wiring resistors into your indys?(elec help needed)

[kwak zzr]

ok so tomorrow i'm buying 4 x 10ohm 10w 5% wirewound resistors to slow these bloody indicators down :? now my question is when wiring them in does it matter which wire of the 2 coming from each indicator i use? and ive herd these resistors get hot? is it ok to use electrical tape to tape them up?

[northwind]

You wire them in parallel with the indicator, if memory serves, which means you attach them to both leads from the indicator. Not 100% on that but not too far off.

[Dysparunia]

Provided you've got a good connection (ie soldered) and you can keep it dry electrical tape should be fine.

Straight forward resistors shouldn't matter which wire goes to which end, however if they have a diode on them they will need to be wired appropriately-do you have a multi-meter?

Beware that the resistor COULD get warm, so I wouldn't go over the top on covering the resistor itself with tape.

Andy

[Sid Squid]

You wire them in parallel with the indicator, if memory serves, which means you attach them to both leads from the indicator. Not 100% on that but not too far off.

Correct.

It's entirely possible that the resistors could get hot, however, being realistic it's not as if it's your headlight and it's permanently on anyway, and even when they're on they're off half the time.
Don't worry about it.

[mattSV]

You wire them in parallel with the indicator, if memory serves, which means you attach them to both leads from the indicator. Not 100% on that but not too far off.

Correct.

It's entirely possible that the resistors could get hot, however, being realistic it's not as if it's your headlight and it's permanently on anyway, and even when they're on they're off half the time.
Don't worry about it.

Agreed (as if anyone would disagree with Squid :lol: )

I have had mine on for 2 years, soldered and taped and have not had any issues at all with them getting hot.

[kwak zzr]

You wire them in parallel with the indicator, if memory serves, which means you attach them to both leads from the indicator. Not 100% on that but not too far off.

sorry for being a dill but when you say parallel with with the indicator to both leads what do you mean? theres 2 wires coming out of each indicator a + and a - so do i wire one into each + or doesnt it matter if its + or -? :?

[kwak zzr]

i couldn't get 10ohm 10w so maplins suggested 8ohm 10w :? will these be ok?

[kwak zzr]

http://upload4.postimage.org/1864746/DSCF0001.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/1864746/photo_hosting.html)

[northwind]

That's the ones I used, worked just fine- and I had them throughly wrapped in self amalgamating tape, no overheating problems.

I don't think it matters at all which is +ve or -ve, but there's no harm in getting it right. But I think you're still missing the series vs parallel thing.

BATTERY------RESISTOR-------INDICATOR------BATTERY - in series. Don't do this.

In parallel is really what it sounds like, you wire it across the indicator instead of in line with it. THis is the best image I can find just now:

http://rochsolartech.itcstore.com/sup/RO/rochsolartech/images/parellel.gif

But instead of 2 lamps, you have one lamp and one resistor. And no switches. But you get the idea I think.

[kwak zzr]

i havent got a clue now? now i'm more confused :? sorry northy i know you mean well :roll:

[northwind]

I'm not very good at explaining electrical stuff, I've got a sort of working model in my head which is, in fact, completely wrong but is close enough to use for automotive electrickery. The trouble is, if I write it down I look like a halfwit.

Oh, here we go

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Series_and_parallel_circuits

The top paragraph is what you need. The bits further down are the equations I used to arrive at my 8ohm resistors, by the way. But you don't need any of that, you just need to know what to wire to what.

[kwak zzr]

cheers northy thanks for your patients.

[kwak zzr]

but i'm still to thick to understand it :oops:

[northwind]

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i264/Northwindlowlander/indicators.jpg

[dirtydog]

or if you cant understand northys picture how about this one...

http://upload4.postimage.org/1865401/parellel.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/1865401/photo_hosting.html)

[kwak zzr]

it took a while but i got it now :oops: thanks for the drawing northy age 8 :lol:
also cheers dirty dog that helped.

[Well Oiled]

i couldn't get 10ohm 10w so maplins suggested 8ohm 10w :? will these be ok?

Going back to my basic electrics I thought P=Vsquared/R so power should be 12 squared / 10 (14.4W) or 12 squared / 8 (18W) for those two. How can different resistances have the same power for the same DC voltage ? :scratch:

[kwak zzr]

now i'm really confused :oops: will the resistors i got work? thats all i need to know :D

[northwind]

10W isn't the power, it's the power handling capacity. Now, in this case, you actually have 21W, but it's intermittant so you can get away with 10W.

[Well Oiled]

Ahhh I see. Sorry for the confusion I may have caused Kwak. :oops:

[kwak zzr]

prob have a go at it today.

[mattSV]

prob have a go at it today.

Sorted yet?

[kwak zzr]

narr mate raining and cold so i didnt bother :oops:

[Sideshow#36]

I'd reccomend (if you already hadnt purchaced the resistors) ones from hein gericke. They are superb but at £1.99 each really expensive but they were an absolute doddle.

[kwak zzr]

sorry sideshow46 if you look at the previous page ive already got them from maplins at 40p each, hope they do the job.

[mattSV]

sorry sideshow46 if you look at the previous page ive already got them from maplins at 40p each, hope they do the job.

Cheapskate :wink:

Actually that is what I did and they work a treat

[kwak zzr]

:lol: and i think northy has put me right now on fitting so hopefully i wont set fire to my bike :wink:

[northwind]

Tomorrow:

"How do I unsolder my hands from my indicators?"

[kwak zzr]

:roll: i dont get it :oops:

[muffles]

lol, just get new indicator bulbs like i did :wink: did cost me £3 each though!

[Baph]

Just read this thread, and sorry kwak, but LMFAO.

Take it easy, go with Sid & nothy's explaination. You'll be fine. I haven't changed the stock indicators on mine, and I'm not that fussed about doing it, but all the theory in this thread stands up solid.

[Viney]

lol, just get new indicator bulbs like i did :wink: did cost me £3 each though!Hard to do if using LED indis ;)

[muffles]

ah but i am basing it on my previous knwoeldge (i think!) that he has normal mini indicators :P

[kwak zzr]

there halogen indys 12v 6w, i cant find 21w bulbs anywhere? anyhow ive got the resistors now.

what does LMFAO mean :roll:

[Viney]

there halogen indys 12v 6w, i cant find 21w bulbs anywhere? anyhow ive got the resistors now.

what does LMFAO mean :roll:

Ah...then get 22w bulbs from Busters :D

Laugh My Fat Ass Off

[Baph]

there halogen indys 12v 6w, i cant find 21w bulbs anywhere? anyhow ive got the resistors now.

what does LMFAO mean :roll:

Ah...then get 22w bulbs from Busters :D

Laugh My Fat Ass Off

Or words to that effect.

Can't remember how effective resistors are at changing the flash rate in halogens, but like I said above, I've not done it, so :P

[kwak zzr]

they sell 22w halogen bulbs? everywhere i phone says that motrax use a weird fitting bulb so that you buy the new relay at £20.

[Viney]

I used to get my spares from Busters...until i got fed up with the rubbish that is motrax, and brought some powerbronze efforts!!

[phil24_7]

So is it better to get 8ohm or 10ohm resisitors?????

[kwak zzr]

dunno i sold the problem indys on ebay and put OE ones back on.