Motorcycle Mods light slowly dims out? here's a new one..

gamorg02 · Jul 26, 2009

So I have no idea when this started, or how long its been doing it, but when i shut off my bike tonight (after washing her, related? u tell me?) the taillight stayed lit just the tiniest amount.

i attached some pics the first is how lit up it was, the second is a normal running light and 3rd is the brake light. u can see its very dim (excuse the pictures).

they slowly turned off so after about an hour it was barely visible and after 2 they finally just went out.

my amperage reading on my battery with the key off was .1 microamp. does that even make sense?

so anyways anyone else seeing this? it was wicked hot and humid here today, maybe that played a role?

any ideas what might have caused this? since it eventually went out that doesn't sound like to me it was still getting power?

also, update. now after the light had officially gone off. i was out there in the pitch black, no light, i went and turned it on and off, and there are no more symptoms. weird....

put about 120 miles on her today. dont think that was it either. anyways not a huge deal, but just thought i'd see if anyone else had heard of or seen this. i thought at first maybe LED lights don't release all their energy at once but i dont think thats true.

maleko89 · Jul 27, 2009

I haven't seen this. It could be your key switch. A blue wire runs from there to your running lights. Maybe there's a small short from the red input wire to the blue? You may want to remove the key switch, disassemble and give it a good cleaning.

Firewrench · Jul 27, 2009

Are there any capacitors in the tailight with the led's? When you shut off modern cars, the capacitors stay charged up for a little while. Low amp draw of led might stay on awhile. Weird for sure.

gamorg02 · Jul 27, 2009

maleko89 said:
I haven't seen this. It could be your key switch. A blue wire runs from there to your running lights. Maybe there's a small short from the red input wire to the blue? You may want to remove the key switch, disassemble and give it a good cleaning.

i'd agree but it slowly went out, like there was a capacitor, like what firewrench said ya know? def didn't stay on, and i can't reproduce it now, after a few attempts.

Firewrench said:
Are there any capacitors in the tailight with the led's? When you shut off modern cars, the capacitors stay charged up for a little while. Low amp draw of led might stay on awhile. Weird for sure.

that was my thought. maybe i'll try calling up motorcycle mods and ask.

m-cman · Jul 27, 2009

I have led backup lights on my truck and they show a little light all the time. Can only see if it is dark or a shadow is over the light and I get very close. Also can only be seen when directly behind the light. It is as though there is a small amount of current always present. I guess the led's don't need much current to glow. Not enough draw to effect anything though.

dannymax · Jul 27, 2009

I have two (5) led brake/tail light bars from custom dynamics, when the brake is applied they flash 5 times then stay solid.

The first washing after installation the lights started flashing and doing all sorts of wierd crap...on their own. I dried them out with the leaf blower, they returned to normal and have never done that again....even tho I've washed it several times. :ummm:

LED's do odd things...that's the best I can come up with!! :bang head: