Indicators blinking fast - What's wrong?

**virtual120** · 26th January 2010, 20:42

Just made myself a new tail tidy and fitted new, slightly smaller indicators but they both blink fast. In fact on the right, its starts at normal speed then goes quick. Whats wrong.?

Thanks
TIm

**Wannabiker** · 26th January 2010, 20:52

Thet ar
e not drawing the correct current for the blinker unit to work properly...... They will need to have the same wattage bulbs as original. Some of the LED style after market units have an extra resistor?? in them so that they function correctly.
OR
You have a short circuit, and there is too much current draw. (Depends on the style of indicator unit)...but if the builbs are working I would put money on it being the first suggestion....

**Subike** · 26th January 2010, 20:58

what he said ^

**Mikkel** · 26th January 2010, 21:10

If you are installing LED indicators on a bike that was designed for normal bulbs, I'd recommend getting and after market LED indicator relay. That will fix your problem. They usually work fine irregardless of whether you change only two or all four indicators to LED.

**virtual120** · 26th January 2010, 21:11

OK ill check the bulbs now...

**virtual120** · 26th January 2010, 21:23

Ok, the new bulbs are 10W and the old ones are 21W. So ill see if i can get new bulbs. Just got a feeling i wont be able to get 21w ones this small !

**98tls** · 26th January 2010, 21:35

Nice rear end on that thing fwiw.Your saying bulbs,so its not an LED setup?I bought an undertray unit with LEDs for my old thing years back and had problems with the indicators flashing at a millon miles an hour,from memory i had to fit some kind of resistor thingy to slow them down,sorry fella not much help really,elecky things are not my forte.

**wilber** · 26th January 2010, 21:54

I had same problem when 6w mini leds installed ,repco have a flasher relay for leds narva brand $25-30 from memory.

**Big Dave** · 27th January 2010, 10:04

The indicators are operating correctly. Time has malfunctioned.

Enter 42.

**rapid van cleef** · 27th January 2010, 10:44

Ive got led indicators on me bike. it has the resistors installed in the circuit and worked fine. i got an alarm fitted, indictors worked fine, then hardwired a few cables for a trickle charger, now its flashing more quickly.

is it the resistior thing needing replacing or what else could it be?

**vifferman** · 27th January 2010, 11:13

Originally Posted by rapid van cleef

Ive got led indicators on me bike. it has the resistors installed in the circuit and worked fine. i got an alarm fitted, indictors worked fine, then hardwired a few cables for a trickle charger, now its flashing more quickly.

Originally Posted by virtual120

Ok, the new bulbs are 10W and the old ones are 21W. So ill see if i can get new bulbs. Just got a feeling i wont be able to get 21w ones this small !

Originally Posted by Mikkel

If you are installing LED indicators on a bike that was designed for normal bulbs, I'd recommend getting and after market LED indicator relay. That will fix your problem. They usually work fine irregardless of whether you change only two or all four indicators to LED.

There ya go - it doesn't matter whether you're running LEDs or smaller wattage bulbs, if you get the relay Mikkel's talking about, it will do the trick.
Instead of the conventional flasher (which are electromechanical and rely on coils, resistance, etc.) the flasher units designed for LEDs are electronic, and flash at a constant frequency, regardless of what they're turning on and off. IIRC, the downside is a fault bulb or connection won't show up as a change in flash rate, so there's no indication to the driver that summat's amiss.

Originally Posted by virtual120

Ok, the new bulbs are 10W and the old ones are 21W. So ill see if i can get new bulbs. Just got a feeling i wont be able to get 21w ones this small !