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Showing results for tags 'Replace the lamps with LEDs'.
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I highly recommend replacing the incandescent lamps and lamp-holders with LED type bulbs. I have done this on several bikes now with good results To get the screws out remove the gauges then you can grip the brass inserts with a pair of pliers while undoing the Allen screws, don't worry if the plastic gets broken a bit JB Weld is your friend. I really like the type 194 single LEDs from www.superbrightleds.com, they are an AC lamp (have a built in bridge rectifier) so you don't have to worry about polarity and they glue nicely into the fitting. You need to select lamps to match the filter colour otherwise they won't show through properly The low fuel light is a special case, even when the tank is full the sensor is drawing a small current, if you just replace the lamp with an LED it will be on because the small current is more than enough to light an LED, The original lamp and sensor are a fine balancing act, when the sensors uncovered it heats up and drops in resistance, the lamp starts to heat up and goes up in resistance. The easiest way to deal with this is simply wire the LED in parallel with an original lamp, this gives the thermistor sensor the current it is used to, the extra load the LED draws is insignificant. Another thing you might notice is the oil light coming on in the rain, this is because the current tracks across the dirt of the pressure sensor the LED draws so little 5 milliamps is enough to turn it on, wiping the switch clean is usually enough to let the lamp turn off probably some CRC or a cover would help. The pictures below are from two different projects, sorry if they seem out of sequence. Here's what the original light fitting looks like complete with cracked screw holders I throw those nasty lamp-holders away. The brass inserts were spinning at this point but you can see they are easy to grab with needle nose pliers. Some Ty-wraps to take the strain off the wires, the wires are just soldered direct to the bulbs, I tried using the appropriate sockets but they just add extra stuff to go wrong. At the bottom in a piece of white heat shrink you can see the old incandescent lamp in parallel with the Low Fuel LED The next two pictures really belong in the Speedhut gauge thread. The lamp fitting in this case has been reduced in height to take advantage of the Speedhut Gauges that are only 1" high. A corresponding amount was taken off the cover, I used a strip of 3/4" masking tape as a guide and chopped the lump off where the speedo gears were smoothing it off with Bondo.