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| jezza1983 | | Set |  | | Reg. Date | : | 10/01/2015 | | Posts | : | 32 | | Location | : | New Zealand |
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| | Posted : 24 Jun 2015 - 20:03 Post title : Changing turn signals to LEDs. Which bulbs/clusters fit? | | | Has anyone switched their turn signals on a Thunderbird Storm to LED's? I'm trying to find if there is a bulb or cluster that is a direct fit. I will probably change the instrument panel to LED too so that everything except the headlight is LED so there is no issues with different flashing rates with LEDS and an incandescent on the same circuit. I've looked at the Custom Dynamics site that has a few likely suspects, but any hints or links would be greatly appreciated!
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| PapaSmurfMC | | Chaac | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 03/10/2013 | | Posts | : | 871 | | Location | : | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
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| | Posted : 24 Jun 2015 - 22:58 Post title : Re: Changing turn signals to LEDs. Which bulbs/clusters fit? (Re: jezza1983) | | | You can start here : Link
| 2013 Blue Marble Haze Thunderbird 1600 ABS
2009 Black Bonneville A1 ("Mag")
Buncha farkles
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| Terota66 | | Chaac | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 24/11/2013 | | Posts | : | 505 | | Location | : | Nova Scotia, Canada |
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| | Posted : 25 Jun 2015 - 03:55 Post title : Re: Changing turn signals to LEDs. Which bulbs/clusters fit? (Re: jezza1983) | | |
jezza1983 wrote:
Has anyone switched their turn signals on a Thunderbird Storm to LED's? I'm trying to find if there is a bulb or cluster that is a direct fit. I will probably change the instrument panel to LED too so that everything except the headlight is LED so there is no issues with different flashing rates with LEDS and an incandescent on the same circuit. I've looked at the Custom Dynamics site that has a few likely suspects, but any hints or links would be greatly appreciated!
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Kuryakyn Torpedo Lights ECE Approved Run, Turn, Brake Lights (Red) (Rear) (Pair) (Matte Black)
| 2013 Thunderbird Storm ABS
HardStreets
LED Headlights
Short Tors & tune
K&N air filter
Mustang Vintage 2 Up Seat
Scorpion Alarm
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| jezza1983 | | Set | | | Reg. Date | : | 10/01/2015 | | Posts | : | 32 | | Location | : | New Zealand |
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| | Posted : 01 Jul 2015 - 08:18 Post title : Re: Changing turn signals to LEDs. Which bulbs/clusters fit? (Re: jezza1983) | | | Thanks for the links guys
So it looks like if anyone else is looking to change the turn signals to LED's these are a direct plug (bau15s) replacement.
https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/tail-brake-turn/led-product/527/1700/
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| n2dwind | | Set | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 12/07/2010 | | Posts | : | 405 | | Location | : | Jupiter, Florida, United States |
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| | Posted : 01 Jul 2015 - 17:33 Post title : Re: Changing turn signals to LEDs. Which bulbs/clusters fit? (Re: jezza1983) | | | Do you need to do both the front and back or will they work if you just use them in the back?
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| jezza1983 | | Set | | | Reg. Date | : | 10/01/2015 | | Posts | : | 32 | | Location | : | New Zealand |
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| | Posted : 01 Jul 2015 - 17:41 Post title : Re: Changing turn signals to LEDs. Which bulbs/clusters fit? (Re: n2dwind) | | | You can do either or all.
Just need to add an equalizer (resistor), or a signal stabilizer.
I'm still pretty new to this but from what I've learnt the equalizer is just a resistor to match the incandescent draw so the LEDs won't fast flash. They can get hot over time so probably not ideal if your turn signals are also used as brake or tail lights (always on). Better to use if you have them with turn signals only (not on very often)
The signal stabilizer is 3 to 4 times the price but doesn't create a load and therefore doesn't make heat, so would be better suited if you were using the turn signals as integrated tail/brake lights.
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| n2dwind | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 12/07/2010 | | Posts | : | 405 | | Location | : | Jupiter, Florida, United States |
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| | Posted : 01 Jul 2015 - 19:21 Post title : Re: Changing turn signals to LEDs. Which bulbs/clusters fit? (Re: jezza1983) | |
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| PapaSmurfMC | | Chaac | | | | Reg. Date | : | 03/10/2013 | | Posts | : | 871 | | Location | : | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
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| | Posted : 02 Jul 2015 - 03:51 Post title : Re: Changing turn signals to LEDs. Which bulbs/clusters fit? (Re: jezza1983) | | | | jezza1983 wrote: ....Just need to add an equalizer (resistor), or a signal stabilizer..... |
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Equalizer resistors are usually 25-50W 6 ohm resistors and as many of us have found, will not work properly on the TBird with engine running. It will work just fine with the ignition key on but with the engine running, flashing will eventually freeze or not work at all; something squirrely with the ECU. I've spent a fair amount of time finding values that seem to work but it became way more effort than the small difference in flash rate (about 1Hz) was worth.
I believe "signal stabilizers" will only work with CANBUS signals; you'll find they're model-specific and won't find any for the TBird. The ECU monitors current draw on the signals to determine if a bulb filament has failed and that requires you draw enough current to convince the ECU that all is well and that pretty thoroughly defeats one of the main advantages of LEDs, low power.
I've converted all my signals and lights to LED and just let it flash at the slightly faster rate; without any filaments to fail, there's no need to distinguish between flash rates and you're not throwing away all that power as heat.
| 2013 Blue Marble Haze Thunderbird 1600 ABS
2009 Black Bonneville A1 ("Mag")
Buncha farkles
| | Post edited by PapaSmurfMC on 02 Jul 2015 - 03:53 |
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| jezza1983 | | Set | | | Reg. Date | : | 10/01/2015 | | Posts | : | 32 | | Location | : | New Zealand |
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| | Posted : 02 Jul 2015 - 08:09 Post title : Re: Changing turn signals to LEDs. Which bulbs/clusters fit? (Re: PapaSmurfMC) | | | Thanks PapaSmurf - glad I didn't go with equalizers then and perhaps this won't work/be needed anyway.
The Signal Stabilizer I've ordered from Custom Dynamics says it is a universal fit for Metrics that do not have CANBUS.
I asked them exactly how it worked versus an equalizer and they said 'The signal stabilizer only pulls the same amount of energy as the stock bulbs in a pulse, often enough for the turn signals to function properly and it dissipates that small amount of extra energy into radio waves, rather than heat'
My bike is at the dealers for a few months getting stuff done while I'm out of the country and they said it should work, but I'll report back for anyone that is interested if it works and it worth putting in.
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| daz | | Zeus | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 12/05/2009 | | Posts | : | 7,695 | | Location | : | United States |
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| | Posted : 02 Jul 2015 - 15:46 Post title : Re: Changing turn signals to LEDs. Which bulbs/clusters fit? (Re: jezza1983) | | |
jezza1983 wrote:
The Signal Stabilizer I've ordered from Custom Dynamics says it is a universal fit for Metrics that do not have CANBUS.
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But the Tbird DOES have canbus AFAIK.
| 2010 Blue/White Thunderbird, "Brutus". 1700 kit, short tors, gutted cat, UNI filter, filter seal off, custom tune. Brutus in his native habitat: Link
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| PapaSmurfMC | | Chaac | | | | Reg. Date | : | 03/10/2013 | | Posts | : | 871 | | Location | : | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
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| | Posted : 02 Jul 2015 - 20:13 Post title : Re: Changing turn signals to LEDs. Which bulbs/clusters fit? (Re: daz) | | |
daz wrote:
But the Tbird DOES have canbus AFAIK.
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Yes, that's true; every vehicle made with any kind of engine computer will likely use CANBUS but how it's used is where the differences are. The TBird's detection of a failed bulb is analog; the ECU doesn't actually communicate with the bulb. A bike designed with smarter signals may communicate directly with them (over the CANBUS) so replacing those could require an adapter that knows how to respond and drive the signal accordingly. A search of "CANBUS adapter" returns tons of gizmos that have little to actually do with CANBUS. Most of them are just connector adapters with load resistors.
| 2013 Blue Marble Haze Thunderbird 1600 ABS
2009 Black Bonneville A1 ("Mag")
Buncha farkles
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| Terota66 | | Chaac | | | | Reg. Date | : | 24/11/2013 | | Posts | : | 505 | | Location | : | Nova Scotia, Canada |
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| | Posted : 09 Jul 2015 - 02:16 Post title : Re: Changing turn signals to LEDs. Which bulbs/clusters fit? (Re: PapaSmurfMC) | | | My bike, car, and truck have all been changed to LED bulbs, every one of them required a 25 watt resistor, except the Triumph, I had to use a 50 on that.....I have tried direct replacement bulbs, not one has worked, all I ever got from them was hyper flash or lights not working at all, any company that says LED are a direct bulb swap (especially the ones that have to flash) are full of it ....
The only, and I mean ONLY time I didn't have to use resistors is when I swapped out my headlights on my storm, those work great so far with no problems 
| 2013 Thunderbird Storm ABS
HardStreets
LED Headlights
Short Tors & tune
K&N air filter
Mustang Vintage 2 Up Seat
Scorpion Alarm
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| MotorMac | | Jupiter | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 29/08/2010 | | Posts | : | 1,831 | | Location | : | Nor Cal, United States |
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| | Posted : 09 Jul 2015 - 13:58 Post title : Re: Changing turn signals to LEDs. Which bulbs/clusters fit? (Re: Terota66) | | | There are CANBUS bulbs out there - they're not cheap but BA15s are available. They have resistors built in, designed to deal with more sophisticated systems than ours. Other threads on the subject are posted around here somewhere with links...
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