Hey guys. I installed a pair of LED aftermarket turn signals on my 06 FEH and of course now I have a fast flash and a "Check Left/Right Turn Signal" message in my message center.

Any one know of a way to eliminate this...other than using a resistor?

 

LED lights usually require some type of "equalizer" setup to flash correctly.

We run into this on custom Harleys running LED lights.

~John

 

Equalizer = resistor

I was trying to avoid doing that...

Does anyone know if the flasher is external, or if it is built into the ECM? I would like to try and replace the flasher with one made for LED's, however I don't know if the ECM will like that.

 

I don't believe there is an external flasher unit, mechanical or electronic.

 

I'd just go with the equalizer. If you have some sort of thinking that you are going to get any MEASURABLE extra efficiency out of this for EV mode you are mistaken. We are talking a small light bulb, not the headlights and one that is ONLY active PART of the time when you are turning. You'll never see the difference.

 

I am not thinking as far as an increase in fuel economy, just didn't like the idea of placing a resistor, and I had some concerns about the heat generated from it.

Does anyone know if they carry these in stock at auto parts stores? Or would I need to order it online from superbrightleds or something?

 

You should probably talk to me.
I've had LED tail-lamps and LED turn lamps for over 1 year now.
Funny, but LED tail lamps only ( red ones ) do not cause any check bulb massages. Only the amber turn ones do. And yes, mine flash fast. I have just learned to live with it, or I do a L/R turn signal in my driveway before I leave, and press "SET" to clear the check bulb message. Did you notice you only get the check bulb message once per key cycle? So not THAT annoying.

Now, each red or amber incandescent bulb is ~25 watts.

25 x 2 tail lamps = 50 watts constant.
Add 50 watts more when you stop and the lights go "bright" ( normally 2 filaments on at once, each)

In stop & go, when EV is likely, at night, you will have 50 watt draw continuous, and 100 watt draw every time you press the brake.
So say you have a 75 watt draw on average over an hour, for just the red.

That is 75 watt-hours of power used, per hour.
200 watt-hours gets you 1 mile of EV driving.

So switching to Red LED ( less than 1 watt each for the whole "arrary" ) will give you about 3/8 of a mile of "free" EV driving per hour.

Now, if you drive 1 hour at night, 5 nights a week, this adds up to 97.5 miles of "free" EV drive miles per year.

Or about 3 extra hours of "free" EV time per year.

I would not call this insignificant.
And I just measured it.
-John

P.S. A resistor would eat most of the benefits, so I don't use them. Waste heat is wasted watts = wasted miles.
P.P.S. Oh... and you of course use brake lights during the day also.
P.P.P.S. And the red look just as good or better than incandescent at night, but not as bright in full sun. Amber looks dimmer both day and night, but not much. They are about 80% as bright as the incandescent they replaced.
P.P.P.P.S. I did not replace the Amber up front. The headlamps really over power the LED's up front. Work fine in back. Plus it is a royal pain in the A$$ to change the ones in front, so I advise against it. Your amber are on a small % of the time anyway.

 

Are you sure about that?

With the battery at 330v, 200 watts is only about 0.6 amps.

Can one really drive for a mile drawing only 0.6 amps out of the HV battery?

 

I was trying to avoid this becomming a discussion about the fuel economy one would save...I wasn't trying to do this in the first place.

I have already replaced the turn signals in the front with a whelen halo system, which also doubles as warning lights.

To me, the fast flash and the "Check Turn Signal" message is annoying, and I would like to get rid of it.

Hence why I opened this thread.

 

Yeah... thats why I'm not continuing the argument. I would THINK you have two options. Some sort of a compensator or a differn't flasher module. I think those are typically in the dash somewhere. The FEH has one, its whats clicking everytime the light goes on and off. I would think there would be replacement modules available from the same people that sold you the LED's.... They didn't have something like that?

As for safety or getting hot. As long as you go with something commercially designed to do it, it ought to be okay... however I'd worry about using off the shelf resistors to try and do something The bulbs get hotter than heck.

I think your best bet is a flasher module that works for the application.... something like they describe here:

http://www.stu-offroad.com/electrical/led1/led-5.htm#q3

You'll have to find one that fits the Escape... I'm not sure if they are standard for all cars or what. You'd think something like that would pretty much only come in 1 or two types, but who knows.