LED plug and play? really......

[brokenhorse]

Ladies and gents its been quite a while since I have been on here. My Bronco has been running and rolling for many years and its time to make some changes. My first easy change was to buy all new Pilot brand LED lights for ther exterior. I have a new Centech harness in the truck and its working flawlessly. I bought 4 1157s signal tail/front runner 2 1156s reverse and 4 194s side markers. Its been a nightmare. I also bought and installed the load resistors.
The system works perfectly with traditional bulbs. Heres the long and short. I replaced the flasher with an electronic model also. So I turn on the lights and take off all the lenses. I replace the bulbs with the LEDs in this order. Reverse lights, side marker lights and rear signal/marker, at this point all the lights function perfectly Hazards signals brakes and in all configurations.
Heres the kick in the junk. When I replace the front marker/signal with the LEDs the system crashes and The left and right signal trigger ALL the lights to flash with the flasher [ALL the lights] now the side markers aren't supposed to flash and the side that is being called for is flashing the turn portion of the light the opposite side is flashing the marker and visa-versa. Any ideas guys?? I would pull my hair out if I wasn't bald already, I've been messing with this for two days.

 

[NJBronco]

It's probaly due to something with grounding. I have done any wiring on mine but it sounds like when a filament bulb is installed your getting a ground. When the led is in you not getting the ground. Try you same config but just put a little positive wire from the pigtail to the positive of the led and then the less ground right to the body or other ground and see what happens. If it works then one of the relays or flasher or something's the culprit.

When I get to that stage on mine I plan on running inch all my own wires just so I know how it's done other option is just daisy chain the markers of the headlights. Then they are always on

 

[NJBronco]

Just saw its your signal lights so my theory above isn't right. You need a digital flasher that has no bulb detection LEDs don't work in reverse polarity and odds are that's how your harness is setup to work. Just like a boat trailer

 

[brokenhorse]

Could it be that the front marker/signal sockets are bad? like I said everything works until I put the LEDs into the front signals.

 

[Broncobowsher]

My wild guess...
Bad bulbs. The high/low are the same LED, just varied power across them. When you go high (flash) the low (park) are energized.

What happens when you try turn signals with running lights on (all LED bulbs).
What happens if you put a dummy load on the park lights? Is that enough to suck away the leaked voltage off the turn signals? The old bulbs (when everything else was LED) may have had enough of a load to kill the leaked voltage into the park circuit.

If it is a leaked voltage into the park lights you should be able to block the back feeding with diodes (in the park light feed to each bulb)

Yet another way to check it. With the bulb out, power the bright leg and measure for voltage on the dim leg. For grins do it the other way around as well. You should get zero voltage on the pin not powered. If you do get power on it, there is your backfeed. And with LEDs being such low power consumers, a little leak will light them up. I have powered entire trailers of LED lights off a little 9V battery.

 

[NJBronco]

Could be. I really thing it's in the ground and by ground I mean the flasher. Not something silly like having bulbs in backwards is it. Lol

 

[NJBronco]

My google search on 1157 led problem parking lights. Comes up with you need an led flasher. A few even say you need the led flasher if the parking light and flasher are one unit. Which I believe is the case.

Also saw some posts that say may have to add some solder to bottom the the bulb so it makes good contact with the pigtail.

I think since it works with normal bulbs that the flasher is your problem
http://forums.nicoclub.com/flashing-led-side-markers-parking-lights-t593530.html

That's what I'm trying to get at with the ground and reversing polarity. It's a hodge podge.

This look like your flasher?? http://www.hipoparts.com/products/12V-Electronic-Signal-Flasher-Relay.html

 

[xcntrk]

Did you say you're using BOTH load resisters AND LED flashers? If so, that may be the source of your problem. The LED flashers are low-load and do not require the additional load resistors. You only use the load resistors with conventional flashers.

 

[brokenhorse]

The load resistors were removed before I changed the flasher. The link above is the exact flasher I have, and the leaked voltage thing is something I was thinking in the front parking light cans.... I'll have to do some more messing around tonight checking voltages.... I will let you guys know how it turns out! Thanks for all the info!

 

[SeanT4x4]

I hope you figure this out. I have been tinkering with LED brake lights and was getting similar problems. Just put the old bulbs back in for now.

 

[ransil]

here is my $.02 on LED's

cost too much vs a standard bulb
drop in LED and add resistor it half assing it.

a real LED conversion would involve some additional circuitry, buck /boost converter and PWM controller to properly drive the LED's.

see Wild Horses website for the Digital Dakota tail light boards for an example.

 

[xcntrk]

I replaced all my indicators and brake lamps with LED bulbs and replaced both flashers with low load LED flashers. Worked like a champ and love the new found glow. I really dig the quick response from LED's. You never realize how long it takes an incandescent bulb to heat up and produce light until you switch over to the instantaneous LED's.

 

[ChrisC74]

I replaced all my indicators and brake lamps with LED bulbs and replaced both flashers with low load LED flashers. Worked like a champ and love the new found glow. I really dig the quick response from LED's. You never realize how long it takes an incandescent bulb to heat up and produce light until you switch over to the instantaneous LED's.

What brand or model numbers?? Original wiring harness??

 

[xcntrk]

What brand or model numbers?? Original wiring harness??

I got my bulbs and flashers from https://www.superbrightleds.com

They have some great 1157 LED replacement bulbs, dual intensity amber (park/turn) and dual intensity red (tail/brake).

 

[roderickl]

I got my bulbs and flashers from https://www.superbrightleds.com

Which flashers did you use?

I had success with the combination listed below. Although a minor detail, I would rather a flasher that does not need the polarity reversing adapter.

To duplicate my post from another thread -

In my situation, the following worked:

1. Electronic Flasher Relay, for Turn and Emergency Flashers : United Pacific LED Flashers 90652
   
   • The ground wire must be connected for the flasher to work.
   • I used the included polarity reversing adapter.
2. Front Turn Signal White LED bulbs: (I expect the yellow version would work the same.)
   
   • JDM ASTAR 800 Lumens Super Bright AX-2835 Chipsets 1157 2057 2357 7528 LED Bulbs, Xenon White
3. Rear Stop/Tail/Turn Red LED bulbs
   
   • JDM ASTAR Super Bright AX-2835 Chipsets 1157 2057 2357 7528 LED Bulbs For Brake Lights Tail lights Turn Signal, Brilliant Red

I have a four year old Centech harness, but I do not believe that should make a difference.

Additional notes:

• When I used bulbs from the auto parts store, the turn signals fed the entire parking circuit.
• Other flashers, including other electronic flashers without the ground pigtail, did not flash. They would just stay lit without flashing.
• The polarity reversing adapter included with the flasher, felt flimsy. It was fine, once installed.

 

[xcntrk]

Which flashers did you use?

I used x2 of these. They work great!