LED Flasher Relay? On Centech Harness

[Klwhite74]

Hi, Ive been updated and replacing various parts on my ’77 Bronco for a few years now. Prior to owning, I had zero experience with what makes a car run let alone how to fix all the issues I’ve come upon in the last few years but pure love and commitment to figuring it out is what makes the experience fun. I don’t necessarily know the correct terms for all the parts so please be kind if responding. I recently installed LED front park lights , the ones that function as turn signals and hazard flashers, as well as LED tail light/ brake lights.
They all work, bright as can be, but they don’t function with the turn signal switch or hazard switch…. So I assume it requires a new flasher relay for LED …but i cant locate where one may be…. I used to know where it was bc I replaced it a while back.. but since then I’ve had a whole new Centech wiring harness installed ( by a professional) and now it doesn’t appear to have an obvious flasher relay that i can locate under the dash…yes the original flashers bulbs worked prior to new switching to led lights. Can someone please offer some guidance on what type of relay is needed and where to connect it to get the new lights to work properly …..my arm is a bit tired from waving to let people know I’m turning.

 

[ba123]

You could try using your arm to turn the turn signal on and off, that might be easier. (Sorry couldn’t resist)

Maybe you have a better picture you can follow, but I’d bet it’s somewhere under the dash.

Maybe follow the wires from the steering column (where the switch is) you should have one for turn and one for hazard.

 

[ntsqd]

I've seen flashers sold specifically for LED lights, but I would think that a std. heavy duty electronic flasher would work. Light duty flashers use a bi-metal strip that heats up from the current flowing thru it. Once hot enough it opens the circuit until it cools off where it makes the circuit again. Repeat ad nauseum. Add a trailer's lights to the circuit and the amps used goes up increasing the flash rate. Put LEDs in the circuit and they use so little current that the flasher doesn't flash.
Supposedly electronic flashers have a timer in them and are not sensitive to current flow. Fairly common HD trailer towing upgrade.

 

[ba123]

Yeah, she’s just trying to find the flasher, but it’s my understanding that going to an led flasher is the right way to do it.

If you haven’t ordered yet, these are the ones I’m getting. They come with a separate base to reverse the polarity. Some will work one way and others another way and you’ll see people have had to reverse the wires and this is a much better way to do it:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/upd-90652

 

[Calibronc66]

I was having same problem and ran these on the tail lights and it fixed the problem.

https://www.autozone.com/lighting/led-bulb-load-equalizer/p/sylvania-led-mini-bulb-loadequalizer/771931_0_0?cmpid=LIA:US:EN:AD:NL:1000000:LIG:19356864682&&CATARGETID=120054150001286198&CADevice=m&gclid=EAIaIQobChMInILA69Wg_wIVgY-GCh3PiwKSEAQYAyABEgKj4vD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Klwhite74]

You could try using your arm to turn the turn signal on and off, that might be easier. (Sorry couldn’t resist)

Maybe you have a better picture you can follow, but I’d bet it’s somewhere under the dash.
View attachment 903628
Maybe follow the wires from the steering column (where the switch is) you should have one for turn and one for hazard.

Yeah, he’s just trying to find the flasher, but it’s my understanding that going to an led flasher is the right way to do it.

If you haven’t ordered yet, these are the ones I’m getting. They come with a separate base to reverse the polarity. Some will work one way and others another way and you’ll see people have had to reverse the wires and this is a much better way to do it:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/upd-90652

Turns out i have a new one of those electronic flashers in my garage… i know one end is the ground… but what 2 lines do i connect to the other terminals ? I have 4 lines currently not in use… per manual they go to a dash mounted hazard switch.. mine is on the steering wheel so i assume that is why they aren’t connected to anything.
white stop, brown hazard, lt blue left turn and do blue right turn…. do i use any of those? Or connect into the other white and red that come from that same line? Unfortunately i can ‘t remember how the previous flasher was connect prior to new wiring harness and this is one of those “ i want to figure it out “ situations before i ask my husband to assist….you see this is MY bronco … and I want to fix it … with some friendly guidance from the forum !!

 

[ba123]

this is one of those “ i want to figure it out “ situations before i ask my husband to assist….you see this is MY bronco … and I want to fix it … with some friendly guidance from the forum !!

Haha, that's awesome! I just corrected my above "he" reference to "she".

If you're asking about the one I referenced, that goes in place of the one you have to find somewhere, hopefully by tracing the wire from your turn signal switch. As far as the wires that go to a Hazard switch that you never connected, that would be to turn on your hazard lights I would assume.

 

[Mikes79Bronco]

Should be hanging behind the dash somewhere, but since someone else did the harness install they may have tucked them away out of sight. If the flasher is still clicking just follow the sound to its location. If not plug in the old lights so it will flash / click.

 

[Klwhite74]

This little LED change up has been the biggest pain. Sadly I tossed the original lens like a dummy so I can’t go back now. I found the relays … tucked way up behind the aftermarket stereo set up … not anywhere near where I was expecting to find them. They are near the end of harness right before the fuse panel.
There are 2 relays - one for hazards and one for turn signals. I switched out the TS one with an electronic LED flasher relay, no change , signals still don’t work … the hazard one works tho so that’s good, I think … I went out and bought some load equalizers but now I have to figure out how to install them.
Question ? Could it be a fuse issue ?
I have a 10amp in there … should it be 20 ?
I only have led on the taillights ( not the back up light bulb) and front grill park/turn signal lights
All the rest are basic bulbs
My headlights are upgrades but they are halogen
Does everything need to be LED to flow properly? Thanks for all the advice as I navigate

 

[ba123]

That’s a dumb place to put it, but glad you found it.

You sure you didn’t change the hazards one and not the turn one?

It’s only a fuse issue if your fuse blows..or doesn’t. Having the wrong fuse in there is only going to cause a different kind of problem, like blowing a fuse or worse, a fuse not blowing when it should and causing heat/short/fire.

If it worked before and all you changed is to LED, and you changed the flasher, then the only thing that would make it not work is the flasher. A load equalizer will tell a non-led flasher that there is a load there and to trigger. It’s my understanding that an led flasher will work for either type of bulb.

 

[Slowleak]

You do not need equalizers if you have the correct flashers. No need to butcher the wiring to install them. Your flasher may have the wrong polarity. If the bulbs light up but do not flash, it’s the flasher. Try reversing the wiring on the flasher. You may need to make some jumper wires, buy a different flasher, or you can buy an adapter to reverse the polarity. I had to reverse mine….

 

[Klwhite74]

Yea I’m sure it’s something simple but thought I’d ask about fuses. I did try switching the 2 just to see but only the hazard relay works properly.
But it’s so frustrating to not have the Ta Da
I did it that I’m waiting for
I’m going to give it another go in the am with a new relay … who knows how long this one has been sitting in the pile of “ extra “ parts smh
Thanks

 

[Klwhite74]

You do not need equalizers if you have the correct flashers. No need to butcher the wiring to install them. Your flashers may have the wrong polarity. If the bulbs light up but do not flash, it’s the flasher. Try reversing the wiring on the flasher. You may need to make some jumper wires, buy a different flasher, or you can buy an adapter to reverse the polarity. I had to reverse mine….

We have an uninstalled wiring harness that I was able to follow along and read all of the wires … so I know I’m on the right path … it could be the polarity… my wires may be twisted I tried checking with a multimeter but even that seems to be over my head at the moment … too scattered to focus

 

[Brush Hog]

If the LED bulbs aren’t working at all try flipping them 180 degrees. LED bulbs are finicky and very polar specific. I chased a similar problem once I had an LED flasher I still had to flip all
But one bulb 180 degrees

 

[Slowleak]

We have an uninstalled wiring harness that I was able to follow along and read all of the wires … so I know I’m on the right path … it could be the polarity… my wires may be twisted I tried checking with a multimeter but even that seems to be over my head at the moment … too scattered to focus

Keep after it. Led flashers and bulbs are not reversible like the mechanical flashers and incandescent bulbs. I went thru the same thing. The poles on the flasher should be labeled + and - and they are usually the reverse of common flashers. The hazards will work with the old flasher because it is powering all four bulbs which is enough to trigger it. Two LED bulbs will not trigger a mechanical flasher.

 

[ba123]

Yeah, exactly, and that’s why I posted the flashers I did. They come with the reversing adapters in case you need them, but yeah. You could use a couple wires

 

[ba123]

Keep after it. Led flashers and bulbs are not reversible like the mechanical flashers and incandescent bulbs. I went thru the same thing. The poles on the flasher should be labeled + and - and they are usually the reverse of common flashers. The hazards will work with the old flasher because it is powering all four bulbs which is enough to trigger it. Two LED bulbs will not trigger a mechanical flasher.

Hey, that’s good to know about the 4 vs 2 making the flasher work.

 

[nvrstuk]

You do not need equalizers if you have the correct flashers. No need to butcher the wiring to install them. Your flasher may have the wrong polarity. If the bulbs light up but do not flash, it’s the flasher. Try reversing the wiring on the flasher. You may need to make some jumper wires, buy a different flasher, or you can buy an adapter to reverse the polarity. I had to reverse mine….

X2 on changing the polarity of the flasher. LED's are diodes. Electrons only flow one way thru them. All aftermarket harnesses have the polarity on the plug wrong to enable LED's to work. Swap the two wires on the plug and you'll be good to go.

Testing this is easy. Stick a test wire into each terminal on the plug, connect it to your LED flasher to reverse the polarity and your lights will flash if there isn't something else going on.

A good buddy told me about this when I was changing over to LED lights and had changed NOTHING else and all of a sudden nothing worked when they did before.

 

[Klwhite74]

On todays installment of wtf is wrong with my bronco …. Which I affectionately named Christine when I got her ….
Overnight the battery drained
Nothing was “on” but the new flasher was connected, not grounded , just dangling as I was off to get a new one today, hoping to finalize this project.
Jumped the battery, started right up but now the headlights don’t work so I’m beyond frustrated walked away to clear my head for a while and the battery is dead again (it’s brand new ) so something is pulling power and I’m at my wits end So I’m off to get regular old light bulbs a standard flasher and new lens covers
Cuz silly me threw all the original stuff away which I never do but huge lesson learned the hard way today
LED is not worth this headache
$250 down the drain

 

[Klwhite74]

Thank you to all that tried to walk me thru the issue I greatly appreciate all the advice glad this forum exists y’all have helped me in many ways over the past few years !!