Hazard lights not working after LED conversion

[edwardhawkins37]

I have a 1994 Ford Ranger and I have converted the lights to LED. I replaced the flasher with an LED appropriate one. Turn signals work fine but flashers come on and stay lit but do not blink. Is there a separate flasher for the hazards and if so where is it located?

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[sheep herder]

See here. https://www.therangerstation.com/forums/index.php?threads/how-many-flasher-relays.185460/

 

[Curious Hound]

Yeah. The thread sheep herder printed you to basically talks about where the hazard flasher module is. So you probably replaced the turn signal flasher with an LED style flasher and you need to do the same for the hazard flasher module which is located on the back side of the fuse block. Details and pictures in that thread.

 

[cbxer55]

Exactly the opposite happened to me on my Lightning. All four corners leds now. Hazards work normally. Turn signals just stay on. I have the appropriate no load led flasher. Just haven't done the swap yet. Unlike most vehicles, the signal flasher on the Lightning is in a very unfriendly place as far as access. I'm told you need gifted fingers to get it out and get the new one in. I am just waiting for it to get warm. Maybe one day this weekend.

 

[cbxer55]

So, I finally got tired of hunting for the damn signal flasher on my Lightning. Could hear it, but was never able to see it or feel it. I'm told they are in a very unfriendly location. So, I went to Advance Auto and picked up four LED Load Equalizers. You have to put one on any light that you installed a LED. Prior to installing them, the signals just came on solid, no blink at all. I did the rears first, and after that, they hyper-flashed. I was hoping one set would be enough. No such luck. Did the fronts the next day, and they work normally now.

Takes about 15 minutes per quarter, if there is metal in the area the lights are mounted. Unfortunately, the head light and tail light housings are plastic. So I had to extend the wires and remote mount the equalizers. They have to be mounted on metal for heat dissipation. The instructions say they will get to around 149 degrees on a 25 degree day. So I assume they will get hotter if it's hotter outside.

Anyhow, I activated them and let them blink about the same amount of time as they would if stuck at a power nap inducing traffic light. Barely got hot at all. So it's all good.

They're made by Sylvania and can be used for any LED application where things don't function properly. For instance, I tried putting LEDs in the back up lights when I did the tail lights. They would not illuminate. So I am going to try another pair with another set of lad equalizers, see if I can get those to work as well. LED's are so much brighter and better looking than incandescents.

 

[Curious Hound]

So, I finally got tired of hunting for the damn signal flasher on my Lightning. Could hear it, but was never able to see it or feel it. I'm told they are in a very unfriendly location. So, I went to Advance Auto and picked up four LED Load Equalizers. You have to put one on any light that you installed a LED. Prior to installing them, the signals just came on solid, no blink at all. I did the rears first, and after that, they hyper-flashed. I was hoping one set woould be enough. No such luck. Did the fronts the next day, and they work normally now.

Takes about 15 minutes per quarter, if there is metal in the area the lights are mounted. Unfortunately, the head light and tail light housings are plastic. SO I had to extend the wires and remote mount the equalizers. They have to be mounted on metal for heat dissipation. The instructions say they will get to around 149 degrees on a 25 degree day. So I assume they will get hotter if it's hotter outside.

Anyhow, I activated them and let them blink about the same amount of time as they would if stuck at a power nap inducing traffic light. Barely got hot at all. So it's all good.

They're made by Sylvania and can be used for any LED application where things don't function properly. For instance, I tried putting LEDs in the back up lights when I did the tail lights. They would not illuminate. So I am going to try another pair with another set of lad equalizers, see if I can get those to work as well. LED's are so much brighter and better looking than incandescents.

Thanks for the info about the load equalizers. That's great.

I would have expected the backup lights to work normally since there is no flasher involved. Did you flip the LEDs around to make sure you had the polarity right?

 

[zachwabbit]

^this. I have LED reverse lights in my ‘93 F150 and my ‘89 B2 that work perfectly and didn’t have to change anything. The only time you’d need an LED load resistor in our old Fords is like everyone is saying in the case of the flashers/signals. If you flip the bulb and it still doesn’t work, but the old halogen bulb works still then it’s most likely a defective LED bulb. This is common with some of the cheaper off-brand bulbs unfortunately

 

[cbxer55]

^this. I have LED reverse lights in my ‘93 F150 and my ‘89 B2 that work perfectly and didn’t have to change anything. The only time you’d need an LED load resistor in our old Fords is like everyone is saying in the case of the flashers/signals. If you flip the bulb and it still doesn’t work, but the old halogen bulb works still then it’s most likely a defective LED bulb. This is common with some of the cheaper off-brand bulbs unfortunately

Yes I flipped them. No, they still didn't work. So, for the El Cheapo ones, both would be bad? Some kind of coincidink? I figured that might be the case. I took them back to Advance Auto and they refunded my money, no problemo. Maybe I'll try again with some more pricey units, like my front and back signals.

The front corner lights are BRIGHT white in running light mode. Brighter than my driving lights and my headlights. They make both look sad in comparison. I do have a set of HID lights for the down low driving lights. Will get the mounted soon, just have to find a place to mount he ballasts. I have a feeling once these are on, my headlights will be irrelevant and redundant. So guess I will have to do something with those some time in the future.

 

[Dirtman]

Absolutely zero reason leds would not work on reverse lights. It's a simple 12 volt on/off circuit. No load devices on the circuit (relays and flashers) to hinder anything. Them were bad bulbs... or you missed something obvious, like the fuse is blown.

 

[cbxer55]

Absolutely zero reason leds would not work on reverse lights. It's a simple 12 volt on/off circuit. No load devices on the circuit (relays and flashers) to hinder anything. Them were bad bulbs... or you missed something obvious, like the fuse is blown.

Fuse was not blown as I took the leds out and put the incans back in and they worked. As I said, I tried flipping them as well. No dice.

 

[RonD]

Flashers work by amp load, they have a bi-metal arm that heats up and bends, and that breaks the electrical connection, then it cools off and makes the connection again, then it heats up and breaks the connection, and so on
Not exactly correct but you get the idea of amps = heat

When a bulb burns out then no flash, because 1/3 of the load is gone(3 bulbs per side, don't forget dash bulbs)
And when you add a trailer, 1 extra bulb per side, they flash faster, higher load

LED flasher might be thermal but can also be electronic

Always wondered what happens when you plug in a trailer after changing to LEDs on the truck?
How would the new flasher react to the regular bulbs in the trailer
I think if you used the 4 resistors and old flasher it wouldn't matter, just same old faster flash

 

[zachwabbit]

Sounds odd but it’s possible, my first set of LEDs for my F150 were some cheapies, both went bad at the same time not long after installing them. I’ve never had any issues with Superbrightleds.com bulbs, other than the plug for my ‘06 Power Wagon LED headlights not fitting without some minor sanding

 

[cbxer55]

Flashers work by amp load, they have a bi-metal arm that heats up and bends, and that breaks the electrical connection, then it cools off and makes the connection again, then it heats up and breaks the connection, and so on
Not exactly correct but you get the idea of amps = heat

When a bulb burns out then no flash, because 1/3 of the load is gone(3 bulbs per side, don't forget dash bulbs)
And when you add a trailer, 1 extra bulb per side, they flash faster, higher load

LED flasher might be thermal but can also be electronic

Always wondered what happens when you plug in a trailer after changing to LEDs on the truck?
How would the new flasher react to the regular bulbs in the trailer
I think if you used the 4 resistors and old flasher it wouldn't matter, just same old faster flash

I know how flashers work and I knew when I installed leds I was in for a fight. As for a trailer, I don't even have a hitch or towing stuff on my Lightning. Took it all off.

 

[Dirtman]

You have a lightning?