• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

MGB Flasher units for LED turn signal lights

Share this page

C

Coastalman

Jedi Warrior
Bronze
Country flag
Offline
I am installing LED 1156 bulbs in the rear Turn Signal lights on my 1977 MGB. I found two flasher units in the area under the glove box. Both are Wagner. One is a 552 and the other is a 592. If someone has replaced these with electronic flasher units, what did you use? Are they the same and some previous owner just used what he could find to replace the original units?
Thanks,
Charlie
 
flasher units are flasher units. Buy them off amazon or autozone.
 
Most sources will tell you to change the flasher units when going to LED signal bulbs but I never have. My four LBC’s all have LED rear signal bulbs only, and retain the original flasher units. They do flash slightly faster than normal but so much that makes it unacceptable.
 
The difference between the old fashioned flashers and the electronic ones is how they function. The old ones flash on and off as the current flow heats the bimetallic strip inside, then allows it to cool - much like the original voltage stabilizer for the gauges. That action turns the current on and off - thus the flashing lights. The electronic ones have a little circuit board designed to flash at a constant rate even at a smaller current flow. Since LED bulbs draw much less current than the original ones the old type flashers may not work - especially if all bulbs are changed to LEDs. Sounds as if only changing the rear bulbs and leaving the front ones original may still allow enough current draw for the old flasher to work. I suppose it simply depends on the individual flasher.
 
Once the 1156s arrive I'll install them and see what happens. I have sourced the two prong electronic flashers at O'Reily's for $15 each.

I appreciate all the answers to my question!!

Charlie
 
Here is an update on the LED 1156 and 1157 tail light bulbs. The existing flasher units worked fine for the turn signals. Yes, it does flash a bit faster, but not much. The bit faster is an attention grabber in my opinion. The running and brake lights are very bright. All in all, I am very happy with the bulb change. The fact that I didn't have to buy any new electronic flashers is okay with me.
Charlie
 
My TF has the original bulb type in the front but LEDs in the rear for brightness. I'm assuming the front bulbs create enough resistance that the original type flasher works perfectly. (y)
 
It also depends on the flasher itself - I bought new flashers for my MGB from Moss and got the electronic type. They do not depend on resistance at all, they will cheerfully click on and off with no bulbs installed which means they work the same on regular bulbs, LEDs or any combo thereof.
 
Back
Top