Adding LED lights to my Kymco

[woyciesjes]

I picked up a pair of LED strip lights - White & Amber - for my Kymco. I wired the amber to the front blinker wires. Since I had incandescent, they hyper-flash, no surprise. Looks like I need resistors, 50W 6Ohm load resistors...

What I can't figure is the white LEDs. I want those as running lights, so I connected the hot for those to the hot wire for one of the dashboard bulbs. When the scooter is running, the white lights flicker, or more like strobe. Any ideas?



Here are the LED strips I got:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L8YZ0GU/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[mousejunks]

The amber hyperflashing can also be resolved using a LED flasher relay. The relay doesn't rely on a load to maintain its flash rate. The most common are 2-pin and 3-pin.

For the white LEDs I think you are drawing too much current from the dashboard bulb. It is designed for one bulb, that's it. It's better to get power from a headlight bulb or 12V socket.

[woyciesjes]

Thanks. Do you have a recommendation (or two) for an LED flasher relay? I see many notes warning about the resistors getting hot, but they shouldn't get too bad, since blinkers are used constantly.
The rear blinkers are still incandescent (for now?) I'll have to unplug the LEDs to see if they still blink normally.

White running lights - thanks. Looks like I'll need to test having them go straight to the battery; then off the headlight wire...
If they are fine off the battery, but not the headlight, I could run it through a relay, so I don't have to use a switch that I might forget about. Right?

[Ruffus]

@woyciesjes
..under search "Led running lights"  you might some suggestions. Stig did some led-rear-light rewiring...

[woyciesjes]

So, I found these 3 relays... Anyone used these? The first two, which are 3 pin, I assume I can just replace the existing relay, even though the rear blinkers are still the original incandescent bulbs?

The third one is just a 2 pin, I suspect I'd need to leave the original blinker relay for the rear, and this on just the front? Of course, I saw one or two comments around that 3 pin relays are more reliable?

GTSpeed Universal 3 Pin LED Flasher Relay Flash Rate Control Fix
https://www.amazon.com/GTSpeed-Universal-Flasher-Control-Motorcycle/dp/B009T2YSAI/ref=pd_all_pref_n_5?pd_rd_w=WRnGq&pf_rd_p=36d0712f-e8f6-49f0-8101-fe2ba60e1597&pf_rd_r=AVRC6SWTK17NMCCSRNXV&pd_rd_r=ad008ee3-97b8-4445-ad3b-7a1692df4f7e&pd_rd_wg=t7iNw&pd_rd_i=B009T2YSAI&psc=1

Motorcycle Signal Flasher, 3 Pins Round Turn Signal Flasher Relay Blinker for GY6 50-250cc Motorcycles Scooters Moped ATV
https://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Flasher-50-250cc-Motorcycles-Scooters/dp/B07NYYSLVN/ref=sr_1_41?dchild=1&keywords=led+blinker+relay&qid=1611341880&rnid=2941120011&s=automotive&sr=1-41

AUDEW 2-Pin Electronic Turn Signal Flasher Relay Fix Motorcycle Turn Signal Hyper Flash
https://www.amazon.com/Audew-Electronic-Signal-Flasher-Motorcycle/dp/B011BTMDQM/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=led+blinker+relay&qid=1611341222&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&smid=AKNUSI5SDKOF5&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExMEVOQTZLMTlSMjlOJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMDE5NjA0MllWUTBPQktSQTczQSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMTM1NzYyMlJaU1k0SklLWFJDVCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

[Iahawk]

I believe you replace your relay with one with the same number of pins as your original one. My scooter was 3 pin so that's what I replaced it with. My motorcycle had a 2 pin so I replaced with 2 pin. Yes, you can mix led and incandescent turn signal lamps as long as you use an led flasher relay. I think most LED flasher relays are all Chinese and seem to cost about $10.

[Iahawk]

I just re-read your question...you'll only have 1 relay for your scoot...both front and rear signals are handled by the same relay. If you go with a led capable relay it will still work with regular signal bulbs...or you can change your fronts to led and leave the rears original and it will still work fine.

I bought a 3 pin relay and just cut off the included plug (and the existing Kymco plug) as it didn't match up the the Kymco plug. I connected the wires with a butt type, crimp on, heat shrink connector.

[woyciesjes]

Iahawk - Thanks, kinda what I figured. Any recommendation, or is the GTSpeed I noted above probably a good one?

[Iahawk]

I don't think there's any real way of telling how good these $10 parts are ..just check ratings on Amazon...and take your pick.  I haven't had an issue with mine..I actually ordered 2 during the early height of the pandemic when shipping was delayed for all but essential items. I ordered 1 from Amazon and 1 from AliExpress...i think i ended up using the AliExpres one. works fine.

[Iahawk]

woyciesjes - let us know where you end up pulling power from for your running lights. I'm planning on doing something similar as I recently bought used, European market OEM front led turn signals for my scoot and plan on eventually wiring them up as running lights and keeping my existing pod turn signals.

[woyciesjes]

Status Update:
Got the GTSpeed blinker relay from Amazon. Of course, had to clip off the connector but now my signals blink at a normal rate. This relay doesn't have the loud {click} when it's on, though. I kind of like that reminder...

As for the running lights, I tried using the White/blue wire that feeds the headlight dimmer switch, and the LEDs still flicker. I watched closer this time, and the rate does seems to increase with the RPMs. At idle, only a couple of the LEDs light up. To my uneducated-as-an-electrician, it seems like the stator/generator/alternator/whateveritis is not putting out enough juice.

But when I connect the LEDs direct to battery, they light up just dandy. And yes, the same ground the whole time.

I was hoping to have the running lights on only when the motor is; but I may just have to connect to the switched wire that the horn uses.

Thoughts?

[Kansas kymco]

How many watts are the running lights?  I would find out the output of the stator subtract what is being used to power everything else and figure what you have left to break even on output of stator. Even if you hook it to the battery with a relay if they draw more then your stator output you will have a dead battery in short order. You can't use more power then you produce. Don't forget you have to recharge the battery after using the electric starter as well.

Example my Grandvista uses a 30 watt halogen. If I want more light output I can replace with a 30 watt led bulb.  I still break even with stator output to charge the battery.

In fact my Super 8 150 reduces  the power to the headlight at idle speed to keep from being a draw on the battery. When rpm is increased it goes back to full power.

[woyciesjes]

Kansas - Good question. I bet not much. These are what I got: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L8YZ0GU/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1

So, a simple way to check that would be to unplug the headlight, and see how they react, right?

[Kansas kymco]

Kansas - Good question. I bet not much. These are what I got: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L8YZ0GU/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1

So, a simple way to check that would be to unplug the headlight, and see how they react, right?

That should work. You still might be able to make it work.  As long as you can keep the draw the same.  If your scooter uses regular bulbs in the tail light and headlight you may be able to replace with led bulbs with less draw.  Example if your headlight is 20 watt draw look for a 15 watt led or tail light 10 watt draw look for a 5 watt led which would give you 10 watts to work with.   

I have no idea what your scooter actually uses and used those numbers as a examples only.

Small scooters use small stator. To produce electricity it takes power and a 50cc machine does not have that much power to spare.

My inverter generator uses 3.5 hp to produce 1650 watts of electricity.

[Iahawk]

I've always thought you can't (or shouldn't) connect anything that needs power to the headlight power source because of the peculiar way many of our scoots dim the headlights at lower rpm's.

So with that option not available, I guess the question is what's a good source to tap into for power? On my S200 I have an under seat 12v power outlet (that I never use and have unhooked to make removing my seat bucket easier). I have considered tapping into that to power my future turn-signals-turned-running-lights. Need to confirm that is is switched power and not always on.

Woyciesjes - do you have a similar 12v power outlet under your seat that you could tap into?