Help. Blowing fuses after indicator swap

[Legion]

Hey guys, i need your help. Last week I switched out the stock indicators for the halogen 'Vmaxicators' and tail/brake light for an LED swap. The problem I'm having is I keep blowing 10A fuses in about 10-15 minutes after i turn over the bike.
I dont think it has anything to do with the rear end...taillight and indicators were just plug and play replacements. Its the front end that I think I screwed up. Stock indicators have 3 wires...black, blue and either green or brown. The 'Vmaxicators' were only a 2 wire setup...black and red.
When I put it together, black went 3 into one connector, green and brown to red respectively, and the blue wire i just capped since it went to the running lights. What is happening is that they all work appropriatly at first, but after a few minutes of riding I blow a 10A fuse (the one closest to the left). I dont know why. Any help would be appreciated.

Lundy

 

[maleko89]

Do you have an ammeter? With the bike idling I would check the amps to each signal including the rears. After writing these down do the same with the stock signals. You may find that the new signals draw more current than the stockers. In this case you can either add a resistor in each leg or put a 15A signal fuse in. Another scenario is you may find the left-front signal drawing more amperage than the other three aftermarket signals. Could be the red/black wires are touching within signal itself. Another test you can do is with the bike running start wiggling the wires and signals. You may force a short a short and from there can trace the problem.

One problem I see is your connectors. Those are made for housing electrics and not made for vehicles. They don't handle vibrations very well.

 

[Legion]

Thanks Mark, I'll check those things out. I'm a total noob when it comes to electronics but I'll work on it. The blue connectors are just tempory. Just using them to put things together while I figure this out.What type of connector do you suggest? I thought about a 15A fuse but was not sure if that was a bad idea. Its doable?

Lundy

 

[Legion]

Well, I just blew 4 10A and 1 15A fuse. I wiggled all the wires/connections. Could not not force a short. They all blew after I turned off the signal. I'll have to try the anmeter/resistor route. Do I put a resistor in each wire going into the signal? Any other ideas, please chime in.

Legion

 

[maleko89]

I would use the stock connectors. For the unused blue connectors, just use some heat shrink or electrical tape.

Before swapping fuses I would determine the amps going in each signal and then make sure the signals aren't shorting out.

 

[mnmax]

Lundy,

Sorry to here of your issue.

I had two of the blinkers on my bike until I sold them to you and I didnt have any issues with fuses. The other two maxicators were sitting in a box since August and they worked fine when I pulled them off. I ran them blinkers for about 5 years without any problems. I wouldnt think its the blinkers.

I bought new LED blinkers this past summer.

The new LEDs, all four, wont work without a resistor. bike goiing to mechanic in a week or two for the resistor install and a few other things

So I left the front led blinkers on bike and left the vmaxicators on the rear, the blinkers functioned fine this way since august. Then pulled mxicators when you bought them

Also I never installed any resistors with the maxicators.

Have you tried the blinkers without the LED tail and vice versa, try that. maybe its the combination of the two, i dunno know.

i hope you figure this out

let me know what the outcome is. if it s the blinkers i'll refund your money

 

[dannymax]

+1 on trying the lights with the LED tailight disconnected.

My LED tailight would allow electrical back feed in the brake circuit which was not detectable with a regular 12v probe tester.

It didn't blow any fuses but did other weird things. Pull your tailight out of the loop and let us know what happens.

If you have any fuses left! :biglaugh:

 

[Legion]

I appreciate all the ideas guys. I'll disconnect the taillight and see what happens. :confused2: I'll let you know. I might have to run to radio Shack tonight and buy some resistors.

 

[Legion]

Well, I disconnected the taillight and the same thing happened. I cut out the front and the rear signals worked flawlessly, albiet a bit fast. I then connected just the left front and it worked no problem. Somethings up with the front right indicator. I'll try a resistor and see what happens. After I buy a 20 pack of fuses!:bang head:

 

[naughtyG]

Yea don't try the bigger fuses - you're asking for trouble with that, of the meltdown kind!

I think you may have wired the front blinkers wrong - it's very easy to do. On my '86, the blue wire is the common feed for the running lights, and I believe the black is the common for the blinkers, with brown going to left blinker and green to the right.

But in the end, you really need an amp meter to find out what's going on in your circuit - just wire it in series with each blinker and see what it says.

 

[Legion]

Well guys, I tried everything I am capable of doing, and nothing worked. I ended up buying a set of solid aluminum billet, dual filament indicators off of eBay and got them installed today. unk: Everything is working great. I like the vmaxicator look better, but what are you gonna do?:confused2:
By the way, if you ever have to opportunity to deal w/ the seller 'i5motorcycle' on eBay, do not hesitate. I've purchased from him 3 times and every time I received the product within 3-4 days. Very good seller.
Anyways, thanks for all your help.

Legion

 

[KJShover]

+1 he is good to deal with. You have the same signals I'm running. I haven't had a lick of problems since installing them.

What I did to mine was scuff them up then painted them to match the rest of the bike.

 

[Redbone]

I run those too, but I purchased mine through python motorsports. No problems with them either.

 

[Legion]

Looks great guys. As for 'i5', very impressed by him. Kind of irritated that I couldn't figure out the vmaxicators, but it just goes to show where I could stand to learn some things.

Beware!! Toatlly off topic below.

KJ - The front rotors you have on look great. Are they from the seller on our vBay? I want to say I remember seeing a thread or something where you stated you had them. Just curious if you liked 'em?

Redbone - How the hell do you change your picture out in your signature line? I've tried to place one multiple times and cant figure it out.

 

[maxcruiser]

I have the same ones as KJ & Redbone, but didn't find them bright enough especially during the day - I converted them to LED, but it didn't turn out right - they work fine, but the LED package said bright white, but they look blue when they flash :bang head:

Will be looking at fixing these ones or buying new ones before summer.

Mike

 

[KJShover]

KJ - The front rotors you have on look great. Are they from the seller on our vBay? I want to say I remember seeing a thread or something where you stated you had them. Just curious if you liked 'em?

Yup those are his, I love 'em. Big improvement over stock. I've beat them up and so far they're holding up just fine. Just wish there was a matching one for the rear brake.

 

[gamorg02]

KJ - The front rotors you have on look great. Are they from the seller on our vBay? I want to say I remember seeing a thread or something where you stated you had them. Just curious if you liked 'em?

Yup those are his, I love 'em. Big improvement over stock. I've beat them up and so far they're holding up just fine. Just wish there was a matching one for the rear brake.

any caliper/mounting/pads reconfiguring needed? What pads do you use with them EBC?

 

[KJShover]

any caliper/mounting/pads reconfiguring needed? What pads do you use with them EBC?

I'm still stock as far as caliper and pads. I just popped my front wheel, installed them and put them back on.

 

[Legion]

KJ, not to hijack my own thread, but is there no way to adapt one of the rotors to the rear?

 

[KJShover]

KJ, not to hijack my own thread, but is there no way to adapt one of the rotors to the rear?

I suppose you can make an adapter, but the rear rotor is smaller than the front. You would have to use a really light foot on it or bleed it so its soft. otherwise your going to be locking up the rear when you get on the brakes.



* We Now Resume the Original Topic *


or we might get the pirate award :biglaugh: