i have a 2003 jeep wrangler sport.i installed two red led 1157 taillight bulbs.everything works,but the right side flashes fast,as if a bulb were out.i know that this an issue of less resistance than an incandescant bulb.i did some online research,and everything points to either install ballast resistor,which gets hot,and scares me,or modify the factory flasher(looks like a pain in the arse),or put an ep-27 flasher in.i installed the ep-27,and everything was fine,up until i hit the hazard flasher switch.then i suddenly have nothing.found a blown fuse under the hood and replaced it.also put old bulbs back in until i get this sorted out.surely someone besides me has had this problem!any help or advisement would be greatly appreciated!
jeep tj 1157 led taillight bulb/flasher issues
- Thread starter goldtj
- Start date
SteelHeadz
Super Moderator
Replace your thermal flasher to an electronic flasher from Napa or Carquest. I converted all the exterior lighting on my Jeep with L.E.D.'s exept the driving lamps and the electronic flasher fixed the issue. You can also install a load equalizer to correct this if you don't want to replace the flasher.
Crazy4diesels
New member
On my 2005 I did the flasher mod (where you add a little relay to the flasher) and it works great. I tried the 1157 LED bulb replacements and they were not bright enough. The side markers and plate illumination were nearly non existant. I saw that Grote makes an LED conversion "module" but it had no side marker and only one LED facing rear (granted a very bright LED... 3 watt, I think). I felt that an LED matrix type light was much brighter and grabbed attention better since the LEDs were not "hiding" behind a fresnel lense (they are mostly made with plain translucent plastic over the LEDs. So I went with a full light replacement and did the center high mount light as well (I used a standard tractor trailer grommet mount light for the high mount). These things are BRIGHT. Even with the LEDs I've been rear ended twice :x - go figure (oh, well... That's what the pintle hook is for :lol: ) . Best of luck - John
Crazy4diesels
New member
Sorry, I have been offline for a couple of days... I'll try to get info on all of the parts I used over the weekend. The tail lights were not cheap but they are really nice. - John
Crazy4diesels
New member
OK... I found the part numbers - I hope they are all still valid... The relay was a Radio Shack #275-241... The tail lights are Omix-Ada # 12403.82 (I'm pretty sure this number is for a pair of lights. They sell them seperately too). The light I used for the center high mount replacement was a Peterson 420R-5. The directions for the relay mod are somewhere on the net (just search for TJ flasher mod). For the center mount light I removed the stock light assy and used a block of wood to fill the space in the black light housing. I siliconed the new LED light to the wood block. I soldered both connections in there (be sure to use the stop wire on the new light NOT the running light wire so you get full brightness) . On the tail lights I pulled all of the wiring back inside the Jeep and soldered long extensions to the new tail light wires. I ran these wires into the Jeep and soldered them to a trailer light adapter that plugs into the Jeep OEM harness plug (which is now inside the Jeep. This way I had no plug connections outside. For my trailer lights I just unzip the corner of my rear window a bit and feed the trailer plug through. Best of luck... Hope you can use some of this info - John
Crazy4diesels
New member
Welcome, Scott... Best of luck - John
HiHood
New member
This answers MY question as well. I was going to convert to LED parking (frt) and tail lights, and since turn signals are not required, I will save the cost by ommitting them. If I were intending to drive this on the hwys I would install some after market signals but dirt roads are about all this one's gonna see.
Crazy4diesels
New member
Looks like your 3B is shaping up REALLY nice, HiHood. Each picture you post shows more of it together. You're lucky to live in a place with good weather so all your hard work isn't destroyed in a couple of years. Nice job - John
HiHood
New member
Thanks, really appreciate it. Yeah I can't wait to get it out on the desert and get a good couple coats of dirt on her. Hopefully coming spring.
