Electrical craziness!

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a2dmusic
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Joined: Tue Jun 13, 2017 2:34 am
Location: Seattle

Electrical craziness!

Post by a2dmusic »

OK I'm a Buddy newb AND electricals are not my speciality. So bear with me.

I was looking at increasing my visibility as I will necessarily do a lot of night driving and my scoot's color is dark. So I've added some reflective materials here and there and also put in LEDS in the "rest-of-world" turn signal lamps and wired them to be running lights using the mod ScooterWest sells.

Since doing that, all has been FINE. All lights, power, etc working as normal ever since.

THEN. Earlier today, I saw this in the Technical Library: http://www.modernbuddy.com/forum/topic4467.html

Seemed very doable to get brighter turning lights!

Well I took off the left front and rear turn signal light covers, removed the original bulbs and put the new lights in. Put on the hazards so I could compare the stock bulbs with the replacements.

HAZARDS WORKED FINE. SIGNALS WORKED FINE. So far so good.

That said, I wasn't impressed by the difference enough to spend $25/pair per bulb so decided to go back to stock and return the replacement bulbs.

Put the stock bulbs back in.

Right signal - works fine. Left turn signal: rear L doesn't work at all, front L works, but is much much dimmer. AND when L turn signal is on, now the front running lights both dim and brighten.

Turn on hazards... same thing - faint L front, NO L back, fine both front/rear R side, and the running light LEDs pulse.

Took out the L bulbs and tried reseating them. No difference.

So... I mean it's clear SOMETHING circuit-wise has gone funny, and it would have to do with the stock bulbs or... something. But I didn't even touch wiring! Except in the technical sense of the "tip" of the bulbs that touch the circuit. But... why that would suddenly impact the runninglights... gaaaaah.


Ideas, wiser people than I?
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joebug
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Post by joebug »

It's very difficult to trouble shoot electrical problems over the internet.. all we can do is ask you if you put the bulb in correctly, are you sure the bulb is still good? did you take the bulb out and try it? try switching the bulbs to the other side and see if the other side does the same thing to eliminate the bulbs being the issue.... go through those processes and see what you come up with.
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a2dmusic
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Joined: Tue Jun 13, 2017 2:34 am
Location: Seattle

Post by a2dmusic »

Thanks for the suggestions joebug. I figured it out.

When I replaced the rear turn signal bulb, I was struggling with it a bit. Turns out, I was managing to press against the ground tab... that ultimately got bent and ended up in contact with the positive.

Which of course shorted out the signal relay. D'oh! So replaced the relay and readjusted the tab... back in business.

How many newbs does it take to change a Buddy's lightbulb? Well one, but with all kinds of collateral damage. :lol:
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