Trying to Add Extra Brake Lighs

[BratmanXj]

P.S. make sure you turn down the volume cause the kid is making noises in the background....

 

So I disconnected the Run-Brake wires for the LED strips and put on the Hazards and I barely get a yellow flash out of them. Almost like I'm not getting 12v or a very short dwell time that the LEDs can't respond quick enough.

[Flyinfool]

Does it do the same thing with the turn signals?

[cowpuc]

I dont know sqwat about nuttin but my gut tells me that trying to interface the OEM Venture blinker modual with a digital demand may be a no no. I think I would look into an after market digital blinker modual. Now lets wait 4 someone who has a clue to chime in and see how close that was!

 

P.S. make sure you turn down the volume cause the kid is making noises in the background....

 

So I disconnected the Run-Brake wires for the LED strips and put on the Hazards and I barely get a yellow flash out of them. Almost like I'm not getting 12v or a very short dwell time that the LEDs can't respond quick enough.

 

I know,, I still know nutting about nutting but I am still wondering about my original post above,,, maybe somehow the digital circuit board/led system really does not interact well with the non-digital/high draw incandesent light flasher control unit.. May sound crazy but again,, I wonder if your not going to end up with something like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Pin-Speed-Adjustable-LED-Flasher-Relay-Fix-Motorcycle-Turn-Signal-Hyper-12V/282385721814?hash=item41bf8029d6:g:8CkAAOSwTM5Yvap1 being needed to make the project do what you what it to do...

Unless of course, the led lighting package and controls have a flasher unit built into it and you are wiring it so the OEM flasher is still inputting when it is not suppost to be..

[BratmanXj]

I know,, I still know nutting about nutting but I am still wondering about my original post above,,, maybe somehow the digital circuit board/led system really does not interact well with the non-digital/high draw incandesent light flasher control unit.. May sound crazy but again,, I wonder if your not going to end up with something like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Pin-Speed-Adjustable-LED-Flasher-Relay-Fix-Motorcycle-Turn-Signal-Hyper-12V/282385721814?hash=item41bf8029d6:g:8CkAAOSwTM5Yvap1 being needed to make the project do what you what it to do...

Unless of course, the led lighting package and controls have a flasher unit built into it and you are wiring it so the OEM flasher is still inputting when it is not suppost to be..

 

I was wondering that, and was about to look into the pin config and swap the solid state flasher out of the other bike into the Venture, but then did the following test....

 

I hooked the LED ground directly to the battery negative terminal and kept the LED yellow leads connected to the breakout harness and I have decent yellow turn signals on the strips. As soon as I tie in the tail light function the LEDs go "off-pattern" and I get a Red flash-off-Yellow Flash-off pattern that it doesn't do in my buddies Nomad. I put a diode in-line with the tail light and that still didn't fix the odd pattern.

[Flyinfool]

OK another tangent, Maybe you have the beginnings of a ground issue with the factory lights. Try running a temp ground direct from battery to the factory lights.

[BratmanXj]

OK another tangent, Maybe you have the beginnings of a ground issue with the factory lights. Try running a temp ground direct from battery to the factory lights.

 

I put a jumper wire directly to the battery ground and tied back to BOTH the factory breakout harness & the LEDs. I put on the right turn signal and get a faint yellow flash in time with the turn signal. If I connect the run light it goes to the red-off-yellow-off pattern again.

 

If I run a jumper from the LED turn back to the battery hot I get a nice bright yellow. I have a decent DVOM and it only hits 7.5v on the breakout turn signal. I think that turn signal "low voltage" is whats causing my problems of the LED driver control not kicking off the run/brake light because it's not seeing enough voltage. The battery shows 12.4v and is only 2 years old and well maintained. Does this make sense? And what would cause this? A failing flasher unit?

[Flyinfool]

Yes it is very possible that the low voltage is causing all of your issues.

Check the voltage at the bulb of the factory signal It should read the same as you got at the breakout connector. Then all you can do is start following the wires forward to find where your voltage drop is happening. You have a bad connection or contact somewhere on the bike.

[Flyinfool]

I just looked at the 2nd gen schematics, there are a lot of connectors that that flasher power goes thru, Any one of them could be the problem.

[BratmanXj]

The front and rear turn sockets are hitting the same 8-ish volts, I pulled the fairing and even the connectors just past the flasher are 8 volts.

 

On a whim I relayed the circuit straight to the battery and run/turn/brake all function correctly. So my "lack of 12v turn" does appear to be the culprit. So...

1. Do I forgo the LEDs?

2. Diagnose the hell out of the system?

3. Bypass with Relays and make it work?

[M61A1MECH]

What voltage are you getting on the input connector that plugs into the breakout?

What voltage are you getting on the backside of the breakout connector that plugs into the incoming bike harness. The contact should be reachable with meter leads or a small jumper wire.

 

I have never had a reported issue of my crimps have high resistance or causing a voltage drop.

 

Check the voltage on the tail light circuit break out as well as the turns, the turns could be troublesome as the dwell time at voltage is not very long and the meter may not have time to trap the peak.

 

If you determine the break out is causing the voltage drop, I will replace it at no charge.

[BratmanXj]

What voltage are you getting on the input connector that plugs into the breakout?

What voltage are you getting on the backside of the breakout connector that plugs into the incoming bike harness. The contact should be reachable with meter leads or a small jumper wire.

 

I have never had a reported issue of my crimps have high resistance or causing a voltage drop.

 

Check the voltage on the tail light circuit break out as well as the turns, the turns could be troublesome as the dwell time at voltage is not very long and the meter may not have time to trap the peak.

 

If you determine the break out is causing the voltage drop, I will replace it at no charge.

 

No, its not your connector. I put the factory configuration back together and tested the turn sockets and getting a max "spike" on my DVOM of 8v at various locations around the bike. All of the BIKE'S systems work fine with or without the breakout. The LED control box isn't getting enough voltage on the turn signal wire to kick off the run/brake lights.

[Flyinfool]

That 8V is a problem on the bike somewhere, You need to keep chasing that till you find it whether you do the LEDs or not. That 8V will only get worse over time and you will end up losing the turn signals at the worst possible time. The wiring diagram is available in the VR library.

 

At least we have identified the problem, now we just have to find the cause and fix it.

[BratmanXj]

Ok, cracked open the manual and followed the electrical / signal system diagnostics. I HOPE its really just this simple...

 

1. Check incoming voltage to Hazard relay - Brown/Red wire on the relay harness is showing 12-ish volts on my meter.

 

2. Check what I believe is the outgoing voltage from the Hazard relay, but the instruction manual isn't clear on this step. If you check this with only the ignition on there is NO voltage to the Brown/White wire, if you turn on the hazards I'm only getting 8v. So, either its bad NOT having any voltage or its bad not passing enough voltage.

 

Again, electrical is my biggest week point when it comes to automotive repair. So, before I dump $50 on a new flasher relay one does this sound plausible?

 

[BratmanXj]

Flyinfool,

Can you do me a favor a double check my diagnostics of the flasher relay against your bike as I assume a 1st gen & 2nd gen should have the same input & output from the flasher circuit. Do you have 12v on the relay output WITHOUT the flashers on as written in the manual or do you need to have the flashers on to get 12v?

 

Edit: Nevermind, I forgot you sold your bike.

 

Anyone else able to put a meter to their flasher relay for me?

[BratmanXj]

Ordered a new flasher relay and NOW have the correct 12v at the turn signal wires on the break-out harness. The strip lights I was trying to install still have the funky amber-off-red-off flash pattern when my buddies have a distinctive Amber-off flash cycle that completely over-rides the run/brake red lights. I've given up on the vertical LED's along the fender brackets. I've tried contacting the seller multiple times with no response so I've filed a complaint with Paypal. We'll see where this goes.

 

In the mean time I found a different LED setup that works a little better.

Edited May 6, 2020 by BratmanXj

[Flyinfool]

I would still keep hunting for the reason that you have low voltage. That alone is the bike trying to warn you of bigger problems to come down the road, we need to listen when the bike is talking to us.

[BratmanXj]

I would still keep hunting for the reason that you have low voltage. That alone is the bike trying to warn you of bigger problems to come down the road, we need to listen when the bike is talking to us.

 

That was a Typo.... I NOW have 12v.

 

Those LED's just don't wanna work cleanly on this bike.