LED Relay Mod - WIP

Marc85 · May 12, 2014

This post started on another page, I am moving it here since it is different.
http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?p=364623#post364623

Short story, my '07 Max was hit in a lot and the offender fled the scene.

After browsing the forum pages on how to replace the ugly *** Mickey Mouse ears with LEDs, a thread said buy flasher relay and diodes, another said get resistors and save your turn signals. I came to the conclusion that the 6ohm resistors were too much, I needed 3ohms (since I wasn't running 2 resistors per side), and already had the LED flasher relay.

I started wondering if it was possible to modify the stock flasher unit and replace what I believe to be a Thermal Relay with the LED relay. Using the ELFR-1 relay, I believe by de-soldering the alleged thermal relay and connecting the red wire on the ELFR-1 you can have an auto cancel LED system.

Please show this to your EE friends and let me know if they agree.
Full Size Image Links
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1508173/VMAX Stock Flasher Relay.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1508173/2014-05-12 15.09.18.jpg

Marc85 · May 12, 2014

This is still untested, I will be checking it tomorrow or the next day.

After de-soldering the thermal relay from the stock flashing unit, I attached the positive lead of the ELFR-1 relay to point C on the previous picture and the negative lead to point A.

Again I would not have tried this without consulting someone with more experience if it had not been for the fact that previously mentioned contact points B and C were in fact connected indicating another relay or transistor in the mix causing the circuit to activate or cancel.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1508173/ELFR-1 Bottom.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1508173/ELFR-1 Top.jpg

gentsvmax · May 13, 2014

Hey I have an 85 too, all my running/blinker and brake lights are L.E.D.s.
That includes my L.E.D. radiator side marker lights. The blinker's/runninglights are in the
taillight and on stalks in the grabrail and forks up front L.E.D brake lights in blinker, license plate and tail on fender . The resistors are Radio Shack, 2.50 apiece, they get hot but not overly. I used the frame as a heat sink. If you want you can P.M. and I'll have the value's and pics. Look at the pics. Its a lot cheaper and easier than I thought it would be and they look great.

wildweasel_pt · May 13, 2014

what controls the blinking rate is not the resistance value but the power of the resistors as the flasher relay is load dependent. The resistance value only changes the brightness of the leds and the higher the ohm reading the lower is the brightness... you can try it...

Marc85 · May 13, 2014

If you would like to discuss ohms law please start another thread. The purpose of this thread is to discuss the modification of the stock flasher relay to accept led blinkers and retain the auto cancel. On a 2007 or olderbike without wasting amps on resistors.

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Miles Long · May 13, 2014

Marc85 said:

If you would like to discuss ohms law please start another thread. The purpose of this thread is to discuss the modification of the stock flasher relay to accept led blinkers and retain the auto cancel. On a 2007 or olderbike without wasting amps on resistors.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

I remember a post on the British V-max site, outlining a modification to the flasher unit to retain the auto-cancel feature. I searched, but cannot relocate it.
Best thing to do is to personal message "maxmidnight", (this forum), and inquire. He is the administrator of the Brit site. He most likely will remember, and link you to the post.
Cheers!

EDIT Oops, sorry. I just checked the link in your first post, I see that you are already aware of "Wolfmax's" modification.
Have you considered just installing better-looking incandescent turn signals? Amp draw should not be a concern, since they are in use on such an intermittent basis.

Marc85 · May 13, 2014

Yeah, as much as I like tinkering with electronics, my goal is to not build a whole unit and program it. I'm hoping to help the community with a mod that doesn't require super geek status (I'm a lazy super geek) or an $E degree to complete.

Marc85 · May 13, 2014

Update

The Diode mod to the ***** light is still required, for anyone who does not understand why I will give a simple explanation. I for one like to know why something doesn't work instead of just applying a fix.

After reviewing the bike wiring diagram you will notice that the positive leads from both blinker circuits (left and right) feed the ***** light, the excess power is enough to light the indicator and bleed off to the ground on the other side without lighting up the incandescent lights. This is why the resistor method does not require diodes (they use up the majority of the power like the incandescent bulbs do). In the instance of LEDs with out the resistor method you have enough excess power to light up both light circuits.

This thread details how to re-use the stock light.
http://vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=8130&page=2

So far the stock flasher module (modified with the ELFR-1 relay) works, I cannot speak for the auto cancel yet as I am waiting for my clutch and break master cylinders to return from painting.

jfeagins · May 13, 2014

Re: Update

Marc85 said:
So far the stock flasher module (modified with the ELFR-1 relay) works, I cannot speak for the auto cancel yet as I am waiting for my clutch and break master cylinders to return from painting.

Lift the front wheel in the air and give it a couple whirls....it'll be enough forward movement to emulate rolling along in traffic, and should activate the self-cancelling feature.

Marc85 · May 13, 2014

Tried that.. even power shifted into first with our on the stand and spun the wheel incase there was done relation to the neutral switch. It's possible that there is a pulse interval detector incase of rolling up to a turn. I spun it for 20 seconds though.

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