Indicators acting wierd ...

[TheSaint]

i feel that this is probably something simple that has been covered a million times but my search fu has been epic fail lately =(

i just installed LED bulbs in my tail-lights and removed a tow-bar (it was wired into the tail-lights so i used scissors to cut it off)

and now the indicators blink quicker than they used to

i have tried a few things now and i cant get them back to the way it was ...

what causes this ... is it a fuse or shorting wire? dead relay? stuck switch?

my hazards work normal but the indicators blink quicker

(is an EG8 Civic Sedan - D15b7)

thanks in advance =)

[im.Kusuma]

you blew one of ur indicator bulbs. Check all four corners. If not, ur LEDS must've given it a short circuit.. Dont think u blew any fuses. And for tow bar.. did you cut it all at same time? lol u might've done something wrong there.. cover each cable one by one with duct tape. And again, check all four corners, check fuse - Hazard lights - i think..

[PaulsTeg]

The flash rate has increased as a result of the LED loads not drawing the required current. The double flash rate is used to signal to the driver that one of the 21W bulbs (front and rear main bulbs) has blown. As the LED only present a load of about 1W to the flasher circuit, it detects this a a bulb outage.

From the sounds of things, the tow-bar had nothing to do with the problem. Hopefully you have insulated the cut wires as short circuits can potentially cause more problems than a blown fuse (especially if the fuse has been replaced with a higher rated one).

To correct the flash rate issue, some of the higher quality LED loads have built in ballast resistors to simulate the 21W bulbs. If you really want LED loads for your turn signals (generally brake lamps are LED and only on car with complex ECU's have LED turn lamps) you may need to upgrade your flasher controller.

If you still have the packaging for the bulbs, have a look on it because it would have a warning that the flash rate _may_ be affected when installed.

Good luck!

[riruiz_88]

100% correct^

[TheSaint]

the bulbs did not come with any packaging unfortunately

i will insulate the exposed wires correctly today and see if that makes a difference

will putting the original bulbs back in be a good way to test if the bulbs are rated ok for my car?

[riruiz_88]

if you wish to keep the LED's in there and flash at the same rate as before, then you must buy the flasher relay/controller.
if you dont, just solder back on the standard bulb sockets. ensure you either use shrink wrap or insulated tape around the soldered joint.

[TheSaint]

im still using the standard bulb socket

the led's are just bulbs that were plug and play

is it illegal or anything that the flash rate is different?

[riruiz_88]

sorry man i dont understand when you say "i will insulate the exposed wires correctly today and see if that makes a difference". if they were standard when you first looked at the bulbs, there should be no exposed copper at all.

im not sure about the legalities of it. but im sure it would be great bait for cops

[TheSaint]

i mean the wires i cut when i took the tow bar off ... i left the loose ... so i need to put some tape around the ends

the bulbs themselves dont make a 'stand out' difference ... they are just a little bit clearer, brighter and more efficient ... i actually struggled to notice the difference when i first installed them lol

im asking if the indicator flashing quicker would attract attention ... is there a standard speed at which indicators are suppose to flash?

i might just take it to a sparky and get it sorted properly lol

[PaulsTeg]

A double flashing indicator would make your not roadworthy (in VIC). Chances are most drivers would not even know what is going on, but a police person eager to give out a fine would definitely notice.

Running the LED load and regular bulb would fix the problem however this will negate any 'efficiency' gain with running LED's in the first place.

To be honest, the best thing to do is to every 6 months or so change all your bulbs in one big hit; newer bulbs will always be brighter than degraded older bulbs.

Good luck!