LED Turn Signal Troubleshooting

[Chopper]

I'm having a strange electrical issue with the LED turn signals I recently installed (from Breeze). I installed the new flasher relay and added a ground for it in the driver's footbox. Both the turn signals and flashers work perfectly if the engine is off. When I start the car, turn signals are sporadic, not evenly timed. However, the flashers work fine.

I tried reversing the polarity on the flasher relay, no improvement. I would think I would be looking for noise from the coil (again) or perhaps a bad ground (I did add a dedicated ground from the frame to the turn signal housing on both of the front turn signals). However, what is somewhat strange is, if I turn my engine fan on manually, the turn signals start to behave normally. Granted, my manual turn signal override is closing a ground to flip the relay, but, even testing with alligator clips to add grounds in various places, I am not really finding any success.

I'm sure it's something simple I'm missing, but any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks!

[mburger]

In my case, the relays with my Breeze kit would not work properly until I used the 2 pronged relay with ground pigtail.

https://watsons-streetworks.com/product/led-mechanical-flasher/

Also, strange as it sounds, try putting the original incandescent bulb in the front while using LEDs everywhere else and then check the operation.

[Chopper]

Fortunately Mark's kit includes the grounded flasher relays, so I had installed those when I initially installed the LEDs. I took your advice and tried a traditional incandescent bulb in the front turn signals. This seems to reduce the problem quiet a bit, although not fully eliminated. I'm wondering if I need to install a resistor on each side?

[edwardb]

Fortunately Mark's kit includes the grounded flasher relays, so I had installed those when I initially installed the LEDs. I took your advice and tried a traditional incandescent bulb in the front turn signals. This seems to reduce the problem quiet a bit, although not fully eliminated. I'm wondering if I need to install a resistor on each side?

Resisters used to be commonly installed to draw additional current so that older style thermal flasher relays would function with LED bulbs and their much lower current draw. Basically, causing the LED setup to draw similar current as incandescent. Since you've already changed to the now commonplace solid state flasher relays, no reason to add resisters. They won't do anything to solve your problem. Almost for sure your situation is some type of backfeeding issue which sometimes happens with certain LED circuits and devices. Can be tough to trace down. Often diodes are used to prevent the backfeeding. Diode being a device that only allows current to flow one direction. Troubleshooting by swapping bulbs from LED to incandescent can often help trace the source of the issue. Not because of the current draw but because the incandescents don't backfeed like LED's sometimes do.

[Chopper]

Paul,

Thanks for explaining. I understand what you're saying, I'll spend a little time chasing it and try diodes.

[yahrt]

I have been on the road for a just a few weeks, having the same issue with my LED turn signals, also from breeze, will be following and trying the ideas in this thread

[mburger]

How are your turn signals activated?

[Chopper]

Paul was correct, diodes corrected the issue.

The bigger issue would be me following directions. The Breeze instructions included with this kit had a section about adding diodes at the end, and diodes were included with the kit. Quiet a while ago I had throw them on my basement workbench and forgotten them...as well as re-reading the directions.

I ended up adding a 1N4004 diode on each positive power cable to all the indicator lights (front turn signals, all four rear lamps). As a result, that's 12 diodes installed, the band toward the light. This is also what the Breeze instructions suggest should issues still be experienced. Everything is now working perfectly.

Thanks all for the help here, and also...remember to read the directions (duh).