How can i slow my signal lights down, flashing too fast

rusty · Post by **rusty** » September 2nd, 2007, 2:01 am

Hey does anyone know how to slow my signal lights down. They are flashing way too fast. I've installed LED signal light bulbs and they must use less energy to run cause know they flash really fast. I first thought about opening up the flasher and trying to figure out how to put a different resistor in there. But its not your ordinary flasher. Then i thought about wiring in a couple lights into the circuit to make more resisance, therefore slowing down the flashing. But these lights get extremely hot, and not sure of a good place to put them out of the way.

Any ideas?

matt753 · Post by **matt753** » September 2nd, 2007, 2:26 am

After thinking about it, I think it would also be really cool if you could speed them up to make them go really fast.

mr1in6billion · Post by **mr1in6billion** » September 2nd, 2007, 12:35 pm

It is an ordinary flasher unit. There are two sections of the board that look very similar, don't mess with those. Toward one of the outer corners there is a lone resistor, don't try and figure out it's resistance because it uses an unstandardized color code (companies like doing that). IIRC I increased the resistance to speed mine up, so you should probably cut out the resistor, measure it, then put one back in that is half the value of it.

I know I have pictures somewhere on my old computer. I'll see what I can dig up.

shameem · Post by **shameem** » September 2nd, 2007, 2:15 pm

Our flasher units are electronic and have a load sensing circuit built in - all you have to do is disable the load sensing circuit and they will flash normal. If you post a picture of your flasher unit (opened up) i can try to point out what to do. Adding resistance/extra load kinda defeats the purpose of low current led lights IMO (unless you do leds just for looks).

P.S. - I was ok with my leds flashing faster than normal till i got pulled over and "warned"......

rusty · Post by **rusty** » September 2nd, 2007, 3:21 pm

Well its not an ordinary flasher you can buy at a parts store, need to go to the dealer probably to get one. But maybe i'll get one from the wreckers and take it apart.

I installed blue LED signal lights, so it is definetly for looks and not legal either, haha

Were is the best place to find a different resistor or do i just need to eliminate the load sensing circuit?

shameem · Post by **shameem** » September 2nd, 2007, 7:44 pm

http://www.eautoworks.com/index20%7Cmai ... C33226.cfm

http://www.newark.com/jsp/Passives/Resi ... ku=01F9906

rusty · Post by **rusty** » September 2nd, 2007, 9:11 pm

Hey shameem, i took a look at those links you sent me about the resistors. The first link says one 6ohm 50watt resistor per light. I have changed both front and rears so i would need 4 according to that web site. Thats goin to cost me $40 plus shipping. Then i looked at the second web site, were the resistor is much cheaper. Could i just get a 12 ohm 50watt resistor for each side? What are your thoughts?

http://www.newark.com/jsp/Passives/Resi ... ku=01F9913

mr1in6billion · Post by **mr1in6billion** » September 3rd, 2007, 12:24 am

Found it! Anywho. As you can see where my horrendous solder points are (radio shack has the worst god awful solder) that is the resistor you modify. I suggest you cut it out, measure the resistance, then buy one of exactly half the value.

Check out DigiKey.com Search for resistors. Then click the SMD style. +5%, thick film, 1/4W, cut tape, from Rohm. Minimum purchase is 10 resistors, but at about 4 cents a pop I think you can spare the cash. Search the site for other junk you (or your friends) might want since there is a $5 minimum order.

mr1in6billion · Post by **mr1in6billion** » September 3rd, 2007, 12:32 am

I got it, buy some batteries and some solder. Batteries cause you can get the damn cheap and solder since radiocrap has the worst solder.

rusty · Post by **rusty** » September 3rd, 2007, 5:37 am

I thought i wanted to add more resistance to the circuit not make it less. To make it flash slower. I see you added another resistor inline with the existing one wouldn't that slow it down?

shameem · Post by **shameem** » September 3rd, 2007, 8:31 am

The resistor he is talking about will modify the oscillator circuit directly - so more resistance faster i think.

The load resistor is added on the load side (after the relay) and here 6 ohm for one led bulb would make it flash slower.

You cannot get one 12 ohm 50w resistor - the load resistors go in parallel which means you will have to get a 3 ohm 100w resistor. And it will get hotttttt. 6ohm resistor will get hot too....

I didnt go the resistor route - i just disabled the load sensing circuit because the fast flash was annoying and i got pulled over for it.

Besides i only have 70 amps out the alternator and i didnt want to waste 5 amps heating up a silly load resistor.....

EDIT: you cannot do the single 3 ohm resitor either since the flasher unit has seperate front and rear outputs - you will have to get a load resistor for each led bulb..... or you could open up the flasher unit and disable the load sensing circuit or modify the oscillator resitance......

mr1in6billion · Post by **mr1in6billion** » September 3rd, 2007, 2:47 pm

That's the timing unit. You want to take as much resistance away as possible. It's also the cheapest solution (I have a ton of resistors already so it was free for me to do).

rusty · Post by **rusty** » September 27th, 2007, 2:50 am

I got the resistor taken out tonight, measured it, the resistor is a 51 ohm. This is a carbon film resistor. So i'm goin to try a 24 or 27 ohm resistor seeing those are the only carbon film resistors available closes to half of 51ohm stock resistor. Hopefully this works out

http://www.newark.com/jsp/Passives/Resi ... ku=58K5034

http://dkc3.digikey.com/PDF/T073/1678-1679.pdf

Post by **Custommx3** » September 27th, 2007, 9:34 am

FYI, if your grounds are not connected, they blink fast. Back in the day, Mx-3'ers used to cut the grounds to make them blink fast.

rusty · Post by **rusty** » September 27th, 2007, 3:19 pm

Thats not the problem its cause i have installed all LED bulbs for my signal lights which draws much less current