Warning light is dim after fitting led indicators.

[utopia]

Ok .. for the sake of being able to respond promptly I'm going to say .. thanks very much for that and it seems to explain the situation.
I say "seems" to explain simply because I need to study it all a bit longer before I can say that I've fully grasped the whole picture.
However, I'm now pretty much up to speed with the thing about the other side of the indicator circuit serving as an earth path for the warning light.
Also the diode installation looks at first glance to make sense.
Really, I just wanted to respond and say thanks without necessarily giving the impression that I fully understand the full picture just yet.

Perhaps of interest, I did observe the timing of the illumination of the indicators compared to the warning light and found that they were in fact in phase on my bike as it currently stands, not out of phase as the first quote suggested they would be .. but I can't profess to currently have an understanding of why either should be the case.

Also, I think I have determined that the original warning light bulb is (probably) 1.2W.
I have found some which are rated at 2.3W and I might just try one of those (at under£4 for two, its money well wasted).
I'm just curious to see (ie prove) what effect they might have.

Finally , its unfortunate eh ?, that the quotes use the word "indicator" to describe the warning light .. thus creating an obvious potential for confusion with the turn signals (or indicators) themselves.
Here's hoping that the author is better at electrics than they are at the use of language.

Anyway, thanks muchly to everyone for your help.
And please feel free to add further comments if you feel the need.
Meanwhile, I'll ponder my next move.


ps. The above was written prior to reading the last post .. #8

[spuggy]

Originally Posted by utopia

Perhaps of interest, I did observe the timing of the illumination of the indicators compared to the warning light and found that they were in fact in phase on my bike as it currently stands, not out of phase as the first quote suggested they would be .. but I can't profess to currently have an understanding of why either should be the case.

That is interesting... I've never really paid any attention to my Ducatis, but most cars are out-of-phase.

What voltage do you actually see on the lead for the tell-tale light?

Maybe it's some interaction with the flasher relay - how many wires?

Originally Posted by utopia

Also, I think I have determined that the original warning light bulb is (probably) 1.2W.
I have found some which are rated at 2.3W and I might just try one of those (at under£4 for two, its money well wasted).
I'm just curious to see (ie prove) what effect they might have.

I'd caution to check to see just how hot they get before installing them... Think those were used in one of my cars as panel illumination for the heater - and the plastic tubes that held them in place were deformed and melted from the stock bulbs when I swapped LEDs in...

Originally Posted by utopia

Finally , its unfortunate eh ?, that the quotes use the word "indicator" to describe the warning light .. thus creating an obvious potential for confusion with the turn signals (or indicators) themselves.
Here's hoping that the author is better at electrics than they are at the use of language.

They're 'Merkins. They call the blinky lights that aren't in the dash "the flashers"...