Trouble with LED Fog Lamps

[vt_maverick]

Replaced the fog lamps, "triangle" fender markers, and rear quarter panel markers with LEDs this weekend with major help from Billy (yellowgizmo99). Following my escapade of burning out fog light LEDs every few hours, I ordered what Autoillumination terms "LED protectors" this time around. (They're basically just resistors that you attach to the ground wire coming from each socket.) Rather than using the simple snap-together connectors, Billy insisted that we "do it right" and solder and heat-shrink wrap the connections instead. So that's two connections per bulb that have to be soldered, which adds up to a much longer installation process. It should be noted that you can install the LEDs without the protectors, but if you ever have any sort of spike in your electrical system you're likely to fry your LEDs, which are certainly more expensive to replace than regular filament bulbs.

Here's a list of what I now have installed and links to the product website:

Parts List
LEDs
Fog Lamps: 25 Led SMT Tower III (2)
Amber Triangle Markers: 9 Led SMT Tower II (Amber) (2)
Rear Fender Markers: 9 Led SMT Tower II (Red) (2)
LED Protectors (6)



I was planning on upgrading the turn signals and brake lights as well, but aside from the fact that it would have eaten up even more of Billy's weekend (not to mention piss off my beautiful wife), I couldn't really determine exactly what I needed to buy. Here's what Autolumination wrote back when I asked them about turn signals:

With many flashers, leds will cause the turns signals to flash rapidly, or not flash at all. If using leds for turn signal applications, or in vehicles with bulb-out warning systems, like Audi, Volvo, Mercedes, BMW and others, you may need to add load equalizers. For led turn signals, you can change the flasher out using one of our new patented combination led/oem bulb flashers if we have one that fits your vehicle. Unfortunately, there are no application charts for the flashers. The simplest way is to match the blades of the one you have to the images on the web page to see if we have one that matches. You can find the flasher by switching on the turn signals and finding where the clicking sound is coming from. If we do not have an led flasher that matches, use one 6 ohm load equalizer installed across the - ground wire and the + turn signal wire feeding each led bulb. Use two 6 ohm equalizers for two front, or two rear led turn signal bulbs. If you have four led turn signal bulbs in the front or rear, use two 3 ohm and position the load equalizer across the wire that feeds both bulbs. In some cases, if the front and read turn signal bulbs are powered from the same circuit, one 3 ohm on each side will take care of two led turn signal bulbs, one front and one rear. The only way to know is to try it and see. One 6 ohm at each led turn signal bulb always will work though. Place one load equalizer at each led turn signal bulb. For turn signal led bulbs, the equalizer must be spliced across the - ground wire and the + turn signal wire feeding each led bulb.

More details on load equalizers can be found at:
http://autolumination.com/equalizers.htm

Clear as mud right?

[etlsport]

for your turn signals, i dont think its really worth the effort to replace the flasher module. its easier to just get a 6ohm resistor for each bulb (or a 3 ohm resistor across the front turn signals because its easier to work behind the front bumper than in the rear tail light area)

from what i hear, our flasher is a pita to replace