Load Equalizers

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Buck Parrish

Buck Parrish

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My signal light was going click click real fast. So I looked, and sure enough the bulb was burned out. So I replaced both my turns signal lights on the utility bed of one of my trucks. I used LED'S, boy they are bright. Easy to install, too.
The problem is my flasher still thinks the bulbs are burned out. So it is making them blink real fast. As it would to warn me of a light being out.
I heard they don't use enough power. So I would need to trick the flasher with a load eaqualizer.
Any body delt with these?
 
No, you need to buy a new flasher relay. It just plugs into your fuse box. You get a heavy duty flasher when you're adding extra lamps to tow a trailer, and you get a "light duty" one when you change to LED tail lights. The auto parts stores have them.

edit... I just went out and looked at one of mine, and it says "Grote" on the LED rated turn signal flasher.
 
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Light duty flashers have a bi metal that the lamp heats up and then it deforms, opens, cools off and then closes. The heavy duty type is a relay.
 
Its an F-250

These load eaqualizers are little ceramic things about the size of a ciggarette with a wire on each end. It clips on to the wires in the tail light.
 
buckofdurham said:
Its an F-250

These load eaqualizers are little ceramic things about the size of a ciggarette with a wire on each end. It clips on to the wires in the tail light.
Click to expand...
They're probably just a ceramic resistor to put a little extra load on the flasher.
 
tom baker said:
Light duty flashers have a bi metal that the lamp heats up and then it deforms, opens, cools off and then closes. The heavy duty type is a relay.
Click to expand...
Actually, there are two types of thermo-mechanical flashers.

The standard-duty flasher has a heating element in series with NC contacts. The heat causes the contacts to open. This type is dependent on the load current; if you add a trailer, they flash faster, and a burned-out bulb results in the remainder staying on and not flashing.

The heavy-duty type has the heater in parallel with NO contacts. The heat causes the contacts to close. If a bulb burns out, this type will cause the remaining lights to flash faster, but extra load, like a trailer, will not cause faster flashing.
 
DANGER WILL ROBINSON, DANGER !!

Seriously:

There is a documented problem with the Ford F-250/350/450/550 and LED tail-brake lamps.

If the ground is not PERFECT, there will be enough leakage thru the brake lamps from the tail lamps to cause voltage to build up on the brake lamp lead.

The Powertrain Control Module ('computer') views this as 'brakes applied' and will not allow the clutch inside the torque converter to lock up.

Under a heavy load you end up with transmission fluid coming out the fill tube, all over the engine compartment.

The solution is to parallel a resistor to ground to mimic a 'real' lamp and prevent this voltage build-up.
 
Gary Glaenzer said:
DANGER WILL ROBINSON, DANGER !!

Seriously:

There is a documented problem with the Ford F-250/350/450/550 and LED tail-brake lamps.

If the ground is not PERFECT, there will be enough leakage thru the brake lamps from the tail lamps to cause voltage to build up on the brake lamp lead.

The Powertrain Control Module ('computer') views this as 'brakes applied' and will not allow the clutch inside the torque converter to lock up.

Under a heavy load you end up with transmission fluid coming out the fill tube, all over the engine compartment.

The solution is to parallel a resistor to ground to mimic a 'real' lamp and prevent this voltage build-up.
Click to expand...






Thanks, Wow. I must have the heavy duty flasher because they we're blinking fast with the LED's. I put the resistors "Load Eaqualizer's" in today.
It seems to be working okay. They are blinking normally.
I'll be on the look out for transmission fluid.:smile:
 
Gary Glaenzer said:
DANGER WILL ROBINSON, DANGER !!

Seriously:

There is a documented problem with the Ford F-250/350/450/550 and LED tail-brake lamps.

If the ground is not PERFECT, there will be enough leakage thru the brake lamps from the tail lamps to cause voltage to build up on the brake lamp lead.

The Powertrain Control Module ('computer') views this as 'brakes applied' and will not allow the clutch inside the torque converter to lock up.

Under a heavy load you end up with transmission fluid coming out the fill tube, all over the engine compartment.

The solution is to parallel a resistor to ground to mimic a 'real' lamp and prevent this voltage build-up.
Click to expand...






Thanks, Wow. I must have the heavy duty flasher because they we're blinking fast with the LED's. I put the resistors "Load Eaqualizer's" in today.
It seems to be working okay. They are blinking normally.
I'll be on the look out for transmission fluid.:smile:
 
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