Front Led Blinker conversion
11-04-2015, 06:18 AM
#21
Melting Slicks
I put the vleds Triton V3 into my 95. Yes, they are more expensive than other solutions but they work perfectly with the added resistors. DRL are white and when switching the turn signal white goes off and amber it flashes.
When having the headlights running DRLs are dimmed a lot as required in Germany.
I really like it.
When having the headlights running DRLs are dimmed a lot as required in Germany.
I really like it.
I have the webelectric DRL module and have nothing bad to say about it.
11-04-2015, 06:28 AM
#22
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
One of the threads on here covers how to mod the grounds to solve the led blinker on the late 90's models.
I didn't bother bookmarking it when I was looking the stuff up since mines an 87 but I found it thru google.
I didn't bother bookmarking it when I was looking the stuff up since mines an 87 but I found it thru google.
11-04-2015, 02:43 PM
#23
Tech Contributor
Originally Posted by TorchTarga94
I have the webelectric DRL module and have nothing bad to say about it.
Last edited by Goldcylon; 11-04-2015 at 02:45 PM.
11-04-2015, 02:55 PM
#24
Melting Slicks
11-04-2015, 05:49 PM
#25
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Well I made no real progress today on the blinkers. I did find out my cig lighter bit the dust so ordered a new socket and lighter to go in it.
It was one of those days where the little voice is saying you work on stuff its not going to end well. Everything I started went wrong so I stopped and will try another day.
It was one of those days where the little voice is saying you work on stuff its not going to end well. Everything I started went wrong so I stopped and will try another day.
11-05-2015, 02:51 AM
#27
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Well I just finished simulating the wiring on my car in the house. Fun fun. The diode trick works but again no ones going to want to dig into their dash for this so its resistors for the front turn signals and no resistors for the rear led's when I do them since the front will be enough to solve it.
Since the plug and play ones have the wrong socket on them and I'm not willing to cut up my blinker assemblies for this and I doubt others would either I'm going to cut the resistors out of the harnesses I bought.
This will simulate someone buying just the resistors. I'll splice them into the wires right before the bulb socket and mount the resistors to the frame for cooling. Remember these get around the same temperature as a bulb so you don't want other wires touching them and bolting them to the frame will help dissipate heat better.
I'll do the splicing and mounting tomorrow and shoot pics and post in here. Only real solution that can be done easily by anyone so that's the way I'll go.
Since the plug and play ones have the wrong socket on them and I'm not willing to cut up my blinker assemblies for this and I doubt others would either I'm going to cut the resistors out of the harnesses I bought.
This will simulate someone buying just the resistors. I'll splice them into the wires right before the bulb socket and mount the resistors to the frame for cooling. Remember these get around the same temperature as a bulb so you don't want other wires touching them and bolting them to the frame will help dissipate heat better.
I'll do the splicing and mounting tomorrow and shoot pics and post in here. Only real solution that can be done easily by anyone so that's the way I'll go.
11-05-2015, 10:58 AM
#28
Race Director
Good thread crowz
Those vleds are pretty badazz. These from retrofit source look pretty cool tohttp://www.theretrofitsource.com/led-lighting.html
Those vleds are pretty badazz. These from retrofit source look pretty cool tohttp://www.theretrofitsource.com/led-lighting.html
11-05-2015, 05:09 PM
#29
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Ok I have one blinker done. Though I still have to mount the resistor the frame for safe heat dissipation. Taking a break and will post pics when I'm all done.
I tested both blinker wires to know exactly for sure which wires have to have the resistor added and if both power wires were needed or not.
The resistor has to go from the black ground wire to the blueish wires which is weird logic wise.
The blueish (different tint depending on which side of the car) work the blinkers. The brown wire works the parking lights. The parking lights are what makes the dash glow. So logically the parking light wire (brown) seems to be what needed the resistor. But its actually the blinker (blueish) wire on each socket that needs the resistor.
So one wire of the resistor goes to black and one goes to the blueish wire. Then the resistor needs to be bolted to metal to make it last forever and to be safe. Its not like a fire hazard heat wise but it does get as hot as the bulb your replacing with the led.
So for conversion of stock bulbs to led's you need led's of course, 2 resistors (one for each front of the car blinker) and an electronic flasher module.
As I replace more bulbs with led's if I run into changes or problems I will post them here.
Also I'll post pics tonight when I get completely done.
I tested both blinker wires to know exactly for sure which wires have to have the resistor added and if both power wires were needed or not.
The resistor has to go from the black ground wire to the blueish wires which is weird logic wise.
The blueish (different tint depending on which side of the car) work the blinkers. The brown wire works the parking lights. The parking lights are what makes the dash glow. So logically the parking light wire (brown) seems to be what needed the resistor. But its actually the blinker (blueish) wire on each socket that needs the resistor.
So one wire of the resistor goes to black and one goes to the blueish wire. Then the resistor needs to be bolted to metal to make it last forever and to be safe. Its not like a fire hazard heat wise but it does get as hot as the bulb your replacing with the led.
So for conversion of stock bulbs to led's you need led's of course, 2 resistors (one for each front of the car blinker) and an electronic flasher module.
As I replace more bulbs with led's if I run into changes or problems I will post them here.
Also I'll post pics tonight when I get completely done.
11-05-2015, 06:31 PM
#30
Race Director
I put LED's in the rear of my wife's car without any load resisters and although it blinks a little faster than stock, I get no error message on the dash. They are a LOT brighter than the old bulbs and the bright faster flash really get attention.
Vette still has the stock bulbs but I plan a future change to the LED's for it too.
Curious... Do those resistors show an OHM value printed on them or is it concealed with paint or sleeving?
Vette still has the stock bulbs but I plan a future change to the LED's for it too.
Curious... Do those resistors show an OHM value printed on them or is it concealed with paint or sleeving?
11-05-2015, 06:52 PM
#31
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
They show the values. Its 50watts 6 ohms.
This pics I'm uploading right now show the values stamped on them.
You only need the electronic flasher module for making the led's blink at the right speed.
The resistors are only needed if you change out the front bulbs to keep the dash turn signals from glowing.
This pics I'm uploading right now show the values stamped on them.
You only need the electronic flasher module for making the led's blink at the right speed.
The resistors are only needed if you change out the front bulbs to keep the dash turn signals from glowing.
11-05-2015, 06:55 PM
#32
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Ok lets get this part started with a pic of the kit as far as I could install it. This shows how it plugs into the factory socket and then the other end has its own socket. Which would of worked wonderful if the socket it provided fit the blinker housing. Which it didn't.
11-05-2015, 06:58 PM
#33
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
As I was finishing up the soldering on the wires the negative wire's clip came out of the bulb socket. This has happened a few times since Ive owned the car but this time when it came out I found out why it had been falling out. The tab had worn into that holds it into the socket.
It was supposed to have a tab that sprung outward. If you look close you can see the tip looks bent but that's actually where the other part of the metal broke off.
It was supposed to have a tab that sprung outward. If you look close you can see the tip looks bent but that's actually where the other part of the metal broke off.
11-05-2015, 07:00 PM
#34
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
So not having anything to use as a spare for that clip I made one 
Here is where I cut a piece off some wire I had and shaped it into a U.
I figured someone else will have this happen one day and it worked at least.
Here is where I cut a piece off some wire I had and shaped it into a U.
I figured someone else will have this happen one day and it worked at least.
11-05-2015, 07:01 PM
#35
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
The I put the U shaped wire over the broken clip and soldered it to it.
Not the most elegant fix but again it at least worked
Then I pressed the clip back into the socket.
Not the most elegant fix but again it at least worked
Then I pressed the clip back into the socket.
11-05-2015, 07:05 PM
#36
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
The two wires as I mentioned earlier are "blueish" that you will solder the wires from the resistor to. You of course can use those press on clips but I have horrible luck with those and prefer to solder the wires since that last forever and the clips don't.
The blueish reference is light blue on the drivers side and dark blue on the passenger side.
So you solder one wire from the resistor to the light blue wire on the drivers side blinker sockets wires and the other end of the resistor is soldered to the black wire.
On the passenger side you solder one end to the dark blue wire and the other to the black wire.
Then drill a small hole in the frame to mount the resistor to it. Here is the drivers side finished.
The blueish reference is light blue on the drivers side and dark blue on the passenger side.
So you solder one wire from the resistor to the light blue wire on the drivers side blinker sockets wires and the other end of the resistor is soldered to the black wire.
On the passenger side you solder one end to the dark blue wire and the other to the black wire.
Then drill a small hole in the frame to mount the resistor to it. Here is the drivers side finished.
11-05-2015, 07:07 PM
#38
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Sorry I don't have any pics of me actually soldering the wires and such but I haven't been able to teach molly to work the camera while I'm working on stuff
11-05-2015, 07:09 PM
#39
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
This completely fixes the turn signal lights glowing on the dash when the parking lights are turned on.
So this is what you have to do to have led's in the front of your car. I know someone will recommend loaded led bulbs. I personally think that's a very bad idea. This risk melting the housing. The method I used here has the heat against the frame thus 100% safe.
So this is what you have to do to have led's in the front of your car. I know someone will recommend loaded led bulbs. I personally think that's a very bad idea. This risk melting the housing. The method I used here has the heat against the frame thus 100% safe.
03-14-2017, 09:38 AM
#40
Correct.
Another issue with front LED turn signals in the later C4 Body style is polarity. LED's are polarity sensitive and only a few manufacturers actually make polarity non-sensitive LED's (no 1157 or #24 that I know of).
If you convert 91-96 C4 front turn signal bulbs to LED they will not blink and may not even work at all. The side marker bulbs alternate with the front turn signals when the blinker is activated and this is not possible with the way our car is wired. I have had this exact same problem when I attempted my full conversion.
The rear tail light LED's are a non issue and are plug and play with an electronic no-load flasher.
My opinion: LED's are certainly a worthwhile upgrade, but due to the age of the car and the way our wiring was laid out it is usually best to leave the dual filament bulbs on the front of the car as regular halogen and convert the rest of the car over to LED. Changing any dual filament bulb on the front of the car to LED will require some modification to the wiring which most of us don't want to hack up.
Another issue with front LED turn signals in the later C4 Body style is polarity. LED's are polarity sensitive and only a few manufacturers actually make polarity non-sensitive LED's (no 1157 or #24 that I know of).
If you convert 91-96 C4 front turn signal bulbs to LED they will not blink and may not even work at all. The side marker bulbs alternate with the front turn signals when the blinker is activated and this is not possible with the way our car is wired. I have had this exact same problem when I attempted my full conversion.
The rear tail light LED's are a non issue and are plug and play with an electronic no-load flasher.
My opinion: LED's are certainly a worthwhile upgrade, but due to the age of the car and the way our wiring was laid out it is usually best to leave the dual filament bulbs on the front of the car as regular halogen and convert the rest of the car over to LED. Changing any dual filament bulb on the front of the car to LED will require some modification to the wiring which most of us don't want to hack up.
Same problem here with fron amber.
Is it possible to get all the rest of the car led, and leave only front turn/park as incadescent?
are these the only bulbs that make trouble?