How To: Make Aftermarket Blinkers Blink Slower
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Joined: Dec 2002
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From: near chicago, IL
Originally posted by KAUAI KANE
i think thats what they designed them for
i think thats what they designed them for
"LED bulbs may cause some newer vehicles to indicate a bulb is burnt out (because of their low power consumption). Some cars indicate this by increasing the flash rate of the turn signals, some do not flash at all. We know of no cure for this at this time."
i think maybe using some kind of resistors might work, but i dont know much about electronics. some help?
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I asked my Dad (a biomedical electronics technician) about this becuase my friend had problems in his camaro. My Dad felt that the problem was because LED's draw so much less current. He was supposed to tell me a way to fix it, but I forgotten to ask him about it. Anyways, I think that if you were to wire a 1/2 watt resistor in parallel, then the blink rate would slow down. The resistance value for the resistor shouldn't matter, since 12V will still be supplied to your turn signal LED's. No guarantees, but that's what I believe should work.
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From: L.A., California, USA
Originally posted by Josher
My Dad felt that the problem was because LED's draw so much less current. The resistance value for the resistor shouldn't matter, since 12V will still be supplied to your turn signal LED's. No guarantees, but that's what I believe should work.
My Dad felt that the problem was because LED's draw so much less current. The resistance value for the resistor shouldn't matter, since 12V will still be supplied to your turn signal LED's. No guarantees, but that's what I believe should work.
Usually, if you buy them from places such as www.superbrightleds.com or www.ledtronics.com, they make bulbs with several LEDs with resistors inside the bases. Unless they are wiring them up in parallel, I don't see this necessary if wiring up more than 5 LEDs(@3volts each) because the LEDs will spread the voltage across the series.
Anyway, I'll stop rambling....
There are a couple things you can do to fix this.
1) if you have a thermal flasher, you need to replace it with an electronic flasher. Just turn your car on, put the blinker on and listen to where its coming from, should be under the steering wheel, above the pedals in all the wiring mess. An electronic blinker looks like a smal soda can. Its cylindrical.
When and if you have an electronic flasher, wire up what is called a "dummy load," to the blinker wiring. What these do is "trick" the flasher into thinking that the LED bulb is pulling enough current. They go for about $4 each.
2)Buy an LED electronic flasher. They run about $50 and you just replace your stock one with it. You don't have to wire dummy loads or anything, just plug and play and your LED blinker bulbs should work.
Here's a website where you can get those 2 things
http://www.watsons-streetworks.com/leds_plus.html
Hope that helps,
Ed
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I do see an eletronic Flasher to fix that problem. If your intrested let me know at infosee2k@yahoo.com
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I do sell an eletronic Flasher to fix that problem. If your intrested let me know at infosee2k@yahoo.com
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From: Adirondacks of NY
electronic flashers are what usually create the fast flashing, its the built in "bulb failure indication". You need a flasher that does not have this "feature", or a variable load THERMAL flasher. Thermal flasher are the silver colored (usually) aluminum cased flashers... electronic flashers are in plastic cases.
Variable load thermal flashers are about $2-$3 from an auto parts store... you'll also need 2 short wire leads with quick disconnect terminals, male on one end and female on the other... the male ends will plug into the cars flasher socket and the female ends connect to the flasher. With a thermal flasher it does not matter which terminal connects to what, it works either way. You need the leads because a thermal flasher will not fit into the stock flasher socket.
The stock flasher socket should have 3 terminals (my 94 accord does, not sure if a 03 uses the same set-up). One terminal is powered all the time... one is a ground and one is for the "output" of the flasher. Find your constant 12 volts, that will go into the flasher, and find the ground... then you'll know which one is for the output of the flasher. A test light makes this easy.
Variable load thermal flashers are about $2-$3 from an auto parts store... you'll also need 2 short wire leads with quick disconnect terminals, male on one end and female on the other... the male ends will plug into the cars flasher socket and the female ends connect to the flasher. With a thermal flasher it does not matter which terminal connects to what, it works either way. You need the leads because a thermal flasher will not fit into the stock flasher socket.
The stock flasher socket should have 3 terminals (my 94 accord does, not sure if a 03 uses the same set-up). One terminal is powered all the time... one is a ground and one is for the "output" of the flasher. Find your constant 12 volts, that will go into the flasher, and find the ground... then you'll know which one is for the output of the flasher. A test light makes this easy.
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[QUOTE} I do sell an eletronic Flasher to fix that problem. If your intrested let me know at infosee2k@yahoo.com {/QUOTE]
If your intrested give me an email at infosee2k@yahoo.com and i'll give you a price. I have 2 kinds for that. One is not adjustable it just bring the blink rate back down to stock. The second one you can adjustable one where you can make it faster or back to stock. Give me an email telling me which one you want. Make me an offer. The elctronic Flasher i'm selling, is just plug it in. There is no cutting wires or anything.
infosee2k@yahoo.com
