LED turn signal issues.

[Mattguy]

I installed front LED turn signals to match my back LED turn signals and they only work when I have the bulb removed from the turn signal indicator. I have even tried the trucklite bulb for the indicator and also swapped out the flasher unit to a solid state nartron box. I have gone back and read all the threads on LED turn signals and the two things found were the indicator bulb and flasher unit. Anyone have a fix for this other then me leaving the indicator bulb out? It only happens when the headlights are on.

 

[gem1410]

I have the exact same problem on three humvees----Tried everything you did and spent hours--Had to get rid of the rear leds and went back to standard rear lights--Good Luck

 

[Mogman]

I have the exact same problem on three humvees----Tried everything you did and spent hours--Had to get rid of the rear leds and went back to standard rear lights--Good Luck

Did you try putting some load resistors on the rear lights so "simulate" standard bulbs, it probably would not take the full current an incandescent bulb would draw to work.
For example a 50 ohm 25W resistor would draw only about .5A which might be enough to make the circuit work, or maybe even a 100 ohm.

 

[Mattguy]

Did you try putting some load resistors on the rear lights so "simulate" standard bulbs, it probably would not take the full current an incandescent bulb would draw to work.
For example a 50 ohm 25W resistor would draw only about .5A which might be enough to make the circuit work, or maybe even a 100 ohm.

It's weird because the rear lights will flash with 24volt truck lite bulb in indicator. So I'm thinking it's an issue with the front headlights and turn signals. Everywhere I read said to use the truck light bulb for your indicator and would stop the flow of power back to the turn signals. I also read to use the nartron solid state box but I'm out of options now.

 

[Mogman]

It's weird because the rear lights will flash with 24volt truck lite bulb in indicator. So I'm thinking it's an issue with the front headlights and turn signals. Everywhere I read said to use the truck light bulb for your indicator and would stop the flow of power back to the turn signals. I also read to use the nartron solid state box but I'm out of options now.

That is what I do not understand, this should have NOTHING to do with the headlights, also when you switch to left or right turn signal the front and rear bulbs should do exactly the same thing, burn, flash or not as the turn signal switch has them tied together, makes no sense the rear would flash and not the front.

 

[Mogman]

Sounds like you have a grounding issue to the front end to me, like the front turn signals are grounding through the head lights so when thay are on the path to ground is not there. weird!

 

[Mogman]

You do understand that the LED lights have a separate ground wire unlike the incandescent lights that ground through the mounts yes? the front turn signals might be seeking ground through the "parking" lamps which are powered removing that path when the headlights are on...

 

[papakb]

Something I discovered working on a friends M151 was that all turn signal switched aren't wired the same way. When we put a new switch in it the indicator lamp wouldn't flash but everything else worked. After some experimentation we found the lamp socket was wired backwards which won't affect an indandescent lamp but will kill an LED. The solution was what they now sell as an AC LED. All it is is 2 LEDs wired back to back in the lamp so it isn't polarity sensative.

 

[Mogman]

Something I discovered working on a friends M151 was that all turn signal switched aren't wired the same way. When we put a new switch in it the indicator lamp wouldn't flash but everything else worked. After some experimentation we found the lamp socket was wired backwards which won't affect an indandescent lamp but will kill an LED. The solution was what they now sell as an AC LED. All it is is 2 LEDs wired back to back in the lamp so it isn't polarity sensative.

I think they are all wired "backwards" it is fairly well known that a regular LED lamp will not work as a turn signal indicator.

 

[Mattguy]

Something I discovered working on a friends M151 was that all turn signal switched aren't wired the same way. When we put a new switch in it the indicator lamp wouldn't flash but everything else worked. After some experimentation we found the lamp socket was wired backwards which won't affect an indandescent lamp but will kill an LED. The solution was what they now sell as an AC LED. All it is is 2 LEDs wired back to back in the lamp so it isn't polarity sensative.

I purchased the trucklite 24v led bulb for the indicator and thought this was to be a non polarity bulb that solved this issue. The turn signals work now, its just I have no indicator light on my turn stalk. I've had nothing but issues with trucklite LED's. I got two sets of headlights that had low beams inop and the highbeams only worked. Brand new sealed in boxes from trucklite.

 

[BruDogGA]

I installed front LED turn signals to match my back LED turn signals and they only work when I have the bulb removed from the turn signal indicator. I have even tried the trucklite bulb for the indicator and also swapped out the flasher unit to a solid state nartron box. I have gone back and read all the threads on LED turn signals and the two things found were the indicator bulb and flasher unit. Anyone have a fix for this other then me leaving the indicator bulb out? It only happens when the headlights are on.

I added all LEDs to my rig. Did the front first and was working. Next day did the rear, driver side and was still working. Added the right rear and it would flash in night drive, but not the day setting (forget the correct terms). I checked all grounding and then it started working once I moved some grounds around. Then next day, they wouldn't work at all (turn signal flashers). So, I took it to a shop that said they installed some turn signal resistors. Next day, flashers not working again. Then on the way to returning it to the shop, they started working. They've had it for a week now and said they had to order a part. I am curious to know if this last trip to the shop will resolve this. ETA, I put a new hood on my rig so the hood wire harness is brand new along with the lights. Black out Light won't come on as well.

 

[HoveringHMMWV]

I added all LEDs to my rig. Did the front first and was working. Next day did the rear, driver side and was still working. Added the right rear and it would flash in night drive, but not the day setting (forget the correct terms). I checked all grounding and then it started working once I moved some grounds around. Then next day, they wouldn't work at all (turn signal flashers). So, I took it to a shop that said they installed some turn signal resistors. Next day, flashers not working again. Then on the way to returning it to the shop, they started working. They've had it for a week now and said they had to order a part. I am curious to know if this last trip to the shop will resolve this.

I had a similar problem but with the marker lights. All were working one day and then one or more inop the next. I cleaned all of the grounds and that seemed to resolve the issue. Then one or more went inop again. So, I started following the wires back from the connections. Turns out that I had a few exposed frayed / broken wires from either critters or damage. I cleaned up the breaks and all is good now.

 

[BruDogGA]

I had a similar problem but with the marker lights. All were working one day and then one or more inop the next. I cleaned all of the grounds and that seemed to resolve the issue. Then one or more went inop again. So, I started following the wires back from the connections. Turns out that I had a few exposed frayed / broken wires from either critters or damage. I cleaned up the breaks and all is good now.

Got the HUMVEE back and turns out it was a "flasher controller".

Flasher controller