Replace Turn Signals

TomzGT · May 25, 2021

Is it possible to replace the front turn signal bulbs with LEDs? I tried it on my trunk light and now the trunk light doesn't work. Thanks!

cbxer55 · May 26, 2021

A lot of times, LEDs require the install of load equalizers. Advance Auto sells them. I tried have LED tails, front corners on my 04 Lightning. Had to install one on each corner to make them blink properly. I tried putting LEDs in the backup lights, wouldn't come on. I suspect I need to put a L.E. on each side for those to work as well. LED on a trunk light, nah. Wasted energy to wire in a L.E. for a damn trunk light. LOL!!

Load Equalizers aren't difficult to install. They just get "teed" into the hot wire for whatever bulb you are putting them on. The equalizer itself must be mounted on something metal to act as a heat sink, they get hot.

Red_LX · May 29, 2021

Yes, what he said. You can only use a limited number of LED's, depending on the circuit, before the system detects it as a blown bulb and just stops sending power to it. It's a weird setup but that's how these newer cars are. You have to use resistors in the circuit for it to detect enough current to think everything is OK. You can find ones on ebay that have built in heat sinks and they just go inline on the hot wire going to the bulb.

My LED taillights came with resistors already on them and I had to use a couple for my LED rear side markers and LED panel trunk light.

landors · May 31, 2021

I am curious if there are plug-and-play LED turn signals available on the market.

cbxer55 · May 31, 2021

American Muscle has a great selection of plug-and-play led tail lights. They're all of the sequential type, except for one t hat is "chaser". Chaser meaning that that all three sections of the light are not on at one time. They chase each other, starting with the inner section, then the mid section, then the outer section.

2005-2009 Ford Mustang Sequential Tail Lights & Turn Signals | AmericanMuscle

Shop 2005-2009 Ford Mustang Sequential Tail Lights and Turn Signals. Hand-picked by experts! Pay later with Affirm. *Free Shipping on Orders Over $149*

www.americanmuscle.com

7991LXnSHO · May 31, 2021

cbxer55 said:
A lot of times, LEDs require the install of load equalizers. Advance Auto sells them. I tried have LED tails, front corners on my 04 Lightning. Had to install one on each corner to make them blink properly. I tried putting LEDs in the backup lights, wouldn't come on. I suspect I need to put a L.E. on each side for those to work as well. LED on a trunk light, nah. Wasted energy to wire in a L.E. for a damn trunk light. LOL!!

Load Equalizers aren't difficult to install. They just get "teed" into the hot wire for whatever bulb you are putting them on. The equalizer itself must be mounted on something metal to act as a heat sink, they get hot.

Installing a lower current bulb, then having to install a resistor to draw extra current seems like a waste.

cbxer55 · Jun 1, 2021

7991LXnSHO said:
Installing a lower current bulb, then having to install a resistor to draw extra current seems like a waste.

For a trunk light, yeah I agree. For turn signals, if you want to go LED, it's worth it. Here are a few pics of my Lightning with LED signal lights. The rears are one-offs, no other set like them. Had to put a load equalizer on each for them to blink properly.

And my Mustang has Spec D tail lights and front corners. But they came prewired with the resistors already wired in. Plug-and-play.

7991LXnSHO · Jun 1, 2021

cbxer55 said:
For a trunk light, yeah I agree. For turn signals, if you want to go LED, it's worth it. Here are a few pics of my Lightning with LED signal lights. The rears are one-offs, no other set like them. Had to put a load equalizer on each for them to blink properly.

And my Mustang has Spec D tail lights and front corners. But they came prewired with the resistors already wired in. Plug-and-play.

I’d rather try something like this before splicing in resistors.

CF12ANL-01 LED Bulb Electronic Flasher - 2 Pin American Flasher - Black

This 2-Pin Electronic LED Flasher Relay supports a 0.02-20 amp range and operates on 12 VDC. Eliminates the need for load resistors; turn signals will flash at a normal rate with or without LED bulbs. Flasher is compatible with most American vehicles. Check out our Vehicle Bulb Finder.

www.superbrightleds.com

If your car is stupid sensitive about telling you a bulb is out, it might not fix the whole issue. But I can see this being a god deal on many vehicles.

cbxer55 · Jun 1, 2021

Right. The problem is, at least on the Lightning, I have never been able to find the flasher. It's up under the dash in some unimaginable spot. I can hear it clicking, but cannot put eyes on it. Looked for it for several months, finally gave up and spliced in the resistors.

7991LXnSHO · Jun 1, 2021

On the 91 Mustang, the flasher is easy to get to. On the 200? G.Marquis, the flashers are in some module that also controls the headlights. It was replaced under a recall or I would not have looked yet. I have LED tail light and back up bulbs for the Mustang ready for the next time I pull a hatch panel, but only LED back up bulbs in the Merc.

Red_LX · Jun 8, 2021

Honestly the heat sink resistors are super easy to use though provided you have a place to use them. I totally forgot but the ones I used most recently had 194-style plugs on both ends so all you had to do was plug one end into the socket, and plug your light/harness/whatever into the other end.

I'm not even sure if the '05-up use a traditional flasher relay?

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