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**Dead Wait** · 10-01-2019, 07:21 AM

A friend of mine decided to put LED's on the back of his Dodge 3500 stake bed and headache rack. All the lights were working prior to replacing them with the LED's. Once he changed them, now he has a light on the dash showing a bulb out and the turn signals are flashing fast as if one is out. He checked all the lights and they are all working. My question is, does he need to replace all the bulbs with LED's or does he need to change a fuse? As I said, all the light's were working before he started replacing them. Thanks for any help.

**Robert.Parson** · 10-01-2019, 07:59 AM

The computer thinks a bulb is out because the leds pull so little power that it can’t tell they are on.
I did my excursion 5-6 years ago and ended up just taking them out and giving them away.
There is some kind of workaround. But I think it involves adding some DIODE or something inline to make it so the computer can see the bulb.
But then, if a bulb does burn out, you’ll never notice it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**Dead Wait** · 10-01-2019, 08:24 AM

Perfect. Now he has a place to start.

**goinpostal3** · 10-01-2019, 02:06 PM

Inline resistors are cheap and easy to put in. I had to put a number of them on my Tundra when I switched over to LEDs

**Dead Wait** · 10-01-2019, 04:32 PM

So, it looks like each new light or bulbs needs the resistor inline with it. That's what I needed to know. Thanks for yalls help. Ask the right people and you get the right answer. Great people on 2cool.

**texcajun** · 11-04-2019, 01:08 PM

Be careful where you mount that resistor, they drop so much current that they get pretty hot. Just like those old filament bulbs use to.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dead Wait

So, it looks like each new light or bulbs needs the resistor inline with it. That's what I needed to know. Thanks for yalls help. Ask the right people and you get the right answer. Great people on 2cool.

**bwguardian** · 11-04-2019, 02:25 PM

The turn signal issue is probably the flasher module. As stated, the led bulbs draw much less current so the flasher module thinks there is a bulb out. Replace the module for a newer one that can sense the led current, and problem solved.

**hoosierplugger** · 12-26-2019, 10:16 PM

I put LEDs in the backup lights of my Tundra, big mistake. One failed and blew a fuse and set off a bunch of unrelated codes/dash warning lights.

I pulled the LEDs and put the old incandescents back in, pulled the battery and all was good.

It took me a good half day of research to figure out the problem. What a PIA.

**texcajun** · 12-30-2019, 11:23 PM

I recently replaced my wife's DRLs in her 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the LED equivalents. Much brighter and don't draw near the amount of current. Fortunately, they have no current requirements.

**hurricane matt** · 12-30-2019, 11:45 PM

I'd keep outside lights oem. Want a real upgrade...install led inside some, floor , much brighter when you need it.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

10-01-2019, 07:21 AM	#1
Dead Wait Registered Users-pm+ Join Date: Mar 08 2005 Age: 49 Posts: 719 Rep Power: 2116123	LED question A friend of mine decided to put LED's on the back of his Dodge 3500 stake bed and headache rack. All the lights were working prior to replacing them with the LED's. Once he changed them, now he has a light on the dash showing a bulb out and the turn signals are flashing fast as if one is out. He checked all the lights and they are all working. My question is, does he need to replace all the bulbs with LED's or does he need to change a fuse? As I said, all the light's were working before he started replacing them. Thanks for any help.

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10-01-2019, 07:59 AM	#2
Robert.Parson Banned Join Date: Sep 07 2004 Location: N W Houston & Sargent TX Age: 59 Posts: 2,028 Rep Power: 0	The computer thinks a bulb is out because the leds pull so little power that it can’t tell they are on. I did my excursion 5-6 years ago and ended up just taking them out and giving them away. There is some kind of workaround. But I think it involves adding some DIODE or something inline to make it so the computer can see the bulb. But then, if a bulb does burn out, you’ll never notice it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

10-01-2019, 08:24 AM	#3
Dead Wait Registered Users-pm+ Join Date: Mar 08 2005 Age: 49 Posts: 719 Rep Power: 2116123	Perfect. Now he has a place to start.

10-01-2019, 02:06 PM	#4
goinpostal3 Licensed Process Server and PI Join Date: Jul 02 2004 Location: Pearland, Tx Age: 45 Posts: 413 Rep Power: 3142796	Inline resistors are cheap and easy to put in. I had to put a number of them on my Tundra when I switched over to LEDs

10-01-2019, 04:32 PM	#5
Dead Wait Registered Users-pm+ Join Date: Mar 08 2005 Age: 49 Posts: 719 Rep Power: 2116123	So, it looks like each new light or bulbs needs the resistor inline with it. That's what I needed to know. Thanks for yalls help. Ask the right people and you get the right answer. Great people on 2cool.

11-04-2019, 02:25 PM	#7
bwguardian archTech Join Date: Aug 30 2005 Location: Clear Lake Age: 54 Posts: 8,499 Rep Power: 21488994	The turn signal issue is probably the flasher module. As stated, the led bulbs draw much less current so the flasher module thinks there is a bulb out. Replace the module for a newer one that can sense the led current, and problem solved.

12-26-2019, 10:16 PM	#8
hoosierplugger Registered Users-pm+ Join Date: May 24 2004 Location: League City, TX Age: 56 Posts: 1,762 Rep Power: 20612582	I put LEDs in the backup lights of my Tundra, big mistake. One failed and blew a fuse and set off a bunch of unrelated codes/dash warning lights. I pulled the LEDs and put the old incandescents back in, pulled the battery and all was good. It took me a good half day of research to figure out the problem. What a PIA.

12-30-2019, 11:23 PM	#9
texcajun Registered Users-pm+ Join Date: Feb 22 2009 Location: The Woodlands Age: 57 Posts: 2,764 Rep Power: 21481987	I recently replaced my wife's DRLs in her 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the LED equivalents. Much brighter and don't draw near the amount of current. Fortunately, they have no current requirements.

12-30-2019, 11:45 PM	#10
hurricane matt Registered Users-pm+ Join Date: Apr 11 2017 Posts: 2,302 Rep Power: 16719828	I'd keep outside lights oem. Want a real upgrade...install led inside some, floor , much brighter when you need it. Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

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