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

sub'd for future reference. So bad ass nice write up

 

Can add this to my list of wants now!

 

i need to do this!

 

It's fun

 

Nice write up. Just did this to my truck with no brake light issues at the moment. It's sick!!

 

Seriosly wish i wouldn't have done this..

The right side running/blinker is always going out..

 

I Had to share my recent experience with this "Mod".

So my right front "Fog" running light wasn't working. I took out the LED plug and noticed the moisture had rusted the connecting wires which are little tiny metal pieces. With the switchback bulbs there are 4 metal connectors coming out of the back. When i pulled the bulb out there were only 2 left so 2 had broken off or fallen out. Obviously the bulb was bad.

I now pulled the bulb out of the other side and tested it on the right side, seemed to work, just verifying it was the bulb not the socket or wiring. I decided to plug the working bulb back in and and realized it was no longer working either, the metal connectors had broken off when i tested it on the left socket. (FUCK ME RIGHT)

SO next i decided to leave the bulbs out and i figured i would just order new bulbs the next day or buy new stock ones. As i started my truck to go home (From my shop), i found that i had NO running lights front or rear, no blinkers front or rear, and all the lights in my dash and console were out. All of the fuses were blowing. I went to the store, bought new fuses and swapped them out. Once i did they all blew again. The wiring you do for the LED Switchbacks was fucking with my Factory wiring. Aggravated, i purchased 2 stock bulbs, did this "Mod" in reverse and took all the wiring and resistors out and put my factory wires back to STOCK!

LESSON LEARNED: DON'T MESS WITH FACTORY WIRING!

 

I had a few people ask about the VLED part # of the bulbs. It looks like VLED discontinued the part # that I used. Best I can tell the replacement bulb would be this guy 3157_42_WA2_CK_5K http://www.vleds.com/bulb/3157-3156...ignal-bulbs-3157-ck-type-base-1-pair-b-o.html I haven't tried it since my bulbs are still working great. Please chime in if you give them a try.

Sorry you had a bad experience. The nice thing about the mod is you really aren't messing with the factory wiring. You are using the existing two wires on each existing socket and only adding a wire to each socket. Maybe that little eraser looking plug isn't sealing against water any more after the third wire was added? My bulbs/socket still look like new, but of course Southern California is easy on metal parts.

 

Noticed an issue with my setup. i successfully got rid of the winking problem when having the truck in reverse, but this is happening. The driver turn signal flashes white for a split second before yellow. The passanger side doesn't have this issue. It only occurs after driving for about 10 minutes. Any thoughts on how to fix it? Is it just a bad ground? help!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWdJMDfhyxc?hl=en_US

 

That is a strange one. I can see in your video that the driver side bulb flashes white just a hair before the yellow comes on while blinking. Have you tried switching the bulbs (driver's side bulb to passenger side, passenger side to driver's side) to see if the problem follows the bulb or stays on the driver's side? If it follows the bulb, then it is a easy one and something is wrong with the timing of the bulb. If not, it is a real head scratcher.

 

no i haven't tried that. I figured that since there was an issue with the white light on the driver side before, it would be in the wiring. Earlier in the thread i posted that i didn't have that issue, but it soon appeared after.

 

I would suggest doing the swap to confirm, but I think you are looking at a failed IC chip on the bulb itself, rather than a ground issue. The way these switchback LEDs operate is that there is an internal IC chip that checks for sustained voltage on the turn signal circuit.

It expects the signal to "switch" every .8 seconds as I recall. So when you turn on the turn signal the IC detects the turn signal command is on as voltage is applied to that terminal of the bulb, and it turns off the white bulb and begins to flash the yellow bulb in sequence with the .8 second delay. As long as the IC chip detects the power on the turn signal circuit every .8 seconds it keeps the white LEDs off. When it does NOT detect voltage on the turn signal wire for greater than the .8 second then it turns the white LEDs back on steady. So this sounds to me at least as a failed IC circuit. Of course the only way to know for SURE is to swap the bulbs from left to right and see if the issue goes with the bulb, or remains on the same side. Hopefully you can check this and get back. I am curious to see if I am correct, or totally wrong. lol.

 

Okay so I switched the bulbs and the problem did not go away. It stayed flashing white on the driver side even with the passenger bulb in place. AHH!!

 

can i use these http://www.vleds.com/bulb/1157-led/switchback/v3-wa-5k.html in my 2000 if i buy the base adapter to fit 1156 bulbs??

 

If you get different bulbs, but also get an adapter to fit, I don't see how it wouldn't work. However, electricity is not my strong point so don't hold me to that! Just be sure you will have enough space to fit it all in the housing.

 

I purchased the lights to do this, I want to run mine off a switch so I can have them on/off when i want them. I already have some lights wired into one of my 12 volt outlets though, so if i did this and powered it with the other outlet would that not work? If not what is the next best thing to power the lights with if i want to use a switch? Thanks a lot! I have been stalking this mod for a while now haha.

 

sub'd

 

I bought the LEDs then realized my 2001 ext cab 4x4 has amber lenses * edit * kids, don't do drugs. Don't know what I was on when thinking I remembered the lenses were amber.

 

The lenses down in the bumper? Mine were clear with amber bulbs. This picture takes me back....haha.

 

I want to wire the running lights to come on with the parking lights. I understand i have to run a new wire from the 3rd hole in the blinker socket, but do I tie it in to the positive or negative wire going to the corner light socket, or something entirely different. Any help would be appreciated, wiring/electricity is clearly not my strong suit,