LED signal issue

Discussion in 'Sparky's corner' started by '72 Skylark Custom 4bbl, May 13, 2020.

  1. '72 Skylark Custom 4bbl

    '72 Skylark Custom 4bbl Well-Known Member

    So here’s my conundrum. I did a complete LED switchover. Everything works well minus the turn signals.

    First they would only light up on the dash if I turned the light switch on. So I checked, double, & triple checked my grounds. The signals would just stay solid. Then as a last ditch I put one incandescent bulb & one LED in voila! Signal worked like normal(without lights on).

    I have the LED flashers in & I couldn’t get the hazards to flash either. Could I have bad/wrong flashers? Do I need to ground the flashers?

    Any help is greatly appreciated.

    Thanks,

    Kyle
     
    knucklebusted likes this.
  2. rjm

    rjm Well-Known Member

    When I converted mine, I used a LED flasher that had its own ground wire and was non polarity .
    EF32RLNP Electronic LED Turn Signal Flasher Relay, DOT APPROVED, POLARITY INDEPENDENT, 2 Prongs + Ground Wire, 12 Volts, LED & Incandescent Compatible
     
    knucklebusted likes this.
  3. Utah455

    Utah455 Platinum Level Contributor

    LEDs draw a lot less current. I’ve seen newer cars needing resistors added to create a load to fake out the computers. I haven’t done the changeover yet in my Buick, but was wondering what would happen.
     
  4. '72 Skylark Custom 4bbl

    '72 Skylark Custom 4bbl Well-Known Member

    Yeah I got the Novita flashers but I’m thinking it may need an incandescent somewhere in the circuit. As I found out as soon as I put an incandescent in the signal worked again.

    Seems the only place I can find that flasher is on eBay.

    Kyle
     
  5. nekkidhillbilly

    nekkidhillbilly jeffreyrigged youtube channel owner

    could run a inline resistor or your flasher isnt working right. basically not seeing the voltage draw it needs.
     
  6. 12lives

    12lives Control the controllable, let the rest go

  7. rjm

    rjm Well-Known Member

    If you have to run 1 incandescent lamp it's most like lack of current draw. I would try the inline resistor or get the EF32RL flasher with a ground wire. The flasher I used EF32RLNP is the same except it's not polarity sensitive ( NP) . I got mine from amazon, but they are no longer available. The CEC in the above post is the same flasher but it is polarity sensitive.
     
  8. '72 Skylark Custom 4bbl

    '72 Skylark Custom 4bbl Well-Known Member

    That seems to be what I’m thinking as well. Not the worst problem to have. At least the fix is pretty cheap & easy.

    Thanks guys.

    Kyle
     
  9. TrunkMonkey

    TrunkMonkey Well-Known Member

    I used this flasher in my '64 Skylark.

    https://www.superbrightleds.com/mor...f13jl-02-led-bulb-electronic-flasher/783/837/

    The fuse block flasher area on the upper left corner has a "cut out" where the one blade of the flasher (the ground blade) allowed me to make a small jumper/ground wire. I crimped a female spade terminal and connected it to the blade on the flasher, and the "cutout/relief" on the fuse block allowed the rest of the ground wire clear and a ring to fasten it to the firewall.

    I think a similar approach should work for a lot of cars in other years where the flasher connects to the fuse block. Or use a relay block and re-pin it as required.

    Some of the flashers are polarity "aware", and others are independent of polarity issues.

    If anyone needs more info or pics of how I did mine, let me know and I'll post more information/pics.
     
  10. racenu

    racenu Well-Known Member

    Trunk monkey what bulbs did you use for your taillights? I am assuming you used 1157 led replacement from superbrights, they list many.
     
  11. '72 Skylark Custom 4bbl

    '72 Skylark Custom 4bbl Well-Known Member

    This is what I used for my taillights on my'72. Also from SuperbrightLED. 2 cool whites for the reverse lights & 4 reds for the brakes & signals.

    Kyle

    IMG_0358.JPG
     
  12. TrunkMonkey

    TrunkMonkey Well-Known Member

    I used the 1157-R26-CBT: Red but they are discontinued.

    I wanted the brightest tail/brake lights I could get since most cars on the road have so much lighting on the back, and the perception of my car to other cars is likely different with only two bulbs out back.

    Also used the cool white for backups. Yellow for front signals.
     
  13. racenu

    racenu Well-Known Member

    Thanks, too bad they are made in China
     
  14. TrunkMonkey

    TrunkMonkey Well-Known Member

    Yeah, but they're six feet behind me.... :D
     
  15. '72 Skylark Custom 4bbl

    '72 Skylark Custom 4bbl Well-Known Member

    I agree. I just bought Dayco Top Cog belts.....made in P.R.C.

    Welcome to the cheap throw away society.

    Kyle
     
  16. TrunkMonkey

    TrunkMonkey Well-Known Member

    We said the same thing in the early '60s when we all had transistor radios.
     
  17. '72 Skylark Custom 4bbl

    '72 Skylark Custom 4bbl Well-Known Member

    Update:

    Got two EF32RLNP flashers yesterday installed them & grounded them. The signals now work like a champ.

    Kyle
     
    rjm and TrunkMonkey like this.
  18. rjm

    rjm Well-Known Member

    Glad to hear that you got it resolved ! Figured it was a ground issue.
     
  19. breakinbuick11

    breakinbuick11 Platinum Level Contributor

    Ok I would like to add my LED flasher issues to this thread instead of starting a new one:

    Every exterior light is converted to LED. I’m running one EF32RLNP that is grounded. My hazards work great and flash normal. When I use my left turn signal, I only get the green arrow lighting up in my dash. When I use my right, the green arrow lights and my right rear taillight illuminates solid. Any thoughts? Where I can I run a second flasher? I have another novitas flasher with no ground I can try
     
  20. TrunkMonkey

    TrunkMonkey Well-Known Member

    Check your grounding/bonding of the signal lights.
    On a lot of cars, the problem is the bumper is bonded by bumper bolts and over time they have rust built up and the ground becomes poor. Second is the ground/bond of the bulb in the socket or the socket to the light housing.

    What happens is the grounding and current path "follow" the wiring to another ground point and that results in other lights in that path being illuminated, but the failure of the poorly grounded light to illuminate.

    So, you flip the turn signal, and brake light comes on.

    The path of energized wiring for the flashers and proper illumination/operation of all the bulbs occurs because the energized circuit, in that case, is facilitating enough ground to function correctly, but not when individual light circuits are energized.

    I added grounded rear bulb sockets to help prevent the issue.

    The second thing is the turn signal switch or connections at the switch connector, the fuse block, firewall connectors, or the connection to the flat harness (body harness).

    But, temp grounding of the bulb sockets is the easiest step to check and eliminate faults.
    Pull the sockets, pull the bulb, make sure you are getting good clean contact there, and good clean contact of socket to body/light housing, and loosen then tight each bumper bolt one at a time.

    See if anything changes.
     

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