'05 Shogun - Canbus?

Top Dog

Recently swapped one of my rear indicator bulbs out for an LED replacement, but the indicator is now flashing at a rate akin to having a blown bulb.

Flashes normally when the hazard lights are on, but the first time on any journey when I'm using the direction indicator on its own it will flash 3 times at the normal rate, and then flash at the much faster rate from then on. Never returns to normal rate again until the ignition is turned off, and then its just a repeat of before.

I'm guessing that the cause of this issue is that the LED isn't providing enough resistance in the circuit so the relay is operating at a faster rate as a result (as it would if a bulb was blown)? Does this mean that I need to get an LED thats specific to canbus systems? And can anyone tell me in simplistic terms - what on earth is canbus?

paultronix

you could try putting a 1K resistor in line and see does that help.

Top Dog

Where would I get one of those?

Plug

Can Bus is controller area network, it allows different ECU's and modules to talk to each other(sending messages) and also choose to read that message or ignore. Anyway thats got nothing to do with your problem.
Can you check the resistance of the LED. Was the LED working? Sometimes if there is a bad connection the bulb will appear to work but operates faster as described. Have you got a picture of the LED base?

d o'c

with the regular filiment bulb being 21watts, the Led unit will need to be reading around 7 ohms when you check resistance. verify the contacts are good aswell

CJhaughey

Common enough on Bikes when you replace filament bulbs with LED's
Fit one of these resistors to sort the problem.

Top Dog

Plug wrote: »

Can you check the resistance of the LED. Was the LED working? Sometimes if there is a bad connection the bulb will appear to work but operates faster as described. Have you got a picture of the LED base?

Will try find my multi-meter tomorrow and measure the resistance.

LED is still working, just as described above. Looks like ...

d o'c wrote: »

with the regular filiment bulb being 21watts, the Led unit will need to be reading around 7 ohms when you check resistance. verify the contacts are good aswell

Contacts are good - will try check resistance in the morning

Plug

Probably a low a low resistance on the LED, fit a 1k ohm resistor in series with the LED. Find which wire is going to that bulb, snip it and put in that resistor and it will be ok. Costs about 50 cent.

bren11

Resistor should be connected in paralell across LED not in series. See attached drawing although this is for trucks (24V) its the same idea just to work out suitable value.

Top Dog

Cheers for the replies folks.

Don't think I can be bothered faffing about with resistors just to get it to work - think I'll just order some silver vision bulbs which have the same effect I was looking for (clear looking lens but amber flashing).