I've been searching the forums for a while now, can't find anything about converting the rear blinkers to ambers. I have an 85 F250 4x4

Has anyone done it? Am I the only one who is driven crazy by brake lights doubling as blinkers!? (Especially in modern cars like, COME ON!)

 

Most state laws are the rear must be red

 

That's good info! I should've included that I'm in California; we can have white or amber in the front, red or amber in the rear.

 

You are not the only one. Some of these trucks have made it across the ocean, and some foreign countries require the separate amber turns in the rear. We have found after several threads the only way to really do it is to run a wire from the front turns on each side, to the new rear amber turn bulbs. This will also keep your hazard function working correctly. Then take the original red brake/turn wires that go to the rear, and cut them at the bottom of the steering column, tie them together, and then run them to the brake switch wire directly so they burn solid and only when the brake pedal is pushed.

There are many cars and trucks on the road today that have the rear amber turns.

 

Does not bother me in the least bit. I suppose “modern” is relative. Your truck is 38 years old.

 

What are your plans to physically add amber lights in the back? In post #4 above, Dave has described the wiring modifications required. I'm curious how you'll be adding amber lights. Something separate, perhaps on the rear bumper?

Just thinking out loud, I wonder if you could re-appropriate the back up lights by installing amber bulbs. I don't know if this would be bright enough and the lens area may be too small, so don't read too much into it. You could then add separate back up lights on the bumper. That might look better than separate amber lights. I added a third free-standing LED backup light on my truck, mounted under the bumper. Looks okay and works great.

Not sure I'd want to go through all the work, but to each his own. This troubleshooting guide shows how all the stock circuits work together. It should give you some idea of how to proceed with any modifications:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ing-guide.html

 

Rear amber signals should be banned. They are too bright. I had a guy cut me off in my lane while simultaneously hitting me with the brightest signal I've ever seen. I went from comfortably driving down the freeway to being blinded. Red has long been known to be pleasant to the eye, used at night on vessels to keep eyesight sharp on deck.

 

Amber makes perfect sense in the front where it competes with headlamps for attention. When driving into traffic you are already prepared for lights in your vision.

 

I didn't mean to insinuate that MY truck was modern, sorry hahahaha! Just that manufacturing methods and costs have changed so dramatically, it can't possibly be so hard to make the turn signals VERY EASILY distinguished from brake lights; the difference between someone changing lanes and slamming their brakes with one blown bulb can be catastrophic.

 

Color of lights is not a state by state thing but a fed thing.
If this was a state by state thing as soon as you went into a state that did not allow the color light you have you get pulled over and a ticket.

Running lights must be red but turn can be either red or yellow.
Look at a lot of new cars and pickup's they have yellow turns.
Yellow turn at the rear dose not bother me one way or the other.
Dave ----

 

It's not so much the color of the rear signals that can be annoying or even dangerous it's the level of lumens. The guy that cut me off had a huge amber lens and super bright bulbs. Probably some aftermarket setup for a newer car. Looked stock except for the brightness. It could be a good tactic for changing lanes on a crowded freeway. I know my reaction was to go for the brake.

Now if it is small and in brightness scale with the red running lights I can see using the lighter and brighter amber. But make the lense filter it or use a smaller bulb. No need to blind folks.

 

Amber rear turn signals have been around for quite a long time already. 30+ years for sure.

Why do you want to convert? Its really no benefit to anything or anyone. I'd argue that the rears should stay red, for night operation.

A friend of mine got a 84 that he had to completely re-wire from front to back. He opted to use the reverse light sockets as a turn signal with amber bulbs. But again, the truck is completely custom wiring and controls.

 

The only reason this came up before was there was a guy or two in Germany that were trying to put their trucks on the road over there. They require rear amber turns, even if it never came with them originally. And we think we have gov problems.

 

We recently added these amber turn signals to the rear of my son's 92 F150, https://www.ebay.com/itm/124949767219. Although they are combination stop, tail, and turn lights, we only hooked up the turn lights. The turn lights are amber and they are sequential turn lights. We just wired them in to the left-turn and right-turn wiring (the same way you'd add on trailer lights) and they turned out pretty nice. Since we didn't wire in the stop and tail light circuits, they stay off until a turn signal is called for. Also the original tail light housings are still fully operational - these are just more noticeable when turning ...

 

Go back there and see what happens when you push the brake pedal. And then pump the brake pedal. It's impossible to separate the rear turns and the rear brakes on the original wiring. The rear turns and the rear brakes are the same wires, the same bulbs.