Resistors & Switching over to LEDs

[Av8r]

We just recently bought a low mileage 2019 XLT, and just like 99% of eveyone agrees the headlights are dismal. This is my wife's vehicle, my kids ride in it and it will be our tow vehicle for our travel trailer. So, the switch to LEDs are in order. I'm going to replace eveything that isn't an LED. Headlights, fogs, reverse, license and turn signals front and rear. I'm going to go switchbacks for the fogs and switchbacks for the front turns and make the front turns my DRL thru forscan (that way the low beams aren't on all the time).

My question is... Should I wire in a resistor for the turns or get relays for LEDs? With either option does the vehicle tell me when a light is out? That is the BIGGEST thing I would like to retain the functionality of. I've never switched to LEDs in any of my previous vehicles and my Google-Fu is not very great.

EDIT:
So I did some reading today (instead of working) and it looks like Ford did away with relays some time back. So that is a no go.

Now I'm down to adding the resistor. Or do what most owners do and change the BCM with forscan to ignore the bulb out (lower resistance of the LED). But like I said earlier, that is what I really would like to keep.

Does anyone know if I add a resistor and the LED bulb fails. Will the vehicle still recognize the bulb is out? Or will the resistor trick it into thinking the bulb is still there? My logic tells me that the vehicle wouldn't know if the bulb went out because it's only looking for the load. I only found 20W and 50W resistors. 20W resistors were labeled for use with side marker lights and 50W for all other lights.

A 3057 (rear turn/stop) is listed as 26.88W. And the LED I am replacing it with is only 5W.

So with a 20W resistor and a 5W bulb, 25W, it should be close enough to the original bulb's wattage to not hyperflash or throw a bulb out warning. But if the bulb fails and the 20W resistor is still there. Is 20W enough to make the vehicle still think the bulb is there? Has anyone tried this?


Thank You for the help!

 

[blackedoutlimited]

We just recently bought a low mileage 2019 XLT, and just like 99% of eveyone agrees the headlights are dismal. This is my wife's vehicle, my kids ride in it and it will be our tow vehicle for our travel trailer. So, the switch to LEDs are in order. I'm going to replace eveything that isn't an LED. Headlights, fogs, reverse, license and turn signals front and rear. I'm going to go switchbacks for the fogs and switchbacks for the front turns and make the front turns my DRL thru forscan (that way the low beams aren't on all the time).

My question is... Should I wire in a resistor for the turns or get relays for LEDs? With either option does the vehicle tell me when a light is out? That is the BIGGEST thing I would like to retain the functionality of. I've never switched to LEDs in any of my previous vehicles and my Google-Fu is not very great.

EDIT:
So I did some reading today (instead of working) and it looks like Ford did away with relays some time back. So that is a no go.

Now I'm down to adding the resistor. Or do what most owners do and change the BCM with forscan to ignore the bulb out (lower resistance of the LED). But like I said earlier, that is what I really would like to keep.

Does anyone know if I add a resistor and the LED bulb fails. Will the vehicle still recognize the bulb is out? Or will the resistor trick it into thinking the bulb is still there? My logic tells me that the vehicle wouldn't know if the bulb went out because it's only looking for the load. I only found 20W and 50W resistors. 20W resistors were labeled for use with side marker lights and 50W for all other lights.

A 3057 (rear turn/stop) is listed as 26.88W. And the LED I am replacing it with is only 5W.

So with a 20W resistor and a 5W bulb, 25W, it should be close enough to the original bulb's wattage to not hyperflash or throw a bulb out warning. But if the bulb fails and the 20W resistor is still there. Is 20W enough to make the vehicle still think the bulb is there? Has anyone tried this?


Thank You for the help!

Do Forscan and call it a day. You won’t be able to tell if a bulb is out either way. All the resistor does is inhibit hyperflash. I’ve done Forscan on 2 2016 expeditions and my 2020 f150.

 

[Av8r]

That is what I kinda figured would happen, could not tell either way if a bulb is out using a resistor.

I swapped all the lights out this last weekend and they all look amazing compared to the stock halogens. The wife said she didn't care about the fast flasher ticking inside the vehicle, until about the third time I used it while driving when she said "Ok you have to change that!"

 

[blackedoutlimited]

That is what I kinda figured would happen, could not tell either way if a bulb is out using a resistor.

I swapped all the lights out this last weekend and they all look amazing compared to the stock halogens. The wife said she didn't care about the fast flasher ticking inside the vehicle, until about the third time I used it while driving when she said "Ok you have to change that!"

Yeah it’s weird it only hyper flashes inside, the actual bulb flashes normally. And I agree, any LED is better than the halogens IMO. I went diode dynamics on mine, this was before they recalled all their SL1 LED bulbs for not being DOT compliant. I haven’t switched them back yet, nor will I, because I can see so much better now

 

[S1N2W1N]

So when you guys switched over to the led on headlight and bright light, did you all use anti-flicker wiring harnesses? On my 2019 F250 w/ halogens, I put all GTR’s on both sets of lights and the fogs. The headlights still flicker. The fog lights never had the harness on them and they work perfect. I’m just curious on what to order from Headlight Revolution this time.

 

[mr_dave]

I went diode dynamics on mine, this was before they recalled all their SL1 LED bulbs for not being DOT compliant.

Just for reference, none of the replacement LED headlamp bulbs are DOT compliant, it's not just Diode Dynamics. However it looks they got called on it by the NHTSA and were forced to do a recall.