When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Two of my instrument lights were burned out. I decided to replace them with red LEDs. After about one minute they go dim and after five minutes you can’t even see the instruments in the dark. Please see the attached pictures. They were taken about one minute apart. The tach and speedo light (original bulbs) The air pressure gauge is brighter because of the different light channel in the non HD gauge
do not seem to be affected. Any ideas? Thank you in advance
Last edited by KaptKane; Apr 28, 2022 at 11:59 AM.
Reason: Missed some important words
Speedo & tach are not 'bulbs', but LED's that are soldered directly tot he circuit boards in each gauge.
I'm wondering if the LEDs that you installed would dim similarly if powered on a bench?
(Trying to separate a potential bike/wiring/installation issue from an actual lamp issue)
Thanks for the reply. I think I got a set of 6 LEDs so I’ll get one out and power it up off of a 12v battery and see what it does. Interesting that the Tach/Speedo are LEDs yet they’ve never dimmed…before or after I swapped the instrument lights.
I’ll post results of my experiment.
Pic of our bike
the leds should have a current limiting resistor. make sure they do or they will over current and the leds will screw up.
also are they rated for system voltage? it runs higher than 12vdc.
if they are like the ones i bought, i had to change the resistors out due the the fine wire they had, they are inside the plastic case that holds the led, glue back in with some hot glue.
Thanks for the input. I don’t know about any resistors in the lights. I noticed my volt gauge always shows about 14.1v or so. Last nite it looked like it was pushing 15v and just stayed there. 6 month old gel battery and I keep a float charger on it so it should have been full up.
Maybe I have a regulator going bad? I’m running LED headlight and spot lights also.
interesting, my buddy (early 2000 Street Glide) just put a set in (from the same seller) and his dimmed the same as mine
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
LED Gauge Lights go dim
