-Show chrome saddle bag LED's

[wbetheajr]

When I bought my goldwing the saddle bag lights did not work, so a couple of weeks ago I ordered a set of show chrome lights to go on my bike. Well they come in and was a simple installation and when I turned them on 1 of the six lights was out. So I took them off and carried them back and they sent me a new set. I installed them and they worked great. rode the bike a couple weeks and the other day when I was putting the bike in the garage I noticed 2 bulbs were out, again on the right side. Well I got all up set and started testing for shorts, loose wires, whatever. Never found anything. Today it warmed up a little so I went in the garage and fired up the bike and will you look at that, all the lights are working again. My distributor said they might be getting to much power or getting hot, I don't know about that, it looks like if it was anything on the bike causing it the whole strip would go out. Any body else have a problem with these lights? Any opinions? I am stumped if its not just bad lights.

[vtxcandyred]

How do you have them hooked up????? Where are the ground wires attached???? The ground is probably the single most important wire. It needs to be a frame and a battery ground. I do it that way to avoid any problems in that area. After that you just need the power to be a steady source. There are many options but mine are attached under the seat. In fact all of the extras lights are hooked up there and then through a powered sub panel with their own fuses. This was all done before I bought the bike but I've had it apart enough to know how things work. I'm sure others will chime in with a LOT more info than I'm giving. Good luck and remember, soldering is the BEST way to connect wires. AND

[WingAdmin]

My distributor said they might be getting to much power or getting hot, I don't know about that, it looks like if it was anything on the bike causing it the whole strip would go out.

Neither of those things will cause LEDs to go out intermittently.

Can you post a link or picture to the units you installed, so we can get an idea of what the product is, and how it works?

Cold weather electrical failures are almost always due to poor (i.e. loose) connections.

[MikeB]

I don't think that they are LED's. The six bulb saddlebag lights on my GL1500 are replaceable bulbs in sockets. Open the lens covers and check the sockets.

[ka4yqi]

I am with MikeB, I have not see a led set yet being sold. Should have 6 small bulbs like 194 3 watt.

[wbetheajr]

You're right they are not LEDs but they are new and set number 3 is having the same problem. I can go out and ride one day and all 6 bulbs are burning, get home and only 5 burning, go out the next day with 5 burning and come home with 6 burning, go out the next day with 6 burning and come home with only 4 burning, and so on. The dealer I got them from said he would make it right but I am getting tired of taking them off and on. IMO its not the way I have them wired or the whole strip would go out, not just 1 or 2 lights at the time. This has got to be a manufacturer problem. Here is a link for the lights and installation instructions.......

http://www.chromeworld.com/ProductDetai ... +Light+Kit

[WingAdmin]

I've got these on my 1500, and you're right, the bulbs (or rather, the bulb sockets) are really temperamental. It took me a bit of fiddling to get them all to work - and stay working over bumps and so on.

I think I'm going to just rip out all of them and replace them with some strips of LEDs epoxied to the inside of the light instead.

[ka4yqi]

I think I'm going to just rip out all of them and replace them with some strips of LEDs epoxied to the inside of the light instead.

Thats the way to go. Just add the strips of led's in the lights till you get what you want. More like and I think that they will burn fro quite a while. Less load on the electrical. Go for it. I about ready to do mine and they dont work.

[WingAdmin]

Thats the way to go. Just add the strips of led's in the lights till you get what you want. More like and I think that they will burn fro quite a while. Less load on the electrical. Go for it. I about ready to do mine and they dont work.

I'm not all that worried about the electrical load as I've got a Compufire alternator, but I really hate having to continually replace light bulbs. I like the reliability and long life of LEDs.