LED Mystery

[LoriMaury Kimbrough]

Back in July we replaced all of our reqular bulbs (except headlight and driving lights) with LEDs. We bought the correct flasher, plugged them in and, once we figured out that there is a right and a wrong way to put the bulb in the socket, everything worked great.



About a month ago we found some that had more LED's in them so we decided brighter would be better and we bought them. They don't work. When they are all plugged in, you turn on the right blinker and it blinks, but so does the left blinker, the driving lights as well as the dash lights. They blink at the right speed, but everything blinks. Works the same way when using the left blinker.



We also purchased the in-line part (I'm not sure what it's called), but we'd rather not cut into the wires if we don't have too. So right now the original LED's are in the truck and the others are sitting on a self in the garage.



Can someone explain why this is happening and how to fix it? Is there another flasher that we need because of the increased number of LED's?

 

[TrainTrac]

We also purchased the in-line part (I'm not sure what it's called), but we'd rather not cut into the wires if we don't have too.

I believe you're referring to the resistor. If you've installed an electronic flasher, you don't need the resistor.



Other than that, I'm not sure what your problem is. Have you tried re-installing the first set of LEDs to see of the problem goes away? Does everything work correctly with the OEM bulbs? If the answer to the previous questions is yes, then I'd say there's a problem with the second set of LED's.

 

[Dingo]

There's a short in the bulb that was in the right blinker. It's shorting the wire for the bright bulb filament (blinker) to the parking light wire. Bad bulb.

 

[TrainTrac]

Yeah, I was leaning towards a bad LED bulb too. My suggestion of trying known good bulbs was to confirm it.

 

[Michael Cacioppo]

Here's how to debug your problem. Starting with one of the NEW LEDs you replaced, put back the old one (less bright) or a filament bulb. Try the flashers. If they still are screwy do the same for the next NEW LED and so on until the problem stops. When it does that is the LED that is bad. Alternatively, as you pull and LED do no replace it. Do this until the problem of both sides and the dash being affected. Since it affects the dash I would start with an LED that is on as a running light (on with light switch). I'm reasonably sure thar you are shorting a flasher LED with the other side side of that LED which is common to the running light side and also the dash lights. If you put on the lights via the headlight switch, you may notice one of the LEDs is brighter since both sides are lit.



Happy hunting....MikeC

 

[JerryW Gilliland]

:wacko:

 

[Dingo]

It was Colonel Mustard in the Study with the Candlestick!

 

[LoriMaury Kimbrough]

Thanks guys, this weekend we'll have to do some troubleshooting to see if we can figure it out.



That dadgum Colonel Mustard.....

 

[David Ponder]

Are you sure it wasnt Andy, in the Garage, with the torque wrench?:unsure: