BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

My right rear turn signal light bulb fell apart (glass separated from metal base) and I had a 1156 on hand which fit in the socket, but it draws ~27 watts, which is 6 watts more than the bulb specified in the service manual (and the one I took out). It looked about the same brightness as the other one in daylight, but since it draws more current (and produces more heat) was thinking it could degrade the plastic lens or receptacle over time, so I ordered (and will install) the correct bulb, which is: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R5 ... UTF8&psc=1

Wondering if anyone has replaced a turn signal light bulb (p/n 12V P21W) with a 1156 and had any trouble with it?

I've definitely noticed high heat & have "frosted" a pair of clear lenses I ran at one time with yellow 1156 bulbs, of course the yellow bulb is NOT the stock required color either. Having switched to "smoke lenses" recently, I didn't want to wreck them with a white or yellow 1156 so I put in Sylvania led's ,white, at a cost of more than a fill up of premium gas.$$$ The only incandescent bulb I run is the licence plate bulb, & parking light bulb which I'll install here soon, as mine's never worked.
I'm surprised I don't hear of more problems from heat, but the BMW oem lenses must be superior to the aftermarket "asking for trouble" stuff I choose.
Be careful when installing bulbs in signals, I've found things can be brittle from heat too.

Are those Sylvania LEDs widely available? I'd like to put some LEDs in place of the incandescents for better brightness and visibility. Is it a straight swap or are there other modifications necessary to install LEDs?

Steven

Straight swap. No mods or resistors, I also run a signal minder running light option, so they're always on. Package says 6000k 1156 & also 7506.
12.8v 2.3w
Advance Autoparts.

Sunbeemer... I didn't intend to hijack your post brother..

I run stock blubs w/stock clear lenses. (turn)
It hard to believe (for me), that they are all original from the day I bought the rockster! I have only replaced the instrument bulbs (all of them at least twice).

edit
oops checked the log book and I did replace left front once.

Sunbeemer... I didn't intend to hijack your post brother..

No problem! Interesting info about LED's.
If this wasn't only the second bulb I've had to change in the past 16 years, I probably would convert
(The other one was a tag light and I replaced it with a LED!)

Sunbeemer...do you have a part # or source for the LED tag light? I know the stock or replacement bulb I used for tag was WAG 68161.
Thanks. Steve

It was a BA9S LED bulb that fits in the receptacle, but you have to change the polarity of the wiring to the receptacle (+ to - and - to +) for it work. IIRC, I had to file off one of the two nubs on the base of the bulb since they were directly opposite and the receptacle needs them staggered.

There's a bunch of different kinds on Ebay:https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=ba ... noapp=true
The one I used looked like this:https://www.ebay.com/itm/2pcs-BA9S-10-S ... Swa0VaQ2Wu

I've got a spare BA9s if you need. Send me a PM and I'll drop it in the mail.

- It's been years but I recall ordering these for my previous bike, a 2002 and they've been sitting on a shelf in the garage ever since. I don't recall having to change polarity or filing a pin, but I may very well have - it's been a really long time. My current 2003 has a flashing brake light (inertia activated) that includes a lic. plate light. Not sure what this current set up uses for bulbs as I've never been inside it.

EDIT- I was curious so I went back and looked over the thread from 2008 discussing the LED plate bulbs. Yup, I had to reverse the wire connections.

Thanks, I ordered a BAX9S we'll see if it fits without changes. I don't think I'll do the wire switching for the benefit of a led in that spot.
Steve

Photoguy wrote: EDIT- I was curious so I went back and looked over the thread from 2008 discussing the LED plate bulbs. Yup, I had to reverse the wire connections.

Funny I was just thinking about that topic thread from way back.

My BA9S LED experience was failure, bought OE bulb after a couple LED trials. But a decade of improvement surely helps technology.

Photoguy, thanks for dredging up that old post. Good to know CRS hasn't completely wiped my memory bank.

A BA9S LED is still illuminating my license plate after 10 years. The vibration back there broke the filaments of a few halogen bulbs before I installed the LED.

Sunbeemer- What's old is new again

FWIW, my bike came with a vololights.com 'Braking Indication' that uses an accelerometer to detect engine braking/downshifting and conventional braking and flashes the LED's that surround the license plate frame on de-acceleration prior to the actual brake light coming on. It also replaces the plate light with an LED as part of the frame. I didn't install it but assume that it's wired into the OEM plate light power source.

And I vaguely remember replacing my halogen bulb on my previous R a few times before going to LED. Not exactly sure why it seemed so susceptible to blowing out but the LED solved that issue.

Thanks Photoguy, I was wondering what kind of system you had back there after your previous post about it. That's useful to alert vehicles behind you. I often tap the brakes a few times to let 'em know when I'm slowing, and always when I'm the last guy stopped with a vehicle coming from behind!

Yeah, it's a pretty cool idea based on the fact that the brake lights don't illuminate when downshifting/engine braking or simply rolling off the throttle. And it does illuminate with braking as well as it's triggered by de-accelerating the bike. Just another way to alert the driver behind that you're slowing down.