Can I use LED for turn signal?

I have a 2010 Tacoma (311K) and just replaced headlight housings put LED headlights and turn signals in. The turn signals required a load resistor, which I installed and they work perfectly. My issue is that my amber turn signals are also my daytime running lights when the headlights are not on. So will the constant current through the load resistor burn it up? Can't find any information about this online. Thanks.

 

I don’t think you have anything to worry about.

 

The literature for the load resistors states they get incredibly hot, and that's only from voltage going through them when just using your turn signal. I feel like constant voltage may fry them.....

 

I don't have DRL and used the relay fix, but if there is a way to disable DRL, maybe use the relay (as it wont work with DRL I think)? Was a lot easier to install than it looked like in the videos, only took 10 minutes.

 

The DRL work fine, but I know anytime that light is lit the load resistor has current going through it. There's only one wire and a ground to my turn signal bc it is the DRL and turn signal.

 

its Toyota, of course the DRL is working fine! LOL I should have said, if you don't mind disabling the DRL/can live with it, its an easy safer fix. If thats possible to disable it.

 

How do I disable the DRL?

 

I have no idea. does anyone watching know if that's possible?

 

Were they just the load resistors like this that prevent the LED from hyper flashing when it acts as a turn signal? Haven't used these in a Tacoma but I run them in my miata wired in series with my LED DRL/turn signals and I've never had an issue with them or the bulb burning out. Yes they do get hot since they're load resistors but if you mount them securely/properly not up against something flammable you should be okay as far as I know.

 

Yes, that's what they are, but it doesn't seem like load resistors are meant to take constant voltage. Most vehicles don't use the turn signal as a DRL, so don't want to burn anything up.

 

I'm trying to remember, its been a couple years but pretty sure I actually ran them in parallel-otherwise it would have made a voltage drop and dimmed the light output of the turn signal/DRL. I haven't looked at my tacoma headlights now but the harness should have 3 wires correct? If you wire like that second diagram there is only current flowing through the load resistor while your turn signals are on- so it wouldn't be getting hot while your DRLs are on.

 

Only 2 wires to my turn signal / DRL. It is not a running light. It is DRL when headlights are off, it is off when headlights are on, and it is the turn signal. I am wired like the first diagram, but the red wire is both turn & DRL.

 

Ah, just looked into how the daytime running light works in tacos and its different than what I was familiar with. Now I need to look at mine after work and see what does what lol, I haven't had it very long. There should def be a way to disable DRL, I've done it on previous cars and there's a lot more info on here compared to those haha

 

Guess my other option is to always drive with headlights on, which will eliminate the DRL.

 

That’s what I do. Not because I have DRL, just because I forget to turn them off.

 

Found a thread on here that describes how to disable the DRL. Will be doing that tonight.

 

Also if the resistors have the correct watt rating it shouldn’t matter. It would be easy to calculate the watt rating you need and then quadruple it and you’ll never have to worry, or double it if there’s plenty of air flow in the area

 

I put LEDs in the signals/DRL of my 2014 Taco 2 or 3 years ago, never a problem with the lights or the load resisters. My DRL stay on when the headlights are on.

 

X2
After 2 years with LEDs and resistors still no problems

 

You’ll be fine. Get the VLR6 from VLEDS. They have a quick disconnect threaded plug on them so you can change them if needed, but very unlikely you’ll need to mess with them for a while. Just mount them to metal.