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hey guys, ive installed some LED turnsignals and they dont work on the AC system of the bike
so i bought a rectifier but im not 100% sure how to install it
i figured it would go in the place of the connecter from the stator to the wireloom right?

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diymirage wrote:hey guys, ive installed some LED turnsignals and they dont work on the AC system of the bike
so i bought a rectifier but im not 100% sure how to install it
i figured it would go in the place of the connecter from the stator to the wireloom right?

Yes, but there is more to it. What, (who's brand), Rectifier did you buy?
I got the TrailTech, which I believe is the same as the Moose or MSR.
Do you plan to run a battery, or a Capacitor?
First thing is to isolate the Rectifier from the motorcycle chassis. It needs
to be mounted to a piece of plastic or use rubber / plastic grommets or
insulating washers. Essentially, you have to do what is called "Float the
ground" Keep all electrical components grounded through the batterys
negative terminal. The ignition system stays the same. Do not change
anything from the stator through the CDI/coil/sparkplug.

So your head light, turn lights if you want them, brake and running lights
have to have their own positive and negative wires running from the
positive and negative battery terminals. Do not ground any of them to
the motorcycles frame. I believe a large enough capacitor will also act
as buffer / current stabilizer much like a battery does. Just not supply
a continual current like a battery.
Do some Google searching on AC to DC conversions. BajaDesigns has
some on line wiring diagrams showing some different wiring options.
I should take some pictures of how I did my DC plus battery conversion.
Good luck. Ask more Q: if you have them after doing some research.

Jeff

hey guys, ive installed some LED turnsignals and they dont work on the AC system of the bike

=======================
I should have read more carefully.... You are asking about turn signals.
Do you have the flasher installed? (dumb Q: I know) Is it a thermal
or electrical flasher? (ie. Two prong or Three?)
Did you make your own wiring harness? etc....etc....
US spec KDX or SR version KDX? These all make a big difference....
Cheers Jeff

thanks for the reply

im not sure on the brand of the rectifier, i bought it from mouser electronics
i had it all hooked up with a regular ground (to the chassis) but it dimmed my headlight way too much

so im back to running the regular set up with added LED turn signals and brake/taillight

i have tried both the electric and thermal flashers in this set up (DC)


so im back to the same old question, how can i get my turn signals to work?


(by the way, love the white KDX)

dlymirage, the flashers light up at all?

isn't there also something about putting resistors in the circuit to impose a load due the very low current draw inherent to LED's for them to work? have you done this step?

also have you measured the DC voltage output from your rectifier? what readings do you get?

E2, why do you need to have a floating ground? aren't the stock electrics grounded to the frame already? and, do you have to run a capacitor or batt?

for my own curiosity (i intend to install flashers as well), would using a diode in series in the circuit to act as a half-wave rectifier suffice to covert to DC rather than what i assume in the above posts is a full wave unit? just for my own curiosity.

Paul, right now the indicators work like running lights, the come one when i turn the switch on
(i wired them in without the flasher in place just to make sure that everyting works)

i didnt try to install the load resistors yet since i couldn't even get them to flash slowly, regardless of the flasher i installed


i also didnt bother checking the output after the rectifier because i could tell by my headlight it wasnt enough



as for the rectifier, it was a fullwave unit

try installing the resistors...

this is what procycles has to say about those resistors:

http://www.procycle.us/dskits/dskit.htm#tsresistors

Allows LED type turn signals (and low wattage flushmounts) to flash using a standard flasher unit. Connectors included. One kit works with 4 signals.

p.s. are you running a stock stator?

yup, stock stator


i dont think the resistor alone will do the trick because when i first started the turn signals had regular filament bulbs in then and the still wouldnt flash with the thermal flasher
(didnt have the electric one at the time)

the only reason i could think off was the whole AC-DC deal

Did the filament one slight up at all, if so were they dim?

Trying to explain all the little variations and concepts would take a book
and be way over my limited knowledge to explain.
After many hours searching and doing my homework on the web.
I completed two AC to DC conversions. One on my EC300 GasGas and
the other on my KDX240SM.
The GasGas was accomplished with the floating ground modification
within the stator itself. It uses the 2K3 Stator that most KTM 2-strokes
use that have stock headlights.
The KDX was done like I mentioned above by removing the Rectifier and
all lighting components from the frame ground.
Here are a couple of links that may help. I think they will work without
having to join the GasGasRiders web forum.
This one is pretty long, but has lots of links to information I researched.
http://www.gasgasrider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1859
This one is supposed to work without floating the ground. (untried by me)
http://www.gasgasrider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=7900
Look into TrailTech and BajaDesigns web sites for some how tos.
Do some homework. Read the information in the links and I will try and
help as best I can across the great divide of cyberspace.
---
As for why the flasher is not working....A couple of thoughts....
Most flashers are DC. The two prong ones use heat created by resistance
to cause a break in current when a bi-metal wire heats up and bends
out of contact. Like was mentioned. LEDs do not draw enough current
to make the flasher heat up. hence the resistor. The three prong auto
type flashers use some kind of electromagnet or electronics to turn
on and off the current. These type need to be grounded some how to
the system. Either frame or battery. Depending on what type of wiring
design you choose. There are some AC electronic flashers out there.
The only one I am familiar with is the Leonelli. This link might help.
http://www.gasgasrider.org/forum/showth ... ht=flasher
I had to replace the AC flasher to a DC flasher and change the
location of the spade connectors in the connector that held the flasher.
As seen in the above post.
Again, good luck and good reading.
Jeff