Help w/ direction signals
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Joined: Apr 2010
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Help w/ direction signals
On a 2010 F-150 basic V8 - I wanna install an aux set of amber running/direction signals on the front. Normal 3 wire, 2 filament bulb. If I hook up normally w/ the bright filament as the turn signal, it seems to overpower the flasher - flashing fast and then no lights at all. If I make the signal the dimmer filament, it works, but then I can't use dim for running light. Whats up w/ this? Where is the flasher unit - sounds like behind instruments. Are there heavy duty flashers that can be put in - like the old days when running trailers? Thanks for any help!
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2006
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These truck don't have flasher units.
The SJB (smart junction box) controls the turn signals.
They use what is called "Field-Effect Transistor (FET) Protection" for the turn signals.
By adding another bulb to the circuit you are overloading the FET and it turns the circuit off. If you do this too many times the SJB will need the codes cleared for the signals to work again.
A better way to accomplish what you are trying to do would be to use the trailer lights circuits.
The SJB (smart junction box) controls the turn signals.
They use what is called "Field-Effect Transistor (FET) Protection" for the turn signals.
By adding another bulb to the circuit you are overloading the FET and it turns the circuit off. If you do this too many times the SJB will need the codes cleared for the signals to work again.
A better way to accomplish what you are trying to do would be to use the trailer lights circuits.
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help w/ direction signals
Yes - I noticed the trailer lights have some sort of relay or flasher in the block above the radiator. If I hooked to this, what happens when I hook up a trailer? Will that overload that one? Thanks for the info!
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Joined: Feb 2005
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Just add a relay. Coil to the turn signal wire, other side of coil to ground. Common to battery +12 (via fuse), normally open output to your new lights. The relay's coil will draw very little current and won't **** off the SJB.
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2006
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However if you do what the last poster suggested and add a relay to the existing turn signal circuit you could have a overload in the FET's when you hook up a trailer.
The FET's are set to control the original lights and the relays for the trailer wiring.
