Electrical: LED Turn Signal Lights

[Jerry Gieseke]

I could use some help on this LED lights on the turn signal for My 1964 Daytona Convertible. I have replaced almost all bulb over to Led and now the turn signal won't work, So I put in New LED flasher unit. That did not work and I bought another flasher unit with white ground wire and it didn't help either. Right now I have front with regular bulb and Rear with LED Bulb, this combination will work now for now.

I am hoping someone will tell me what I need to do, Many thanks

Jerry Gieseke

[StudeRich]

I am guessing this is not the answer you were looking for Jerry, but IF it was mine I would leave it alone and keep the extra 2 Bulbs for spares.

[56GH]

There's been quite a lot of discussion about the replacement of regular bulbs with LEDs on this forum, Jerry. I've substituted all my dash bulbs with LEDs in my 1962 GT Hawk and it's made a tremendous difference.

If you're having difficulties, the good folks at order_info@superbrightleds.com are very helpful and you might want to call them for assistance.

[SScopelli]

Try the combination of the single turn signal "indicator" bulb being the incandescent, and then the front and rear bulbs being LED.
I think the flasher being driven off the single indicator bulb gets blocked because the LED is a "D," diode.
GTs and others with dual indicators in the dash don't have the same issue.

[bensherb]

I replaced every bulb except the headlights in my '62 GT with LED's a few years ago. Sounds like you did what I did. I hadn't had any problem with them until I added a 3rd brake light Also LED. I had to add a small resistor to each original brake light to keep the brake and turn lights working properly with the 3rd brake light.
I bought everything on Ebay; spent about $30 and have enough bulbs and flashers left over to do another car.

Could be your single indicator light is doing what my 3rd brake light did.

[nvonada]

SScopelli is on to something. What are your symptoms? With the mechanical flasher and LEDs you should get a very fast flash or MAYBE on all the time. But the lights should light. If not you need to troubleshoot that. For LEDs polarity matters. Check that you have voltage at the socket, that the polarity matches what the bulb is expecting, and that all the sockets are the same. Once the lights all work then the solid state flasher is next. Many of these are polarity-sensitive too. You may have to swap wires in the socket to get it to work OR cheat and buy a flasher that auto-detects polarity.
Nathan

[Alan]

I found that on mine I have to install a 50 watt high power resistor at each front bulb line.

[Never Enough Studebakers]

I installed a resistor on both rear turn signal lights. I bought mine at Walmart for like $5 I think. I have a pictoral of this on my Facebook page, Cedar Hills Studebaker

[Never Enough Studebakers]

Try the combination of the single turn signal "indicator" bulb being the incandescent, and then the front and rear bulbs being LED.
I think the flasher being driven off the single indicator bulb gets blocked because the LED is a "D," diode.
GTs and others with dual indicators in the dash don't have the same issue.

Having a incandescent buld in there will help draw more power allowing the LED's to work then. But just add the resistors to both back turnsignals or front for that matter and it will solve your problem. I did the rears so the resistors aren't exposed to moisture.

[rbigcal]

Are you 100 % sure the electronic flasher has the same connections as the original flasher. I had the same problem with my Wagonaire, then discovered that the flasher looked the same as the old one, but the markings on it were opposite of the original.

[ralt12]

The Porsche 356 guys had the same issue, it turned out to be one input to the LED was a positive and one was a negative, and it wouldn't work if you had them in the wrong sequence.

[rbigcal]

The Porsche 356 guys had the same issue, it turned out to be one input to the LED was a positive and one was a negative, and it wouldn't work if you had them in the wrong sequence.

Exactly, instead of buying another flasher I made short adapter wires to plug into the original plug to reverse the connections.

[sweetolbob]

I've had the best luck with the electronic flasher with the separate ground wire when switching to LED lights. I'm also happy with superbrightleds as the source for bulbs. Be sure to read up on the tutorials on bulb color vs lens color and the best positioning and type of LED's in the bulbs you choose. Those variables can make a major difference in transmitted light.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/

Bob

[bensherb]

Be sure to read up on the tutorials on bulb color vs lens color and the best positioning and type of LED's in the bulbs you choose. Those variables can make a major difference in transmitted light.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/

Bob

Yes, always use an LED that lights in the same color as the lens you put it behind for best color results.

[bensherb]

I just looked at the wiring diagram for the '64. I'd bet if you remove the turn indicator bulb it would work fine. It appears the single indicator lamp is in series with both left and right signals and grounds back through the opposite, un-lit lamp. This won't work with LEDs.

You could take the two wires on the original indicator lamp and use each on the (+) side of its own LED bulb and ground the (-) side of each. Then just figure a way for them both to show in the indicator window.