Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Please check your LEDs

Hi all. I've noticed a strange thing with my dash LEDs (the replacement bulbs for the neutral, flasher and oil pressure lights). They all flash momentarily when the horn button is released. You would think that an electrical problem would occur WHEN the horn button is pressed - not when it is released (and then only for a micro second).

If you have LEDs installed in your dash please do this test and post your results:
Press your horn button and see if your LEDs flash when the button is released.

I want to know if this a peculiar nature of LEDs sensitivity in general or if I have an electrical problem.

Thanks everyone.

You'll have to check with the electronical genius down under - - -
Sandmann

I gather you have LEDs and you don't get this flash when releasing your horn button? I am trying to establish if this is just the nature of LEDs or unique to me.

I have the dash LED's. I see a dim flash on the turn sig only when I hit the horn. Started the bike so other LEDs would go out and tested and saw only turn sig with a dim flash. But it seamed to dimly stay on as I held the horn button on. Will test more later as it is 4:30AM here. Wife stuck head in garage and informed me we have neighbors

4:30am!!!

You'll be popular mate. Probably got air horns too.

Anyway ... thanks. You're getting a small flash too.

I just ordered these from an unnamed site - aside from the flash, how are they working out? Daytime good? Too bright at night?

They work great. Easily seen in bright sunshine. Take your eye out bright if you look straight down at them. A tad too bright at night but as they're rarely on long they are fine.

foglefar

I dont thing I'm seeing the same thing that you are. My turn signal LED flickers while the horn button is depressed.
It stays flickering as long as the horn is sounding. I believe it is because they both come out of the same medaferator and share the same wireing harness.

The other LEDs dont flicker.

Outside in the bright sunlight (with horn facing directly at neighbors bedroom window) I cant see it.

mike

Thanks. It's comforting to know I'm not alone. I guess it must be something inherent to LEDs. Perhaps Sandman or other electronical experts will give us the definitive explanation.

Hey guys... been away for about a week for work, (ever come home with alcohol poisoning from a one week work commitment? Me neither till now) came back and saw this thread and had to go downstairs to check it out.

Short answer... with the ignition on, in gear but engine not running releasing the horn button makes my indicator LED flash but not my high beam or neutral. It might also flash the oil light but I couldn't be bothered starting it to find out.

I don't have a definitive explanation as (again) I couldn't be bothered pulling my bike apart to trace a harmless anomaly but I can give you my best guess and if someone else knows more about it than me, please feel free to correct me. I think it's that the horn pulls a lot of current which drops the voltage slightly when it's running. When you release the horn the voltage rises again through the entire bike (called a voltage spike). The turn signal dash light's connected differently to all the others... it has a constant earth (through the turn signal lights) while all the others have constant voltage (with ignition on) and are switched through the earth. Now there's not actually any such thing as a "negative" and "positive" source of electricity... the electrons flow from the "negative terminal" to the "positive" simple because the there's a difference in charge... what's known as "potential". Putting a spike through the bike's electrics will momentarily change the potential of the bike's earth which in turn (for various reasons way to complex for this thread) briefly lets a current flow through the console LED. The reason you don't see it with a bulb is because bulbs aren't polarised and diodes (including LEDs) are... ie: current can flow both ways in a bulb but only one way in a diode. LEDs also have a much lower resistance than bulbs, so will "fire" more readily.

Basically, interesting but nothing to worry about.

AHA! ... Thanks Sandman. You have confirmed our suspicions.

Tricky little hyper-active LEDs had me thinking I was about to fry my electrics because I got my wiring all stuffed up.

So to set the record straight: There was absolutely nothing wrong with the SRS Chrome wiring kit (I never thought this anyway) and I didn't wire the horns up wrong (which I did think was probably the case).

My neutral and turnsignal lights are LED. With the bike running, in neutral, when the horn is used they are solid, no flash.