 Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 84
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OP
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 84 |
Anyone done a replacement with LED's for the neutral and other lamps? If yes what did you use (as I know nothing about led's)?
The best alarm clock is sunshine on chrome. ~Author Unknown
06 Tiger
06 Bonneville T-100 (RIP)
07 America
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,152
Oil Expert
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Oil Expert
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,152 |
Start with http://www.bonnevilleamerica.com/forums/...part=1&vc=1 or search back in the archives and you'll find detailed threads - I did this a while ago and it was way worth while. BTW, don't bother with the high beam lamp - it becomes annoyingly bright. If you look and can't find it, re-post or pm me.
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,457
Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
Joined: Sep 2006
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Go to superbrightleds.com and order a "WLED 6-LED bulb-red" for the oil light, two greens for the turn signal and neutral lights. Simple plug and play. Leave hi-beam indicator alone, too bright at night. I also replaced my tach (Drag Specialties) backlight with a T 1.5 LED- white.
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 312
Adjunct
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Adjunct
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Since lonzo just be me i'll just add WLED-G6 for the green, like said 2, and WLED-R6 for the red one. I think it was 15 or 18 dollars shipped and worth every cent. If I just look down and see the turn light blinking it'd be better. well worth it.
Beautiful Black, T Bike pipes cross pipe blocked 18 tooth.
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 261
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Adjunct
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I've changed them over with the superbright LEDs, they are awesome. They should come that way from the factory...
2007 America, Phantom Black/Sunset Red
Deposit down on 2010 Thunderbird - can't wait for it!
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 691
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Done mine with those LEDs years ago. Still work fine!
--Tom
02 TBA; 130 mains; TBS; Nology Coils&Wires;Unifilter/opened Airbox; -AI/snorkels; -2 baffles;Progressive 440s & Springs
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,362
Oil Expert
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Oil Expert
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,362 |
If you're doing the turn signal light it gets complicated - have a look at the link in my sig for details. The other three are straight LED swaps (with the caveat for the high beam one... I replaced mine but I used a dimmer LED for it than all the rest).
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 312
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: Jun 2006
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I can't answer why but with mine and I'm running the stock turn signals it was just plug and play didn't have to add in a diode and have had any cross or 4 way action. Just worked as normal.
Beautiful Black, T Bike pipes cross pipe blocked 18 tooth.
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,440
Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,440 |
Quote:
If you're doing the turn signal light it gets complicated - have a look at the link in my sig for details.
I'm not interested in LEDs at the moment, but I did spend a few minutes at your site. Sophie is one fine bike! Incidentally, have you ever considered whether it would be difficult to add a second headlamp to a TBA? I'm becoming more and more interested in having a second beam under the factory headlamp. I can probably cut a bracket from aluminum, but not sure which brackets to buy for clamping to the lower shrouds. No rush though, I'm having a blast with the bike just the way it is!
Jack
'08 America Blue/White; Custom Headlamps, Custom Lowers, Clearview 20", Bafflectomy
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 211
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 211 |
Since the lenses in the indicators are already colored, why not just use superbright white LED's instead of colored ones?
2007 Custom America with BUBs
I make my own parts cause I cant afford to buy theirs.
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 62
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 62 |
Quote:
I can't answer why but with mine and I'm running the stock turn signals it was just plug and play didn't have to add in a diode and have had any cross or 4 way action. Just worked as normal.
me too.....plug and play, no issues at all. Mod took literally 5 minutes and makes such a difference...
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,457
Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,457 |
Quote:
If you're doing the turn signal light it gets complicated
Didn't do anything to mine, just swapped the bulb for the LED. I think it has to do with wheather or not you use a polarized instead of a non-polarized LED.
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 261
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Adjunct
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No, I think he means the actual turn signal light bulbs, not the turn signal indicator bulb up on the dash. Changing out the actual turn signal bulbs is supposedly an involved process...
2007 America, Phantom Black/Sunset Red
Deposit down on 2010 Thunderbird - can't wait for it!
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,440
Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,440 |
Quote:
I think it has to do with wheather or not you use a polarized instead of a non-polarized LED.
A non-polarized LED? Do you mean that it lights the same color regardless of circuit polarity? I guess I haven't seen one of those. I've only seen the bi-color varieties. Cool!
Jack
'08 America Blue/White; Custom Headlamps, Custom Lowers, Clearview 20", Bafflectomy
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,362
Oil Expert
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Oil Expert
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,362 |
Quote:
I can't answer why but with mine and I'm running the stock turn signals it was just plug and play didn't have to add in a diode and have had any cross or 4 way action. Just worked as normal.
If you've bought one that's specifically designed for this application (ie: two signal wires and no earth wire) that'd explain it. Else it should only work one way and not the other.
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,362
Oil Expert
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Oil Expert
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,362 |
Quote:
Quote:
If you're doing the turn signal light it gets complicated
Didn't do anything to mine, just swapped the bulb for the LED. I think it has to do with wheather or not you use a polarized instead of a non-polarized LED.
There's no such thing as a non-polarised LED... all diodes are "polarised". It's possible someone's designed a "bi colour led" that's the same colour in both directions... that's effectivley two led's in one package, wired up backward to each other. That'd be pretty useful actually, turns it into a "light bulb".
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,362
Oil Expert
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Oil Expert
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,362 |
Quote:
Since the lenses in the indicators are already colored, why not just use superbright white LED's instead of colored ones?
Because "white" led's aren't really white... they're very light blue. True white light has all colours in it, and when you put it through a filter only the parts of the white light the same colour as the filter pass... the rest turn into heat (in accordance with the law of conservation of energy).
If you put a very light blue light source behind a green filter you'll lose about 50% of the light (because green is a mixture of blue & yellow), and behind a orange/red filter almost none will pass.
Simple solution is to use an led as close to the same colour as the filter as you can get.
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 211
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Adjunct
Joined: Dec 2007
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Thanks for the info, I will use the colored LED's then.
2007 Custom America with BUBs
I make my own parts cause I cant afford to buy theirs.
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,463
Loquacious
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Loquacious
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,463 |
I've used Sandmann's instructions to make LED inserts for both my Americas...
Really easy to do, and if you're a little bit too clever can make it the easy way to put two LEDs in the indicator. And before anyone argues.....yes you can as I have done it. Make it the same as the other ones, but put two really stupidly bright LED's in....just use 3mm ones and put them in parallel, just reverse the polarity of one of them.
Gina
03 America - Pretty stock - except the TBS wheel... 
06 America - missing, presumed in bits. With it's TBS wheel... 
09 America - It's very blue....
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,362
Oil Expert
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Oil Expert
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,362 |
Quote:
I've used Sandmann's instructions to make LED inserts for both my Americas...
Really easy to do, and if you're a little bit too clever can make it the easy way to put two LEDs in the indicator. And before anyone argues.....yes you can as I have done it. Make it the same as the other ones, but put two really stupidly bright LED's in....just use 3mm ones and put them in parallel, just reverse the polarity of one of them.
Yep, that'd work fine. LED's are just diodes that emit light after all, and all diodes only conduct in one direction. Nice thinking, and it follows the KISS principle. (Keep It Simple Stupid)
Just remember you'll still need the current limiting resistor (just one for the pair of led's) or you'll convert your funky green led's to black ones.
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 93
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Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 93 |
Just wanted to confirm exactly what you got that works well. http://www.superbrightleds.com/specs/bulb_specs.htmThe WLED-x6 type, p/n WLED-R6 (oil) and WLED-G6 (turn indicator, neutral). Right? Maybe for high beam indicator, a lower LED count version? 4 or 3? I'm also thinking about sanding the inside of the lens to diffuse the light rather than have it so "sparkly". I have problems seeing the indicators during the day, especially when sun is bouncing off the chrome surrounding surface. Thanks
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 93
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 93 |
They have "bulb replacement LEDs" that have loading resistors, handle polarization, etc... so "plug and play". So you can also replace actual indicator/signal bulb in the orange outboard lights, not just the "dash" indicator. http://www.superbrightleds.com/mini-wedge.htmlLooks like "PCB base" can also be used in the tail light, rather than needing home made version. Can also "diffuse" with cover films so they don't look like points of light, but more of a flat, bright, surface light. I'll look into more and post. Chuckles
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,457
Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,457 |
Check out third post in this thread. I copied it right off the invoice.
The whole point is to be able to see the lights in the daytime. Try them out before you go sanding on the lenses.
The stock hi-beam indicator is plenty visible at night. Don't about lesser count LED, haven't tried it.
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 29
Greenhorn
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Greenhorn
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 29 |
Quote:
They have "bulb replacement LEDs" that have loading resistors, handle polarization, etc... so "plug and play". So you can also replace actual indicator/signal bulb in the orange outboard lights, not just the "dash" indicator.
http://www.superbrightleds.com/mini-wedge.html
Looks like "PCB base" can also be used in the tail light, rather than needing home made version. Can also "diffuse" with cover films so they don't look like points of light, but more of a flat, bright, surface light.
I'll look into more and post.
Chuckles
I want to thank you for this suggestion --- I ordered from them, installed them and I was extremely impressed with this change.
To truly laugh, you must be able to take your pain, and play with it! -- Charles Chaplain
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 46
Greenhorn
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Greenhorn
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 46 |
I just did this mod...installed LED oil press, neutral, and turn signal lights.
So far, so good. Much easier to see the lights during the day. They are so bright that it is possible to point the neutral light at the moon and turn it green.
I definitely recommend this mod. Superbrightleds.com had the LEDs to me in just a few days by mail.
Lee
'07 America
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Re: Replace neutral lamp with LED
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,932 Likes: 2
Loquacious
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Loquacious
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,932 Likes: 2 |
newbonneville.com is selling these now.
we should do this every weekend!
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