Chlly Chill

I know that a bulb being burned out will also cause the signal not to blink. The manufacturer designed it that way to let the driver know that there is a bulb out. If both blinkers are out the he needs s relay. I want to know how to get LED bulbs to blink.

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

If you intend to install LED bulbs only in the front, you can use an EL12 or equivalent flasher for the turn signals as the rear bulbs will still provide enough current draw for it to work. If you plan to replace all of the signal bulbs, front and rear, then you will need a true no-load LED flasher such as an FF552NLF. The EL12 is fairly inexpensive (about $11 - $12) while the FF552NLF is about twice that amount.

BTW, having both sides not flash does not necessarily mean that the flasher needs to be replaced, although that would be one possibility. An easy way to confirm a flasher problem is to swap the hazard flasher with the turn signal flasher. But the problem could be simply that there is at least one bulb burned out on each side. The quick way to check that is to turn on the hazards and walk around the car looking for bulbs that should be flashing but aren't. The other common cause is socket corrosion... these cars are notorious for getting water in the front lamps causing corroded sockets. Beyond that it could be a problem with the DRL module, the turn signal switch, or any of the wiring between them. The point being that it's not a good idea to suggest throwing parts at a problem without doing some diagnostics first... especially when testing is simple and free.

Chlly Chill

Again sir, your telling me things I already know. As I stated, the manufacturer designed it not to flash when a bulb goes out. In the newer models they hyper flash to let you know that a bulb is out. If both sides don't blink, it's most likely a relay. As far as replacing my bulbs with led bulbs it's the rear lights that doesn't flash. They flash just fine with the factory bulbs.

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WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

You "doth protest too much, methinks". It is apparent that your knowledge of these systems is not as complete as you think it is (your continuing reference to the "relay" shows this - there is no relay anywhere in the turn signal system). The older thermo-mechanical flashers (as used in f-bodies) were not designed to stop flashing when a bulb is burned out - that is just a fortunate side effect of the design which requires a certain amount of current to heat up the bi-metal strip and make it disconnect to create the flashing effect.

My additional explanation of other causes for those symptoms was an effort to get readers to take the ten minutes necessary to check the possibilities rather than just assuming it's the flasher and going out to buy a replacement. You could very well be right - replacing the flasher could solve the problem - but you could also be wrong and that trip to the store would have been wasted. It's always worth taking the time to diagnose rather than make assumptions.

As for your question about your rear lights not flashing when using LED bulbs... it was already answered above - replace your turn signal flasher with a true no-load LED flasher such as an FF552NLF. If you already have a true no-load flasher (not simply an electronic one like the EL12) and you still can't get the lights to flash then we would have to get into some deeper diagnostics but the no-load flasher is an absolute requirement for using all LED bulbs front and rear. And I assume you mean none of the signals flash when you install LEDs in the rear because it would not be possible for the front to flash but not the rear (unless you have rewired).

Chlly Chill

Thank you for that creative lesson in useless enomics, LMAO! However, I will try tha LED flasher as you so creatively suggested. Thank ya sir!

Jonathan L

iTrader: (1)

WhiteBird, good to see you still around!! I am STILL rocking my modded stock Monsoon Bluetooth audio!!
May I ask you a question?

I have a 01 WS6 TA, I grew tired of purchasing new harnesesses and incandascent bulbs so I went with LED's for my DRL / Flashers and wanted to stay with 3157NA's for the bulbs.
I puchased the following items.

disclaimer - I am only adding links to help inform you of what I purchased.




When starting the project yesterday, my driver-side and passenger-side DRL harness was already cut out.
I started with the passenger side, and after not getting the results I wanted, I stopped, cussed, then cleaned up.
I say this because you mentioned that BOTH sides need to be working before testing to make sure it all works correctly.

So when I started my project, I connected the resistor pack, first link above, to my passenger side DRL harness with electrical tape temporarily to get a working setup before going all in and soldering / heat-shrinking.

I used one of my new 3157NA LED lights linked above and plugged it into the socket that twists into the bottom of the DRL / Flasher lense housing under the front bumper cover.

This is my result.

1) Key off, I turn on my running lights, and all is well. I do this by twisting the light switch one click clock-wise so it turns on my fogs, front amber running lights, and rear tail-lights etc.
2) Key on, all lights off, my DRL lights up BRIGHT all is well so far.
3) Key on, all lights off, driver blinker ON, my LED bulb barely flashes. The light is bright, but when it flashes it VERY SLIGHTLY dims then back to normal. The timing is correct of the flashing, but the bulb does NOT turn off all the way it seems during the flasher sequence. Rear looks and works fine.
4) Key on, running lights on, blinker OFF, all is good here.
5) Key on, all exterior lights on ( headlights high and low with fogs on, rear on etc ) results are the same as above #3

Please keep in mind that while performing these tests, my front driver DRL / Turn harness is disconnected. Will this effect lighting? Should I do both sides and test before asking for further help? I did not think of this last night as I was frustrated and took a long time doing other things and feeling defeated.
To the best of my knowledge, I have the OE thermal flasher installed under the dash along with the hazard OE thermal flasher.

Should I replace both thermal flashers with the ones in the link below to be on the safe side? These are for LED and regular bulbs.



Do you or anyone else here have any thoughts regarding this?
I really appreciate any help and thanks in advance!!

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

That resistor harness is a neat and easy way to add resistors to LED bulb installations without requiring cutting any factory wiring. However, the design of the f-body front lamp circuit makes it less than ideal. This is not the fault of the harness but of any resistor installation for those lights. That's because the same circuit is used to power both the turn signals and the DRLs, so the resistor will get VERY hot from being in constant use. When used just for turn signals as in many other cars, the resistor can cool down when the signals aren't in use as well as between flashes, but in f-bodies it is getting constant current. That's why it is better to install an electronic flasher instead - it will take care of the failure to flash that happens with the OEM thermal flasher without eliminating the primary benefit of LED bulbs (low current draw and heat) as resistors do. You can generally get away with replacing only the turn signal flasher - the hazards will usually still work if you put LEDs only up front - but for just $13/pair, I'd just go ahead and replace both flashers.

I think you'll find that if you replace the flashers and plug your LED bulbs into the factory sockets without adding the resistors, your signals will work properly. If not, come back and we'll try some other diagnostics to locate the problem.