LED lighting help, no turn signals

Vidar

Vidar

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 26, 2020
Messages
236
Location
Pennsylvania
So I just finished installing all of my lighting. Here’s the order of operation:
1. Installed Alla LEDs in the front turn signals many months ago after replacing the one socket. Worked fine except for the hyper flash.
2. While the Jeep was out of commission, I installed Alla LEDs for the read brake/signal lights, as well as the reverse lights. Installed Zmoon LED headlights.
3. Replaced the side markers with standard yellow bulbs (for my clear covers). Again, these are not LEDs.
4. Installed a Novita EP26 LED flasher

Now, the turn signals will work when the headlights or parking lights are off. When the headlights or parking lights are on, the turn signals do not function. I connected halogen headlights, the issue was unchanged.
I removed the one front turn signal and replaced it with a standard bulb, and that signal now works with the headlights/parking lights on, but the rear signal is barely noticeable.
Any thoughts? Did I get a bad or crappy flasher relay?

Also, I reinstalled the original flasher. With the a halogen installed in the front turn signal, the signal works just with hyper flash when the headlights/parking lights on. With LEDs in all but the side marker, the signal still doesn’t work with the headlights/parking lights on.

224CC4B8-4914-453F-BF75-0AD370AF698B.jpeg
 
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Start by doing the process of elimination.

Return all the turn signal bulbs and everything else to halogen. Put in a set of LED bulbs at a time, i.e. turn signal bulbs only in the front.

Continue to do this until your problem presents itself and you'll have found your issue.

Usually it's the side markers that case the issue, but since you haven't replaced them with LEDs, my guess is it's something else.
 
Chris said:
Start by doing the process of elimination.

Return all the turn signal bulbs and everything else to halogen. Put in a set of LED bulbs at a time, i.e. turn signal bulbs only in the front.

Continue to do this until your problem presents itself and you'll have found your issue.

Usually it's the side markers that case the issue, but since you haven't replaced them with LEDs, my guess is it's something else.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advise. Unfortunately, the rear brake lights broke on my when I removed them, so I don’t have the halogens for back there.
 
Vidar said:
Thanks for the advise. Unfortunately, the rear brake lights broke on my when I removed them, so I don’t have the halogens for back there.
Click to expand...

Maybe go buy some replacements?

I think the issue could be using individual bulbs for the taillights as oppose to using an entire LED taillight assembly, such as these (which is what you should be using):

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KLPXWHQ/?tag=wranglerorg-20
 
Chris said:
Maybe go buy some replacements?

I think the issue could be using individual bulbs for the taillights as oppose to using an entire LED taillight assembly, such as these (which is what you should be using):

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KLPXWHQ/?tag=wranglerorg-20
Click to expand...
I was hoping to keep the stock housings. The ones you linked aren’t legal, at least in PA, since they don’t have side markers on them.
I have a box of resistors, so I’m going to look up how to wire one in to see if that helps. I thought the LED flasher was supposed to negate the need for the resistor, but apparently not.
 
I have another EP26 flasher coming. I think the first one is defective. If that doesn’t work, I’ll pick up a set of standard brake bulbs test further.
 
As a general rule, you can get away with LEDs in the sidemarkers but not in the front fenders, as long as the LEDs in the sidemarkers are the reversible type (non-polarized).

If you want LEDs in all sockets, you will need to convert the sidemarkers to a three-wire setup with an independent ground. It takes a bit of work, but works very well once completed.

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...der-side-markers-on-a-jeep-wrangler-tj.32114/
LEDs in the taillights will not cause any issues that can’t be fixed by a flasher relay.

If LEDs are used in any position, an LED flasher relay is required to prevent hyperflash.
 
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Steel City 06 said:
As a general rule, you can get away with LEDs in the sidemarkers but not in the front fenders, as long as the LEDs in the sidemarkers are the reversible type (non-polarized).

If you want LEDs in all sockets, you will need to convert the sidemarkers to a three-wire setup with an independent ground. It takes a bit of work, but works very well once completed.

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...der-side-markers-on-a-jeep-wrangler-tj.32114/
LEDs in the taillights will not cause any issues that can’t be fixed by a flasher relay.

If LEDs are used in any position, an LED flasher relay is required to prevent hyperflash.
Click to expand...

That’s the weird thing, I’m not trying to use LEDs in the flare side markers. I have standard bulbs there. Trying to use LEDs in the front turn signals and rear brake lights.
 
Vidar said:
That’s the weird thing, I’m not trying to use LEDs in the flare side markers. I have standard bulbs there. Trying to use LEDs in the front turn signals and rear brake lights.
Click to expand...
The rears won’t cause any issue. It’s the LEDs in the front fenders that are causing the issue. The sidemarkers ground through the unused filament on the front turn signals. When you replace them with LEDs, the sidemarkers cannot light up due to the minuscule amount of current and the fender signals light up due to the effective short caused by the sidemarker bulbs.

You can sometimes use LED sidemarkers without any issue. Using LED front turn signals requires modifications to the sidemarkers.
 
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Steel City 06 said:
The rears won’t cause any issue. It’s the LEDs in the front fenders that are causing the issue. The sidemarkers ground through the unused filament on the front turn signals. When you replace them with LEDs, the sidemarkers cannot light up due to the minuscule amount of current and the fender signals light up due to the effective short caused by the sidemarker bulbs.

You can sometimes use LED sidemarkers without any issue. Using LED front turn signals requires modifications to the sidemarkers.
Click to expand...
Ok. So you are saying LEDs in the front turn signal is the problem, not LEDs in the small flare maker? I’ve been misreading things then. I thought the issue was only when trying to use LEDs in the side flare markers. Originally, I put LEDs in the front turn signals and everything worked fine, it just hyperflashed. Only when adding LEDs in the rear brake lights and installing an LED EP26 flasher did I start to have issues.

As for the brake light recommendation, I did see those. They look nice, I was just trying to be cheap and buy $20 in bulbs instead of $140 housings with built in LEDs. I’ve blown enough money on this project and was trying to save where I could.
 
It really depends on what the properties of the bulbs you are using. Make sure that the signals and fender flare sidemarkers flash both with the parking lights on and off.

As for the rears, it would depend on how the aftermarket bulbs are wired. If they are backfeeding other circuits, they very well could be causing an issue.
 
Thanks for the input @Steel City 06. I was having increasing issues until I realized that my battery was dead. It initially had enough juice after sitting for 5 months, but it quickly deteriorated during my testing. I charged it up, and now it‘s back to being consistent.

Original function, factory flasher, LEDs in the front signals, non-LEDs in the brake lights, non-LEDs in the side markers, and standard headlights, I got the following:
Hyperflash when using turn signals, but the signals functioned regardless or headlights or parking lights being on or off.

With a new EP26 flasher, LEDs in the front signals, LEDs in the brake lights, non-led in the side markers, and LED headlights, I get the following:
Headlights on: no turn signals or hazards
Parking lights on: no turn signals or hazards
Headlights/Parking lights off: turn signals and hazards work properly

With a new EP26 flasher, non-led in the front signals, LEDs in the brake lights, non-led in the side markers, and LED headlights, I get the following:
Headlights on: turn signals and hazards work properly
Parking lights on: turn signals and hazards work properly
Headlights/Parking lights off: turn signals and hazards work properly

So based on what you described earlier, my original configuration should not have worked properly, and the LEDs in the tail lights should not affect the function of the front signals. So I‘m at a loss with this. Do you think if I replace the side markers with LEDs and perform the 3 wire modification, that I should get proper functionality? Or should I cut my losses and just use non-LEDs in the front signals? (FWIW, my original reason for wanting to switch is because I may or may not have a habit of leaving my headlights on when I don’t have doors installed, and defeat the door switch.)
 
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