Curing LED Turn Signal Conversion Problems

LEDs make sense for boondocking interior lights...make no sense to me for turn signal and brake lights...all imo

Until a person sees all the burned-out lamps at night. "Hey mister you got a turn signal out" You're at a gas station in the middle of nowhere. It's raining.

JMHO

LEDs make sense for boondocking interior lights...make no sense to me for turn signal and brake lights...all imo

ChooChooMan74 wrote:
1st. If you vehicle still has a flasher, an electronic flasher will cure the fast flash.

2nd. I have been using LED replacements for years. No issues except that I never have to change a bulb. Use quality LEDs, and they can be seen.

Newer vehicles do not use a can type flasher. Instead they use the Body control Module (a computer) which checks for the proper bulb current and if it doesn't see the proper current it hyper flashes.

The resistor method is the only "cure" for that.

Second, LEDS DO GO BAD.

I have so far had TWO very expensive $50 LED modules go bad on my TT, one within two years of use for a grand total of 4000 miles of driving and the other after THREE years of use..

I NOW keep SPARE LED MODULES with me at all times since they are not found in any stores and are special order only..

I get to see LOTs of big rigs with half failed or fully failed LED modules not to mention, now days lots of cars which are equipped with factory LEDs failing (bet those are several hundred each to replace).

So don't fool yourself into thinking that changing to LEDs solves failed lights.. I thought the same thing at one time which is why a converted my TT to them.. Now I am regretting that decision and am really considering going back to $1 incadescent bulbs which are a heck of a lot more reliable...

The issue is about safety, not about energy savings. The person whom asked this claimed he has a toad with a unique integral harness flasher that was difficult to impossible to substitute.

Now to your own personal THIS APPLIES TO ME THEREFORE IT APPLIES TO EVERYONE comment about mileage, time and lifetime of bulb...

Go out at night sometime and see all the cars with non-functioning signal lamps. This is the point and perspective I use.

Maybe you are different, but if I ever caused an accident and it was because of lazy maintenance or because I wanted to save twenty lousy dollars I would never forgive myself for injuring someone.

Your argument does not make sense to me. Sorry.

1st. If you vehicle still has a flasher, an electronic flasher will cure the fast flash.

2nd. I have been using LED replacements for years. No issues except that I never have to change a bulb. Use quality LEDs, and they can be seen.

there are a few cures.. Most auto parts stores and major truck stops (loves, J, Pilot, TA and so on) sell a Resistor,,, You need at least one per socket if they are 10 watt loads, A turn signal is closer to 25 watts.. And at half wattage the flasher goes fast if it's a standard one

Heavy Duty flashers,, I have yet to test, but I very strongly suspect they will NOT do this,, Since they work on a completly different method.

Here is how the standard mechinicial thermal flasher works:

As currrent passes through the bi-metal bar it gets hot and opens. Then it cools and closes, then it gets hot and opens,, and so on.

How an HD works

The unit starts OPEN.. a small low current wire "heater" is wrapped around the bi-metal arm, and as current flows to the lamps it heats up closing the circuit

Then as it cools it re-opens,, re-heats and re-closes

one lamp (25 watts) or 10 (250) is all the same to this unit.

Solid state flashers... Now those can be designed in many ways,, most of them poorly for LED conversion.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
DEVIL'S ADVOCATE TIME...

Change all 4 turn signal lamps. How many AMPS does that save? Or better yet allow me to get snotty - how many watt minutes would that save in 10 years?

Comparing the longevity between LED and incandescent are we?

A BURNED OUT incandescent bulb can cost an accident, your life, everything you own, etc...

Do we feel that hand smacking our forehead?

This is a kit, it comes with lots and lots of instructions. Of course if the kit is the price of a double-burger different than say a metalized load resistor than the kit is a major faux paus.

SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK

If you add in the wattage used by the load resistors you save NOTHING.

That's right NOTHING since the load resistor has to "simulate" the current draw of TWO incadescent bulbs :S

In the end, you pay more for LEDs then pay more for load resistors to "fix" the hyper flash and you gain NOTHING other than emptying your wallet...

Proper incadescent turn signal bulbs cost about $1 each but yet with LEDs you will spend $10 or more each and get less effective signals since the fixtures are not designed for LEDS :h plus you spend extra for a load resistor and by pass a safety feature..

Then there is the life of the bulbs, I have a 10 year old truck with 200,000 miles on the clock with the ORIGINAL turn signal bulbs :B

Most folks will never ever need to replace incadescent turn signal bulbs if they trade their vehicle every 10 years.. (last time I replaced one was a vehicle which was 15 years old) so I see no "advantage" to putting LEDs into vehicles which were never designed for them..

Ok, I'll be devil's advocate for your points:

I'd be willing to wager that the power savings equates to 1 or maybe a few gallons of gas per year.

Burned out signal? That's why the signal goes into hyperflash mode - to alert the driver that there's a bulb out. Most newer vehicles also have an idiot light on the dash to alert about other burned out bulbs.

I've upgraded my entire tail light housings to LEDs on some of my vehicles. I've found the LED bulbs to be substandard in their illumination. Only ones I'm currently running are my fog light bulbs.

ETA: to match the color of my HID bulbs in my halogen OEM housings. :B

DEVIL'S ADVOCATE TIME...

Change all 4 turn signal lamps. How many AMPS does that save? Or better yet allow me to get snotty - how many watt minutes would that save in 10 years?

Comparing the longevity between LED and incandescent are we?

A BURNED OUT incandescent bulb can cost an accident, your life, everything you own, etc...

Do we feel that hand smacking our forehead?

This is a kit, it comes with lots and lots of instructions. Of course if the kit is the price of a double-burger different than say a metalized load resistor than the kit is a major faux paus.

SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
This apparently cures automotive manufacturer's morphidite flasher tantrums that go into Charles Manson mode when a person converts from incandescent to LED turn signals.

http://ledguy.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=29_40&products_id=122&zenid=ppdlnpp4q9bbphb70kgq8mk004

That item is nothing more than a 10W LOAD RESISTOR in a box for $10 which basically negates any "benefit" of lower wattage LEDS :S

You can get the same type of resistor for HALF the price HERE

Better yet, KEEP the incadenscent lights instead of opting for the bling of LEDs in your turn signals.

That auto manufacturers INTENTIONALLY make the blinkers blink fast when the proper amount of current is not drawn FOR A REASON... SAFETY.. It is a WARNING SIGNAL to the DRIVER of said vehicle to let you know that you have a turn signal lamp out.

Adding the resistor "fools" the car (and the driver) into thinking all is well if you add a resistor and you will never know that a LED module fails (and they DO FAIL).