Weird LED Bulb Conversion Issue
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2011
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From: Tacoma, WA
Weird LED Bulb Conversion Issue
This is in my 2005 F250, I has swapped in a set of rear signal/brake LED bulbs into the truck about a month ago, no problems other than fast flash which I did not want to address until I swapped in a set of front LED bulbs. I then swapped in a set of LED front bulbs over the weekend all I noticed it doing something VERY strange. When I step on the brake pedal my front parking lights are turning on, as if I have a set of ambler stop lights up front. I do not get this at all, I swap regular bulbs back in and it works fine.
Would resistors or a new flasher relay fit this?? This just seems so weird to be! Has anyone else ran into anything like this before??
Personally I like the LED so much better and after spending $50on these bulbs I really want to make it work!
Would resistors or a new flasher relay fit this?? This just seems so weird to be! Has anyone else ran into anything like this before??
Personally I like the LED so much better and after spending $50on these bulbs I really want to make it work!
Logistics Pro
Joined: Nov 2010
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From: Tewksbury, MA
is that even possible? lol i though the running lights were run seperatley from eachother like 2 wires to the fron and 2 to the rear (i have no idea how it actually is im just guessing) but i would think resistors would fix it personaly..yet in not electronicly inclined lol.
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2011
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From: Tacoma, WA
I am highly confused as well, but I do know what most LEDs will light up with VERY little power so maybe there is a slight current running though the front parking lights when the brake pedal is pushed? Maybe its not high enough voltage to light up a incandescent bulb, but its enough to light up an LED?
Or something else that is coming to mind, maybe its completly random it happened at the same time, but maybe there is a short in one of the brake light LEDs and it is sending positive 12volt to the parking light circuit when the brake pedal is pushed??
Or something else that is coming to mind, maybe its completly random it happened at the same time, but maybe there is a short in one of the brake light LEDs and it is sending positive 12volt to the parking light circuit when the brake pedal is pushed??
Logistics Pro
Joined: Nov 2010
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From: Tewksbury, MA
So i just had a long talk with my dad who is an electrical engineer and basically what he was saying is all the lights are connected in a circuit and when you hit the break there is a bleed through to the front blinkers and because there is less resistance ina an LED than a regular light bulb the bleed through current goes through and the bulbs turning them on and with a regular bulb the current isnt strong enough to turn the bulbs on because they have a higher resistance then an LED and to fix the issue you should only have to get some resistors between your harness and the front blinkers.
FTE Chapter Leader
Joined: Sep 2011
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From: Great Falls, Montana
LED Blubs
I'm a old electronics tech from the Navy...... I'll add my SWAG (Sciencetific Wild *** Guess). LEDs require very little current. (1) The flasher is flashing faster because it doesn't "see" the expected current draw. Front lamp problem (2): Try using the LEDs on front and "regular" lamps on the back. In summary: the idea of resistors to due two things; increase current draw and to isolate the 12v ckt from ground. Just remember.... electronics is FM (F****** Magic).
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Elder User
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From: Tacoma, WA
Do I put the resisters on the parking lights or the blinkers, or I guess whatever is lighting up when I step on the brakes right??
Any possibility just a new flasher designed for LEDs would work? I would rather not mess with resistors if I dont have to, my plan was to just use one of the no load flashers.. But I dont know if the flasher realty would have any effect on the other bulbs, but like said above electronics is FM hahah
Any possibility just a new flasher designed for LEDs would work? I would rather not mess with resistors if I dont have to, my plan was to just use one of the no load flashers.. But I dont know if the flasher realty would have any effect on the other bulbs, but like said above electronics is FM hahah
Logistics Pro
Joined: Nov 2010
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From: Tewksbury, MA
Basically what my swag is lol is that a new flasher will just repeat the same thing unless the whole system is converted to take a lower voltage. and what I took from my dad and I think is if you put resistors on the front and back it will in a way "trick" the circuit into thinking as if there were regular bulbs there because with resistors you are simulating the same draw as a normal bulb but with an LED on the other end, if you do all 4 the it will also eliminat the fast flash. They do sell resistors thaty just plug in I think they are like 5 bucks a pair.
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New User
Joined: Dec 2011
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Just installed LED's all the way around and a LED electronic flasher from NAPA (about 25 bucks) fixed all the issues I was having. The hardest part was finding the flasher relay under the dash and ended removing most of the dash to get at it.
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Nov 2010
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From: Tewksbury, MA
is that the same type of flasher you would use to make strobes?
New User
Joined: Dec 2011
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That I do not know, sorry. What I do know, it is a heavy duty electronic LED flasher with NAPA part number EP27L. It's designed to work with the much lower current demands.
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2011
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From: Tacoma, WA
I installed the same LED flasher relay and I still had the same issues, maybe I have crap bulbs or something?? I swapped back in standard rear bulbs and all is working correcly with the LEDs up front.
I am gonna try out a buddys complete led tail light units this weekend. I just have swapped in LED rear bulbs, he has the complete replacment tail lights and they have the built in resistors and all that good stuff, so if his work on my truck with no issues then I know I need to add some resistors to the brake circuit and flasher circuit in the rear.
Jopache, what year is your truck?
I am gonna try out a buddys complete led tail light units this weekend. I just have swapped in LED rear bulbs, he has the complete replacment tail lights and they have the built in resistors and all that good stuff, so if his work on my truck with no issues then I know I need to add some resistors to the brake circuit and flasher circuit in the rear.
Jopache, what year is your truck?
Junior User
Joined: Jun 2006
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Don't want to hijack this thread but I am having similar issues:
2003 6.0 Lariat Crew Cab, but the same thing happens on my son's 1999.
I have LED's all around and an electronic flasher. I had some simple LED's in the front turn signals previously, the type that just project forward (no LED's all around). I replaced them with some that put light out all around. This is when the fun started.
When I have the left signal on, for instance, it blinks fine as does the rear signal. Also the left side marker blinks with the same vigor. The built in LED on the mirror also blinks. No issues there.
When I look at the other side, the right in this example, part of the new front LED is blinking (about the top 1/3), my rear light (LED also), blinks but not as bright, the front side marker blinks very dim. The kicker is that my mirror PARKING light is blinking.
In my uneducated guess, it is almost like the LED's are allowing some current flow back through the parking light connection to illuminate them.
Standard incandescent bulbs do not cause this problem. Any ideas? Any where to find the wiring diagram for this?
2003 6.0 Lariat Crew Cab, but the same thing happens on my son's 1999.
I have LED's all around and an electronic flasher. I had some simple LED's in the front turn signals previously, the type that just project forward (no LED's all around). I replaced them with some that put light out all around. This is when the fun started.
When I have the left signal on, for instance, it blinks fine as does the rear signal. Also the left side marker blinks with the same vigor. The built in LED on the mirror also blinks. No issues there.
When I look at the other side, the right in this example, part of the new front LED is blinking (about the top 1/3), my rear light (LED also), blinks but not as bright, the front side marker blinks very dim. The kicker is that my mirror PARKING light is blinking.
In my uneducated guess, it is almost like the LED's are allowing some current flow back through the parking light connection to illuminate them.
Standard incandescent bulbs do not cause this problem. Any ideas? Any where to find the wiring diagram for this?
Logistics Pro
Joined: Nov 2010
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From: Tewksbury, MA
not sure where to get the wiring diagram but like i was attempting to say in my previous post after talking with my dad (an EE) he was saying that the icandesent bulbs have a high resistance than the LED's so the incandesent bulbs would not allow the tiny trickle of current back through them which is why regular bulbs will not blink, however LED's have such a low resisance that they allow that same tiny current to flow back thour which lights them up alittle my best guess would be that resistors with a higher resistance to match the incandesent bulb will fix the problem.
Here's a link to what im talking about it pretty much explains what im trying to lol
http://www.gorecon.com/product.php?p...d-Resistor-Kit
Here's a link to what im talking about it pretty much explains what im trying to lol
http://www.gorecon.com/product.php?p...d-Resistor-Kit