flasher mod for LED bulbs

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c_j
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flasher mod for LED bulbs

Post by c_j »

If, after swapping your incandescent bulbs for LED, you want to come back down from hyperblink space back to the normal world, you can make a fairly easy mod to the OEM flasher:

I"m not going to say that it is easy to get to the flasher or even to take it apart, but all you have to do after that is add some capacitance with a capacitor.
flasher0.JPG
flasher1.JPG
flasher2.JPG
This seems to be about the right speed for me at 6.9uF. I tried 4.7uF and it was too fast, and I tried 9.0uF (3.3+4.7) and it didn't blink at all.

As a side note, if you are taking the cover off the flasher, there are the 2 release tabs on the sides of the cover, but there are also 2 more release tabs that are holding pins B and E as well. All 4 must be released to get the cover off.

Another side note is that since:
B = battery,
E = ground,
L = lamps,

then I assume that one could get a standard 2-prong LED flasher with the extra ground wire and make it work like this:
B pin on harness to X terminal on flasher,
E pin on harness to ground wire on flasher,
L pin on harness to L terminal on flasher.

I also notice a lot of the Stant (or Novita Technologies or Tridon) flashers say "LED compatible" on them these days, so just buying a normal aftermarket flasher might be the easiest fix.
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helipilot77
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Re: flasher mod for LED bulbs

Post by helipilot77 »

Thanks for the tip. Just finished modding my spare flasher just as you have instructed. So now I can finally install the LED's that have been bouncing around in my glove box for several months.

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Hoodwagon
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Re: flasher mod for LED bulbs

Post by Hoodwagon »

Hey folks, anyone reading know if the described procedure will work on the below photograph? It's from a 84' SR5
It appears I do have the 3.3uf and 4.7uf capacitors, just in a slightly different format.


Image
Image
Image
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splatterdog
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Re: flasher mod for LED bulbs

Post by splatterdog »

A new flasher is easiest. Getting harder and harder to find capacitors locally, at least here. Radio Shack is a shadow of it's former self and a downtown surplus seller involves a lengthy visit. Nice tip though! Saves a bunch of search time.

I put these https://www.amazon.com/Philips-1157-X-t ... B00HWS7XGW in my tails. Big improvement! Stop is brighter, running is much brighter than incandescent, and of course at a fraction of the amperage.
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Re: flasher mod for LED bulbs

Post by The Professor »

splatterdog wrote: Wed Feb 14, 2018 7:54 am A new flasher is easiest. Getting harder and harder to find capacitors locally, at least here. Radio Shack is a shadow of it's former self and a downtown surplus seller involves a lengthy visit. Nice tip though! Saves a bunch of search time.

I put these https://www.amazon.com/Philips-1157-X-t ... B00HWS7XGW in my tails. Big improvement! Stop is brighter, running is much brighter than incandescent, and of course at a fraction of the amperage.
Wait, you guys still have RadioShacks?! I thought they had already gone under?
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splatterdog
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Re: flasher mod for LED bulbs

Post by splatterdog »

Oops, I'm a little behind! Along with their downward spiral of having nothing on the shelf, I avoided the whole location it was at. All the newer shopping areas are clustered strip mall hell with little thought of traffic and parking. An argument over a simple 12v cord with an "electrical engineer" last time didn't help.

Been using Mouser components for quite a while. https://www.mouser.com

Given current trends, I better warranty out my broken Craftsmen tools before it's too late!
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BaileySims
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Re: flasher mod for LED bulbs

Post by BaileySims »

Hoodwagon wrote: Wed Feb 14, 2018 3:38 am Hey folks, anyone reading know if the described procedure will work on the below photograph? It's from a 84' SR5
It appears I do have the 3.3uf and 4.7uf capacitors, just in a slightly different format.


Image
Image
Image
Buuuummmp.
Did you ever mod your flasher relay up? I've got the same one and am trying to mod mine. I bought on of the flasher relay as stated in the first post but that didn't make a difference for me.
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BaileySims
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Re: flasher mod for LED bulbs

Post by BaileySims »

Maybe the 4.7uf in the tridon ain't cutting it.
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Hoodwagon
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Re: flasher mod for LED bulbs

Post by Hoodwagon »

I never got the modified (or brand new) relay to flash properly Bailey. What I did do is install the below resistors in-line just outside all 4 bulb housings and mount them with JB Weld. The resistance provided tricks the relay into thinking they are incandecent bulbs.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00L4V9E ... stor&psc=1

Seems to be working fine, as a point of caution the resistors get pretty warm when in use (signal on) so mount to metal only
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BaileySims
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Re: flasher mod for LED bulbs

Post by BaileySims »

Took the capacitors out of the stock flasher and soldered them together on the triton flasher. Got that sweet 1960s flash rate going on.



https://youtu.be/fc97FJY_r0Q
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helipilot77
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Re: flasher mod for LED bulbs

Post by helipilot77 »

I bought one of the universal three lead load independent flashers from superbrightleds.com
It worked fine.
. / TOYOTA
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