2014 Multistrada 1200 Hi, I recently had a bulb go on one of my rear indicators - 10 watt - on an R&G tail tidy. The right indicator still worked I remember. However, I wanted to replace them with LED so I took them off. I now have a couple of different LED indicators to try so I connected them up to the L and R wires but neither work (they both work on the battery). I have no voltage to either pair of wires - there is nothing there (a few mv) - with ignition on and indicator switch on - the front ones are flashing vigorously! There are 6 wires in the same sheath and all look original - black (earth that splits) yellow (changes into red for the number plate light that works) white/green (L indicator) and white/black (R indicator). I get virtually no voltage from either the L or R. Am I missing something obvious like an in-line fuse somewhere?
They are not fused You will get voltage only while they are working (indicator switch on for each side) Having said that, depending on the multimeter, you may not be able to record the voltage since it is intermittent. If the leds are ready, after market units, they should work. If the LEDs are just the bulbs that you installed yourself, you need a 5-20W, 5-15 Ohms ceramic resistance connected in parallel to each side to avoid quick on-off switching (LEDs draw significantly smaller current than your halogen bulbs and you need to trick the system with the resistors to think that a halogen bulb is installed) LEDs are polarity sensitive. It is not unheard of for LED bulbs to be incorrectly made so the polarity is actually reversed (you need to switch the cabling in that case) I have installed mine, ages ago and they still work perfectly fine
Thanks tzoykas, The ones I bought are LED indicators, actually I have bought two types and will send one back. I tried the Oxford Columbia and the Oxford Nightrider (sequential). I rang a local Ducati dealer and he suggested disconnecting the battery for at least an hour to see if the electrics re-set as I might be locked out somehow. This seems to match another post on here where they disconnected the BBS unit, maybe doing the same thing inadvertently. Anyway, it worked so I connected one model to each side. The Columbia didn't work at all and the Nightrider worked fine. So I connected the second Nightrider and it didn't work! I switched them around and the good one still worked on the other side. I tried the 'dud' one directly to the battery of my other bike and nothing. I also switched the wiring like you suggested but still nothing so looks like its a dud. So I have ordered another pair and will send the others back once I make sure I have a good pair! Fingers crossed. What a hassle just to change a pair of indicators!
Thanks tzoykas The instructions say if 10w bulbs originally fitted, as on mine according to the wiring diagram, then the 18w resistors supplied won't be needed, however, I might need smaller 8w ones. I am trying with no resistors first. Do you have any advice on resistors?
Well you couldn't make it up. I connect them up and they both work but the wrong way around so I swap the plug in connectors around and one works and the other doesn't. I mess around some more and they both work so I re-fit the rear light but then only one works! I take it off and try to find a loose connection but now none of them work! Talk about a waste of b***dy time! These are fitted without resistors and they are sequential so they must have a circuitry inside and when they work they are fine and in time with the front. I just have no idea why they are so intermittent. Could it be the bikes brain?
I had tried LED indicators with integrated resistor circuitry on my car. What I found out was that they were so bad in quality that they never worked flawlessly. I was so frustrated at the end that I reverted back to proper halogen ones (I didn't want to intervene in the wiring because I am still under warranty. I cannot really say if this is the case with yours too but I believe the only realistic solution is to use separate resistors in parallel with the rest of the circuitry and be able to change even bad LED bulbs quickly (because in that case you will only need to change the bulbs and not the resistors as well). 5-8Watt resistors should be fine. The indicators are controlled from the main unit (not a relay), therefore if the ECU does not detect enough current draw it flashes them quickly to let you know that something is wrong (it thinks that the halogen bulb is burned). Nothing you can do there and nothing wrong with the ECU. I didn't mind devoting time and fiddling with the wiring but finding a spot for the resistors between the two plates and fitting everything back was a MAJOR PAIN.
This is the general type I used. I believe mine were 15W each though because my original halogen bulbs where 21W. If yours are 10W, you should be ok with the 5-8W resistors.
Thanks again tzoykas These indicators are from Oxford Products and called Nightrider so I would hope they are well made. I have tried my bike again and first time they both work, second time only one. Maybe they are on the edge of the ECU recognising them as good or blown - like you say so a smaller resister will make the difference. Space is very limited so I need to source some small resistors to try. How did you wire them in? Did you just solder and tape over? Also, what would happen if I used the larger resistors that are supplied with the indicators? These are 18w at 14 volts and they say ideal for 21w bulbs.
Indeed, Oxford does make nice products. Maybe it's what you refer to. Being on the border of current draw. I don't know about the threshold of Watts that the ECU is monitoring, however more Watts would just consume more Watts without problems (but don't quote me on that , more Watts is always more than the actual circuitry was designed for). I soldered mine and used heatshrink wrapping to make sure that moisture finds it difficult to make it to the wiring). If you follow the diagram and replace the 18W resistors with the 8-10W ones it should work. THey are wired in parallel which means that one end of the resistor is soldered to the V+ side and the other to the V- (or G). Good thing that the resistors are not polarity sensitive so it doesn't matter. Check the diagram
Thanks tzoykas Yes that makes total sense, just like a bulb really. I have ordered a pair of 9w resistors which I hoped would be with me today but looks like tomorrow now. Will let you know how it goes.
Hi tzoykas New 9w resistors arrived today and fitted but still the same problem - sometimes they work and sometimes they don't! I really am out of ideas now and so p****d off wasting so much time. They have both worked, then only one side and then none at all - all without apparent reason. I have manipulated the wiring when not working and cannot make them work. It is just so random! So the resistors have made no difference at all. My only other option is to go back to 10w bulbs and hope that these will work like they did before. I might go or the original indicators but not sure if they will fit the R&G tail tidy. Can anyone do some measurements for me and send a sketch?
According to the R&G Tail Tidy fitting instructions, https://assets4.rg-racing.com/Images/images/Products/ProductFields/pdf995_83.pdf, the original indicators fit. Andy
Sorry for not answering earlier (I had a 4-day abstinence from my pc due to weather ideal for swimming ) although I would not be able to add much to what is happening. I would suspect the bulbs themselves at that point.
Hi tzoykas Swimming v PC, no brainer really! Just a quick update as it seems I haven't been giving you the full story! I thought the bulb had gone in the R&G bulb indicators but after re-fitting them I have had a similar problem. I re-fitted them with the battery disconnected in case it might re-set something and they worked at first but after stopping for fuel and trying to re-set the speed from kms to miles the right hand one (original one to stop working) stopped working! I have just ridden over 2000 miles around Scotland and the right one has not worked the whole time apart from in one garage once when I checked it. This leads me to believe that the problem may not have been with the LED indicators but somewhere else. I have not taken the tail tidy off again yet since back but will do again soon. The only possible part that could be faulty there could be the original connectors but wiggling them could not replicate the fault. I might change them anyway. This leaves me with the BBS unit maybe or something else? Its a very weird problem!
Well the problem continues. Its not the rear indicators or the rear wiring loom that you can see under the seat. Therefore, its further forward on the bike and could be the BBS or even the dash maybe. The indicators share a common earth, which could be the issue somehow but when testing resistance I find under 1 ohm with ignition off then 0.00 ohm with ignition on, whether or not indicators are on or working or not. When the ignition is switched off the resistance stays at 0.00 for a minute or two before registering under 1 again. This seems to show that the electronics changes the resistance to 0.00 with ignition on but not sure if this tells me anything! Does anyone know anything about CANBUS because the problem must lie within this electronics somehow?
I very much doubt that it is a can-bus issue if the front one is working, its more likely to be a wiring problem, there should be a wiring diagram in the rear of your riders handbook, just had a quick look on line and the front indicators work from the dash and the rear from the BBS!! That's Italian wiring for you! I would start at the BBS unit and see if you have a positive voltage from there for the indicators, just bear in mind the wiring diagram shows the rear lights as being positively switched so if you are sure you have a good negative to the lamp and you can check continuity from the BBS unit to the lamp on the positive line then you you may have a BBS issue as that maybe isn't supplying the switched positive the flash the lamp.
