LED bulbs and electronic flasher module issues

[bighealeysource]

Hey all,
Switched out my rear tail light/brake light/turn signal bulbs for new LED style bulbs which are working great. Far more light and much better visibility for SUV's bearing down on you. But, went to do same with front running light/turn signal bulbs and even with a new electronic flasher module which is supposed to be required I cannot get the turn signals to work. Work fine with original style bulbs in front and the LEDs in rear and either the electronic module or mechanical module, but with LEDs and electronic module, turn signals will not work. Any ideas ?
Thanks,
Mike

 

[andrea]

Hi Mike
Flasher unit need some charges (10W minimum) to be activate
with the all LED solution probably the absorbency is less
and the flasher unit, https://www.ahspares.co.uk/products/productdetail.aspx?GUID=21864ad0-65ae-4368-85c4-c93e146daf56
NOT work
solution can be resistors normally sell from same LED vendors

for me the rear with led and front with lamps are one acceptable solution

This is my theoretical opinion
Cheers
Andrea

 

[bighealeysource]

Hey Andrea,
Thanks for your input. That's what I have done now as was really more concerned with the rear lights than the front. Since I have it all put back together and unless a simple solution will leave with original 1157's in front and the new LEDs in back.
Thanks,
Mike

 

[tonyk]

Quick question to bhs,

I've been looking at LED replacements as you describe. There is a bewildering array of choice in output, number of subunits, temp etc.
To save trial and error ( why reinvent the wheel?) could you say what bulbs you have found most successful?
Thanks. AJK

 

[RAC68]

Hi Mike,

Andrea is correct for the standard resistance flasher but you indicated switching to an electronic flasher. With the resistance flasher installed, your front 1157 bulbs seem to be providing sufficient resistance to activate the flasher. However, the electronic flasher does not require this level of resistance and should work with LEDs in front and back and no added resistors. I suspect your electronic flasher is either defective or the wrong unit for your application.

Since you indicated that both electronic and resistor flashers work with standard bulbs installed in front and LEDs in back, I am more incline to think that your unit may not be correct for your application and would present the issue to your vendor for a better electronic flasher fit. As with Andrea, LEDs in back only would be fine.

Good luck,
Ray (64BJ8P1)

 

[Ed_K]

If standard bulbs flash OK but the LEDs do not, you most likely need to install load/ballast resistors across the front turn signal bulbs to create more load / current demand on the flasher circuit.
I bought these and added them to each of my front LED turn signals. They also fix the ghost flashing of both indicator bulbs on the dash when using either turn signal. I have the single white marker and turn signal bulbs on my BJ8.

Ed

https://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi...tion=DispPage&Page2Disp=/pt/loadresistor.html

 

[RAC68]

Ed,

I appreciate that your response was focused on assisting Mike to get his lights to perform properly, however, I am a little confused why anyone would go through the expense and effort to install LEDs and then to further the expense with the purchase of resistor units that bring the electrical draw and life span to where it was with standard bulbs. Is it to keep the Healey’s original flasher?

My understanding is the new electronic flasher should not require added bulb resistance for it to work correctly. It seems to me that replacing the flasher would be best as it would maintain the low electrical draw and long life often associated with LED replacement…not to mention the additional high expense of the resistor units.

As I read Mike’s problem statement, he has installed an electronic flasher and, as I understand, should not require the addition of resistors for the flasher to work. Since Mike has indicated his electronic system works with original bulbs in front, I am wondering if he was sold an incorrect flasher.

From what you know, is my understanding of the electronic flasher correct?

I am considering doing this same thing but not if the electronic flasher will not eliminate the need for bulb resistors. At the cost of the LEDs and electronic flasher, would it be better to use Halogen bulbs for the extra light?

Thanks
Ray (64BJ8P1)

 

[Richard Dickinson]

The ahspares URL referenced by Andrea has a lot of information about LEDs and in the fine print it says that LEDs may not be as bright as incandescent bulbs. I guess that would depend on the number of LEDs in the bulb. What is the max number of LEDs in a bulb that will fit in the Healey housing and are they significantly brighter? If not this seems like a lot of expense and trouble to go to.

 

[bighealeysource]

Hey all,
Thanks again for everyone weighing in on this subject. The electronic flasher I purchased is the one Moss sells and it even comes with a chrome bracket to be able to bolt it to the firewall as standard. It did not seem to work when I installed it along with the new LEDs in front. Like I mentioned before, with the original 1157 bulbs in front and the LEDs ( I have actually had them installed for about 6 months)in back, things worked fine. Running lights came on as they should, blinked when activated and all this with the stock flasher unit. So,maybe I got a bad electronic flasher from Moss so went and bought another one from a local parts store and tried again. Same result, no turn signals. Put the original bulbs back in up front, and viola, got turn signals again. So obviously something to do with the electronic flasher unit. Now I have just put everything back as it was - original 1157 bulbs in front and the LEDs in back and the original standard flasher unit. Not really concerned with the brightness of the front running lights/turn signals as the rear so going to leave it as is. Please note on all of this - you need NEGATIVE ground for these to work.

As Tonyy from UK requested - I got my LEDs from Super Bright LEDs in St. Louis, Mo here in the states. Their website is: www.superbrightleds.com. They even show a Healey on their site with the now very visible rear lights and brake lights.Highly recommend these units. Cost is $9.95 each for #1157-WLX3 cool white bulbs. Don't know what postage would be to UK but only 7 ounces so would think not much. They have made a huge difference in the brightness of my rear tail lights and turn signal lights. BTW, exact same unit supplied by Moss so they must source from Superbright but charge $22.90 each !
Regards,
Mike

 

[Ed_K]

Hi Mike,

The LEDs draw a lot less current than any bulbs. With or without an electronic flasher, there may not be enough current being drawn through the front flasher circuit to cut through the corrosion on the relay contact points of the original style of flasher relay ( the one on the driver's side inner fender ). If you install the load resistors, the extra current goes through those resistors, not the LED bulb assemblies so it won't shorten the life of the LEDs.

The symptoms that may be seen when switching over to LED turn signal bulbs will vary according to what type of flasher relay that you have on the driver's side inner fender. The symptoms of no flashing at all would seem to indicate that you are still using an original style relay.
If you install one of the modern types of electronic relay and also use an electronic flasher, then your symptoms will be different but will be corrected when load resistors are installed in parallel with each flasher bulb. I did not need to install the load resistors in the rear because the extra halogen bulbs I put inside of my reflectors draw enough current to the rear flasher bulbs and LEDs so they operate correctly. I just had to install the load resistors on the front with the new LED bulbs because both of my front LED bulbs would flash at the same time as well as my green arrows on my dash. I have both the electronic relay on the inner fender as well as an electronic flasher on the firewall.

Ed

 

[Keoke]

However, I am a little confused why anyone would go through the expense and effort to install LEDs and then to further the expense with the purchase of resistor units that bring the curent draw and life span to where it was with standard bulbs.




Yeah me too.---Keoke

 

[Ed_K]

Hi Keoke,

You have a point about the expense.


But installing the ballast / load resistors does nothing to decrease the life of the LED bulb assemblies because the extra current is traveling through the resistors, not the LED bulb assemblies....

.... And the point to the expense is that the LED bulb assemblies are much brighter than the standard bulbs they replace. We all know why that is desirable.
The side effect of using the brighter LEDs is that they will last two of three lifetimes.

Ed

 

[Keoke]

HI ED> OK
But the extra current is still not decreasing the total lighting current and I was thinking that reducing the current would be desireable along with the brighter lighting.
Similarly, the magnitude of the load resistors must be less than the resistive load of the LED if they carry the majority of the current.

 

[Patrick67BJ8]

However, I am a little confused why anyone would go through the expense and effort to install LEDs and then to further the expense with the purchase of resistor units that bring the curent draw and life span to where it was with standard bulbs.




Yeah me too.---Keoke

I thought about making this change/upgrade, but decided that as I get older it is more important to keep my car on the road at night than watching my gauges.

 

[bighealeysource]

Hey all,
Never figured so many would weigh in on this one but thanks to all who did ! That is what is so great about BCF, a lot of help out there. Ed K from NC probably hit the nail on the head about the problem I "was" having - leaving front bulbs original style 1157's and back LEDS and all works - that the original switch box on the inner fender is just that, original, and sure that it could use some cleaning up. For now,I am going to follow that age old advice for all cars, "if it aint broke, don't fix it" and leave that little box alone. Got very bright tail lights and turn signals along with very bright brake lights so I'm good to go for now.
Thanks all,
Mike

 

[Ed_K]

Hi Patrick,

We were talking about the stop/turn signal bulbs and the front parking/turn signal bulbs.
The dash lights being replaced by LED bulbs is a different upgrade project.

Ed

 

[Rob Glasgow]

I installed the LED lamp discussed in this thread on the left side of my BT7. The new LED lamps are definitely brighter. Not sure the photos capture the difference but it is very apparent.
The shot with the reflector lights lit up show the lamps under braking. The other shot shows the lamps with just the parking lights on.
I kept the old style 1157 lamps in front. Also, I did not change the flasher switch to the electronic version and the turn signals work, although the LED side flashes at a rate about twice as fast as the old style lamp side. Not sure what will happen when I replace the second old style rear lamp with the LED.

This is my first attempt to post photos so not sure what will happen. I followed instructions from a recent post and the file manager says there are a total of 2 files so maybe this will work. Well here goes.....

 

[Rob Glasgow]

Wow, it worked. That's really cool.

 

[AUSMHLY]

I'm trying out an led license plate frame. Lights up red only when the breaks are applied.

 

[rjc157]

now thats hot where did you get them