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View Full Version : How to operate LED tailights ???



Chris Hays
11-13-2006, 18:44
I have a 05 2500 HD pickup with a service body on it. I want to put in LED tailights on the box. As the truck from factory is wired with seperate turn/brake lights, the service body has just one light for all, so the turn/brake power had to be pulled from the trailer harness as this is wired the conventional way. When i installed the LED tailights all works great until you signal and it will flash fast (like a bulb is blown). I can only describe this as there being not enough resistance through the LED as they have a very low current draw, so the flasher unit thinks i have a bulb out. My question is how can i fix this. I have thought about adding resistors to the wiring at the back of the lights to counteract this but that just seems to be asking for problems. Will an aftermarket flasher unit fit to the truck or as i have seen on a similar problem with jeep wranglers, should i take the flasher unit apart and try to decipher where the loop back circuit on the PCB is and cut it?? I dont think i want to go that far. I asked the company this question who installed the body and they told me ' that's why we don't put them lights on the chevy's'. Also the o6 fords have the same deal going on. Any ideas???

trbankii
11-14-2006, 07:30
You need a special flasher unit for the low load of the LEDs - take a look here: http://superlumination.com/equalizers.htm

See if any of those are compatible with your application. Personally, I wouldn't go the resistor route as it is a "band-aid" approach to the problem.

DmaxMaverick
11-14-2006, 09:54
Good advice.

Use the non-thermo flasher. The resistor band-aid will negate the reason most folks switch to LED's in the first place (electrical load).

Chris Hays
11-14-2006, 21:37
These chevys have a flasher unit like ive never seen, it looks like a house brick!!!! Well thats an exageration, but i dont think ill find one that will plug in the same. Guess i could rewire a different unit in there, or get my money back on the LED lights! crap.

trbankii
11-15-2006, 09:13
Might be worth e-mailing Superlumination to see if they have a suggestion for your application.