Flasher replacement for led bulbs swap

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Ohiotinkerer
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Flasher replacement for led bulbs swap

Post by Ohiotinkerer »

I'm going to swap out the standard parking light/turn signal bulbs for leds and know I'm gonna have to change out the turn signal flasher and can't seem to find a good answer anywhere - has anyone done this have any advice on what flasher to use?......... :hmm:
"Life is a garden - dig it"........... :thup:

1968 F100 2wd - Rangoon Red - 360 w/T18 - power steering and brakes
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390xlt
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Re: Flasher replacement for led bulbs swap

Post by 390xlt »

I don't remember the part number, but I just picked up an electronic flasher with the right terminal connections from the parts store and it's worked fine so far. Depending on who's working that day, asking for help from an employee might be counterproductive, so you might take the old one in to match up.
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Ohiotinkerer
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Re: Flasher replacement for led bulbs swap

Post by Ohiotinkerer »

Thanks! I hit our NAPA store today and they hooked me up! Probably paid a little more than I would have at our parts places but anymore the people they hire half the time don't know the difference between a ball joint and a headlight (no joke) and can't even get you the right part from a picture on their PC.......... :doh:
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Re: Flasher replacement for led bulbs swap

Post by 67 short box »

I did my tail lights and also want to do the park lights. do we also change the emergency flasher as well? I assume yes....
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Re: Flasher replacement for led bulbs swap

Post by Ohiotinkerer »

Well decided to install mine today since it 65 degrees here in Ohio and all went well until I put the front ones in.....put the talilight bulbs in and checked everything and they worked great......put the front ones in and no blinkers or hazards......I put the new electronic flasher in and still nothing - they will light up but don't flash....so I put the old incandescent bulbs back in the front and went they went back to working but still no hazards.....just looked at 67shortbox's post above about an emergency flasher.....could this be my problem and at the risk of sounding stupid where is that located and I'm guessing it should be a new electronic one also?......... :hmm:
"Life is a garden - dig it"........... :thup:

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Re: Flasher replacement for led bulbs swap

Post by 67 short box »

mine is close to the turn signal flasher. one is mounted on a clip and the other one is just hanging on the wires. both round.
I have a 67 parts truck and it has a bigger square flasher on it, not sure why two different styles.
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Re: Flasher replacement for led bulbs swap

Post by The Bandit »

On mine one flasher was on the left side behind the gauges and the other was on the right side of the gauge cluster.
The problem you're having is that with the led bulbs there is not enough resistance drawing power through the relays and cause them to flash. thats why they work again when you put the regular bulbs back in.
I'm not sure what a true fix is for this problem but I know at some point I've read of there being a flasher relay just for led bulbs but I don't have the means to point you in the right direction right now.

I'll keep looking though.
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Re: Flasher replacement for led bulbs swap

Post by Ohiotinkerer »

The Bandit wrote:On mine one flasher was on the left side behind the gauges and the other was on the right side of the gauge cluster.
The problem you're having is that with the led bulbs there is not enough resistance drawing power through the relays and cause them to flash. thats why they work again when you put the regular bulbs back in.
I'm not sure what a true fix is for this problem but I know at some point I've read of there being a flasher relay just for led bulbs but I don't have the means to point you in the right direction right now.

I'll keep looking though.
Thanks to you guys for where to look for the other relay - didn't realize there was 2 of them! As far as what kind everything I've found i should have the right one that I got from NAPA the other day but I've seen in some reading i have done you have to reverse the terminals on them so I'm gonna give that a try also along with replacing the other relay and see if that makes a difference.......another thing I though would be a simp!e upgrade that isn't simple.......... :doh:
"Life is a garden - dig it"........... :thup:

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Re: Flasher replacement for led bulbs swap

Post by 67 short box »

did you get it fixed?
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Re: Flasher replacement for led bulbs swap

Post by Ohiotinkerer »

67 short box wrote:did you get it fixed?
Haven't had a chance to work oǹ it - weather went back to being cold and insurance as of the 1st of the year refused to pay anymore for a prescription I've had for 9 years that I need to function correctly so it's been all I can do to just go to work everyday......I'll post my findings once I get the other flasher replaced. I've been doing alot of searches and some places are saying they won't work period in older car - some say they should work by just changing the flashers - some places say you have to put resistors in which is defeating one of the purposes of me switching them over so this is gonna be an adventure to say the least......... :(
"Life is a garden - dig it"........... :thup:

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Re: Flasher replacement for led bulbs swap

Post by 67 short box »

so did you have the two round flashers, or just the square one? sorry to hear about your insurance deal. hope you get it straightened out.
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Re: Flasher replacement for led bulbs swap

Post by 67 short box »

sorry, reread and sounds like you have 2 of them. just thinking, what if you just pulled the emergency flasher out and see what happens?
just a thought....
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Re: Flasher replacement for led bulbs swap

Post by Ohiotinkerer »

It's gonna be snowing here in about 10 mins so it will probably be a little while before I do anything on it - I've just got a 10X20 shelter in my driveway i store it in during the winter since I don't have a garage so not much gets done this time of year unless we get a day like last Sat unfortunately...... :(

As far as my insurance - sorry to get political - unless DC gets off their butts and repeals something a certain President did it's just gonna keep getting worse.......it's gone downhill every year since that started and the worst part is I get it thru my work and it's pretty much garbage now....... :cuss:
"Life is a garden - dig it"........... :thup:

1968 F100 2wd - Rangoon Red - 360 w/T18 - power steering and brakes
1997 Honda CBR 900RR
Ohiotinkerer
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Re: Flasher replacement for led bulbs swap

Post by Ohiotinkerer »

SUCCESS........ :woohoo: .........now have all LED turn signals AND 4 ways.....finally a warm day to do it! I had to pull the dash cluster to find the other flasher since it was tucked up above the ignition and wiper switch and couldn't get to it - I did bring it down between them so if I ever have to change it again I can just reach under to get it. What I found out is BOTH of them have to be changed and grounded and you have to reverse the polarity on JUST the 4 way flasher and the one I bought from Amazon came with a cap that goes on it so there's no wiring work involved!

This is the one I used....

https://www.amazon.com/United-Pacific-9 ... 171&sr=8-2

One recommendation that I have that I'm gonna change in mine is buy amber bulbs for the front and red for the back - they are so bright it washes out the color of the lenses.....didn't think about that when I bought them...... :doh:
"Life is a garden - dig it"........... :thup:

1968 F100 2wd - Rangoon Red - 360 w/T18 - power steering and brakes
1997 Honda CBR 900RR
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Re: Flasher replacement for led bulbs swap

Post by mac6150 »

I have a 1972 F250 and have similar issues with mine. Now, they work great until I turn the parking lights or head lights on. Once on, the front turn signal no longer flash. The back works fine. Also, the emergency flasher only works on the rear lights, is that normal? Now that the weather is starting to turn nice I'll probably take another look at the front parking lights and try to figure out what is going on.
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