Deadlight Adapter, Brake Modulator, Blinker Adapter

thatvwbusguy · Post by **thatvwbusguy** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 7:57 pm

I have been getting a lot of emails lately from people looking for lighting accessories to make our scooters safer. Since it appears that Voodoo Scooter Parts is no longer in business (website is totally dead), I have decided to add some kits similar to the ones that VSP used to sell to the other offerings on my website.

All of my kits are made with TXL automotive wire and the original Hitachi style locking connectors to make everything easy to install without cutting or tapping into any wires.

Due to lack of time on my behalf and the questionable legality of some of the other designs in some areas, I am only planning to add the Deadlight to Running Light Adapter, Brake Light Modulator and Blinker Adapters to my site. I work 60 hours a week at my biotech job and get swamped with orders for my other kits on a pretty regular basis, but the kits for the Buddy are pretty simple to assemble, so I should always be able to get orders out the door within 2-3 days at most.

Here is a link to the adapters on my website: https://sites.google.com/site/vanagonhe ... oter-stuff

Looking forward to another season of happy and safe scooting!
JB

PeteH · Post by **PeteH** » Wed Apr 22, 2015 2:38 am

Folks, this is top-quality stuff. Exceedingly well assembled, great connectors, and plenty of abrasion/strain relief webbing.

ModernMike · Post by **ModernMike** » Wed Apr 22, 2015 3:17 am

Thanks to thatvwbusguy

I'm a big fan of extra lighting for safety. I've added a dead light adapter from another vendor, but will consider the modulated brake light. I think it's great to have these products available

MYSCTR · Post by **MYSCTR** » Sat Apr 25, 2015 11:45 pm

EDITS: See below for the actual list of bulbs and other parts we ended up using that work with the Buddy bulb sockets. Thanks!

ModernMike wrote:Thanks to thatvwbusguy I'm a big fan of extra lighting for safety... will consider the modulated brake light. I think it's great to have these products available

Mike - We have the 'back off brake' mod on all our Buddy scoots - it is a great mod, really get's drivers attention behind you and really easy with his plug-n-play set up. My wife has gotten in the habit when stopped at a light, she will re-grab the brakes as other cars come up behind her to be sure they realize she is there.

thatvwbusguy · Post by **thatvwbusguy** » Sun Apr 26, 2015 5:39 am

The stock flasher relay is designed to work with incandescent bulbs only. Standard flasher relays are a thermal device and work based on the resistance of the bulbs http://auto.howstuffworks.com/turn-signal2.htm. If you install LED bulbs to replace the stock bulbs in the front or the back, the flasher will still work, but will flash at about twice the normal speed. If you install LED bulbs to replace the stock bulbs in the front and the back, the flasher will not work at all and will make a nasty buzzing sound.

Installing resistors inline with the LED bulbs will allow the stock flasher to work, but it totally negates the real advantage of installing LEDs, which is that they are much more efficient and lessen electrical demand on the charging system.

A much better alternative to installing resistors, is to use an electronic flasher relay that isn't dependent on the resistance of the bulbs to flash at the proper rate.

I have a few electronic flashers in stock that work well with LED bulbs. I will set one up to work with the stock Buddy plug and confirm that it works as a plug and play solution. If everything works out, I should be able to offer them for sale within a week or so. The only noticeable difference when using an electronic flasher is that they don't click as loud as the stock flasher (they do click, but not loud enough to hear while riding),so you will have to count on the indicator light on the speedometer cluster to remind you to turn off the turn signals.

MYSCTR · Post by **MYSCTR** » Sun Apr 26, 2015 3:38 pm

What you said is exactly what happened.

We like plan B your second option and would really like to get that harness when it comes out.

Many thanks!

MYSCTR · Post by **MYSCTR** » Sat May 02, 2015 5:44 pm

Got the plug and play blinker relay form thatvwbusguy (I'm just going to call him 'The Expert') as it was so simple, quick and easy and they totally work! Everything he ships out is so well made it looks factory original.

Will see about pictures (so you can see it for yourself) and comparison between scooters after dark tonight yet this will be going on all three (or four?) of our scooters!

The wife is REALLY going to love the LED bulbs while riding at night since it is always after dark when she leaves a crit or the track to head home.

If you have been sitting on the fence as long as we have (well get off as that has to really hurt), then go order yours today from the expert.

MYSCTR

MYSCTR · Post by **MYSCTR** » Sun May 03, 2015 6:32 pm

Stock vs LED

New video comparison coming soon (after the rain stops)!

thatvwbusguy · Post by **thatvwbusguy** » Mon May 04, 2015 4:41 am

Good stuff! One thing that might be worth considering is that it is illegal to have flashing white lights on the front of non-emergency (law enforcement / fire / EMS) vehicles in many states. I'm sure that enforcement varies greatly, but I know of several instances where people have been ticketed for having headlights that turn off and on in an asyncronous flashing pattern with the turn signals on cars (the same pattern the BOB adapter uses).

Another thing that occurs to me when seeing the BOB adapter in use at night is that while it is definitely great for adding attention grabbing visibility, it might also add to confusion of oncoming traffic, since it will not be a familiar lighting pattern to most motorists. In a worst case scenario, this could lead to target fixation, which is a well known condition where people wind up running into something because they are so intently focused on it.

Adding a small set of amber LED turn signals on the front fender or shock tube could add visibility indicating your intent to turn without sending a confusing message to oncoming traffic. There are also mirrors with built in LED turn signals that work well, but the good ones are pretty spendy.

If I was looking to install additional turn signals on my scooter, I would want them to flash in sync with the DOT signals, since the timed pattern of the flashing will be familiar to oncoming traffic and is unlikely to result in confusion for the drunk, texting, falling asleep and otherwise distracted drivers we all share the road with.

As a full disclaimer, I feel like I should point out that I have an obsession with automotive lighting and a degree in abnormal psychology, which can be a very dangerous combination

MYSCTR · Post by **MYSCTR** » Tue May 05, 2015 5:29 pm

thatvwbusguy wrote:Good stuff! One thing that might be worth considering is that it is illegal to have flashing white lights on the front of non-emergency (law enforcement / fire / EMS) vehicles in many states.

Really good points all around - see post below to reflect what we went with.

TCaruso · Post by **TCaruso** » Tue May 26, 2015 8:33 pm

MYSCTR wrote:
thatvwbusguy wrote:Good stuff! One thing that might be worth considering is that it is illegal to have flashing white lights on the front of non-emergency (law enforcement / fire / EMS) vehicles in many states.
Well we didn't really like it when we added the white LED's - just a side effect of having the BOB mod already in place. We really do want the running lights to be on full time, like the headlamp. Have to come up with another secondary light for the blinkers and wire it that way. We just ordered the balance of the LED bulbs for all three scoots so we have a little time before we have to figure this out. Then we will replace the video...

Can you comment on what specific LED lights you are using? There are so many options out there I don't which are correct.

Thanks

MYSCTR · Post by **MYSCTR** » Tue May 26, 2015 11:01 pm

These are the actual LED bulbs we are running from https://www.superbrightleds.com They have super fast shipping.

Front Blinkers Amber 1156 LED Bulb - 18 SMD LED Tower (Part Number: 1156-A18-T)
Rear Blinkers Amber 1156 LED Bulb w/ Removable Lens - 3 High Power LED (Part Number: 1156-A3X1W)

Note: Our set up includes the new plug and play (perfect fit) blinker relay from ThatVWBusGuy (no need for resistors)
topic28661.html

Deadlights converted to Cool White LED running lights 1156 LED Bulb - 18 SMD LED Tower (Part Number: 1156-CW18-T)

Use the plug and play adapter found here:
topic28530.html

If you decide to just add the deadlights as additional blinkers keeping the Amber bulbs (or using LED Amber bulbs), use this adapter:
topic28600.html

Personal Take:
~The front blinkers are awesome! The tower really reflects every which way, very strong instant light when blinking, no problem being seen.
~The rear blinkers are surprisingly bright mainly to the rear with no reflection from the socket due to the style of bulb, yet from the rear is where you will want it seen. We tried three bulbs to find the one that would lock in place and not be too tall keeping the lens cover from fitting. Seems to be a good choice until someone else finds something better.
~The deadlight adapter to the Cool White is killer! Really adds to the headlamp, love the WHITE hue it gives off for both the rider and traffic. Had my wife follow me home about midnight Friday night and for the first time in 7 years, I could easily see her clearly down the street as she chased me. Love it! If you choose to run the deadlights as blinkers, just get more Amber LED's or leave them incandescent as the new relay will allow to you to mix them.
Note: some bulbs require a bit of finesse, gently wiggling while pulling to get out and then nudging to get them to lock into position. once done they have worked great for us.

We also run the Back Off Brake mod on all our (newer) scoots & have upgraded the headlamp bulb to the PIAA 70856 H4 Xtreme White Antivibration 60/55 Watt = 110/100 Watt Bulb.

MYSCTR · Post by **MYSCTR** » Tue May 26, 2015 11:47 pm

Glad to help!

TCaruso · Post by **TCaruso** » Wed May 27, 2015 12:00 am

MYSCTR wrote:Does that help?

Awesome MYSCTR! Thanks very much!!

thatvwbusguy · Post by **thatvwbusguy** » Wed May 27, 2015 2:12 pm

Hey MYSCTR!!!

Did you experiment with the removable lens on the rear blinker LED's? I was looking at that exact bulb as a possible replacement for the stock incandescent rear turn signals on my wife's 170i. Going from a 90 degree pattern (with the lens) to a 130 degree pattern (without the lens) could add nicely to the rear/side conspicuity, which is pretty limited with the small smoked lenses that come stock on the Buddy scooters.

The new generation of high efficiency headlight bulbs like the PIAA 70856 are really impressive when it comes to producing maximum lumens per watt. The increased safety offered by high quality bulbs is well worth the extra cost and effort in my opinion.

I am pretty sure that the stock Buddy 125 headlight is 35/30W, so going up to the 60/55W could cause a slow drain on the battery if you do a lot of short rides around town coupled with consistent electric starts.

The electrical system on most scooters tend to be barely adequate for the stock bulbs. Since you have converted all of the other bulbs on your scoots to LEDs, the difference might come out in the wash, but I thought it was worth mentioning in case you want to keep an eye on it and avoid the possibility of an unexpected dead battery.

Something as simple as a weekly overnight stay on a low amperage charger like the Deltran Battery Tender Plus should help to keep any scooter battery happy long term and will eliminate the negative effects of sulfation that can be caused by batteries that don't get fully recharged while riding when extra demands are put on the electrical system.

MYSCTR · Post by **MYSCTR** » Thu May 28, 2015 3:46 am

We have not tried removing the lens just yet. We are mostly just glad to find a bulb that works in this application.

The PIAA bulbs are totally cool - white that is! We went out just as it was getting dark with my wife following me on another scooter that has the cool white LED running lights and a stock bulb and WOW the headlamp just looks yellow in comparison. We will be switching the headlamp out in the next few days.

Both her and our daughter are used to plugging in their scoots on a battery tender pretty much weekly, yet as we are fairly new to the 170i Buddy, I have purposely not charged mine to see if I can 'crash' the battery and in 5,000 miles have had no trouble at all. My daily commute is 8 miles each way. I would think with the LED adds, it would help offset any pull from the new headlamp.

We had the old style BOB mod hooked up with no problems running the incandescent bulbs. We now are running the LED blinkers with your blinker new relay, have the Back Off Brake light modulator installed and the deadlight to running light conversion hooked up with the bright white PIAA headlamp. Looking into a few other accessory lighting as well to try on my scoot.

theemptythrone · Post by **theemptythrone** » Thu May 28, 2015 7:02 am

If you could figure out an adapter for the hooligan euro blinkers that would be rad

theemptythrone · Post by **theemptythrone** » Thu May 28, 2015 7:20 am

If you could figure out a running light adapter for the hooligan euro blinkers that would be rad

thatvwbusguy · Post by **thatvwbusguy** » Thu May 28, 2015 2:23 pm

theemptythrone wrote:If you could figure out a running light adapter for the hooligan euro blinkers that would be rad

PM sent.

TCaruso · Post by **TCaruso** » Thu May 28, 2015 7:29 pm

Awesome stuff MYSCTR. Last week I installed a Gen u biin. This week, thanks to you guys, I ordered LED lights all around, a relay, a brake modulator and a new battery. I decided to go with the same cool white drl, amber front blinkers and red rear blinkers.

The only thing left to do is the headlamp and a set of saddlebags.

thatvwbusguy · Post by **thatvwbusguy** » Fri May 29, 2015 9:48 am

Considering how narrow the spread of the rear lights are on the Buddy, I would be very hesitant to use red bulbs in the rear turn signals since they are much more likely to be mistaken as a brake light. Turn signal color law varies by state, but in this case I feel that safety far outweighs legality.

On something as small and easy to overlook as a Buddy, it is important to make your intentions as clear as possible to ensure continued safety on the road.

TCaruso · Post by **TCaruso** » Fri May 29, 2015 1:57 pm

I understand your point. The way I looked at is the red rear turn signals combined with your brake modulator will draw more attention to my intention, thus making it safer. The brake light blinking at the same time as my turn signal, then the brake light going steady while my turn signal continues to blink would appear to be quite effective...in theory.

thatvwbusguy · Post by **thatvwbusguy** » Fri May 29, 2015 2:20 pm

You might be right about the way the bulbs will work together. I just wanted to mention my theory as something to think about.

One thing you could try would be to install the amber LEDs in the turn signals up front, then install one of the red LED bulbs on one of the rear turn signals and leave the stock amber bulb on the other side.

Once all of the bulbs are in place, have someone follow you and take a cell phone video as you initiate turns to each side while using the brakes.

This will give you a good data set to make an informed decision about what will work best to keep you safest on the road.

Have fun and let me know what you decide on.

BuddyLicious · Post by **BuddyLicious** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 11:57 am

Would love to see some decent quality videos of these light conversions.

Pretty Please!

Love MB!

Tim...

MYSCTR · Post by **MYSCTR** » Tue Jun 02, 2015 4:04 am

Ok - really hard to see - it was dark - yet here is a shot at the standard vs LED bulbs in three configurations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMvj4mp ... load_owner

Each scooter starts, drives away and then comes back to park.

Let me know if this helps at all.

TCaruso · Post by **TCaruso** » Fri Jun 05, 2015 7:13 pm

Here's a side by side, standard bulb vs LED. Thanks to others in this thread, I knew what size and base to go with. I decided to purchase Cutequeen LEDs from Amazon becasue they were 54 SMD vs 18 and they were $9 a pair vs $15 each. The pic may not show it but they are much brighter than stock.

BE WARNED: The lens covers are real dog shit. I cracked both front covers trying to get them off and the corner of rear brakelight when installing the brake modulator. These lenses will crack if you give them a dirty look.

Sorry. tried uploading a photo but the limit is 200kb. I cropped the photo to show just the lights and I'm now over the max allowed pixels. What I'm trying to say is no picture.

TCaruso · Post by **TCaruso** » Sun Jun 21, 2015 12:01 am

thatvwbusguy wrote:You might be right about the way the bulbs will work together. I just wanted to mention my theory as something to think about.

One thing you could try would be to install the amber LEDs in the turn signals up front, then install one of the red LED bulbs on one of the rear turn signals and leave the stock amber bulb on the other side.

Once all of the bulbs are in place, have someone follow you and take a cell phone video as you initiate turns to each side while using the brakes.

This will give you a good data set to make an informed decision about what will work best to keep you safest on the road.

Have fun and let me know what you decide on.

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner.

I decided to go with a set of red LED 18 smd turn signals. These red signals, along with your brake modulator, make a huge difference in visibility and drawing attention. My wife hates when I ride at night but when she followed me home one evening even she felt the bike was much safer.

However I must add that I had a tough time finding lights that would fit. I tried lights that focused in one direction and light that focused in all directions. I tried all sorts of BA 15s lights but none of them would twist and lock. The standard bulbs sit almost recessed into the assy. Every LED i tried wouldn't penetrate deep enough to twist and lock.

In the end I went with a pair of Cutequeen 1156 from Amazon for $6 a pair. I added a little solder to the tip of the bulb making it a little longer, which allowed it to penetrate deeper into the socket. Problem appears to be solved.

george54 · Post by **george54** » Sun Jun 21, 2015 8:27 pm

Just want to jump in and say I installed Jay's adapter to power the front deadlights on the Buddy 125 and it couldn't have been easier. I think someone said 20 minute install, and I did it in 10-15 and I tend to be ham-handed!

A BIG thanks Jay, for dong this!

I put in white 15 LED 1156 bulbs from Auto Zone. $22, ouch! But it's my wife's scooter and I want her to be as safe as possible. After I was done, she was very impressed with the front visibility. I may replace everything with LEDs since the scoot will be used for short trips and the battery probably won't be easily recharged.

MYSCTR · Post by **MYSCTR** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 12:13 pm

george54 wrote: A BIG thanks Jay, for dong this!

I put in white 15 LED 1156 bulbs from Auto Zone. $22, ouch! But it's my wife's scooter and I want her to be as safe as possible. After I was done, she was very impressed with the front visibility. I may replace everything with LEDs since the scoot will be used for short trips and the battery probably won't be easily recharged.

My wife used her International 150 to commute to/from work which was only 7 miles each way and that combined with an ‘easy riding’ style in slower traffic with multiple stops and turns, never let her battery get enough of a charge so we would plug in the trickle charger overnight generally once a week and that solved the problem. This of course was before going to LED’s so we cannot say if having all LED’s will eliminate that problem or not. Hooking up a pigtail and getting in the habit of charging weekly could be good maintenance for the battery.

thatvwbusguy · Post by **thatvwbusguy** » Wed Jun 24, 2015 2:48 am

Installing an SAE quick connector directly to the battery is a great way to make charging quick and easy. I have used an RV side wall connector like this with good results for several of my friends scoots:
http://www.solardealz.com/Zamp-Solar-Ro ... dewall.htm

Be sure to fuse the positive lead to protect the wiring and your charger.

An overnight charge once a week or so should keep the battery in good condition and can help to extend the usefull lifespan as well.

If lots of short "around town" trips is the main use for any scooter, it is definitely worth practicing with the kickstarter (where applicable, sorry 170i riders) so you will know how it works should the need arise.

george54 · Post by **george54** » Wed Jun 24, 2015 1:24 pm

That's a great alternative to having a short pigtail just dangling off the side of the scooter. Thanks again for posting that.

TCaruso · Post by **TCaruso** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 12:33 am

Got a question for you gentlemen who upgraded your headlights. By switching to the PIAA higher wattage lights, are you experiencing and heat related issues and/or battery drains? I just ordered the PIAA 70456 but I'm concerned about heat being trapped in the housing.

TCaruso · Post by **TCaruso** » Tue Jun 30, 2015 10:45 pm

I've got another strange question regarding the headlight. Is it possible to install a PIAA light upside down? When I switch to high beam the light pattern drops lower. When standard, the light pattern is higher. I haven't taken it out at night yet. It's something I noticed when I tested the light against my garage wall.

TCaruso · Post by **TCaruso** » Tue Jun 30, 2015 10:45 pm

I've got another strange question regarding the headlight. Is it possible to install a PIAA light upside down? When I switch to high beam the light pattern drops lower. When standard, the light pattern is higher. I haven't taken it out at night yet. It's something I noticed when I tested the light against my garage wall.

george54 · Post by **george54** » Tue Jun 30, 2015 11:09 pm

TCaruso, where in NJ are you? I'm up north in Bergen County.

TCaruso · Post by **TCaruso** » Tue Jun 30, 2015 11:15 pm

george54 wrote:TCaruso, where in NJ are you? I'm up north in Bergen County.

Monmouth County. Near Sandy Hook. I moved down here from Lyndhurst. I went to school in Kearny.

How about yourself?

thatvwbusguy · Post by **thatvwbusguy** » Tue Jun 30, 2015 11:23 pm

H4 bulbs should only fit into the headlight housing in one orientation. There should be a single tab at the top and two tabs on the bottom.

PIAA quality control has gotten kinda dicey in the past few years, but you should easily be able to tell if the bulb was built correctly based on the diagram below:

The low beam filament is the front filament. It sits over a spoon shaped reflector that bounces the light upward, where it hits the parabolic reflector, which in turn bounces it back down toward the ground and creates the low beam pattern.

When looking at the headlight directly in daylight hours, it can appear that the beams are reversed based on the way the reflector works.

george54 · Post by **george54** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 2:09 am

TCaruso wrote:
george54 wrote:TCaruso, where in NJ are you? I'm up north in Bergen County.
Monmouth County. Near Sandy Hook. I moved down here from Lyndhurst. I went to school in Kearny.

How about yourself?

Hasbrouck Heights and part time Wildwood Crest.

TCaruso · Post by **TCaruso** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 5:52 pm

thatvwbusguy wrote:H4 bulbs should only fit into the headlight housing in one orientation. There should be a single tab at the top and two tabs on the bottom.

PIAA quality control has gotten kinda dicey in the past few years, but you should easily be able to tell if the bulb was built correctly based on the diagram below:

The low beam filament is the front filament. It sits over a spoon shaped reflector that bounces the light upward, where it hits the parabolic reflector, which in turn bounces it back down toward the ground and creates the low beam pattern.

When looking at the headlight directly in daylight hours, it can appear that the beams are reversed based on the way the reflector works.

Thanks. I installed it upside down.

george54 · Post by **george54** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 5:56 pm

You're a bigger man than I am! I would have said "Those bastads sent me a defective bulb!"

Modern Buddy

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