LED Turn signals - flashers/load resistors
 

I'm trying to figure out how this needs to work. I'm looking at replacing my front turn signal bulbs with LED bulbs from superbrightleds.com

I already replaced the corner lights (they burnt out) and they work great but don't really match the yellow turn bulbs.

According to their site, I'll need some sort of different flasher or a load resistor so the signals work properly, since they have a lower draw or something. What exactly are these, what do they do, and why do I need them? I want to make sure I get it right the first time.

these are the lights i'm looking at:
http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-b...rake-turn.html

they are the 3157s, and I probably want to go with the 45 LED one.

so basically i just need to get new flashers and swap them out.... where are factory flasher, just on the back of the light or under the dash somewhere?

You can get them from advanced

EP27 electronic flasher should solve the hyper flashing with LED turn signals.

The "load resistors" are nothing more than large ceramic resistors (in most cases) that will get quite hot while in use.
I'd steer clear of them & opt for the EP27 electronic flasher, it's money well spent.

Look under the dash below the steering column and look up. You'll see a black rectangular plastic cover. Pull that off and you'll see 3 (or more) relays, depending on the options you have. The flasher/hazard relay is the largest and at the top of the harness pack.

Where in the vehicle does it go? I'm thinking the fuse box as my initial guess but maybe there is a relay box somewhere within the dash.

If I recall, it’s up under the dash. Turn the flashers on and you’ll hear it clicking.

bet you weren’t expecting the OP to respond…

You'll need the resistor at the lamp location. So a resistor for each lamp you're replacing.

Lol i certainly wasn't expecting you, Did you have any issues installing yours or was it just plug and play and it fixed the hyperflashing of the led's?

You have a 2003 Ford Ranger, so your Flasher does BOTH turn signals AND 4-ways, so not a regular 2 pin flasher, it has 5 pins
But you can get electronic 5 pin flashers that work with LEDs, no resistors needed

Yes, plug and play
Find the current flasher by turn in the 4-ways or turn signal
Should be under drivers side of dash between steering column and parking brake pedal, its on its own, it slides off a clip and will then come down with wiring and plug attached, swap it out



Older flashers are "thermal" type, they used a bi-metal contact that would heat up and bend, breaking the connection between 12v and bulbs, then it cools off and bends back reconnecting the 12v and bulbs, on, off, on, off as long as flasher is getting the 12v from turn signal switch or 4-way switch
Simple and very cheap
But it relies on the "heating up" which is caused by the AMP draw of the bulbs, the electric watts, not the output watts(brightness)
LEDs draw less amps, add a resistor and they draw more amps

Electronic flashers use a Timer Chip, so can be used with regular bulbs or LEDs, but cost 3 times more, still not that expensive though, lol

Electronic flashers will hyper flash if one of the regular or LED bulbs is burned out, just an FYI
The old style thermal flashers would not flash when a bub burned out

I'll take a shot with the EP27 and see how it goes, thank you for your help.