Taillight indicator stays red after installing LED taillight

[Tom_Charlton]

86 Aspencade converted to trike and pulling a trailer, so a taillight/turn signal converter is used. Changing to LEDs on the rear to improve visibility and lessen current draw. Now the taillight indicator stays red and the turn signals flash very quick like a bulb is out. I know the cure is to put a resistor in the taillight/turn signal circuits, but how much of a resistor is needed. I read one place where a 47ohm 3 watt resistor was used. Can I get a vote for that approach?

Thanks

 

[saganaga]

Haven't done an LED conversion to a Goldwing yet, but I've done a LED rear taillight on another Honda, and never had problems with it staying on. Electrical system is otherwise equivalent to stock.

Turn signals should be a separate circuit. They stay on because LEDs are such a low power draw that it doesn't trigger the flasher. If you have replaced all turn signals with LEDs, the simple solution is to buy a LED-compatible flasher. Else, each turn signal is about 20W. If you connect a 50W load resistor in parallel to the turn signal, it will mimic the load of an incandescent bulb.

 

[Ansimp]

Are the LEDs on the trike? If so you can use a resistor but that gets you back to the same current draw. I recommend that you use an LED flasher unit or a fixed rate flasher unit which is cheaper.

 

[Tom_Charlton]

Ansimp » Sat May 18, 2019 3:49 am[/url]":ga4265ed]
Are the LEDs on the trike? If so you can use a resistor but that gets you back to the same current draw. I recommend that you use an LED flasher unit or a fixed rate flasher unit which is cheaper.

So, I was chasing two problems, not one.
The fast flashing will be cured with an LED flasher (on order now).
The brake/tailight indicator light staying on can be fixed 2 ways.
1. Put a 50W resistor in the taillight circuit and accept the current draw.
2. Remove the indicator light because I no longer need it.

Option 2 sounds good to me.

Thanks for the responses. :hi:

 

[Ansimp]

:good:

 

[saganaga]

Somehow, I misread "taillight indicator" as simply "taillight". Please ignore that part of my advice.

 

[julimike54]

For the taillight could you place a relay in the circuit to drive the leds and the coil of the relay would be enough load to extinguish the indicator?

 

[Ansimp]

julimike54 » Sun May 19, 2019 11:28 pm[/url]":1bq0kc7w]
For the taillight could you place a relay in the circuit to drive the leds and the coil of the relay would be enough load to extinguish the indicator?

Relay coil is only 200 milliamperes where the flasher bulb is almost 2 amps.

 

[Tom_Charlton]

Maybe just put a piece of black tape over the indicator light?