LED Upgrade - is there any way to fix hyperflash on 2021 F3 without load resistors?

[nycgordonf]

So I've finally upgraded the rear blinkers/brake lights on my 2021 F3-S to LED. Simple swap. Frankly, I'm surprised Can-Am still uses incandescent bulbs, given the availability (and relative affordability) of LEDs. But, being as it is, I'm sure there's a reason for it.

Needless to say, the rear turn/brake lights are NOTICEABLY brighter.

I had initially purchased a set from SuperBrightLEDs, but their product offerings (and customer support) must've gone down the drain in recent history. The set I received didn't exactly work with the turn function, only brake. Needless to say, I went with these from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

One of those, weird-name, foreign-made wacky things, but they work, they're cheap, and if they break, they're easy to replace.

In my previous post I went on and on about the importance of using high-quality headlight LED units - which I did. Top of the line Philips with massive heat sinks that set me back over $100.

HOWEVER - and this is where I draw the line - there is a stark difference between headlights, and tail lights. Headlights draw much more current. So a cheap unit is more likely to malfunction, melt your wires, trip a fuse, or flat-out start an electrical fire.

Tali lights serve solely to allow you to be seen. While important, they come in pairs, so a failure won't leave you scratching your head on the side of the road at 11pm wondering if you can manage to get home using your phone's flashlight function as the sole means of illuminating the deer-infested road that lays before you.

Now, before I ramble on (as I have) - the (expected) side effect of replacing incandescent 1157 dual-filament capsules, which top out at 28 Watts with the blinker/brake with LEDs is the hyperflash phenomenon.

While some of you may (or may not) be familiar with this unusual occurrence of strobe-like effect haunting your blinkers, the explanation is quite simple.

The wise engineers in automotive companies design a circuit with a certain load in mind. With our F3s, that means front LED blinker (OEM), + rear incandescent = X number of amps being drawn. Once that amperage drops, that tells the very wise computer sitting underneath our plastic sheeting that something is off.

The hyperblink function is meant to alert us to it. The only way to get around is to install load resistors. Copper boxes that put unnecessary load on the circuit into tricking it that the LED you've just installed (3watts) that replaces your incandescent bulb (28 watts) are one and the same. The obvious drawback to this is = you're sitting in traffic on a hot summer day, and underneath your passenger seat, there are two resistors drawing 100 watts on 12 volts doing nothing other than generating massive heat in order to fool your computer.

Silly it is, to say the least. That's because the only way to defeat the hyperblink function is to use a 50 watt resistors on a circuit rated for 28 watts.

Now, I've come across many threads that seek to remedy this very issue. They instruct to turn the engine on, press and hold the hazard lights button for 30+ seconds. Then, release it, turn off the hazard blinker, followed by pressing a turn signal button, and after a single blink, turn the engine off.

I have found numerous versions of this archaic ritual of button pressing, but to no avail. My 2021 continues to fire off its blinkers, alerting me to a potentially impending seizure that's just around the corner if I don't stop starting at it.

So in conclusion of my verbose post, I ask any and every one who might be familiar with the issue. Is there a way to reprogram - reset the hyperflash function on a 2021 F3 model without using load resistors?

Now, I could've just asked that, but then, where would I unload my baggage of frustration?

I look forward to any and all replies gentlemen. Safe riding!

[Steve W.]

I have no words of wisdom to offer, but I am going to follow along, as I have the same problem.

I have gone through all those different versions of "key on, flashers on, ... etc." AND I have installed resistors as well, but I STILL get hyperflashing. Not sure if I'm sticking my tongue in the wrong corner of my mouth whilst sacrificing a rubber chicken, but I have not yet fixed the problem on my wife's '17 RT-S.

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[RayBJ]

Are your resistors in series or parallel to the LEDs? Series will dim the LED if it lights at all. Parallel will continue to supply 12v to the LED and create the load you need to slow the flash.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

There are fixes for this ..... But imho " Hyperflash " is a good thing.... it's MORE noticeable. .... Vermont has pretty strict Veh. / Mtc. inspections ..... But no mention of " how much or fast " turn signals must be. ..... I'm an x-leo and I wouldn't worry about this. .... But to be sure check with and inspection station ( if you even have them ), they can tell you if " hyper-flash " is illegal in your State ..... PS if it's legal in your State it is must be accepted in every other State ( that's the Law ...... good luck ..... Mike

[nycgordonf]

I have no words of wisdom to offer, but I am going to follow along, as I have the same problem.

I have gone through all those different versions of "key on, flashers on, ... etc." AND I have installed resistors as well, but I STILL get hyperflashing. Not sure if I'm sticking my tongue in the wrong corner of my mouth whilst sacrificing a rubber chicken, but I have not yet fixed the problem on my wife's '17 RT-S.

.

If you're going the resistor route, make sure you get 50w resistors, like this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Even though a 1157 incandescent bulb draws 28watts when the brake/turn function is on, anything less than a 50w resistor will trigger a hyperflash on the Can-Am. I tried smaller resistors and anything but a 50w won't work.

MAKE SURE you mount the resistor somewhere safe under the passenger seat. Use silicone grommets so that the resistor isn't attached directly to anything plastic. It WILL melt it and potentially start an electrical fire. It's part of the reason I am avoiding going that route.

The wires you want to tap are WHITE and BLACK, on the harness leading from the tail light harness.

You will need TWO 50w resistors, one for each side (left and right).

Good luck, and tell your passenger that their seat is now heated :-)

[nycgordonf]

There are fixes for this ..... But imho " Hyperflash " is a good thing.... it's MORE noticeable. .... Vermont has pretty strict Veh. / Mtc. inspections ..... But no mention of " how much or fast " turn signals must be. ..... I'm an x-leo and I wouldn't worry about this. .... But to be sure check with and inspection station ( if you even have them ), they can tell you if " hyper-flash " is illegal in your State ..... PS if it's legal in your State it is must be accepted in every other State ( that's the Law ...... good luck ..... Mike

My state inspection ($9) involves the following, and I reckon yours is about the same:

- Horn (check)
- Headlights (check)
- Blinkers (check)
- Brake light (check)

I think the guys doing inspections at motorcycle shops aren't paid anywhere near enough to care (nor report) blink rate :-)

[Steve W.]

If you're going the resistor route, make sure you get 50w resistors, like this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Those are the resistors I got, but I only got two of them. Each resisitor is meant to replace one incandescent bulb. I only replaced the one incandescent bulb on each side, so I only got two resistors. They are installed properly, in parallel.

As an experiment, I also tried two resistors on one side. I tried them in series and in parallel (for 3Ω and 12Ω loads), neither of them helped.

Might also be noteworthy: the hyperflash is only when the engine is running. If I only turn the key ON, then the turn signal, it's just fine. Start the engine, it goes to ON, off, ON, off, HYPERFLASH.

Mike, I sort of agree with you that the hyperflash is more noticeable. HOWEVER, to 99.9% of the people on the road, hyperflashing means that something is WRONG. Usually, it's either a reduced load of a burned-out bulb or the additional load of a trailer.

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[nycgordonf]

The best part is, the electrical/ECU engineer at BRP who programs the hyperblink could offer us a fix in about 2 minutes. If he would be so kind as to share the process involved in resetting it, like they did for the 2015 models. Problem is, us-riders getting in touch with the engineers that designed the machines we ride. Good luck with that.

[Steve W.]

The best part is, the electrical/ECU engineer at BRP who programs the hyperblink could offer us a fix in about 2 minutes.

You do realize that would mean that BRP would condone the installation of non-BRP products?

After all, why would ANYONE possibly want to install something like better lights, better tires, better suspension, ... etc., etc.

An alternative exists in the form of using a simple timer. 1/4 second ON, 1/4 second OFF, 1/4 second ON, 1/4 second OFF, repeat as necessary.

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