If you like our site, please consider joining our club!
By joining you will help ensure that we can continue to provide this service
JOIN HERE!

Using my generator light as a blinker indicator

Post Reply
User avatar
jeffrey
Posts: 75
Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2020 8:04 pm
Location: San Geronimo CA
Been thanked: 1 time

Using my generator light as a blinker indicator

Post by jeffrey »

So I recently added an LED flasher and LED bulbs to my directionals and they work great. Much brighter and they flash twice as fast as stock. I also added an LED bulb to the neutral indicator so I can actually see it during the daytime.

Never one to leave well enough alone, I thought, "wouldn't it be great if I had a way know that a blinker was on so I could shut it off?" Sometimes my arms obscure the directionals and I forget to turn them off.

My 69S has two generator idiot lights - one on the headlight bucket and one next to the neutral indicator. Since the one next to the neutral indicator doesn't fire any more, I thought I'd use that.

I found the two hot wires leading to the bulbs in the directionals and got one side to flash along with the generator bulb - but there's a problem. I can't figure out how to make the single wire from the old generator bulb work for both directional circuits independently. You can't connect the hot wire from the generator bulb to both hot wires on the directional circuits or they'll both flash at once. If the generator bulb socket was split in two - like a tail/brake light, I would essentially have two separate bulbs for the two directional circuits. I doubt I'll find a BA9s socket that is split in two, so I'm wondering if a diode would work between one of the directional hot leads and the generator socket/bulb?

How do I pick a diode to work in an LED flasher circuit? Or is the diode not going to work?

Having gotten one side to work really makes me want to see both sides work.

A little bit of luck and an even smaller amount of knowledge will always provide the false hope to see most projects through... 8|

weh8127
Posts: 198
Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2018 11:28 am
Been thanked: 5 times

Is this helpful? 63 12 1

Post by weh8127 »

Is this helpful?

63 12 1 356 986 TELL-TALE 0.03 1 $44.90

R50/5-R75/5. One pole socket. Takes a BA9S 12v2w bulb (07 11 9 978 254). Application is turn signal indicator (orange) and the socket goes into a hole in the the headlight bucket next to the speedo. This PN does not include a bulb.

12V I know, but the hardware may work.
Bill Husted
Barre, MA USA
1963 R60/2 w/ 1955 Steib S500
1973 R75/5

User avatar
jeffrey
Posts: 75
Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2020 8:04 pm
Location: San Geronimo CA
Been thanked: 1 time

Same problem - different bulb socket

Post by jeffrey »

Thanks weh8127, but that socket has a single bulb like the one I'm trying to use now. The hot wires from each directional have to remain unconnected to each other or they will both blink at the same time. If I use a single socket and bulb, the two hots on the directionals become joined and flash together.

I think what I need is two diodes - one for each lead that will connect the directional hot wires to my idiot light. That way, current will flow to the idiot light from each directional hot wire, but can't return (diode) and connect the two directional hot leads together. Trouble is, I know nothing about diodes so I have no idea how to figure out which ones to use.

User avatar
wa1nca
Posts: 1213
Joined: Thu Sep 27, 2012 5:15 pm
Location: Ashfield Ma
Has thanked: 6 times
Been thanked: 12 times

Pilot light for blinkers

Post by wa1nca »

No 2 diodes wont work
You will need a 3 prong flasher which has a P terminal for the indicator or pilot light
not sure if you have a 6 volt system if so this will work

https://www.amazon.com/Flasher-Negative ... B06XSLDP53
Tommy
Tommy Byrnes
54 R51/3, 55 R50/Velorex 560 sidecar, 64 R27, 68 R69US, 75 R75/6
Ashfield, Ma
USA

User avatar
jeffrey
Posts: 75
Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2020 8:04 pm
Location: San Geronimo CA
Been thanked: 1 time

3 terminal flasher

Post by jeffrey »

Thanks, Tommy. This sounds like the answer I was looking for. I assume the P terminal will flash at the same time the directionals do? I do have a 6 volt system.

User avatar
wa1nca
Posts: 1213
Joined: Thu Sep 27, 2012 5:15 pm
Location: Ashfield Ma
Has thanked: 6 times
Been thanked: 12 times

Pilot flasher indicator light

Post by wa1nca »

no it wont as in a car the pilot light turns on when the flasher relay toggles between the r/l blinker
so the pilot light is on when either the blinker light are off and the blinker switch has power

the ba9s led bulb needs to be a bipolarezed (ac led) because the red/green bulb socket in the headlight shell is wired positive
they are easy to source and will post tomorrow
less than 2 dollars
Tommy
Tommy Byrnes
54 R51/3, 55 R50/Velorex 560 sidecar, 64 R27, 68 R69US, 75 R75/6
Ashfield, Ma
USA

User avatar
jeffrey
Posts: 75
Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2020 8:04 pm
Location: San Geronimo CA
Been thanked: 1 time

Plot light?

Post by jeffrey »

Sorry, I guess I don't understand what you mean by "pilot light". I need the red socket in the headlight shell to flash, not remain on.

User avatar
jwonder
Posts: 784
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2016 7:50 pm
Location: Long Island, New York
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 7 times
Contact:

I did this on my R27

Post by jwonder »

I did this on my R27 and you need a flasher relay with 3 prongs and if I remember correctly I needed to cut the common bar that joined the neutral and charge indicator together. If I remember correctly the middle wire is positive and then the neutral and charge supply ground to complete the circuit.

I cut the bar and then put the hot from the 3 prong flasher to one side and connected ground to the other.

It works great!!!!!

Hope this helps.

James.
James Wonder
Vice President, Vintage BMW Motorcycle Owners
2022 BMW Friend Of the Marque
Long Island, New York

Post Reply