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LED Turn Signal Flasher?? Using Flashback Turn signals

20K views 20 replies 10 participants last post by  dilyb  
#1 ·
Does anyone know of where I can find a LED or Timer Flasher for a 2011 XLS Escape. I put in Flashback LED turn signals, but even with 50 watt, 6 ohm load resistors, the turn signals still are about twice as fast as they should be. Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
 
#2 ·
Are you referring to switchback LEDs? Like white/ Amber ones?
 
#4 ·
Yes switchback LED, white, then turn amber for turn signal. Turn signal is about double speed, even with the 50 watt 6 Ohm Load resistors. Anyone tell me where the flasher unit is physically located within the 2011 xls? I could put in a AP 27 relay which is supposedly made for LEDs. It may work on a timer as opposed to normal flasher units. I just need to find the physical unit itself. Or is it in a logic control unit that controls the flash. Thanks
 
#5 ·
There is no flasher module. The flash is controlled by the SJB. That is why I recommended Forscan and a laptop if you wanted to do it without resistors. 50 watts is not the proper load for this application. As the computer is detecting the load to determine if something is wrong, it is expecting 25 watts. 50 watts is the load of two standard bulbs, therefore the computer thinks the load is too great, and is indicating an error.

Either get the proper resistors, or disable the bulb out detection in the computer entirely.
 
#8 ·
I am at a loss, could you explain the math Jay2theRescue? Intially, I had 25 watt 6 Ohm, they got super hot and still flashed at about double speed. So based on someones advice, they said 50 watts resistors won't get as hot, same result, not Hyper, but about double speed. Then someone said I needed 50 Watt 8 Ohm, this was the latest venture, same thing, double speed flashing. That's why I would like to understand the P = I *V and V = I *R stuff so I know what the proper load would be. The incandescent bulbs draw 2.2 A and my Escape puts out 14.3 VDC. Can you explain the math so I can Understand what I am doing wrong? I will get a ODBII reader, but may need some help with it as its out of my league using such a tool. Especially the part about disabling the "Bulb Out" part. I don't have a CanBus system so I need to get into the SMJ logic, find this Bit related to a bulbout and disable it? I like to learn what I am doing wrong, and why it isn't working, plus learn new things, but I can say it is a bit intimidating. I appreciate everyone's input and assistance. Onward through the fog I trudge with the guidance of others. The Bulbs I have are JDM ASTAR Extremely Bright 120-EX Chipsets White/Yellow 3157 3155 3457 4157 Switchback LED Bulbs with Projector For Turn Signal Lights( Only work for standard socket , not for ck socket) and do not know what the spec.s are. Thank you so Much!!
 
#9 ·
It has been ages since I've been in Physics class, I can't really explain the math to you. When I had LEDs on my Escape, I bought the resistors recommended to me by the seller for my application. (I bought from www.VLEDS.com). I know that a load that is too much or too little will trigger the system. When I do go back to LEDs on my Escape, I'll just disable the bulb out indication.
 
#10 ·
Search for "Ohms Law Calculator" online (computers are good at math--who knew? :bang: ). Put in any two of
1. Voltage (V),
2. Current (Amperage)(I), or
3. Resistance (R)
to calculate the third value.
http://www.ohmslawcalculator.com/ohms-law-calculator this one includes power, but that is just V*I.
At 12.6v and 2.2A, 6 ohm would be just about correct (without the bulb), but the power draw would be 27W, too much for a 25W rated resistor. (At 14.3V it is ~31W!)
The Switchback bulbs are 6.5W http://www.jdmastar.com/product/321/3030-SMD-3157-White-Yellow-Switchback-LED-Bulbs-Set-of-2.html, so you are drawing too much current. We need ~20.5W additional current draw (at rated 12.6V) to match the 3457 bulb, so the 8 ohm resistor should be correct :thumb: IF connected to the correct wire :? . If it is connected to the parking light filament, then it is doing you no good (I wonder if this is what is wrong :? .)
HTH
 
#14 ·
Jay2TheRescue said:
Oh, that setting in Forscan is only for the rear? I wasn't aware of that. I thought it disabled bulb out detection completely.
I can confirm, that in my 2010, with bulb detection turned off by Ford IDS, that replacing the rear bulbs with LED is fine, but replacing the front bulbs with LED results in a fast flash (not quite hyper-flash :fire: , but much faster than normal, and not acceptable.) So, it's not that ForScan is missing settings, it's that IDS is missing them, or the SJB can't handle LED in the front. :rant:
 
#15 ·
Vio745 said:
I installed rear LEDs, had hyper flash, disabled bulb out detection in ForScan, everything back to normal, installed front LEDs and hyper flash returned. I did find a reference to 2 addresses in the F150 forum, one for each end of the vehicle, but they are not relevant to the 2nd gen escape because the block numbers don't match :wall: It seems that there should be an option for the front if there is one for the rear and that it's just missing from the pre-configured options in ForScan and has to be done manually in the as-built data, just need to find out where. :?
How did you find it? I'm using Forscan and Obdlink Mx but I don't see that option anywhere. Would you help?

Enviado desde mi SM-G935F mediante Tapatalk
 
#16 ·
FWIW, in my '12 Limited, installed 3156 LED front and rear signals.
Crazy hyper action. Duh..... :roll:
Bought a 3156 resistor harness. Has an 8 ohm on each feed. (like, why?!) Bulb end socket was tickity-boo. Housing socket was 2 tabs going into 3 slots. D'oh! :doh:
Replaced with an 8 ohm on just the signal feeds as the SJB doesn't give a hoot about the running lights.
All good and normal. Well, maybe still out by nanoseconds......
Sold the harnesses on Kijiji and made back more than what the 8 ohm kit cost me. :thumb:
Signals only run for like, a very short time, so didn't even bother to screw down, they just hang there and zero heat issues. :frozen:

All this being said, why do many vendors, including Ford, say they will sell me a "specific vehicle fit" signal flasher for LED purposes when there apparently is NO flasher cube? :cuss:

And in closing, also put LED around the interior. So nice that I can actually see now. :yahoo:
 
#17 ·
LimitedLad said:
FWIW, in my '12 Limited, installed 3156 LED front and rear signals.
Crazy hyper action. Duh..... :roll:
Bought a 3156 resistor harness. Has an 8 ohm on each feed. (like, why?!) Bulb end socket was tickity-boo. Housing socket was 2 tabs going into 3 slots. D'oh! :doh:
Replaced with an 8 ohm on just the signal feeds as the SJB doesn't give a hoot about the running lights.
All good and normal. Well, maybe still out by nanoseconds......
Sold the harnesses on Kijiji and made back more than what the 8 ohm kit cost me. :thumb:
Signals only run for like, a very short time, so didn't even bother to screw down, they just hang there and zero heat issues. :frozen:

All this being said, why do many vendors, including Ford, say they will sell me a "specific vehicle fit" signal flasher for LED purposes when there apparently is NO flasher cube? :cuss:

And in closing, also put LED around the interior. So nice that I can actually see now. :yahoo:
So just to recap, you used 25W 8Ohm resistors hooked up only to the signal wires? And all is working well? Thinking of trying this soon.
 
#18 ·
I'm late to the party here but I have switchback LEDS in the front on my '12 and was able to avoid hyperflash for a bit by rewiring the corner markers to turn signals instead of running lights (check legality before you do this) ....i liked this because I'm more worried about people seeing me changing lanes from the side than I am having orange markers, since the white running lights (spider) seem adequate. The incandescent 194s in the corners WERE enough to avoid the bulb out detection, but for some reason one side has just started hyperflashing on me.

I'm going to try the Forscan route now - thanks for the info here
 
#19 ·
Trainman99 said:
LimitedLad said:
FWIW, in my '12 Limited, installed 3156 LED front and rear signals.
So just to recap, you used 25W 8Ohm resistors hooked up only to the signal wires? And all is working well? Thinking of trying this soon.
Sorry for the tardiness. I believe they were marked 50w. A nice kit from Amazon came with the snap connectors for easy install. They offer 2 & 4 piece options.
Besides that, finally installed LED fog lamps (amber) as well. Now the last task is to wrestle out the headlamp assemblies to get to the front side marker bulbs. Seems like the entire front end has to be removed? :?
 
#21 ·
So, if I've created the hyper flash with my 2009 Escape Limited by putting LEDs in the tail lights, I can just trick the computer into not giving a warning hyper flash and the flash will be normal speed? Even if I have the trailer package? I thought there WAS a flasher module (2 in fact) under the hood driver side for the trailer system ...
thanks!