Using LEDs in the front fender side-markers on a Jeep Wrangler TJ

[mofsharick]

I just replaced my flasher relay with an LED capable relay. The hyper flash is fixed for the front parking/indicators with LED bulbs, but when I turn the parking lights on, the green arrows on my instrument panel turn on steady. Any thoughts?

Next step will be to make the 3 wire patch harness for the side indicator.

 

[Jeep 541X]

I just replaced my flasher relay with an LED capable relay. The hyper flash is fixed for the front parking/indicators with LED bulbs, but when I turn the parking lights on, the green arrows on my instrument panel turn on steady. Any thoughts?

Next step will be to make the 3 wire patch harness for the side indicator.

The wire harness as shown in Page 1 worked beautifully for me. Here’s what it looked it:

 

[mofsharick]

I rigged up the 3 wire patch harness temporarily with test leads, diodes, a resistor, and an LED bulb for the side marker and that seems to have solved the issue on the instrument cluster arrows. Once I get the patch harnesses made and installed it looks like it will be good to go.

I think it had to do with the incandescent side marker bulb still in place or possibly trying to ground back through the LED fender marker/turn signal.

 

[mofsharick]

Finally got to making the in-line pigtail with the diodes and resistor for the parking lights. I add an additional wire coming off of the turn signal side to run to my side mirror LED repeaters. Everything is working as expected.

 

[Jeep 541X]

Finally got to making the in-line pigtail with the diodes and resistor for the parking lights. I add an additional wire coming off of the turn signal side to run to my side mirror LED repeaters. Everything is working as expected.

OUTSTANDING work!!!

 

[machoheadgames]

Finally got to making the in-line pigtail with the diodes and resistor for the parking lights. I add an additional wire coming off of the turn signal side to run to my side mirror LED repeaters. Everything is working as expected.

Looks good. Any details on how you did the side repeater? If I did that, I would do it like a modern vehicle where the front side marker is just a running lamp. Would look nice and clean and then I could leave it incandescent as well which I prefer for a running bulb that does nothing but shine one brightness at night behind a lens.

 

[mofsharick]

Looks good. Any details on how you did the side repeater? If I did that, I would do it like a modern vehicle where the front side marker is just a running lamp. Would look nice and clean and then I could leave it incandescent as well which I prefer for a running bulb that does nothing but shine one brightness at night behind a lens.

I just posted this. It should help.
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/heated-side-mirrors-and-led-turn-signal-repeaters.76908/

 

[Dmn0805]

Thank you for the helpful information! Also, thank you to the members that helped me work through a brief issue I experienced.

For benefit to those considering, here's what I'm successfully running:
Patch harnesses as detailed by Steel City 06 and pictured by Nightshade
Grounded the patch harnesses to the screws above the head lamps (G102 passenger side, G103 driver side).
Ran patch harnesses parallel with existing harnesses for a clean factory appearance.
LED Turn Signal Relay: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LC4DMS1?tag=wranglerorg-20
Rear Turn Signal Lamp: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MY4T4BU?tag=wranglerorg-20
Front Turn Signal Lamp: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WD7Z4R7?tag=wranglerorg-20
Side Marker Lamp: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SYYFC61?tag=wranglerorg-20

A word of advice, be sure to test as you build the patch harnesses (if you choose to build them).

Lastly, I have a few extra patch harnesses. DM me for details if your looking for them.

 

[michaellaf]

Installing LED headlights, taillights, and front turn signals requires nothing more than replacing your flasher relay in the steering column with an LED flasher relay.

However, to use LEDs in the front fender side-markers, you'll run into issues. The side-markers ground through the unused filament on the front fender bulbs, and if the resistance is too high in the front fender bulbs, as is with a light emitting diode, the side-markers will not light, and the front LEDs May light inappropriately.

In order to get LEDs in both, you need to convert the fender flare sockets into a 3-wire setup using standard diodes and dimming resistors.

It can also be done with load resistors, but load resistors will waste energy and are more finicky

Here is a crappy guide to a 3-wire setup:

View attachment 142439

Buy a set of 1 watt resistors and fine tune the low brightness using the resistor. You want a brightness that is bright enough yet contrasts with the high brightness for the turn signal. I think I used 350 ohm resistors in mine.

It will simply alternate low/high brightness when the turn signals and parking lights are on, and low when only parking lights are on.

No changes are needed to the front fender sockets if this wiring is followed for the fender flare sidemarkers.

My situation sounds a lot like this one, with only one small difference. I’ve got LED’s all around and all the blinkers (front, side markers, and back) work when the nighttime lights are off. But when I turn the lights on, the front blinkers and side markers stop working, meaning that they stay on and aren’t blinking, while the back lights still blink.

This is happening all while having the stock flasher relay plugged in. When I plug in an LED flasher relay, same situation happens but the tail lights also stop blinking, meaning all 6 lights stay fully on, without blinking.

Any idea if your diagram would still work in my situation or would something else fix it, like keeping halogen side marker lights (I’d have to buy some). If I were to go your route, what type of diodes do I need? There seems to be a wide variety out there.

Thanks!

 

[Steel City 06]

My situation sounds a lot like this one, with only one small difference. I’ve got LED’s all around and all the blinkers (front, side markers, and back) work when the nighttime lights are off. But when I turn the lights on, the front blinkers and side markers stop working, meaning that they stay on and aren’t blinking, while the back lights still blink.

This is happening all while having the stock flasher relay plugged in. When I plug in an LED flasher relay, same situation happens but the tail lights also stop blinking, meaning all 6 lights stay fully on, without blinking.

Any idea if your diagram would still work in my situation or would something else fix it, like keeping halogen side marker lights (I’d have to buy some). If I were to go your route, what type of diodes do I need? There seems to be a wide variety out there.

Thanks!

Not 100 percent sure, but it seems similar to the issue I described. The side markers are probably backfeeding the circuitry for the rest of the lights.

Theoretically if you unplug the sidemarkers, the front and rear LED tailights should work. If that test works, try the solution listed in this thread.

Doesn't have to be any specific kind of diode. Ideally would be rated at 1A or more. We are basically just using them as check valves for the electrical current so it can't backfeed the other lights

 

[Ephry73]

My situation sounds a lot like this one, with only one small difference. I’ve got LED’s all around and all the blinkers (front, side markers, and back) work when the nighttime lights are off. But when I turn the lights on, the front blinkers and side markers stop working, meaning that they stay on and aren’t blinking, while the back lights still blink.

This is happening all while having the stock flasher relay plugged in. When I plug in an LED flasher relay, same situation happens but the tail lights also stop blinking, meaning all 6 lights stay fully on, without blinking.

Any idea if your diagram would still work in my situation or would something else fix it, like keeping halogen side marker lights (I’d have to buy some). If I were to go your route, what type of diodes do I need? There seems to be a wide variety out there.

Thanks!

Make sure your grounds are reversed. Specially on LEDs with three leads.

 

[michaellaf]

Not 100 percent sure, but it seems similar to the issue I described. The side markers are probably backfeeding the circuitry for the rest of the lights.

Theoretically if you unplug the sidemarkers, the front and rear LED tailights should work. If that test works, try the solution listed in this thread.

Doesn't have to be any specific kind of diode. Ideally would be rated at 1A or more. We are basically just using them as check valves for the electrical current so it can't backfeed the other lights

Thanks again, that info was correct and I ended up moving forward with your diagram. The issue with certain blinkers not working was fixed, but I've encountered another problem I hope you could help me with as you seem much more knowledgeable. Let me try to be as understandable as possible:

I wire the line with only the diode to the turn signal wire, and the line with the diode and the resistor to the night time running lights wire. When I turn on the blinkers, everything works, they go fully on and fully off. Although, when I turn on the nighttime running lights, they still go from 100% off to 100% on, as if the line with the resistor isn't doing anything.

I'm able to swap the connections and put the line with only the diode on the nighttime running lights, and the blinkers stop working (obviously) and the lights simply stays on as expected.

I hope this was clear enough, I find it hard to explain. Any ideas?

Thanks a lot.

 

[machoheadgames]

Thanks again, that info was correct and I ended up moving forward with your diagram. The issue with certain blinkers not working was fixed, but I've encountered another problem I hope you could help me with as you seem much more knowledgeable. Let me try to be as understandable as possible:

I wire the line with only the diode to the turn signal wire, and the line with the diode and the resistor to the night time running lights wire. When I turn on the blinkers, everything works, they go fully on and fully off. Although, when I turn on the nighttime running lights, they still go from 100% off to 100% on, as if the line with the resistor isn't doing anything.

I'm able to swap the connections and put the line with only the diode on the nighttime running lights, and the blinkers stop working (obviously) and the lights simply stays on as expected.

I hope this was clear enough, I find it hard to explain. Any ideas?

Thanks a lot.

What ohm resistor did you use? Any photos?

 

[michaellaf]

What ohm resistor did you use? Any photos?

I used 360 ohm. I’ll take a picture tomorrow, it’s late here now. While waiting for a response I tested a theory. I’ve tapped the wires to the day time running light wire instead (fully separate wire from the other set) of the headlights (nighttime lights), and something seems to happen (there is a light blink, maybe change the resistor?). Although, it only works when the wire that's meant to go to the turn signal, is tapped onto the daytime running light wire and vice vera.

 

[Steel City 06]

I used 360 ohm. I’ll take a picture tomorrow, it’s late here now. While waiting for a response I tested a theory. I’ve tapped the wires to the day time running light wire instead (fully separate wire from the other set) of the headlights (nighttime lights), and something seems to happen (there is a light blink, maybe change the resistor?). Although, it only works when the wire that's meant to go to the turn signal, is tapped onto the daytime running light wire and vice vera.

You'll probably need a higher ohm resistor in that case. Every brand of bulb has a different wattage, so it's impossible to just assume one resistor. I would play around with increasing the resistance.

Also, make sure you're wiring the resistor in series, not parallel, with the bulb. There is a completely unrelated concept of a load resistor for LEDs, but we are using this as a dimming resistor, not a load resistor,so it needs to be in series, not parallel.

 

[michaellaf]

You'll probably need a higher ohm resistor in that case. Every brand of bulb has a different wattage, so it's impossible to just assume one resistor. I would play around with increasing the resistance.

Also, make sure you're wiring the resistor in series, not parallel, with the bulb. There is a completely unrelated concept of a load resistor for LEDs, but we are using this as a dimming resistor, not a load resistor,so it needs to be in series, not parallel.

Thank you. Any chance you could explain how to wire in series and not parallel? I’m rarely new at this and am still learning. I followed the above diagram to the letter.

 

[michaellaf]

What ohm resistor did you use? Any photos?

Here are images of my setup. It’s rudimentary but I’ll secure everything one I know it works. Also, I've isolated the issue with the wire where the resistor is, even to the resistor itself. When I remove the resistor from the setup, power flows to the LED through that wire.