LED tail lights

[obert]

My '06 550 with a service box has had a share of problems with tail lights lately, as *****y as the box wiring is, its holding up. I've had a run of bad luck with the filimament bulbs failing.

Question is: if I go to a nice Grote or Trucklite LED tail light (the generic round light) does it have enough resistance to make the turn signal function correctly? ie NOT flashing real fast like the rear turn is burnt out.

Is this even an issue?

[Slappy]

Originally Posted by obert

My '06 550 with a service box has had a share of problems with tail lights lately, as *****y as the box wiring is, its holding up. I've had a run of bad luck with the filimament bulbs failing.

Question is: if I go to a nice Grote or Trucklite LED tail light (the generic round light) does it have enough resistance to make the turn signal function correctly? ie NOT flashing real fast like the rear turn is burnt out.

Is this even an issue?

I was under the impression there are not any LED taillights out for the 05 and up yet? Any one no different?

[Slappy]

Originally Posted by Slappy

I was under the impression there are not any LED taillights out for the 05 and up yet? Any one no different?

Ups 550 read you question to fast my bad.

[Tacomarunner]

The LED taillight offer less resistance, therefore they will blink faster, similar to a burnt out bulb as you stated. I have them in my 07 550. What company is your service body from?

Russell

[Ranger429]

Originally Posted by Tacomarunner

The LED taillight offer less resistance, therefore they will blink faster, similar to a burnt out bulb as you stated. I have them in my 07 550. What company is your service body from?

Russell

HUH? I have LED's in the front and back of my semi and they don't blink any faster than a regular bulb. The whole puprpose of the LED is that they require less voltage to work. I don't think they blink any faster, they blink a lot "cleaner" than a conventional bulb.

[MrJohnWayne]

I know the LED's require less amps/volts to work but on some of the newer trucks If they are getting to many amps they will not work. I understand what you mean Obert. On The ford's im not sure. I know on the dodges if you wire them straight to the factory wiring they will not work. The brake light and tail light will pulse and it will throw a "lamp out" light on the dash.

[06SIXLITER]

install a resistor and it will blink normal.. maybe a diode?? myabe a thermolator valve? I dunno

[djsdiesel]

Yes it will blink faster if you put LED's in there. They are supposed to blink faster when a bulb is burned out (to let you know you a light out) LED's don't have enough resistance in them so it thinks the bulb is burned out therefore making it blimk fast, you can out a resistor in line to fool it. I'm not sure what size but if measure the resistance through the LED then The reistance through a normal bulb and get a resistor to make the LED's match the regular bulb

[obert]

Well, my old ram would just go to the idiot flash if I put in one of thos direct replacement LED's in the conventional socket. The 550 also has the fast flash for rear turn out.
I guess to clarify the 550 in question is my avitar, it just has the typical 4" round lights in back, like you see on a trialer or UPS truck.

I had converted my trailer to LED with no ill effects, but thats a little different. I had herd, or thought for some reason, that there might have been a resistor built into some LED's so they could be retrofitted to an older truck.
I guess the question would be does the ford tell me the rear turn is out because there is no continuity, or cause the resistance is out of spec? (looking up I see dj's pretty well spelled that out already )

I have to go get a functional bulb-- didnt think a bulb had very much resistance at all.

The Body was made by Warner.

[ipz2222]

LED' in a '97 will cause the trans not to work properly. The computer thinks you have the brake pedal pressed and changes the shift stratigy. You can wire an 1157 bulb into the circuit and hide it under the truck to make the led's work. I don't know if ford changed that circuit in later years or maybe the led co's started adding a resistance to the circuit.