LED Replacement Bulbs for Tail
Thread Starter
Is the tide gonna reach my chair?
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,389
From: Nor'east
LED Replacement Bulbs for Tail
I want LED bulbs in my 2005 taillights. I have the sequential harness from Web Electric. Some tell me just plug in replacements, no problem. Others say 12v won't work on turn signal flashing without a load resister.
Anyone successfully swith to LED?
Thanks!
Anyone successfully swith to LED?
Thanks!
Thread Starter
Is the tide gonna reach my chair?
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,389
From: Nor'east
RE: LED Replacement Bulbs for Tail
I have been searching and found this info, although this gent is not referring to the 2005 Mustang specifically:
New project.
"The stock FORD flasher module (electronic) design does care as it has an internal current "sensing shunt" that detects "low" load and will cause the unit to step into a 2X flash (double) rate mode. This is to indicate "bulbs out" and is part of the safety design. In figuring up the actual load for the turn signal flasher, you can count each bulb and note that standard 3057 wedge based bulbs use 2.25 A each.
So, three (2 in back, 1 in front) would be 6.75A total. The trigger point for bulbs out in the flasher is >4A, which would be in effect if you were to use LED bulbs in the back. You can install a device called a "LOAD EQUALIZER" sold by several LED/Automotive bulb dealers or distributors that will keep the flasher load above this point. This is nothing more that a power type wire-wound resistor wired in "parallel" (across) the power feed to the rear bulbs at the trunk wiring harness connector(s).
Here is a sample of the several type of products out there ready to install.
http://superlumination.com/equalizers.htm
The dummy load in addition to the three LED's would add the extra bulb "load" to the rear to keep the flasher in normal mode. If the flasher is on the edge of it low current trip point, you would add one more in parallel to each side to simulate a standard 3057 bulb load. For most folks, one per side is all that's needed.
In this way, you can return to stock type light bulbs by simply removing the load equalizer and LED's. Everything is back to "normal".
NOTE on packaging whether or not it is specified that the bulb is for OFF ROAD USE ONLY! There are LED bulbs on the market that are in better "compliance" to how the standard bulbs work within the reflector, as LED array bulb replacements only cover about 15 deg. of viewing angle, so they are pretty bright if you are in direct line-of-sight, but as you move off axis, their light output does radically drop off. This means that someone in an adjacent lane next to you, a little back behind your blind spot might not see your brake or turn signal bulb indications with LED bulbs.
To address this issue, this vendor below has a "multi-array" that much more accurately emulates an incandescent bulb with its dispersion properties with the fast turn on rates of LED!
http://www.eautoworks.com/html/ORD-1-1-1-106942.cfm
So, three (2 in back, 1 in front) would be 6.75A total. The trigger point for bulbs out in the flasher is >4A, which would be in effect if you were to use LED bulbs in the back. You can install a device called a "LOAD EQUALIZER" sold by several LED/Automotive bulb dealers or distributors that will keep the flasher load above this point. This is nothing more that a power type wire-wound resistor wired in "parallel" (across) the power feed to the rear bulbs at the trunk wiring harness connector(s).
Here is a sample of the several type of products out there ready to install.
http://superlumination.com/equalizers.htm
The dummy load in addition to the three LED's would add the extra bulb "load" to the rear to keep the flasher in normal mode. If the flasher is on the edge of it low current trip point, you would add one more in parallel to each side to simulate a standard 3057 bulb load. For most folks, one per side is all that's needed.
In this way, you can return to stock type light bulbs by simply removing the load equalizer and LED's. Everything is back to "normal".
NOTE on packaging whether or not it is specified that the bulb is for OFF ROAD USE ONLY! There are LED bulbs on the market that are in better "compliance" to how the standard bulbs work within the reflector, as LED array bulb replacements only cover about 15 deg. of viewing angle, so they are pretty bright if you are in direct line-of-sight, but as you move off axis, their light output does radically drop off. This means that someone in an adjacent lane next to you, a little back behind your blind spot might not see your brake or turn signal bulb indications with LED bulbs.
To address this issue, this vendor below has a "multi-array" that much more accurately emulates an incandescent bulb with its dispersion properties with the fast turn on rates of LED!
http://www.eautoworks.com/html/ORD-1-1-1-106942.cfm
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