Sold on LEDs

[SteveJ]

Digging into the flashers? They are easy to access under the dash on the driver's side. However, if you leave the front turn signals as incandescent bulbs, your old flashers should work, though they might blink at a slower rate.

[Zs-ondabrain]

The correct Electronic flasher will flash at the same rat, no matter the mix of LED VS. filiment bulb.

[thomas461]

I also have the LED's installed (All of the bulbs in the car have been replaced). Steve and I talked about the problem with the flashers not flashing correctly. I read Dave's reply about the flasher assembly and figured I would give it a try before taking the Tach back out and replacing the LED bulbs I have in the Turn Signal flashers.

I initially tried it with the Tridon EP35 and ran a ground wire and for the life of me it would not work. I went back to the FSM and had a look at it appears the poles are reversed. Note: I am doing this work on an early 260Z.

So I created two jumpers and crossed the poles back to the factory flasher plug and magically everything worked. Needless to say having my flashers back working correctly no matter the engine RPM or speed was a joy. So for giggles I went back to the parts store and had a look. It turns out the Tridon EP34 reverses the positive and the negative poles on the flasher assembly. I thought surely it can't be that simple. I bought it; walked into the parking lot and plugged it into the factory flasher plug and moved the ground over. Now it works with the factory plug (Did have to add the ground wire as Dave mentions)

Thanks Steve for the info on the LED's and thanks Dave for the note about the Electronic Flashers.

One more thing: The bussman 232 that Steve said to use is an electronic flasher but I did notice something when I was at the parts store. It didnt say it was compatible with LED Bulbs. Both the EP34 and EP35 say they are LED Compatible and are only $12.

Hope this helps.

Tridon EP34

Trido EP35

Edited August 11, 2012 by thomas461

[Zs-ondabrain]

And for Clarity......

L = Load (to the lights/turn signal/hazards)

E / G / - = Earth / Ground / Negative

B / + = Battery / Positive / Power In

Thank you for this Pete (Thomas461) and any others who add to the thread.

Dave

[SteveJ]

Thanks doing the research, Pete.

[TomoHawk]

As for laws on LED lights in cars not originally equipped, I wouldn't worry about it. For a LEO to find out you have LED lights without your admitting to it would require a consent search. It would have to be a pretty slow day for a LEO to be busting people for LED lights.

This quote is a few years old now, but why why would the officer pull you over (in 2010?) I've never heard of it happening lately, or back then even. Was it some kind of equipment violation, like not having "bulbs" in your lamps?

Edited October 20, 2014 by TomoHawk

[EuroDat]

Thanks for dragging this thread up Tomo. Forgotabout it. Good reading it again:)

[TomoHawk]

If you have this thing installed, how is it working?  I see it has a feature for a bulb failure, have you tried it? It supposedly has a feature that will flash at a double-rate if a bulb is out, and it's supposed to make some kind of sound too?

[TomoHawk]

 So for giggles I went back to the parts store and had a look. It turns out the Tridon EP34 reverses the positive and the negative poles on the flasher assembly. I thought surely it can't be that simple. I bought it; walked into the parking lot and plugged it into the factory flasher plug and moved the ground over. Now it works with the factory plug (Did have to add the ground wire as Dave mentions)

Thanks Steve for the info on the LED's and thanks Dave for the note about the Electronic Flashers.

One more thing: The bussman 232 that Steve said to use is an electronic flasher but I did notice something when I was at the parts store. It didn't say it was compatible with LED Bulbs. Both the EP34 and EP35 say they are LED Compatible and are only $12.

I haven't  seen the electronic flashers in the AP stores, and you just can't order a "Tridon 34" flasher module, because the first thing the guy behind the counter says is, "what kind of car do you have?"

 

And since the S30 doesn't have an electronic flasher, you can't order one.  So you make up a fictitious car, and you can get a flasher module for that, but it's still not a "Tridon 34," unless it just happens to say that.

 

So other than ordering the Tridon 34 from an online vender, is there a vehicle that uses  it?

 

 

BTW- I read on a Kawasaki website that there is an alternative that doesn't require the ground wire:  the CF12ANL-01 flasher relay.  I can't tell if the blades are in the right place tho.  Look for the one with 2 blades.

 

[TomoHawk]

CREE LEDs?

 

What are those?  I think they are some kind of high-efficiency, brighter LED than you could get before now? 

 

I saw some products for cars (spots or off-road lamps mostly) but most of it was for household use. Super-bright LED  spots sounds like a nice idea.

[TomoHawk]

Has anyone seen these new Profocos LEDs? 

 

The seem to have a few large LED panels, in addition to a few of the smaller SMD chips, and it's rated a 6Watts!  it looks and sounds as if you could light up a whole two-lane road with a couple of  these.  I'm not sure how it would look in a Zed taillamp panel, but it ought to light up  the front indicators well.  Maybe a white bulb could even be use in a fog lamp.

 

[TomoHawk]

I just remembered to make a little video of how the Tridon 34 flasher works, and that it does make a clicking sound, as you are accustomed to hearing in a motor vehicle.

 

Enjoy.