LED Relay: Australian Spec strikes again!

[Baytown]

Loosing my sense of humour right now. I purchased an F6B spec LED relay from the US, tore the front of my bike apart and the OEM relay on my Aussie spec bike is 3 pins (black relay) in line where as the replacement relay is 4 pins in a Hitachi type connector. (White connector attached to the relay with resin).
Bugger!
Can some one please advise which is incorrect, was I sent the wrong relay from the US OR is the Aussie OEM relay ( 3 pin) different to the rest of the world for reasons known only to Mr Honda?
Thanks for any advice re this. Nothing is meant to be simple when modding lights on this bike!
Best wishes all.
Ken
17590

[stroguy]

Can you provide a bit better pic of your AUS relay? There's no functionality in a 3 pin relay. Minimum is 4 pins. 2 pins for relay energizing and 2 pins for the ole in out in out.

[BIGLRY]

Can you provide a bit better pic of your AUS relay? There's no functionality in a 3 pin relay. Minimum is 4 pins. 2 pins for relay energizing and 2 pins for the ole in out in out.I beg to differ with ya. Also called an LED flasher relay. Welcome to the world of solid state, no moving parts.
http://www.mobilecentre.co.uk/images/products/022433tech.jpg
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41lDnbnRpLL._SY355_.jpg
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc317/gerendasi/68245BL.jpg
And here is how to test them all.

https://youtu.be/IpRWcNoLdwQ

[Baytown]

Clearer pictures of my OEM Honda F6B 2015 relay. Help!17594
1759417595

[BIGLRY]

I'm trying to understand the problem. I get it... you are changing or adding LED lights, but why are you switching out the relay? Is it to slow the blink rate on the turns or some other issue? I would leave the OEM 3 pin you have in, it should not hurt a thing. Is this what you received?
http://www.rickcasehonda.net/dynamic-moto-power-led-flasher-relay-detail.htm?productid=20794380


Clearer pictures of my OEM Honda F6B 2015 relay. Help!17594
1759417595

[Baytown]

Hi mate.
Yes, Ive fitted LED globes all around ( another story there!) and wanted to slow the flash rate. I believe the Police dislike fast flashing vehicles.
The relay I received is like the one in your link but the connector is different.
The item I received has a square connector and 2 rows of 2 pins.
I need a pretty big hammer to ram it into the OEM 3 pin connector!
Splicing the factory wiring to another 3 pin resistor type relay isnt much of an option at present as access to the loom is difficult, and I drove 200kms today and couldnt find a suitable 3 pin relay. Living in the country sucks in some ways.
If this isnt a quick fix, or I need toget another suitable relay from SoCal Moto ( exhorbitant international postage, over $50 US for the relay), I might just put it all back together, but thats not what I want.
Best wishes and thanks for the informed guidance.
Ken

[stroguy]

I beg to differ with ya. Also called an LED flasher relay. Welcome to the world of solid state, no moving parts.
http://www.mobilecentre.co.uk/images/products/022433tech.jpg
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41lDnbnRpLL._SY355_.jpg
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc317/gerendasi/68245BL.jpg
And here is how to test them all.

https://youtu.be/IpRWcNoLdwQ

Well they may call it a relay but that schematic doesn't relay anything. I can see the internal part but it is still a 4 pin/junction device. Now I gots to find the current handling of one of those. Thanks Larry.

[BIGLRY]

Hi mate.
Yes, Ive fitted LED globes all around ( another story there!) and wanted to slow the flash rate. I believe the Police dislike fast flashing vehicles.
The relay I received is like the one in your link but the connector is different.
The item I received has a square connector and 2 rows of 2 pins.
I need a pretty big hammer to ram it into the OEM 3 pin connector!
Splicing the factory wiring to another 3 pin resistor type relay isnt much of an option at present as access to the loom is difficult, and I drove 200kms today and couldnt find a suitable 3 pin relay. Living in the country sucks in some ways.
If this isnt a quick fix, or I need toget another suitable relay from SoCal Moto ( exhorbitant international postage, over $50 US for the relay), I might just put it all back together, but thats not what I want.
Best wishes and thanks for the informed guidance.
Ken
I understand if there is an issue with the Police/law there over a fast blink rate, but personally I like the blink at the much faster rate, I did not change out my blinker relay when installing LED turns, I love the fast rate. Anything that draws cages attention to me and my signaled intended maneuvers while riding is a good thing IMO.
I wish you the best in your endeavors to solve this issue and please keep us informed of your final solution.:beer3:

[BIGLRY]

Well they may call it a relay but that schematic doesn't relay anything. I can see the internal part but it is still a 4 pin/junction device. Now I gots to find the current handling of one of those. Thanks Larry.I agree in the sense of how you and I think what a relay is: switches that open and close circuits electromechanically or electronically. They control one electrical circuit by opening and closing contacts in another circuit, but in this case it is only the terminology of semantics as it does relay a steady 12v to a "self converted" pulsed 12v signal to the turn lights.:icon_lol:

[Hornblower]

Perhaps it would be less confusing if we referred to this device as a solid-state LED flasher and not as a "relay".

[BIGLRY]

Perhaps it would be less confusing if we referred to this device as a solid-state LED flasher and not as a "relay".
:yes:

[stroguy]

I'm with ya both.

[98valk]

Loosing my sense of humour right now. I purchased an F6B spec LED relay from the US, tore the front of my bike apart and the OEM relay on my Aussie spec bike is 3 pins (black relay) in line where as the replacement relay is 4 pins in a Hitachi type connector. (White connector attached to the relay with resin).
Bugger!
Can some one please advise which is incorrect, was I sent the wrong relay from the US OR is the Aussie OEM relay ( 3 pin) different to the rest of the world for reasons known only to Mr Honda?
Thanks for any advice re this. Nothing is meant to be simple when modding lights on this bike!
Best wishes all.
Ken
17590


Ken,
I wish that I had taken pictures when I did it. You can modify your stock flasher to blink at a normal speed instead of replacing it.

Carefully cut off the back of the flasher assembly (opposite the pins). You are just cutting about 1/16th of an inch (~2mm); just the thickness of the plastic.

With the back off, you can slice the rtv where it is sticking to the inside walls and slide out the circuit board.

There is a thick solid "U" shaped wire on the circuit board that is used to measure bulb current. If you cut the trace between that wire and the surface mount IC, the flasher will work like normal.

I believe that trace goes to pin 7 of the IC. But, my memory sucks. If you get the circuit board out and can post a close up picture of it, I can tell you exactly where to cut.

Good luck!

[Baytown]

G'Day 98.
Thanks for the great info on how to get around this issue.
I think I will try to find a 3 pin LED flasher unit over the weekend and run cables from it to the OEM flasher harness. If no luck, I'll look into the surgery you advise. I'll get back to you with how I went. Thanks again mate and best wishes.
Ken

[Baytown]

Ok.
For anyone in Australia or UnZud wishing to swap out their 3 pin OEM Flasher unit to fit an LED lighting compatible replacement, here's the fix.
I purchased 2.5 mm male crimp connectors from Jay Car. Both Supercheap and Autobarn were useless. I purchased a 3 pin LED flasher (Supercheap) and made up a harness from the OEM female pin flasher harness to the new LED flasher can.
Pin 49 is +
Pin 49a is Switched and;
Pin 31 -
Fit in the OEM harness in that order, looking to the rear of the bike.
And Bob's your Mothers brother.
Flash and hazards are now ADR13 compliant and flash as intended.
Hope this is of help, and best wishes everyone.
Ken
1761217613

[BIGLRY]

Ok.
For anyone in Australia or UnZud wishing to swap out their 3 pin OEM Flasher unit to fit an LED lighting compatible replacement, here's the fix.
I purchased 2.5 mm male crimp connectors from Jay Car. Both Supercheap and Autobarn were useless. I purchased a 3 pin LED flasher (Supercheap) and made up a harness from the OEM female pin flasher harness to the new LED flasher can.
Pin 49 is +
Pin 49a is Switched and;
Pin 31 -
Fit in the OEM harness in that order, looking to the rear of the bike.
And Bob's your Mothers brother.
Flash and hazards are now ADR13 compliant and flash as intended.
Hope this is of help, and best wishes everyone.
Ken
1761217613Where there's a will there's a way.:yes:
Glad you got it an thanks for the good detailed pic I'm sure someone down under is going to run into this issue again.

You mention "ADR13 compliant" is that like our vehicle code regulations that specifies what has to be installed or working to be street legal?
I looked up nhtsa.gov and found a PDF file TP-108-13, which only specifies a minimum flash rate:
(a) A flasher having normally closed contacts must open (turn off) within 1.0 sec. for a device designed to operate two signal lamps, or within 1.25 sec. for a device designed to operate more than two lamps, or
(b) A flasher having normally open contacts must complete the first cycle (close the contacts and then open the contacts) within 1.5 sec

So the Feds only have a minimum rated but no max. Some states like Massachusetts & Wisconsin do specify a rate of between 60 and 120 flashes with 90 being optimum per minute while here in Calif. there is no such specification. The only thing concerning blinking in Calif. is about headlight modulation:
"25251.2. Any motorcycle may be equipped with a means of modulating
the upper beam of the headlamp between a high and a lower brightness
at a rate of 200 to 280 flashes per minute. Such headlamps shall not
be so modulated during darkness."
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=veh&group=25001-26000&file=25250-25282

[Baytown]

G'Day Big.
Yes, Australian Design Rule (ADR) 13 deals with lighting on vehicles including indicator flash rates.
Hence the need for the LED flasher upgrade. Im sure there is a Police officer out the who would book me for non compliance.
Either way, the slower rate just looks right.
Now Im just waiting on the loom for the LED Pathfinder driving lights to arrive and thats the lights finished.
Best wishes mate.
Ken