1st gen turn signals to running lights with Switchback LEDs (a how to)

You modded to have your parking lights flash as well?

My DRL has my headlights, corner lights, and rear light on 100% of time time, switch on or off, and my parking (corner) lights do not flash.

To confirm you bought the 5k (whiter of the two choices)?

 

Just did this mod even though i bought the bulbs well over a year ago. having that problem with the brakes and reverse causing the leds to go out. will fix it, but man it looks so sick. now i need to match the headlamps

 

I Googled Toyota Tacoma Front turn signal socket pigtail. Found the 3 conductor style and used it to modify my DRLs into Switchbacks, I also disabled my DRLs without a switch, I just pulled the pin that controls the DRLs. I didn't want the option to turn them on. I also bought a Scion style switch from Oznium and used a relay harness for 9145 bulbs to have my fogs on any time the ignition and switch are on. You would not believe how nice it is driving on back roads with high beam + fogs. I use my fogs as DRLs with Nokya hyper-yellow 3500K bulbs.

 

Sub'd for future use. So what do the corner light's actually do? Mine don't light up with the turns or my lights on.

 

The corner lights (the ones right next to your headlights) should turn on when you turn your headlight switch to either the 1st position (parking lights) or 2nd position (headlights and parking lights). You might check the bulbs before you go looking for more serious problems.

 

Looks like I am 8 months late on this.............. but yes, I got the 5K which was the more white version (less blue version) of what they sold at the time.
Another yes on I modded my parking lights (corner lights) to act as turn signals as well. I made my own circuit to do this so there isn't a easy way to copy that. Some people will replace the corner lights with dual filament bulbs (drilling and silicone) to get that effect or others just wire the corners in parallel with the turn signals, but then of course your corners would only be on when the turn signals are on.

 

That's what it was they were both out lol. Do your now fogs stay on when you switch to high beams also? Like stay on all the time.

 

Matt,

can you explain how to install a load resistor instead of modifying the flasher relay?

thanks

cadman

 

I'm not Matt, and I have no first-hand experience installing load resistors , but here are a couple of diagrams I found when I considered doing so several months ago. (I ended up going with Beau02's "fog light mod" instead.)

 

I have never installed load resistors either, but you are just putting the resistor in parallel with the turn signal filament. The pictures Norton posted show this. You should only need one set (two resistors) regardless if you are replacing all four turn signals with LEDs or just two. If you replace all four, then you need your load resistor to draw more current to equal what your turn signals were drawing. Like the diagram says, they will get HOT unless you go with a very large sized (lot of surface area) resistor. The blue clips in the picture are the quick-splice connectors that let you "tap" into the existing wire without cutting it apart and soldering or using wire nuts. They work well, but you have to clamp them together just right for a good connection.

At one time, I thought I remembered seeing relay modules that you could buy and snap right in that were designed for low current draw (LEDs). This would be a great option since you could just pop out the old one and pop a new one in (plus not throwing away watts of power). Try looking around on these pages to see if there is something that would fit our trucks.
http://store.ijdmtoy.com/12V-Electr...y-Fix-Turn-Signal-p/led_flasher_fix_sku85.htm
http://autolumination.com/equalizers.htm
The turn signal relay from my truck (pictured below) has 81980 on it and there are two relay flashers listed in the second link with that same base number. If you are interested you might want to check it out some more and see if they should fit.

 

Bulbs are cheapest on ddmtuning.com...12 dollars compared to 40!

 

^ thanks for the heads up, thats much more reasonable! think I'l b doin this soon

 

Ok, I really want the flashing corner without having to add a second bulb. Is there any way you can explain how you did it? I would be doing it without adding the switchbacks.

 

Oh, and you just went with an amber bulb in the corner light, correct? Not an amber LED.

 

No problem! When i saw the price i was just like!

 

Hey there, mtucker....
i was hoping you could help with the issue i'm having. i just added a post about it.

i did the switchback mod but i'm having an issue. when i press the brake pedal the drivers side whie LED goes off...hen back on when i release the brake.

i also have that issue with the white LEDs staying off for about a second after the amber LED signal stops. i have not done the rear turn signal socket ground. not sure if that will help this issue.

any ideas?

thanks

 

The rear driver side signal socket ground mod should take care of the problem where you hit the brakes and the driver’s side white LED goes off. Enough people have done the switchback mod and got the same results that the ground rear turn signal wire addition should be part of the switchback mod. You shouldn’t have to let go of the brake to have the white LEDs come back on. Try this. Hit the brake and hold it. Confirm the white LEDs on the driver’s side went off. Keep holding the brake and you should see the white LEDs come back on after about a second. In this case, the rear turn signal ground mod should fix it. If they only come back on when you let go of the brakes, then there is something weird going on.

On your 2nd point. The white LEDs should stay off for about a second after the amber LEDs stop. Here is why.
Pretend you are a switchback LED bulb in a car. Nice LEDs you've got! Lets say the turn signals in this car flash about once per second (on for ½ second and then off for ½ second). You are chilling in the bumper cruising down the highway with your white LEDs on. Suddenly you get the 12V from the turn signal. You turn off your white LEDs and turn on your amber LEDs. Then the 12V turn signal voltage goes away. Did it go off because the driver of the car turned the turn signals off? Or did it go away because you are in that period of flashing where the turn signal is off for ½ second? You don’t know. You have to wait for at least ½ second to see if that turn signal comes back on. Some cars might have a longer on/off cycle so you wait for about a second. After that second you don’t see the turn signal 12V again, so you assume the driver turned off the signal and turn the white LEDs back on. That is why you have roughly a one second delay before the white LEDs turn back on.

Matt

 

What is the light output pattern like? Is it more of a spot? Flood? Fog?

 

I'd say it is more of a flood. The turn signal lens doesn't really focus the light since it is meant for a turn signal and people need to see the turn signal way off axis.
Matt

 

Now do you have a write up for the rear ground mod??
I just installed today - (Wired them into my corner lights)
I bought the resistors from v-leds which should take care of the hyper blink but i have not installed them... As i see many other have had, my left side goes out when i hit the brake, and when i put it in reverse they both go out. I didn't realize this was gonna be such a pain in the ass. I almost feel like it would be easier sending all this sh*t back and buying new bulbs then switching the green wires (Blinker & Running light). It doesn't seem like there is a way for these V-Leds to stay on at all times like expected (Unless the bliker is on) and not have any issues.
Also kinda weird - when i turn a blinker on, as expected the white light switches to a flashing amber, and when the blinker stops back to white, and now when i switch the other blinker on both white lights go out for a seccond....... Like i said i think there are too many problems to fix with these bulbs.