flash strobe controller

[leonides]

I replace the 1157 (2) bulbs run/stop lights for LED on my VT1100C- 2007 and connect a flash strobe controller GS100A, I got a solid stop light but do not flash as it supposes to.
In: green/white on red and black on solid green
out: the same.
Any help?
Thanks.

 

[Obo]

They are straight forward to hookup. Obviously you have the polarity correct to the new LED or it would not light.



I'm guessing you either have a bad unit or have the wrong wires connected. (I don't have a wiring diagram to say if your colors are correct.)
When you turn the bike on does the tail light flash instead? These flashers do 4 or 5 fast, then 4 or 5 slower flashes then stay solid on.

If you still have access to the bare wires where you spliced it in you could test with a multimeter (or a spare bulb) to determine if the flasher was bad or it was wired incorrectly.

 

[Woodchuck]

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[ST Gui]

Any help?

From your brief description of the problem it sounds like all your lights function as though the GS-100A wasn't even installed.

"Did you cut the red wire?" <---- Movie bomb diffusing joke. But you'll have to cut at least one wire depending on the installation instructions.

I've read about two incidents where someone forgot to cut the positive brake wire when installing the strobe. This effectively puts the flasher/controller in parallel with the (+) brake wire instead of in series in it.

Or perhaps you installed it so as to affect only one brake light. They're wired in parallel so one wired with the flasher could still be getting 12+ from the other light effectively taking the flasher out of play.

Or the unit could be T/U.

I'd check your wiring against the schemo provided by the manufacturer. With a 12V battery and bulb you could jury-rig a test on the workbench just to be sure the unit is working.

 

[Obo]

There is one other alternative and that could be the bulb itself. Do you have a link to it or a photo of it's package?

Some LED's cut corners and used the same set of LED's for both the stop and the running light. They just put a resistor in to make the running lights dimmer. They did not spend the extra penny to put in a diode to prevent one circuit from feeding the other. While this was more common with the older LED's it could still be an issue.

 

[leonides]

There is one other alternative and that could be the bulb itself. Do you have a link to it or a photo of it's package?

Some LED's cut corners and used the same set of LED's for both the stop and the running light. They just put a resistor in to make the running lights dimmer. They did not spend the extra penny to put in a diode to prevent one circuit from feeding the other. While this was more common with the older LED's it could still be an issue.

I did return the GS100 and bought 2 1157 strobe bulbs for the brake, they work fine.
I replace the rear 1157 turn bulbs with LED, but they do not work.
I'm planning to replace the 2 front turn bulbs (1156) with LED.
Do I need to replace the relay to make them work properly?
Remember this is a VT1100C- 2007

 

[Obo]

I did return the GS100 and bought 2 1157 strobe bulbs for the brake, they work fine.
I replace the rear 1157 turn bulbs with LED, but they do not work.
I'm planning to replace the 2 front turn bulbs (1156) with LED.
Do I need to replace the relay to make them work properly?
Remember this is a VT1100C- 2007

As for the rears turns not working are they actually 1157's or 1156's? (I know these are incandescent pictures but they are there for the base connection reference)

Even with a stock flasher unit that wasn't made for LED's the bulbs would flash, just at a faster rate (like when an incandescent bulb would burn out.)
So, yes you'd need an adjustable flasher for LED's to get the proper flash rate.

This doesn't explain though why the rears are not working.

Do they work with good incandescent bulbs? (to rule out bad switch, wire, fuse etc.)

Can you provide a photo of the base of the LED bulbs you have and one of the inside of the socket the bulb goes into?
I have seen bikes that use the 1157 socket but only used half the bulb's filament.
I'm surmising either the polarity of the wires is incorrect (thus the bulb won't light) OR the bulb is in wrong OR the bulb makes connection with one of the pins in the socket that has no power.

Easiest thing to try is to turn the bulb around to see if that fixes it. If it does the bulb was just in wrong.

You can check the power in the socket with a multimeter. Set it to 12v dc or higher and with the flasher activated and the bike ignition "on" put the ends of the multimeter into the plug.
You want the negative (black) wire on the outside of the socket and the positive (red) to touch one of the pins on the bottom. If it's a digital meter you want to see +12v (ish). That means power is on the bottom pin and ground is the outside. If it says -12v it means the power is on the outside and ground is the center, which is highly unlikely, or you have the red and black leads swapped on the meter end. If it's an analogue meter you want to see the needle swing towards 12v and not in reverse.

 

[leonides]

Yes, they were working properly with the original bulbs, 1157 at the rear and 1156 at the front.
1157 can be placed in only one position.
I think I had a similar problem with my st1300 and I had to replace the flasher with a different one.

 

[Larry Fine]

I replace the rear 1157 turn bulbs with LED, but they do not work.
I'm planning to replace the 2 front turn bulbs (1156) with LED.

You have them backwards. The fronts are dual-filament bulbs (1157) like the tail/brake bulbs.

The rear signals are single-filament bulbs (1156).

Do I need to replace the relay to make them work properly?

Yes; any LED-compatible flasher with the same two-prong connection.

 

[leonides]

You have them backward. The fronts are dual-filament bulbs (1157) like the tail/brake bulbs.

The rear signals are single-filament bulbs (1156).


Yes; any LED-compatible flasher with the same two-prong connection.

I bought this bike 3 months ago from the original owner, 7K miles on it, and I don't think he switch these lights.
My only possible explanation is that for some reason they were like this from the factory.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

 

[Larry Fine]

Perhaps he has swapped sockets around; it's easy enough to look inside each socket.

I can't say why, but here's what the bulb bases and (generic here) sockets look like:

 

[Obo]

Perhaps he has swapped sockets around; it's easy enough to look inside each socket.

I can't say why, but here's what the bulb bases and (generic here) sockets look like:

Unless he's thinking of the ST he had. They use a 1157 style in the rear even though it's only a single "filament" bulb.

I agree the fronts should be a dual contact socket: 1 for the turn function and 1 for the park light, and the rear should be just one contact for the signal - as the brake and rear running should be separate. I'm still thinking someone may have swapped the lights or the wires so the + & - are reversed, perhaps when trying to wire in the GS100 unit?
They'd work ok swapped for an incandescent bulb that way but not an LED.

 

[leonides]

Perhaps he has swapped sockets around; it's easy enough to look inside each socket.

I can't say why, but here's what the bulb bases and (generic here) sockets look like:

I just talk to the former and first owner and he did not even replace the bulbs. When I removed them to install the LED I notice they are the factory originals.

 

[leonides]

Does anyone have a VT1100C- 2007 electric wiring diagram, if yes please send the link to me?
Thanks
P.B.