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LED marker ??? (oh Fordum)

Z71paramedic

Z71paramedic

Wait....What???
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So the front markers I have in my front bumper have seen better days, as has the bumper... I plan to make a new bumper for it, but it's not gonna be any time soon so instead of buying new assemblies for $40 each plus the a$$-rape that is shipping to Hawaii I figured I'd get some LED assemblies that I can use for now and possibly in the new bumper. I got some generic 2x6" two-wire LED's from napa for $11. I put some terminals on the end and plugged it into the pigtail on the truck and with the parking lights on it doesn't work, but the turn signals work. I assume this is a voltage problem not turning on the LED's for the parking lights, but the voltage increases with the signal on right? What can I do to make this work on the cheap? The original wiring is only two wire also, so that's why I expected it to work...

Here's what I'm working with:

http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?R=GRO78403_0006497982
 
Where the old buckets metal? The ground in the old lights may have made contact thru the original assemblies and it was actually a quasi 3 wire set up. Do you have a meter or one of those 12 volt lighted testers works good for this. Hook one end to bumper and other to each of the leads with the running lights and turn signal on. One may come on constant and oter will flash.

I have also heard that with the LEDs you may need to run a resitor as the power draw is so low on them they acctually will not work, or if the do they end up burning out quickly.
 
Jester1 said:
Where the old buckets metal? The ground in the old lights may have made contact thru the original assemblies and it was actually a quasi 3 wire set up. Do you have a meter or one of those 12 volt lighted testers works good for this. Hook one end to bumper and other to each of the leads with the running lights and turn signal on. One may come on constant and oter will flash.

I have also heard that with the LEDs you may need to run a resitor as the power draw is so low on them they acctually will not work, or if the do they end up burning out quickly.
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Yeah, the old buckets are metal. I hadn't thought of that. I'll go out and give it a try and see what happens. Thanks:waytogo:
 
If it did ground through the bucket you will need the three wire setup, just double the ground back around and mount it under the screw against the bumper. Then hookup the other two as normal. I think what you have now is the same type of lights I used on my utility trailer build (only for running or clearance lights). Hope this helps.
 
I just checked and it does seem that it's grounding through the bucket. Constant 12v on one terminal and blinking out of the other. Looks like I'll be returning the one I didn't open and see if I can find a 3 wire kind:doah:
 
Z71paramedic said:
I just checked and it does seem that it's grounding through the bucket. Constant 12v on one terminal and blinking out of the other. Looks like I'll be returning the one I didn't open and see if I can find a 3 wire kind:doah:
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If you got them at napa they may take the open on back also. I know they will here if they know you or just bought it like in the last three days. Should be able to find the three wire kind. Usually have more of those than the running lights.
 
Jester1 said:
If you got them at napa they may take the open on back also. I know they will here if they know you or just bought it like in the last three days. Should be able to find the three wire kind. Usually have more of those than the running lights.
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I just figured they wouldn't because I already crimped terminals on it. I'll try it but figured I can write off $11... They didn't have anything else that looked close in their little display thing, but I'll ask.
 
Sorry, just now got online. Forget about the low current thing. That only applies to the flasher unit.
On the old vehicles, there is a heater in the flasher that is in series with the lights. When enough current is drawn, it heats up, bends, and breaks contact. Then it cools off, makes contact, and starts over again.

So, if you replace all your lights with LEDs, they do not draw enough current to make it flash.
They were designed that way so that if a bulb burned out it would not flash and give you warning.

So, if the signals flash, then that is not the problem.

As you have discovered, there is actually two bulbs in the old lights connected to a common ground, which grounds through the housing.
Since these are LEDs, which are polarity sensitive unless it has a diode bridge inside, you need to make sure that they are wired right.
The wires should have a + and - if it matters.
To make what you have work, after a fashion, you can ground one wire, and hook the other one to the flasher wire.
This will give you front flashers but no marker lights.
Unless there is a requirement for them, you should be able to get by that way.

Don't know what they cost out there, but since this is a stopgap idea anyway, you might pick up a second set and mount them just above or below that set and hook them to the marker wire.

Of course, a two LED setup would be better if they have one...........

Oh, and if you do run into problems with them not flashing, just staying on, then they sell replacement flashers that will plug in and work with the reduced voltage.
 
I didn't see any polarity markings on the wires/housing. I hooked it up with white as ground and yellow as hot just assuming this would be right if anything. With it that way the blinker works but no solid with the parking lights on.

What's funny is this causes the turn signal indicator on the dash to stay lit with the parking lights on (which is why I was going to mess with it to begin with as the old socket is worn out and doesn't let the bulb work all the time).

To be perfectly honest it doesn't really matter that much as I'm rarely driving it after dark anyways, but I just worry that with a bulb not working it's one more reason to pull me over and look closer to see if I'm illegal suspension/tire-wise.

I may just suck it up and pay LMC for their overpriced/poorly made repros and worry about lighting in a new bumper when I get to that point.
 
OK, not sure exactly what is going on at this point, but let me tell you what causes what and you can figure it out.
With the original setup, you had a double filament bulb in the light. I said two bulbs, but that is not exactly accurate.
One side of each filament is hooked to the case of the bulb, and normally is grounded through the socket.
So, when you turn the parking lights on, the voltage goes in the parking light filament and out to ground.
The turn signal filament never sees any voltage from that.

Then, of course the same thing happens when you turn on the blinker. In your case, here is what happened:
You lost the ground to the light socket. Probably due to the bad bumper. When you did, and turned on the parking light, the voltage went into the parking light filament, but had nowhere to go since the ground was no longer hooked up.

But, the blinker and parking light filaments share a common connection at the case. So, the voltage went through the parking light, over to the blinker filament, and grounded through the indicator bulb in the dash.

If you had grounded the bulb housing, the parking light would have gotten a little brighter and the dash light would have gone off.

Not sure now why the dash light is lighting up, since the parking light wire should not be connected to anything now......
I am guessing that the parking light wire is still hooked up to the bulb somewhere.
 
The grounding (or something)is good if I have the OE light plugged in. But the socket is worn out so the contacts for the filaments of the bulbs aren't making good contact. If I wiggle the bulb around it will work sometimes. Whenever the light isn't working (but turned on) the light on the dash comes on as a warning that a bulb is out.

It acts the same with the LED plugged in. The light is off, but will blink with the turn signals. So like you said, it's got to be grounding through the other wire.

Suffice it to say that I hate electrical BTW. Far too much head-scratching when I do most things with electricity.
 
Suffice it to say that I hate electrical BTW. Far too much head-scratching when I do most things with electricity.
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Meh, electricity is fun. Especially when you grab the wrong wire.......

You think this is hard? I'm trying to fix a TV set online over in the lounge.....
 
Fordum said:
Meh, electricity is fun. Especially when you grab the wrong wire.......

You think this is hard? I'm trying to fix a TV set online over in the lounge.....
Click to expand...

Yeah, I just finished reading that. Makes my head spin a little, the stuff you know...:bow:
 
I'll try getting something similar at Napa tomorrow, but will these work as we're discussing? link I can run the specific wires to turn/parking and then ground the whole thing to the bumper right?
 
If not LED you should be able to get a three wire light that has the same type of housing and has a regular incandecent (two filament) bulb that will also work just fine. Cheap fixes can sometimes leaving you scratching your head, but stay with it this is about the simplest of electrical you can do on your rig, just stay patient.
 
Oh, I know. I'm actually not terrible with wiring, I just second guess myself so bad that it takes forever. I put a whole new harness in it a couple months ago, and just added new electric autometer gauges last weekend. I just don't particularly enjoy wiring...

Worst case scenario I drop $40 on a new assembly for the right side and leave everything else alone until I make the new bumper. I was just expecting this to be a simple plug in and make a tab to mount it to deal.
 
Put the call out. Maybe someone pulled a bumper for a custom one and has a freebee stock one laying around. All you will have is cost of shipping. Iceman44 seems to have a spilling over garage. Or how many others have you era blazers. Left or right should work just flip it over iirc.
 
Jester1 said:
Put the call out. Maybe someone pulled a bumper for a custom one and has a freebee stock one laying around. All you will have is cost of shipping. Iceman44 seems to have a spilling over garage. Or how many others have you era blazers. Left or right should work just flip it over iirc.
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They mount through the top. Everything I've seen specifies R/L but I don't know how big of a difference there is. I could probably use the left of the right/vice-versa. I'll PM Issam and see what he has to say. Good call:waytogo:
 
Check napa to you may be able to keep your housing and get a socket replacement or a really cheap light that uses the same bulb as you have and gut the socket out and replace yours.

Oh sorry I disappered for a bit. Had to go make dinner for me and the bride. What is it lunch time there? My fav island by the way. We want to retire there someday parttime. Screw Arizona.:haha:
 
Jester1 said:
Check napa to you may be able to keep your housing and get a socket replacement or a really cheap light that uses the same bulb as you have and gut the socket out and replace yours.

Oh sorry I disappered for a bit. Had to go make dinner for me and the bride. What is it lunch time there? My fav island by the way. We want to retire there someday parttime. Screw Arizona.:haha:
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No worries man:thumb: It's 6:12 pm.

Oahu is your fav??? Have you been to any of the others? I MUCH prefer any of the other Hawaiian islands over this one. Just too many people on this one for my taste. I like Kauai the best by far. Either way I'm ready for our move in July. Headed to Germany next. It's been a great experience but I'm ready to move on I think. Ideally I think I want to end up somewhere in Colorado or Montana. Out in the boonies is more my speed:waytogo:

I'll see what napa can come up with tomorrow. They usually hate it when I come in because I'm looking for some obscure, weird part for one truck from another truck... you know the kind:haha:
 
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