Tag: LED

Posted on

Two Different Self-Canceling Turn Signal Control Module Bypass Designs

 

While attempting to convert my PC800 from incandescent bulbs to LED bulbs I managed to fry the turn signal cancel control unit.  Seth on the IPCRC designed the below circuit to bypass the self-cancel unit completely.

 

It is a good circuit that should work as intended.  I however decided that I only wanted to tap into the harness in one location and built the below circuit.

This circuit is designed to tap into the harness only at the place where the cancel control unit connects.  In order to do this, you will have to cannibalize your existing cancel unit for the connector or splice a new connector into the harness.  If you have a still functioning cancel unit, I would suggest splicing in a new connector to the harness and saving the cancel unit and harness connector in case a future owner of your bike or another member of the IPCRC could make use of it.  Those self cancel control units are expensive and hard to come by!

Note that the “+12V or open” segment of the circuit was left “open” on my final design.  I would suggest that you do the same on yours.

The circuit I designed works as anticipated.  I used 1N4002 diodes from Digikey and JSM1-12V-4 relays also from Digikey.  I used electrical tape to tape the two relays together with their pins facing up then I soldered the appropriate jumper wires and diodes in place, and then covered the whole thing with more electrical tape.  The whole package takes up about 2x2x1 inch of space with a  pigtail coming out one side that goes to the connector which plugs into the harness.

This is a picture of the relays taped together and the various bits soldered together.  After this photo I added the wires that connect to the harness via the 6 pin connector cannibalized from the self-cancel control unit. For some reason I forgot to take a picture of the completed unit.  Perhaps I will add a photo of that later on if I remember to take a picture…

In conclusion, either of the two above circuit designs will bypass your self-cancel control unit.  If you do this, PLEASE save the cancel unit in case someone else on the IPCRC could use it.  Also if you screw your electrical system up following these schematics, it’s not my fault! 🙂


 

Posted on

Building a Turn Signal Flasher Unit

 Last night I built a circuit using a 555 timer chip, a transistor, and a Hitachi connector that should be a drop-in replacement for the flasher relay on my 1989 Honda Pacific Coast.  While working to convert my bike over to full LED bulbs, I damaged the OEM flasher unit and the self-canceling turn signal controller.  None of the electronic flashers I was able to source locally would work as a drop-in replacement because they still require a higher load than the LED bulbs in the turn signal system on the bike would provide.  Thus I did a quick search on the internet and found this Intructable for building a replacement flasher.  After a quick trip to the Digi-Key website, I had the electronics ordered.  For the Hitachi connector I used Electrical Connection.  Be sure to buy the crimping tool when you buy the connectors.  It is well worth the money.

The end result works as expected on my workbench.  When the rains finally let up here and I can uncover my motorcycles without fear of being drowned, I will test the circuit out on the PC800.  The next step in the project is to get a few diodes and a relay, and bypass the self-cancel control unit that I burned out.  A future iteration of the project will replace that control unit with a home-brewed control module that I am working on with my buddy Brent.

This is the scratch paper I used to make sure I was laying out my circuits correctly and to verify pinouts of various components.  Be sure to check all of the data sheets yourself before trusting my scribbles.  Be extra sure to verify the pinout on the Hitachi connector before you plug this into your motorcycle.  I’m not responsible for any damages that may result if you try this at home!

Posted on

LED Light Project Update

As I discussed last year in the spring, I have been contemplating for some time changing over the incandescent bulbs on my motorcycle to LED.  Due to a recent test run of a 90 watt electric heated vest, I have determined that I need to go ahead with the LED conversion project.  Also in light of my impending fuel injection conversion project, it is time to upgrade.  Thus tonight I placed an order on Amazon for LED bulbs to replace every incandescent on the bike.  The table below shows what I purchased and how much I paid.

 

NOTE:

Bulb Description Qty Generic Bulb Lens Color Amazon Bulb Description Reported LED Color LED Cost Shipping Costs
Tail Light 2 1157 Red 2pcs 1157 Bay15D 18 SMD 5050 LED STOP BRAKE TAIL LIGHT BULBS 12V-RED Red $18.99♠ $5.99
Center Brake/License Plate Light 1 T10 Red/Clear 4x 194 168 5-SMD White High Power LED Car Lights Bulb ♣ White $9.98 Free
Rear Turn Signal 2 1156 Amber 2 of LED 2W 12V White Omni Bulb BA15S 1156 P21W Brake Tail 18 5050 SM ♥ White $4.99 $2.74
Front Turn Signal 2 1157 Amber 2 of LED 2W 12V White Omni Bulb BAY15D 1157 P21W Brake Tail 18 5050 S ♥ White $4.99 $2.74
Dash Lights 10 T10 Varies 4x 194 168 5-SMD White High Power LED Car Lights Bulb ♣ White $9.98 Free
Notes:

♠The Amazon page indicates that I should receive a pair of bulbs.

♣These come in packs of four. The center brake/license plate light and instrument cluster use the same bulbs.  The bike needs a total of 11 bulbs of this type.

♥These are supposed to come in packs of two.  I only could find a white LED bulb in this style on Amazon rather than amber.  Hopefully they will perform as expected.

 

The total including shipping for the order came to $78.41.  This price is only for the LED bulbs and does not include the electronic flasher that I will need to ensure that my turn signals blink at the proper rate.  I chose to hold off on buying that until I have the bike’s tupperwear off and can properly investigate the self-canceling turn signal system.  It appears that I will be replacing a three pin flasher relay but I might also need to replace a four pin latching relay.  Further investigation will need to be performed when I have the bike apart and am able to access the electronics.  I suspect that I might need to isolate the turn signal self-cancel unit with relays and use some resistors to show the unit the amount of resistance it expects to see when a full set of incandescent bulbs are present.  If I somehow manage to destroy the self canceling turn signal module, I might end up building my own solution using some spare parts I have lying around.  Hopefully I can make the existing module work with LEDs though.  The wattage savings will be worth my trouble.

As I continue with this project, I will post updates on my blog.  Watch this website for more details.

Privacy Policy Proudly powered by WordPress