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I bought two red and two amber 1157 LED replacement bulbs from Superbrightleds.com. Its for my 2016 Roadster
I had to grind out the holes just a bit to get them to work and they al light up fine. The only issue is the left brake light lights up, but when I pull the brake lever or use the turn signal its the only one that does not work except for lighting up .
The other three bulbs work fine.
Any suggestions?
I was going to pick up load resistors for the LED's and see if that fixes it, but I would think it would affect all of them instead of just the one. Superbrightleds tech support suggested I switch bulb sides and see if that works, it didn't..
Thanks
Last edited by pinkah; Jun 20, 2018 at 07:59 AM.
Reason: add bike model
You have a can bus system so there should be no need for a load resistor. That is more for preventing hyperflash.
Many manufacturers use dielectric grease in their socket housings. The only drawback to the grease is that it is an insulator, not a conductor. The grease does not conduct electric current very well at all. This environmental condition is especially bad for LEDs. The low current draw of the LED cluster is not enough to cross the dielectric barrier, thus, function is inhibited. The result is intermittent or no function from the cluster. So the way to remedy the issue is to remove as much dielectric grease from the housing and contacts as possible. Use a shop rag or towel with your finger and just scrape it out. You should pay close attention to the inside walls of the base as well as the positive contacts. You should also clean the LED cluster base contacts in order to clear off any transferred dielectric grease, as well as any protective film residue left on from the factory.
Most bulb bases are keyed one specific way in the socket, depending on its age and condition, it is possible to misalign the index pins and install incorrectly. All of the bulbs are designed to push in and twist to lock. The first sign that the base is not oriented properly is that it will be very difficult to push in and the base will not lock in place. The main factor to be aware of for proper fitment is matching the correct index pins with the correct grooves in the socket.
Lastly, you could try moving said bulb to another location and see if the problem is the bulb itself or just the desired location.
I don't have 1157 in the back signals on my 07...it's 1156 and and I just put in similar bulbs in the back...which are only signals, not brake or running lights. They work but I would not have used them if 1157 because of problems like this. For the front, which are 1157, I used a Custom Dynamics cluster and they are bright and flawless. Made for this purpose.
Others may have a different answer but I'm going to recommend using one of the tried and true manufacturers for your application. Custom Dynamics or Radiantz has a less expensive version of that as well. https://www.radiantz.com/
The only reason I used one of the cheap chinese led in my signals was because it was 1156 and I'm saving coin for new tires. When money frees up, I'm buying a set from Radiantz.
+1 for custom dynamics. I have those front and rear and love them!!!! They are a little pricey but well worth it. I have had em on for about two years with no issues at all.
Sam48, that is great info. I will try cleaning it out and check for anything that may be causing any connection problems. I did move the bulb to the other side and it worked fine as I thought maybe the bulb was bad.
Underwhelmd, I have looked at the Customs Dynamics, but not Radiantz. I am going to try Sam48's suggestion and see if its just a connection issue for now.
I am going to look into buying one of the other sets in the next few weeks. Those look like great and easy fixes.
Thanks again for the great information and the help. Ill let you know what happens either way.
I am going to try Sam48's suggestion and see if its just a connection issue for now.
I hope you can sort it out without having to buy more lights. I am running these ones in the back signals. (1156). They are bright. And cheap on Amazon. Will be replacing them at first opportunity.
These ones up front-
I guess one of the reasons I didn't regret paying for them is the support from the company and their stuff is well tested on bikes, known to work and last. They are bright!
Man those look great
i am definitely going that route at some point.
So I tried switching bulbs around with no luck.
The weird thing is when I turn the hazards on with the ignition in the off position all four blink.
When I turn the ignition on it stays on but wont blink or light up with the brake light.
I may just order from radiantly or custom dynamics. But need a short term solution for now.
Sam_48, underwhelmd and rrider. Thanks so much for the input
i checked everything today, unplugged all my harness and reseated the bulbs and it all works now. I am assuming it was a grounding issue or connection somewhere.
Reset the code and all is good
thanks again
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LED Bulb question
