LED turn signal upgrade?

[EastCoastCB]

One of my front blinkers is out and the other isn't far behind it. I want to replace them but I am finding lots of nice looking LED replacements. Are there any special wiring tricks or anything like that or are they plug and play?
I'm hoping LED's will last longer with all the shaking around. PLus they're brighter.
Wanting to run some like these-


My current signals-

[Coamack1]

I am not for certain on those particular lights but it may need a resistor in order to prevent hyper-flash. A normal light bulb with a filament has a higher resistance than led lights. Should be a simple fix if needed.

[EastCoastCB]

Ah, see that's why I aked! thanks, I'll look into that.

[JDSquared]

I just replaced mine with LED two days ago. I didn't need a resistor it turns out, but I had one set aside online just in case. All I did though was switch the bulb out.

[brokedown]

I put LEDs in the Wanderlounge and it wasn't enough power draw to make the flasher relay function. I bought an "led compatible" relay and that didn't help. I ended up putting the incandescent bulbs back in the front and LEDs in the rear and that works.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by brokedown

I put LEDs in the Wanderlounge and it wasn't enough power draw to make the flasher relay function. I bought an "led compatible" relay and that didn't help. I ended up putting the incandescent bulbs back in the front and LEDs in the rear and that works.

Well dang- if you can't figure em out I'm screwed!

[Native]

It does depend a lot on the circuitry involved. Sometimes, the light bulb is fully isolated from the flash circuit through the relay. Other times, the bulb (and its resistance) is part of the flash circuit. So it all depends on how Thomas Built the circuitry. It may be easiest to simply change out the bulb and see what happens then proceed from there.

[Truthseeker4449]

Those look sweet.

My bus has no noticeable change in flash rate from replacing one pair of turn signals. Still 3 other pairs tho. I have also run across direct replacement flashers meant for all LED setups.

[PNW_Steve]

I have purchased turn signal flashers that where labeled "LED Ready".

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Native

It does depend a lot on the circuitry involved. Sometimes, the light bulb is fully isolated from the flash circuit through the relay. Other times, the bulb (and its resistance) is part of the flash circuit. So it all depends on how Thomas Built the circuitry. It may be easiest to simply change out the bulb and see what happens then proceed from there.

Originally Posted by Truthseeker4449

Those look sweet.

My bus has no noticeable change in flash rate from replacing one pair of turn signals. Still 3 other pairs tho. I have also run across direct replacement flashers meant for all LED setups.

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

I have purchased turn signal flashers that where labeled "LED Ready".

I guess its just a crapshoot!
I need to do something soon as I hate having a blinker out.

[WIbluebird]

I was told that buses do not have hyperflash when converting from incansedent to LED. This seems to be a feature mostly on passenger vehicles to alert drivers when they have a bulb out.

With commercial vehicles, they are designed with the expectation that the driver completes a pretrip every day and part of that inpspection involves checking the lights.

[banman]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

I guess its just a crapshoot!
I need to do something soon as I hate having a blinker out.

If you do replace the entire units I'd be interested in your old ones to use to repair mine -- as they should be the same unit.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by banman

If you do replace the entire units I'd be interested in your old ones to use to repair mine -- as they should be the same unit.

Once I replace them they're YOURS!

[TheArgobus]

Mine had hyperflash. It's super easy to wire the resistor in, though, just make sure it has a little bit of room to dissipate heat cause it gets HOT. I did a write up for how I replaced all my lights with LEDs and which items I used (disclosure: they're amazon affiliate links). I'm not saying I did it the right way, it's just one way to do it. While I replaced them, I also put in the wiring for a trailer light system since I had access to all the wires and everything.


Unfortunately for me, the rear left blinker no longer gets electricity. It just stopped working, and the front one was hyper flashing. So I got a new relay/flasher, which stopped the hyper flashing, but it still doesn't work. So that tells me I need to follow the wires to find where I accidentally screwed into it. I'm not looking forward to that, I think I might just splice the one on the front that works and take it all the way back to the aforementioned trailer plug.

[banman]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Once I replace them they're YOURS!

Thanks!

[Gnoman]

I replaced my lights with LEDs a few months ago and bought an LED compatible flasher relay Novita EP37. The original flasher used a mechanical switch that relied on enough current to generate heat for proper flashing. The new flasher is supposed to be electrical and does not rely on current for flashing.

The original one did not hyper flash. But due to the reduced current, the mechanical switch would flash at a slower rate (takes longer for the lower current to heat the switch to the deactivation point).

The new flasher relay produces 2 or 3 initial hyper flashes before going to a 'normal' rate. This happens everytime I initiate a signal on either side. Only when immediately switching between directions does it not hyper flash. Anyone have any clues why I'm getting the initial hyper flashes?

Waiting to hear back from Slyvania (parent company of Novita) to see If they have any ideas.

I dont believe the relay had or has a fuse. Would that affect it's function?

[EastCoastCB]

I'm still holding off ordering new parts till I know exactly what will give me the led turn signal joy I seek.
Glad to see the responses, guys. Thanks!

[rv8flyboy]

Heart attack flash rates have their origin afaik, in the german TUV requirement for pax cars dating back anions of years

[kazetsukai]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

I'm still holding off ordering new parts till I know exactly what will give me the led turn signal joy I seek.
Glad to see the responses, guys. Thanks!

I did a full LED conversion on my rig. I replaced the flasher with a non-inline variant:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GIU9M0Y

Inline flashers (usually they are little boxes that plugin to an automotive electrical panel, and look like relays) rely on the lights drawing a certain amount of power. The one linked plugs in like an inline flasher, but also provide a ground to negative so it can regulate flash speed regardless of power draw.

If you have any questions I can answer, I'd be glad to help.

[Elliot Naess]

Automobile turn signal flashers were originally made to be load-depended so that if a bulb burned out, the other bulb and the indicator lamp on the instrument panel would not blink -- alerting the driver that a bulb was out.

When people towed a trailer with these cars, they had to replace the flasher with a Heavy Duty flasher. A HD flasher is not load-dependent, so all six turn signal bulbs would flash normally.

Many Heavy Duty vehicles (trucks) came with HD flashers from the factory, since they were expected to pull trailers.

Buses are not expected to pull trailers, so it is reasonable that a bus could have a "passenger car" flasher, so the driver would immediately know if a bulb burned out.

If your vehicle has an old-fashioned non-HD flasher, simply pick up an HD flasher at any auto parts store.

In recent decades, more complicated flasher systems have appeared, and I know little about these.

However... I like to -- I insist on -- being able to hear my turn signal ticking, to avoid inadvertently driving with the turn signal on. For this purpose, I use a "honking big" commercial flasher that I first discovered in a Peterbilt. Then I recognized the same nice clear ticking in UPS delivery vans.

Mine are Dietz 10-53.

Pay attention to how you wire it. If I remember right, it draws current even when not in use (thru ground), so be sure the power to it is shut off when parked. To make it work with 4-way emergency flashers, I have a toggle switch that powers it even when the ignition is off.
Complicated, yes, but I love that crisp ticking that keeps me from driving half the day with a turn signal on.

With a HD flasher, LEDs work just fine.
However, LEDs tend to shine in one direction and are difficult to see from an angle.
Also, they do not last "forever". Individual diodes conk out regularly.