LED's and Flashers

[CGSI]

:beatsme :headwall Hey Guys
I just put 6"oval LED Stop Tail and Turns in place of the incandescent ones from the factory in the air flow dump body on the 2000 F-550. For some reason they blink really fast now like it does when you plug in a trailer and do not have a heavy duty flasher installed.
I have removed the headgear off the 550 already so i do not even have the extra loading of the turns on the plow lights. With LED's drawing so much less current than the normal ones i am truly at a loss. anyone have any ideas? its driving my son crazy and with me still over hear i can't do much to help him. Any Ideas?:headwall

[Lazer Man]

The problem is that LED's don't take as much current to function as an incandesent light therefore the flasher doesn't have enough power to properly operate. In a nutshell if you know what I mean.

Bob :D :D :D

[jt5019]

got this from this site www.superbrightleds.com

Turn signal issues with LED bulbs:
LED brake/tail lamps will not flash with thermal flasher units due to their extremely low current draw. These installations will require an electronic flasher unit, available in our car bulb shopping category (for some vehicles) or at your auto parts store. Try to find flashers designed to work with LED bulbs, they will say "LED compatible". Often HEAVY DUTY flashers will also work with LED bulbs.
Another fix is the installation of Load Resistors which are wired across (in parallel with) the turn signal bulbs to simulate the load of a standard filament bulb. We also have these available in our car bulb shopping category.

[CGSI]

The problem is that LED's don't take as much current to function as an incandesent light therefore the flasher doesn't have enough power to properly operate. In a nutshell if you know what I mean.

Bob :D :D :D


Lazer Man
that was a thought that i was working with but it did not make sense to me. what is the fix for that?

[CGSI]

got this from this site www.superbrightleds.com

Turn signal issues with LED bulbs:
LED brake/tail lamps will not flash with thermal flasher units due to their extremely low current draw. These installations will require an electronic flasher unit, available in our car bulb shopping category (for some vehicles) or at your auto parts store. Try to find flashers designed to work with LED bulbs, they will say "LED compatible". Often HEAVY DUTY flashers will also work with LED bulbs.
Another fix is the installation of Load Resistors which are wired across (in parallel with) the turn signal bulbs to simulate the load of a standard filament bulb. We also have these available in our car bulb shopping category.



JT
My sone says the truck 2000 F-550 does not have a thermal flasher unit but rather it has a 5 pin relay type unit. not being there it is hard to say. any ideas?

[CGSI]

got this from this site www.superbrightleds.com

Turn signal issues with LED bulbs:
LED brake/tail lamps will not flash with thermal flasher units due to their extremely low current draw. These installations will require an electronic flasher unit, available in our car bulb shopping category (for some vehicles) or at your auto parts store. Try to find flashers designed to work with LED bulbs, they will say "LED compatible". Often HEAVY DUTY flashers will also work with LED bulbs.
Another fix is the installation of Load Resistors which are wired across (in parallel with) the turn signal bulbs to simulate the load of a standard filament bulb. We also have these available in our car bulb shopping category.


JT.. its not that it will not flash.. it flashes very fast....

[jt5019]

Im not sure what the problem is i just remembered reading that. Ill do some searching around and see if i can find out anything . Its a little late now but im sure tomorrow someone on here will be able to help you out.

I could be wrong but i believe Pelican has changed some of his trucks to led's he might have some info for you.

[PSDFordMan]

JT.. its not that it will not flash.. it flashes very fast....

I'm not sure if it's the same with other brands (Chevy, Dodge..) But I know on Fords, when your brake light burns out and you turn on the turn signal, you get the same effect. Short, really fast flashes. It's kinda like a warning thing to tell you your tail light's out. That could be it. The low amperage drawn by the L.E.D. is telling the flasher that the bulb is burned out.

Just a thought. Either way, you'll probably have to replace the flasher to make it work properly.

[EIB]

What jt5019 posted is right. You need a electronic flasher. I would not put a resister in because that increases the load. You put led's in to decrease the load.

[CGSI]

What jt5019 posted is right. You need a electronic flasher. I would not put a resister in because that increases the load. You put led's in to decrease the load.


I totally Agree Eib. i did not spend all that money for LED's to hold the same load. I found 2 units that are sold specifically for this purpose with the 5 pin configuration. Truck-Lite #97283 and Grote #44090. Some people have said that the Trico EP-27 will work well too but the problem with that unit is that it says it has lamp out reporting which is just as JT had stated with the rapid blink. The Trico unit was used with sucess by a guy on the TDR forum but i am going to have my son try and find the Truck-Lite or Grote first.

I was Hoping Pelican would have chimed in by now so i could see what he used on his but I think i might have enough info to wage war on this situation. Thanks guys.:waving

[CGSI]

Trico unit (sold at advanced auto under Stantz same number EP-27) was 15.00 and works perfect. NAPA sells the Truck-Lite unit for 105.00 list and 75 my cost and the Grote unit goes for around 23. Just thought you all might like to know.:cash

[Pelican]

I missed this thread for some reason. The Fords are set up to flash fast if a bulb is burned out, I guess to stimulate you to check for it. The LEDs draw so little current that the truck thinks there's a bulb burned out and goes into the fast flash mode. There's a flasher available that won't go into the fast mode, I'll list the part number tonight, I've done the conversion on my F-350.

[Snowboy]

Grote has just came out with these. I have to get one for my friends car as he is changeing over his taillights to luxeon led's and has to change his flasher as well. Might want to visit the Grote website. Maybe Mr Pelican will give you the exact part number.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/thegrassmn/groteledflasher44090.jpg

Luxeon Led The Power Bulb B3 and B6 are offered in white with either 3 chip LEDs producing 1 watt/25 lumen, or 6 chip LEDs producing 2 watts/50 lumen with actual output of 20+ and 40+ Watts of clear white light!

http://www.theledlight.com/img-dcbulbs/sun_bulb2.jpg

[MCrossley]

the LED flasher replacment is the way to go what is actually happening is the trucks that have a lamp out warning light actually are reading the resistance across the circuit and since LED's are not realy a resistive load per say the circuit does not show the correct value to the computer and thereby triggers a lamp out or rapid flash depending on the vehicle. As stated earlier what is the point of the resister if the intent is to reduce current however it does work as it provides the necessary resistance across the circuit more than providing the load.

[Pelican]

Standard Electronics #ELF 4 will flash your signals at a regular rate with LEDs. A Word of warning, you have to be a contortionist to replace the damn thing, it's next to the radio, between it and the steering column.

[CGSI]

Standard Electronics #ELF 4 will flash your signals at a regular rate with LEDs. A Word of warning, you have to be a contortionist to replace the damn thing, it's next to the radio, between it and the steering column.


Hey Steve
I Imed Tony tonight and he told me the unit was in a not so easy to locate and get a position. He said it was a real pain but he got it so thats a good thing. It would have been too easy to put it some place accessable I guess. The good thing is that with the EP-27 Trico unit it is up and working great for less than 15 bucks. all in all it was worth it to switch to the LEDs so we are good to go.

[ADMSWELDING]

I was reading this thread last week and pu a trucklite one thru Napa for $55 bucks my cost list for $75.Wanted to thankyou guys for the great info.