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Author: Subject: LED indicators and Sierra dashboard indicator light won't work
novicebuilder

posted on 27/2/15 at 04:07 PM Reply With Quote
LED indicators and Sierra dashboard indicator light won't work

Grateful for any simple solution to my problem.

I have LED indicators and I have wired them up with a LED flasher relay with one wire from each side going into the left and right indicator feed into the donor Sierra dashboard. All four indicators flash whichever way the indicator switch is turned and there is no green indicator light flashing on dashboard. When I disconnect the wires to the dashboard the indicators flash on the correct side when left or right is selected by the indicator switch. I therefore assumed that the circuit is shorting across the indicator bulb in the dashboard and the problem is due to LED lights with little resistance compared to original bulbs.

I read several threads in the forum and discovered that a diode inserted on each wire going into the indicator bulb in the dashboard might prevent the current crossing over to the opposite side. So I bought two diodes and wired them in. whilst the left and right indicators flash correctly the dashboard light does not flash????? I've checked the bulb.

I now plan to change my two pin LED relay to a three pin one and run one pin to the dashboard light. Hopefully this will work?

Am I missing something as I thought the diodes were a logical solution and should work?

whilst waiting for my new three pin LED relay to arrive I got on with the hazard switch wiring. I used my multimeter to work out the donor Sierra hazard switch and found that the red wire links to the black/red wire when hazard is switched on. So I ran a fused feed direct from battery to the red wire with another LED flasher in series and ran the black/red wire to both sides of the indicators. This makes all four indicators flash, but the Hazard switch doesn't light up, neither does dashboard green light. Instead the red ignition and oil light flash, even with ignition turned off. Arrghh!

I know I am using the hazard switch as a simple on off and it is more complex than that, but I thought it would work. Grateful for simple solution from a talented electrician. Thanks

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simonrh

posted on 27/2/15 at 04:24 PM Reply With Quote
I had this on a motorbike and I think I remember the solution was to replace the dashboard light with an LED too.

The LEDs wouldn't draw enough current to illuminate the bulb but it was OK with an LED in their. It was like a christmas tree light bulb

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Ben_Copeland

posted on 27/2/15 at 04:26 PM Reply With Quote
Are the Diodes the correct way round?

I did the same, have two wires into one light and put diodes in. I also believe i have a 3 pin flasher





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novicebuilder

posted on 27/2/15 at 05:28 PM Reply With Quote
Thanks

Yes diodes correct way around. I did try them both ways as well.

I wondered about an LED dash bulb. Is there one that will simply replace existing, as the bulb housing and bulb are one unit?

Any thoughts on the flashing ignition and oil light with the hazard switch?

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CosKev3

posted on 27/2/15 at 06:46 PM Reply With Quote
Your using full sierra stalks?

If so you only need one flasher relay, if you search on here you will find all the info you need.

I've wired up my sierra stalks with one adjustable flasher relay, that works indicators and hazard lights,hazard switch light works fine, and so do the indicator tell tales.

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avagolen

posted on 27/2/15 at 09:25 PM Reply With Quote
This is the wiring of my indicators / hazards.

LED Flasher, Led's for rear and repeaters, front are bulbs for now.

If you have just a single dashboeard light, diodes will be required.

Sierra stalks throughout.

Indicator_wiring
Indicator_wiring


Hope this helps.





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novicebuilder

posted on 28/2/15 at 04:22 PM Reply With Quote
Thanks Avagolen.
I wired it up as your diagram and one flasher relay does work for both hazard and indicator circuits which is great, and its good to use the switch as it was designed but still no dashboard light.

After a lot of testing I realised that the voltage going to the dashboard light was too low (abut 6v). I switched to a three pin relay and correct voltage going to dashboard but still no light. Then I earthed the other lead from the dashboard light and it works fine.

So I am wired up the same as your circuit but with a third pin on the flasher relay going to one dashboard light lead and the other dashboard light lead to earth. Indicators work fine and dashboard green light works perfectly.

But.........

When hazard switch is pressed the hazard lights flash from dim to bright, never going out. Red hazard tell tale light on the switch flashes alternating with the bright indicator light and dashboard green light works normally? I have tested the circuit and there is 12v alternating with about 9v. Can't work it out. Presume flasher is allowing current to flow when it should be off?

Any ideas??

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avagolen

posted on 28/2/15 at 06:59 PM Reply With Quote
Hi, I am glad that the diagram is helping.

Wiring the instrument panel lamp to the flasher direct is cheeky - pin 49A I assume. No need for diodes :-)

Is the flasher relay wired up exactly as my drawing? 49 - 49, 49A - 49A, 31 - ground.
It may be worth checking your relays pin numbers and any data you may have with it.

I think it is OK though as the indicators working and the Hazards sort of.....

What happens in the sierra indicator / flasher switch is that the hazard red indicator lamp is connected
to pin 30, and the other side is connected to pin 49A when the hazard switch is pressed.
When the flasher relay supplies power to the indicators, the voltage is applied to both sides of the
hazard warning red lamp and it goes off - or should do. This is why the hazard indicator lamp flashes
opposite to the indicators.

What is probably happening, is that when the Flasher is not supplying power, the current flowing through the
red hazard warning lamp is enough to keep the LED indicators dim.

I do not have this problem (yet), as I still have normal bulbs in my front indicators for now.

You can prove if this is the case by temporarily removing the Red hazard warning lamp.
You can also try to see if putting a normal Indicator lamp in one of the positions.

If these prove my theory, let me know and I will try and think of a solution - if one exists.
Maybe some other LCB members have already solved this one.

Len.





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novicebuilder

posted on 28/2/15 at 07:24 PM Reply With Quote
Thanks, that all makes sense.

I'll try it tomorrow and report back.

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novicebuilder

posted on 1/3/15 at 01:24 PM Reply With Quote
I have taken out the hazard switch bulb and it works! Wahey!

All four indicator lights now flash on and off with the Hazard switch and as the flasher relay is wired into the dashboard light there is a green tell tale light showing as well, so hopefully that suits the IVA requirements. I will just check the manual again.

Your theory was correct, it was passing current through the bulb.

I have seen a thread on here where someone wired in the hazard switch light between the one of the indicator feed wires and the flasher relay. This lighted up without creating the same circuit as the original light and he put a diode in the indicator wire to stop it lighting with the indicator switch, so I could do that. However if my solution meets IVA, I'm not going to complicate it further.

Thanks for your invaluable help with your wiring diagram.

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avagolen

posted on 1/3/15 at 01:27 PM Reply With Quote
Glad to help.





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