in only one way..... yea still using stock lights in front i was thinkin of buying new front led flashers and c if itll work then. but im worried it wont work because when i had the original flasher relay in the led rear flashers would flash fast and the front stock ones just stayed lit. then when i put the new flasher in nothing happened at all.

 

[arfstrom]

Key word to look for is Metric superbrightled with diode kit.
http://www.superbrightleds.com/morei...iode-kit/1190/

This kit fixes that problem. its just one wire, that provides a non-cross over of power.
What it means is the LED's are more sensitive. Thats why people recommend the relay, and the diode kit.

I am just going to cut my entire previous post and put here. I am sure I covered the why's allready

The Flasher relay is monitoring for the voltage used. So your leds, are not using as much power. So its time to get new relays. You can find them at your local car parts store, for a pretty penny. or go to the web link in this post, and look around, you will find it. (motorcycle LED Flasher)

other problem is the single filament turn signal light, grounds out both left / right side. which is why you need the diode kit. It will keep the voltage drop on that one side that your turning, and will not transverse the signal light, to oppoiste ground, creating fast flash, or solid on. If I din't put it up here previously, I am sure its out there somewhere.