LED signbal lights vs signal flasher

[Ertman]

EUREKA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, so I installed LED lamps in my signal/tail/parking lights.

The good news is that they provide lots of light. The bad news is that the stupid, stock *%#@! signal flasher on my 2001 QuadCab 3500/ISB thinks there's a bulb out and starts flashing its brains out at about twice the normal signal rate. This is described as a "convenience feature" to alert the driver that a bulb is out. Of coourse, with the LED lamps, there's no bulb out.



So, I did some research and discovered that the stock flasher is a Model EP-27 from Tridon, the same folks who make Trico windshield wipers.



Anyway, I bought 2 more flashers and dove into them in an effort to modify it to get rid of the outage indicator. Yes, I succeeded, but it caused a really high index of rectal discomfort because Tridon wouldn't send me a schematic of the electronic innards.



Well, to make a long story a bit shorter, I contacted Tridon and had some interesting chats with one of their engineers about the idea of them making and selling a variable load flasher as a direct replacement for the EP-27.



Now the really good news: They did it!!! It's called the EP-27 Trailering flasher. I don't k now when it'll be in auto parts stores, but it should be soon. They may already be on the shelves.



Now, my signals flash at the normal rate with either LED or incandescent lamps in the sockets. Whoopee!!!



So, if you want to put LEDs in your park/tail/signal lights, visit your neighborhood parts store and bug them for the Tridon EP-27 trailering flasher. It says "TRAILERING" right on it.



Now you can use LEDs without having to be an electronics engineer to modify the stock flasher.



Enjoy and happy flashing,



Dick

 

[Yo Hoot]

Thanks



I have the LED bulbs but can't use them How do I get the flasher? Can I get it sent direct... like tommorrow?

 

[Stranger]

LEDs and Flasher

Every outside light on my 3500 is an LED. I bought an Electronic Flasher, actually 2. One for turn and one for 4-ways. $12. 95 each @ Kragen.

 

[Yo Hoot]

Anybody know where the flasher unit is on the 03-up trucks? I hear it in the steering column but I don't want to start taking things apart yet.



Thanks

 

[Ertman]

LEDs vs Flasher

To Yo Hoot: I think the flasher is in the fuse box at the left end of the dash. That's where it is on my '01. You get to it by opening the driver's door. You can contact Tridon at www.tricoproducts.com and find out of the EP-27 Trailering flasher is available in stores, or if they'll sell you one directly.



To Stranger: What year's your truck? My '01 has a single flasher unit in the fuse box to operate turn and hazard signals. My flasher is a 5-pin unit. Did your truck come with two separate flashers? If it had a single one, how did you wire in the 2 separate ones?



Regards,



Dick

-- email address removed --

 

[drrhoades]

Ertman,

Where did you get your LED's from and if you can a ballpark figure on the price? I am assuming that they are direct fit and you just cross reference the original bulb number.



Thanks,

Doug

 

[Ertman]

LED vs signal flasher

I got my LEDs from www.jamstrait.com. I chose their HyperBrite units. Their part numbers are the same as the incandescent bulb type numbers, so I got a pair of their 3157HA (amber) and a pair of 3157 HR (red). The price is very reasonable and they should last just about forever.



Feel free to email me directly at -- email address removed --



Regards,



Dick

 

[nitrox2595]

I LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU

 

[Yo Hoot]

Re: LEDs vs Flasher

Originally posted by Ertman

To Yo Hoot: I think the flasher is in the fuse box at the left end of the dash. That's where it is on my '01. You get to it by opening the driver's door. You can contact Tridon at www.tricoproducts.com and find out of the EP-27 Trailering flasher is available in stores, or if they'll sell you one directly.



To Stranger: What year's your truck? My '01 has a single flasher unit in the fuse box to operate turn and hazard signals. My flasher is a 5-pin unit. Did your truck come with two separate flashers? If it had a single one, how did you wire in the 2 separate ones?



Regards,



Dick

-- email address removed --

ertman,



I found out the 03-up trucks do not use a descrete flasher. It's run by a computer and relays.



The only way to make mine work is to splice in resistors. Anybody know where to splice and what size restisors to use?

 

[yogibear]

I was told to wire a 10W 100ohm resistor from hot wire going to bulb, to ground. I haven't tried it yet.



Larry

 

[Weidner]

ERTMAN Are those LEDs from Jamstriat brighter than the oem bulbs? Is it a noticable difference?



Did you buy them right from jamstrait or did you have to follow a link from their website to one of their dealers?



Can you get the special "trailering" EP-27 direct from Tricoproducts?



A year or so ago I tried to convert LEDs but the flasher issue stopped me, I was going to ad a load to the circuit, but never got that far. Also the LEDs I bought off Ebay were not that bright. I think I need to get those Hyperbrite ones.

 

[Don Blaisdell]

Hi Ertman I like your idea, but tell me is the fog lamp pin the same style as the turn /tail lamp pin? Don

 

[Ertman]

LEDs vs OEM signal flasher

For those of you who want to or have to modify the OEM signal flasher, I can provide some info on how to do it, but I prefer to do that on an individual basis. Feel free to email me at -- email address removed --



Dick

 

[Stranger]

My 96 3500 has 2 flashers. 1 for turn and 1 for 4-way.



Look at:

http://www.led-r-us.com/

for the dually fender markers and

http://www.superbrightleds.com/

for all the rest, including the resistors if you want to go that route.

 

[y-knot]

Glade you are happy and it's now peachy kine. I did the LED thing and after 3-4 vehicles and a years or so, I came to the conclusion that LED's are nice and have many benefits, but are not the answer for most vehicles. There biggest draw back is the low light level they produce. At night sure you can see them, but in the day light they do not work. I have tried many different configuration and the main problems stems from the fact that the normal lamps emit light in a 360 degree plain, where the LED's are limited to about 120 degree's. And anything less then looking at them stright-on, produces less then 100% light. The trucks normal lamps are made to capture the light output by way of reflectors, this re-directs the light back to useful output. For most vehicles I would not recommend the use of LED's in the STOP or TURNING signal lamps, they do not put out enough light to be seen in day light. Also the law recognizes this problem and has been ticketing many for the infraction, the Led's do not meet the D. O. T standards.

The proper way to add LED's and still have the turning signals work properly, is to add a LOAD EQUALIZER to the circuit.

 

[Jff24Gordn]

So what if you use a semi series 40 or 60 LED in the dodge housing? Would that be bright enough?

 

[y-knot]

They would never fit, I had to open up the housings to except the 15-LED units. The only way I can see that you could add enough LED's so they are as bright as stock lamps in the daylight, is to add two more lamp sockets. There is plenty of room in the housings and it would just take a hole-saw and a few extra plugs to do, but the question is, is it worth it?? I like the LED's but not enough to go thru all of that. I have already drilled my housings for the additional xeion strobe units I installed, not a bad project mind you, but most likely more then most would do just to run LED's. I think until they come out with brighter, smaller LED lamps, I will just stay with the stock lamps. The marker lights, roof, bed sides, and tail gate, are all LED and work just fine. They are only needed in the dark and that is perfect for the LED's, they are very easily seen at night and the unique type of light is neat. Just have trouble when you try and go to LED's and need them to be used and seen in both the night and day. I add extra turning signal lights to both the front and back of the truck, they are 12-and 9 unit LED's that show up pretty good in the day light, here's a pictures of them mounted in the buckstops. You could use something similar to these, or larger as you mentioned the ones used on tractor trailers, to add extra light for the stop signals. I have seen some very bright LED lights that would work very well, but all of these units are add on, flush or surface mount lights that would be hard to blend-in on the Dodge, making them less then desirable in the way of cosmetics.

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[jcbrown]

Hella DuraLED...

... Combi Lamp.

 

[jcbrown]

Hella DuraLED...

... Signal Lamps.



Either DuraLED Lamps can he install onto surface of tailgate.



I have Hella DuraLED LT Lamps installed on my tailgate. Three rows amber, two rows red LED's.

 

[canblue]

Does anyone have the new part number for the EP-27 trailering flasher. It does not show up in any of the Canadian parts lists. :{