Led problem, yes I searched

[Cordova2002]

Hey guys after reading up on it I finally got some shock racing leds and hooked em up on my drz. I didnt want to go with resistors so I just bought an electronic flasher to take care of the flashing problem. I got everything hooked up, but the leds dont flash. They are just steady on and very dim. The green indicator light is also steady on. I hooked up the stock rear blinkers in addition to the new led's and everything blinks. Are the Leds not providing enough current draw to make even the electronic flasher operate? I'm out of ideas, except to add in some resistors. If thats what I have to do what resistors?

Anybody got any ideas or advice?

[JTDRZT]

Hey guys after reading up on it I finally got some shock racing leds and hooked em up on my drz. I didnt want to go with resistors so I just bought an electronic flasher to take care of the flashing problem. I got everything hooked up, but the leds dont flash. They are just steady on and very dim. The green indicator light is also steady on. I hooked up the stock rear blinkers in addition to the new led's and everything blinks. Are the Leds not providing enough current draw to make even the electronic flasher operate? I'm out of ideas, except to add in some resistors. If thats what I have to do what resistors?

Anybody got any ideas or advice?

Have you checked this thread out? https://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=249816&highlight=LED+flasher+module

It seems like you have got the right idea with the flasher unit but maybe it's not strong enough (low enough)??? Check out the unit Mutual Bill used and compare it to yours.

[Cordova2002]

Yea i found that one, I actually went out today and got 2 more electronic flasher units. One of em was the same as mutual bill's. thanks

Anybody know what resistors will emulate the stock lights, I'm good with electronics, but just dont know which resistor is the right one.

[felix4x4]

Just use your digital multi-meter and ohm out the stock bulbs. Then get a resistor that closely matches that amount of resistance. Solider it in line with the hot lead and test it.

[Cordova2002]

dont have access to a multi meter right now (at school). UP

[Samurai-Jim]

You have too much resistance with your current setup. Thats why they are dim and don't flash...

[Cordova2002]

Too much resistance? but when I hookup the stock blinkers in addition to the 4 led blinkers the system works. Have it rigged up now with the stock blinkers in the tool pouch and a couple wires running out.

[PRDRZ]

I used a flasher made by Grote that has an external ground. It is made to flash L.E.D.s it cost about 10$

[Colpitts]

Too much resistance? but when I hookup the stock blinkers in addition to the 4 led blinkers the system works. Have it rigged up now with the stock blinkers in the tool pouch and a couple wires running out.

When your stock blinkers are parallel with your led blinkers, it actually lowers your resistance...I'm not making this up either. Ohm's law states when two or more "loads" are in parellel the total resistance is LOWER than that of the lowest resistance in the circuit.

My guess is that you blinkers flash slighty faster with everything hooked up???

Take the flasher module back and solder in a resister, it's easy.

[CraigT]

I think you are talking about replacing your turn lights with LED's?

Engineer mode on:

If you are driving a single LED from 12v, the proper resistor is determined by 12 - 1.2 / 30ma = 360 ohms. Assuming a 30 ma current for the LED.

This 360 ohm resistor would need to be rated as I^2 times R giving 0.03 times 0.03 times 360 equals 0.32 watts.

Since the LED's are never on steadily, a 1/3 watt resistor of value 350 to 370 ohms would work just fine.

Your LED's are probably a cluster? If each cluster has 5 LED's in parallel, the above is modified by taking 5 times the 30ma leading to 360ohms divided by 5 for about 70 ohms. This 70 ohm resistor would need to have a power rating of 0.15 times 0.15 times 70 equals: 1.58 watts.

If you can advise me of the actual configuration of your LED clusters, I can help you with a proper resistor. Your clusters probably have a recommended operating current and are probably all in parallel but I don't know. Does a DRZ-400 use a 12 volt battery? Are the existing bulbs rated for 12 volt use?

Craig

[ford truck man]

man my head hurts from reading that ^^^

[duckjyb]

Hey engineer man, I think the leds are somehow internally current limited as he's already hooked them straight up to the batt w/o problems. Er wait are you trying to dim them? Oy! What's going on?

If you could explain what you're trying to do... do you want the brake light to flash? Or do you want it to be a dim tail light/bright brake light? Those are two totally different things, either of which could be accomplished with a flasher or a resistor. But yes, if the flasher isn't flashing them it's because there is too much resistance, you need to get a flasher that is made to work with LEDs. And yes, hooking the brakelight and turn signals in parallel will lower resistance... if they're on at the same time. We can help. Please clarify. I can draw you a circuit diagram, just tell me what you want.

[24phun]

I just put on a set of Shock racing #3.

the proper resistor was a 10 ohm, 10 watt wirewound resistor.

radio shack part #271-132 wired in parallel.

this is what Shock Racing recommended, I got a resistor on either side (meaning plus and minus) and these were the ones that worked properly.

[Tixbomber]

Wait, do you mean you put resistors on both the hot and ground leads of each one? I thought you only needed one for the hot side.

[Samurai-Jim]

Wait, do you mean you put resistors on both the hot and ground leads of each one? I thought you only needed one for the hot side.

What he should mean is you use them like the bulb you removed. 1 resistor goes from the ground to the hot. That would be in parrallel. Thats what creates the resistance for the flasher. If you put it inline with the hot, like just break the wire and stick in the resistor, all your doing is reducing the current to the LED and it wont be as bright, and still wont have the resistance to make the flasher work right.

[Wayward Son]

ive installed those same signals many times.the stock flasher works fine.not sure what you have going on there.