Installing Load Resistors for LEDs?

[bigapple]

i have LED 3157 taillight bulbs and i had purchased some resistors from radioshack (the long white ones)... i forget what theyre rated for but someone suggested it to me and i put them in the curcuit yesterday... i tried putting them on the middle wire, the ground wire, and the power wire... no slowing at all... the blinker still blinks fast and now i have these messed up wires from snipping them... anyone have any suggestions of how exactly these get installed to where the blinker is normal again?

 

[IZwack]

The resistors are probably not "large" enough.

You can also splice in an old bulb (or the old bulb) into the system and tuck it away.

 

[Sandy]

It would be easier to replace your existing flasher with an electronic flasher designed for LEDs and Standard bulbs.

Not sure where they are sold but they are available and work well.

Mine was purchased at Ron Francis Wire works and works with my wiring harness. I have LED Taillights (home brew) and all of my markers are LED Bulbs, the front two bulbs are standard incandescent but all of the lights flash with the one flasher.

 

[bigapple]

The resistors are probably not "large" enough.

You can also splice in an old bulb (or the old bulb) into the system and tuck it away.

the old bulb idea doesnt sound too shabby... any ideas on how i could go about doing that when i have the LED bulb in the socket? im not sure which wires touch the terminals on the bulb... its a 3157 dual filament so its got 4 different terminals

 

[IZwack]

Get a voltmeter (or a noid light, or just use any regular 12v bulb) and see which wires go hot when the bulb is on -- like if you put these bulbs on the turn signal socket, put the flashers/hazard on and it will blink all turning bulbs. You should be able to find out which one is hot. As for the ground wire in the bunch, its either white or black (commonly white).

There is a writeup somewhere where a guy changed over the flasher resistor using a variable resistor to counter LED lights (which would then allow you to change the rate exactly to your liking), I'll see if i can find it.

EDIT -- okay I cant find it. But basically the guy opened the flasher, desoldered a resistor, and put a variable resistor in place. But I wouldnt go through all this hassle unless you tinker with electronics as a flasher dedicated for LED is typically around $10-$20.

 

[bigapple]

Get a voltmeter (or a noid light, or just use any regular 12v bulb) and see which wires go hot when the bulb is on -- like if you put these bulbs on the turn signal socket, put the flashers/hazard on and it will blink all turning bulbs. You should be able to find out which one is hot. As for the ground wire in the bunch, its either white or black (commonly white).

There is a writeup somewhere where a guy changed over the flasher resistor using a variable resistor to counter LED lights (which would then allow you to change the rate exactly to your liking), I'll see if i can find it.

EDIT -- okay I cant find it. But basically the guy opened the flasher, desoldered a resistor, and put a variable resistor in place. But I wouldnt go through all this hassle unless you tinker with electronics as a flasher dedicated for LED is typically around $10-$20.

thanx for the advice man... ill see what ideas i can come up with... will post results if i do it

 

[ghoster]

autozone and pepboys sells a kit..i think its like 15 0r 20 bucks

 

[mikeh44]

they do not make a flasher for 3rd gens that will work wit leds the flasher is for both turn and hazzard you need a 50 watt 6 ohm resistor for load

 

[bigapple]

they do not make a flasher for 3rd gens that will work wit leds the flasher is for both turn and hazzard you need a 50 watt 6 ohm resistor for load

ooo alrite cuz the one i got is i believe 20watt 8 ohm... maybe i need some more resistance

 

[1Bad04]

they do not make a flasher for 3rd gens that will work wit leds the flasher is for both turn and hazzard you need a 50 watt 6 ohm resistor for load

Try the Tridon electronic flasher, model EP27. Available at Advance for about $15. Worked in my '04 with replacement LED bulbs in front, rear, 3rd brake light and reverse. I believe any electronic flasher WITHOUT bulb outage indicator will work for any year.

 

[DMacLennan14]

where is the flasher located in your 04? i have an 04 and i think i would rather switch out the flasher than have the load equalizers in there that i have right now.

 

[bigapple]

ok so i finally figured it out... i went to autozone to get washer fluid and found load resistors in a pack and since i already had a set exactly the same from radioshack i just read the directions on the back... i had been paralleling the resistor into either positive or negative alone and did it wrong... i was supposed to bridge it like so... i apologize for the terrible illustration haha... works perfectly like this

 

[IZwack]

So YOU mean to say that we wasted an entire thread !?!!?

I love you Lets hug..

 

[bigapple]

So YOU mean to say that we wasted an entire thread !?!!?

I love you Lets hug..

haha it seems as though we did... i was ignorant in the wiring field but im good to go now... no worries

 

[Sandy]

ok so i finally figured it out... i went to autozone to get washer fluid and found load resistors in a pack and since i already had a set exactly the same from radioshack i just read the directions on the back... i had been paralleling the resistor into either positive or negative alone and did it wrong... i was supposed to bridge it like so... i apologize for the terrible illustration haha... works perfectly like this

Is this working ???

 

[1Bad04]

where is the flasher located in your 04? i have an 04 and i think i would rather switch out the flasher than have the load equalizers in there that i have right now.

Up under the dash on the driver's side. It is on the top side of a fuse panel, towards the rear of the vehicle. Once you find it, (it's square), good luck getting it out. It's pretty tight in there. I pushed it to one side, stuck a small screwdriver under it for leverage, and then pushed back towards the screwdriver. Takes a little bit of patience. Not much easier going back in as you can't see to line up the terminals. It will only go one way though. Less than a 5 minute job if it goes smoothly.

 

[bigapple]

Is this working ???

"i apologize for the terrible illustration haha... works perfectly like this"

seems to be fine... im concerned that they mite get too hot and possibly melt the wires so im kinda seeing whats gunna happen... i layered them up with electrical tape in hopes that it would insulate some heat... ill check it after i use it more to see how its holding up

 

[Steeda04SVT]

Does anybody know where the signal flasher is on the 2nd Gen Ex?

 

[IZwack]

Does anybody know where the signal flasher is on the 2nd Gen Ex?

Try looking at the Owner's Manual, downloadable as a PDF from Ford FLeet:
Dead Link Removed