MOT emergency - Indicators flashing too fast.

[weasel]

Big panic, MOT booked for tomorrow and the new indicators I have fitted on the back are flashing really quickly. I know this can be sorted out easily with a resistor in each side, but what sort of value should the resistor have? And more importantly can I get a pair of them in maplin tomorrow morning before the test?

Any help appreciated

Ta

J

[Jamie Crooks]

You can get a replacement flasher relay ( plug and play ) for about £10 from ebay, much easier than messing around with resistors. probably not help you out in time for the MoT though.

Cant you put the old indicators on for the test?

[leopard_pagan]

i know its a bit late.
your indicators are hyper -flashing. 2 reasons..
1- you have fitted cheap LED indicators *
2- one of your bulbs are out and will fail a MOT anyway.
3- loose wire

fixes for;
1- fit a LED specific indicator relay that adds extra load on to the indicator wiring and slows the flash rate to normal.
2- find and replace the broken bulb.
3- find said loose wire and fix it, remove all bulbs and squirt contact cleaner in, wait a few mins then squirt WD40 in, replace bulb

* i say cheap as rule of thumb, every LED should have its own 12V resistor, cheap LED sets daisy chain LEDs to 1 (4-5:1) resistor and more than often its not enough to cope.
my bike has LED indicators all round, i have a LED relay fitted + load resistors on each of my front indicators. these resistors can be bought on flea bay.

[weasel]

I managed to sort the indicator issue with a pair of resistors from maplin, ( I did fit cheapo LED units as the old set had corroded intenally.).

However, when the indicators are flashing the tail / brake light is also flashing ever so slightly, on this point the MOT man sent me packing.

So tomorrow I will be fitting a new battery and investigating the rear lights. I may get a better set of rear indicators as the set i had were £4 from ebay.

I am also going to rebuild the front master cylinder as the lever is slowly coming back to the bars when held on, not looking forward to that task.

Thanks for the help.

[thrasher]

why not just take your indicators off for the mot?
im sure you dont need them for an mot but if there fitted they have to work properly.

[trickyd400]

Agree with thrasher, if it's not fitted, it doesn't have to work...

The pulsing could be a low battery, charge or replace it or it could be a poor earth, either onto the frame or in the loom. The loom is 20 years old and there are a number of joints within it which can harbour moisture. Surest way is to run a new wire from the rear light earth(common) green wire I think from memory, and run it to the frame near the battery or actually onto the neg terminal. I've done this on cars as well as bikes to cure the pulsing

[leopard_pagan]

remove the load resistors and fit a LED indicator relay.
the resistors are only a last resort fix not normally needed.
i had to fit them in to the front indicators (cheap slim line ones) as i had hazard lights, not left or right. and that was AFTER i fitted a LED flasher unit.. any good bike shop will have one.

[weasel]

ended up pulling the indicator off for the test, no matter what I did they were still pulsing. Next time the bodywork is off I will clean up all the earths and see if this helps.

Thanks for the advice.