LED Tail light

Started by Two9zero4, July 07, 2008, 06:15:38 PM

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Two9zero4

OK, well I bought some led lights in hopes of using them to install a custom tail light.  I have a stock pig tail from the old tail light and I connected the (4) LED's to the wires and my plan was to have 2 on as running lights and have 2 turn on when the brakes are applied but the problem is that the lights stay on constantly even when applying the brake.....What am I doing wrong? I believe there is a Blue wire, a Yellow, and a black, I connected 2 (+) terminals of the LED's to the Blue wire and 2 (+) wires to the Yellow wire then all 4 (-) wires to the black(Ground) wire.  Is there something I am missing? Do I need to have dual filament bulbs for this to work? 

ThisGuyAlex

you need to control the brake light hot or ground side throught the brake switch in order to have the on off functions, also you may need to add a resistor due to the much lower resistance of the led's vs a regular bulb take an ohmmeter and measure the resistance odf the led's then the original bulb, subtract to get the difference and go to radioshack and get a resistor that's = to or close as possible to that #....maybe $ .20 each wire it in series with the led's.....like bridging a pair of sub's if you can do that......power in through the resistor then out to the led then through the led to ground......... :thumbs:
sold the raptor....full on 05 yfz in progress...

stock parts: fuel tank, swingarm and rear shock

ThisGuyAlex

i'm originally from jersey....if i was gonnna be around there anytime soon i'd do it for ya....take me like 10 min....or if you make it out towards chicago.......let me know
sold the raptor....full on 05 yfz in progress...

stock parts: fuel tank, swingarm and rear shock

Two9zero4

The bulbs already have resistors installed....Do i need another resistor?

ThisGuyAlex

#4
what is the resistance of the led? what is the resistance of the stock bulb? what's the difference between the 2? then i can tell you
sold the raptor....full on 05 yfz in progress...

stock parts: fuel tank, swingarm and rear shock