A lil Help? Installed Switchbacks....

[RamAirDave]

So I installed them today... Look great...work great...ALMOST lol.

When you have the running lights or headlights on, they are white which is correct. But when you use the signal it is supposed to turn off the white LED's and activate the Amber LED's....But what is happening is the White stay on and the Amber blink in conjunction with them. Not really how its supposed to work.

I have done several searches and came up with noting regarding this particular issue. Any suggestions??


Thanks!
Dave

 

[df2x4]

I've never used switchbacks but that sounds like what would normally happen if you had a regular incandescent bulb in there. When the headlights are on one filament in your marker bulbs would always be lit, and the other would flash with signals. I'm not sure if your switchbacks are supposed to be smart enough to shut one color off when they get that second filament signal, but if they are I'd say you got some bad LEDs. Someone who's used them before could probably be more helpful.

EDIT - Briefly browsed some reviews on cheaper sets of switchbacks on Amazon, you're not the first to have this problem. Looks like an issue of poor LED construction and/or quality control to me. Where'd they come from?

 

[someotherguy]

Years ago, V-LED's sold them both ways, called them like "type 1" and "type 2" something like that. The ones I got from them turn off the white to flash the amber. To make them work correctly though I had to add load resistors. I had already hacked my flasher to kill hyperflash, but the switchbacks wouldn't behave until I put my load resistors back in the circuit.

Richard

 

[Coveman]

+1 on the load resistors. I had a similar issues with the LEDs working inconsistently (would act up in the morning but function properly in the afternoon) and the added resistance settled them out.

 

[someotherguy]

Pretty sure the environment that most switchbacks were designed for was a single switchback on each side; if you look at most vehicles they just use one bulb per side. Our GMT400's typically using two bulbs, seems to confuse them. It was really weird when I had an incandescent corner marker bulb; it would glow very dimly when it should have been off. Can't remember exactly all the misc. weird behavior I had before I put the load resistors back on, but with two switchbacks, an LED corner bulb, and a load resistor on each side, they behave 100% correctly as expected. This is also with the flasher hacked to cure hyperflash, and LED taillights (tried out with both; LED bulb replacements, and IPCW full LED replacements.)

Richard

 

[sewlow]

How did you hack the flasher unit? Wouldn't an EP29 flasher work just as well, as it's designed to work off of time rather than load resistance?

 

[someotherguy]

Sure, but you already own the flasher that can be hacked in a couple minutes - quicker than running down to the parts house. Six of one, half a dozen of the other.

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FWIW, the couple of flashers I've hacked weren't even this exact same unit, but apparently have the same exact IC in them as I cut the same leg and it worked perfectly. Your mileage may vary; look at it this way. Free/easy hack and if it doesn't work, you woulda had to buy the other flasher anyway.

Richard

 

[RamAirDave]

Good Info Thanks!!

I did the ELectronic flasher today, cured the hyperflash. But I will install the Load Resistors tomorrow. Just put one on each side of the truck inline with the turn signal correct?

I am also running an LED side marker.

Appreciate the feedback!

On a side note, I took out the blower motor and cleaned the DISGUSTING evaporator !! DAMN it was gross in there! SOOOOO much more flow now haha!!

 

[sewlow]

Lol! "Your mileage may vary."
Good tip! Thanks!

 

[Frankp]

I have the "switchbacks" on my truck and experienced the same as the OP. The load resistors fixed the problem.