Resistors for LED indicators

[adam73bgt]

Hi all, possibly silly question here...

I've fitted red lenses to the back of my MG and the green bulbs i bought aren't making my indicators any more amber

So I've got some LED bulbs which are bright enough to look amber through the lens but they don't flash due to the resistance being too low across them. Now I've bought some resistor kit things made for this job which have black and red wires which go between the earth and live wires to the indicator, but theres no earth wire from the indicator as it just earths to the body through the light unit

Would I just be ok in connecting the black wire from the resistor to the body for the earth connection?

Thanks

[nomad]

Feb 3, 2014 22:46:01 GMT adam73bgt said:

Would I just be ok in connecting the black wire from the resistor to the body for the earth connection?

Hi, I've not used these on a car but your idea sounds right.
Suggest you test by connecting red wire to the indicator wiring in the boot, and your black wire to the body for earth.
Check if resistor gets hot - some generate lots of heat to beware fire risk!
If that works you know all is good - you can then mount behind the dash if you want (if it doesn't work there - you know you've connected it wrong )

[joem83]

Do the LED's light up at all? When I had some on my 205 they flashed really fast.
I always wondered if you could get a lower resistance relay that would sort the fast flash.

[nomad]

Feb 4, 2014 1:22:12 GMT joem83 said:

Do the LED's light up at all? When I had some on my 205 they flashed really fast.
I always wondered if you could get a lower resistance relay that would sort the fast flash.

Good thinking , a quick look on Google finds stuff I didn't know existed (probably didn't when I was looking a few years ago).
Random link (no idea if this is suitable or not but it's a good start ...)
www.squaredeals-ltd.co.uk/dual-load-led-flasher-relay-unique-flash-rate-fix--new-spec-1961-p.asp

[sparkyt]

Wire them to the relay across the feed to the light to earth on the relay ..

[adam73bgt]

The LED's do light up but they just stay on rather than flash, the flasher unit is a proper old style one that uses heat caused by resistance to make and break the circuit if i remember rightly..

I don't think the indicators have a relay although I could try putting in the resistor at the flasher unit? though this might affect the non LED bulbs I've got?

I'll try attaching the resistor to live and the body and see what happens

[joem83]

Something like this might work to, could drop LED's into all the indicators & it would drop the amount of voltage your using:
[a href="http://www.eachbuyer.com/electronic-led-flasher-relay-for-car-turn-signal-blinker-light-3-pin-adjustable-p256382.html?currency=GBP&utm_source=google&utm_medium=CSE&utm_content=[Car+Accessories]&utm_campaign=[PLA]England%28EN%29&gclid=CMfy6aGwsrwCFesSwwodnRAAng"]Clicky[/a]

*Didnt work, try this & search for:
www.eachbuyer.com/

Electronic LED Flasher Relay for Car Turn Signal Blinker Light 3 Pin Adjustable

[moggyman]

Moss do electronic flasher units, which aren't load sensitive.
www.moss-europe.co.uk/Shop/SearchResults.aspx?SearchText=flasher%20unit&WebCatalogID=0

[adam73bgt]

Thanks for those links guys, just went down to the car and tried using the body as an earth for the load resistor and the indicator did flash.. about once every 20 seconds haha so I think I shall get an electronic flasher unit that will be happy with LED's, just gotta choose one now..

[kenmac]

Autobulbs direct do these

www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/LED-Flasher-Unit.html

I used one for my LS400 & it was great just plug & play