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Interesting. I know there's a lot of stuff like this for boats, but its surprising that it would be common in cars, since they go across state boarders so easily.
We'll be waiting for these cars at the Illinois border...
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
I think there's some law or agreement that states must respect equipment laws of other states. I often see boat trailers without tags from states that don't require them. And I imagine the darker window tint allowed here would be a problem in a some states.
Hey BAN_ONE, did you end up using the "recommended" LED protectors?
This switchback thing for me has been a nightmare. Everytime i use the blinkers, i end up with one drl white and the other one amber + solid lit arrow indicator (just 1) on my dash.
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
Originally Posted by Mauricokito
Hey BAN_ONE, did you end up using the "recommended" LED protectors?
This switchback thing for me has been a nightmare. Everytime i use the blinkers, i end up with one drl white and the other one amber + solid lit arrow indicator (just 1) on my dash.
You needed to read up on this more... there are dozens of threads about LED bulb installations.
As discussed above, you have to install an electronic flasher when you replace standard incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs. LEDs don't draw enough current to make the standard thermal flasher make/break the circuit to flash the turn signals so the lights just go on and stay on solid. An electronic flasher doesn't depend on the amount of current flow to make/break the circuit so it works with LED bulbs.
Unless you have modified your wiring or you bought some really cheap switchbacks on eBay, you should never see them white unless the headlights are on. Proper operation of switchback LED bulbs (with an electronic flasher) is:
- solid amber with headlights off and turn signals off
- solid white with headlights on and turn signals off
- flashing amber on the side where the turn signals are in use regardless of whether the headlights are on or not. The opposite side will remain either solid amber or solid white depending on whether the headlights are off or on respectively. The flashing side will flash amber/off/amber when the headlights are off and either amber/off/amber or amber/white/amber when the lights are on depending on whether you have Type 1 or Type 2 switchbacks.
I have heard of numerous problems and weird lighting combinations from cheap switchbacks. If you know that the factory wiring is intact and the bulbs don't work as described above then you should consider getting better quality bulbs to see if that solves the problem.
Thanks for taking the time to write this info White Bird. I dont mean to hijack the thread! I did a lot of forum reading before getting them. I got the switchbacks (48 SMTs) (amber - white) from autoluminations along the with EL12 flasher (Novita brand from autozone). They work fine for the most part but even with the EL12, I'm still left with the signal indicators always lit on my dash and one DRL white and the other one amber after using the blinkers and also some flickering while amber.
The LED protectors were recommended by the guys from autoluminations. it's just a resistor to install inline with the ground wire to protect the LED from over voltages. I dont remember how many ohms they are but they might be the ones messing me up.
These "protectors" are not the load equalizers that you would connect in paralel to simulate a regular bulbs. Actually i also tried these to try to get rid of the dash indicators but i got same results.
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
Did you replace more than just the front bulbs with LEDs? If you replaced both front and rear but didn't get a flasher specifically designed for LED bulbs you can end up with all kinds of weird symptoms including the ones you describe. The EL-12 is sufficient to handle just the front bulbs being replaced but can't handle all of the bulbs being LEDs.
The over-voltage protection of inline resistors is just another internet myth like using a capacitor to prevent headlight flicker with a big stereo. The LEDs in all quality bulbs are designed for 14.5 volts and are regulated to handle up to about 18 volts without failure. If your alternator starts putting out 18+ volts then you have bigger problems than burned out bulbs. I've dealt with autoluminations before and they sell a quality product so I doubt the resistors are necessary.
The white light on without the headlights worries me though. That should never happen unless there's something wrong with the wiring or the bulb sockets. The two circuits (parking lights and DRL/turn signal) are not connected to each other except for sharing a common ground. What happens if you put the original bulbs back? I'm not sure if they sell them but is there any chance you might have gotten CK type bulbs like those used on Toyotas? The pins of the 3157 CK bulb are wired differently than a standard 3157 (the grounds are both on one side instead of being both at one end).
White Bird, thanks again for trying to work this out with me! Here are some more details. I also have sequential lights on the back (from webelectric) with regular bulbs, not LEDs. The switchbacks were ordered right, they are the 3157 style double circuit for bright and dim, not the CJs. The problem i described above only shows up when the parking lights are ON and sometimes when the headlights are ON. They work fine during the day with no lights ON. I was really fustrated when i installed the EL12 flasher and still had the signal indicators lit on my dash since i saw on multiple posts that this flasher should be enough.
My latest attempt to try to fix this before giving up the switchback thing was to get an electronic flasher. I just got CF12ANL-1 that it's supposed to be ok for LED and incandescent mix (no load, i think) like i have right know. I'll be installing this in the next couple days. I definately want to get rid of those "LED protectors" now.
At some point i had to take the LEDs off cause they werent fitting, so i put the regular bulbs back with the protectors connected and this was causing the dome light to stay ON after shuting the car of with all doors closed.
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
Happy to help if I can. Correct me if I'm wrong... we have two apparent problems - one is that the turn signal goes on but does not flash and the other is that the one light is always white when the lights are on regardless of turn signal usage?
Does the non-flashing turn signal happen on both sides or just one? You mention that the dash indicator stays on solid all the time... does that mean even when you aren't using the signals or just when you have the turn signal switch on? And do both indicators come on or just one side?
I'm starting to think that the problem may not be LED bulb specific but rather something else in the circuit like the DRL module.
Nope! they both flash they way they are supposed to. Here it goes:
Car ON during the day, DRLs amber, no lit indicators in dash, when blinkers used, led flashes amber - off.
Turn parking lights ON, DRLs amber but flicker (barely noticeable), no lit indicators in dash, when blinkers used, led flashes amber - white. This is when the indicator of the blinker used stays lit after in dash. Say I made a left turn, used left turn signal, indicator flashes, cleared the turn, blinker stick goes back to middle position, indicator stays solid. Once i used the right one, that one will stay solid making now both lit. It is always the left light the one that stays amber after using the blinker, it will flash amber-white again if i use the blinker but will stay amber after. The right one goes back to white.
If i turn the headlights ON, DRLs turn white, blinkers will make them flash amber - white and both will go back to white after blinker stops.
Headlights will always make the dash indicators stay solid even if I didnt use the blinkers, they'll just come ON immediately.
This is happening while using EL12 flasher + the LED protectors.
Should I get rid of the protectors before i switch the flasher to the electronic one? or should I just switch and see what happens?
It is the CF12ANL-01. I only saw one guy on one of the forums saying this was the one that sorted out his switchback problems.
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
Man, you sure came up with an original problem.
I'm going to have to go back to the schematics to see how those symptoms could happen. I'll see if I can't get back to you later today. I'm beginning to suspect a bad ground that is causing current to back-feed through the circuit but I'm not sure where that could be to cause those specific issues.
When the dash indicator lights come on while not using the turn signals, are they dim or at full brightness?
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