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efil4sbuD

LED indicators and relay

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Hello.

I've got hold of some LED bulbs for the rear indicators which make them flash faster than normal. I've heard that to overcome this you can add a resistor (to each bulb?) or a relay specifically made for the job.

 

Can anyone tell me which relay i would need to replace and would i need LED bulbs in the fronts also?

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Ok, well i replaced no. 21 relay with the relay i got from the guy on ebay (also sold me [link=http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=200085325373&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=010]these [/link]bulbs) and it doesn't work.

The relay works when i put a voltage across the battery and earth terminals and put the multimeter across either B or E and the third terminal but the car is obviously wired differently.

 

Has anyone else bought one of these relays and had the same problem?

 

Reading the Haynes wiring diagram i can't really make head nor tail of it.

 

Are there any auto electricians that can shed light on how to make this work please?

 

Thanks, James.

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did it also and it doesnt work too. my prob is the after market relay got

indeed a interchanged polarity.

oem realy 31 = minus / 49 = plus.

try to find a relay with same polarity as the oem relay.

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try to find a relay with same polarity as the oem relay.

 

Either that or i'll rip the fuse box out and swap the wires over - as long as it is just wrong polarity, i don't want to destroy my car if i can help it.

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i think the better would be to find another relay instead of swapping the wires

over.

 

Im also trying to find a new relay, if i find something i will post it here....

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My God, these things actually work!

 

Thanks to Ziderapple i put my order for some resistors in yesterday, got them today and stuck 'em straight in.

 

They fit snuggly within the bulb housing and i soldered them down like this

 

Led004.jpg

 

Often things that i buy don't seem to work out as i had planned (like a CD that arrived today that was a single, not an album :x) so i'm well chuffed with these.

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efil4sbuD, ? Where did you get the led indicators from and how much, if you dont mind my asking?

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I got them from a guy on ebay - warden_jp2002.

 

He sends them from Hong Kong so expect a few days delivery and cost was about £7 delivered.

I got the resistors from the link above, at autobulbsdirect, who could probably have done the LEDs cheaper too, take a look at them first.

 

Don't buy a flasher relay from HK, it doesn't work.

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how different are they from normal bulbs in use? are they brighter? Do they flash like the BMW led lights with a very distinct on/off flash? I've got red tinted lights and want to use a brighter bulb to shine the amber through more....

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They have a very definite on/off flash. Maybe a slightly odd colour due to having to pass through a red lense but then they are bright enough to pass through and still show up yellow(ish).

 

You must use resistors or a relay though to get them to flash at the correct rate.

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What are they like in daylight, any good?

 

They look fine to me. Nice and bright. All seems to be working and looking as if they're normal lights.

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Hi mate. No, definitely don't cut the tracks. Just connect the resistor across the two outside tracks as i did (assuming your tracks go to each side of the bulb, there's no reason they shouldn't).

 

Make sure the resistor you have used is the correct value. I can't remember what it was now and the link earlier in this post doesn't work so try calling Autobulbs on 08708 964650.

 

Leave the relay in place, you need that. The resistors are only to be soldered across (not inline, hence no cutting of track) those bulbs that have been replaced with LEDs.

 

Hope this helps and good luck.

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I have been upgrading to LED bulbs and I bought a LED flasher relay to replace number 21. The relay works perfectly but the LED indicators in the front do not work at all. Apparently, if normal filament bulbs are used in the front instead of LEDs, the relay will fail. Is this true?

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