Updated Relay or Power Resistors for LED Lights

[torontoworker]

So I have a debate going on with myself after someone asked the question, why not just change the direction signal relay to a relay that is 'electronic' instead of the route I am taking by installing power resistors 6ohm/50w for each LED taillight I am installing on my 99C2. The power resistors were like $10 shipped to me and are an easy install and they WILL fix the super quick flash rate of the turn signals back to the normal flash rate - but I'm wondering if the relay is an even quicker plug in fix? I'm not quite sure that there is a plug and play upgrade for 99's as Porsche show 997 part numbers but the relay I would need has the same part 996 number online as installed on mine in the fuse box. Anyone use the relay mod to fix the hyper flash issue for LED's and if so, what part number?

[jimmy3530]

Hi there! Could you please provide more details as to which LED tailights you're using? I've got a 2000 C4 and love your idea.

Thanks

[torontoworker]

Hi there! Could you please provide more details as to which LED tailights you're using? I've got a 2000 C4 and love your idea.

Thanks

Hi Jimmy,

they are your normal ebay LED tail lights that are the whole housing with internal LED wiring that you plug into the wiring loom. I think you use two of the old bulbs in the housing and all others hook up the LED's through a wired in base that you push into the empty plug outlets. I'm sure you've seen them around here or on ebay, (sorry no pic's of mine as I'm at work). Mine are clear signals until you hit the turn signal and the LED's light up a very bright yellow. The brake section is red - also very bright. I blew the marker light 7.5amp fuses joining the small corner marker (fog) lights because the supplier did not have instruction NOT to hook these up. I found this out later from other posts on Rennlist and 6gear. So the tail lights work well aside from the hyper flash issue which is why I bought two power resistors to fix that issue. Later I have another person asking me why didn't I just buy some *electronic* relay for this circuit. Good question: I was told by others that the relay would not fix this issue alone and when I did check part numbers there is no such thing as an upgraded relay unless I pop in 997 relays that could or could not work.

I did find a supplier who makes LED replacement bulbs that you can replace the two incandesent lamps still left over and they have a built in resistor in the base of the lamp to fix the low .05amp issue that in theory would be plug in play in any normal old style tail light housings. I'm going to try those next in a few weeks and let people know how they work. If they work you could replace all your lamps with them without changing the whole housing. I hated the yellow/red housing anyway which is why I went for the whole replacement deal. (and got a good deal on them to boot)

But if there is a quick plug in play of a relay that fixes the hyper flash issue when you go from the old units to new LED units then I'm all over that even if the relay install is a 20 minute job for me - the plug and play relay may work best for most people - if it in fact works.

Cheers.

[dsnow]

Do you have any photos of them flashing? Thanks

I have a 02 C4S

Soutah c4s

Hi there! Could you please provide more details as to which LED tailights you're using? I've got a 2000 C4 and love your idea.

Thanks

Hi Jimmy,

they are your normal ebay LED tail lights that are the whole housing with internal LED wiring that you plug into the wiring loom. I think you use two of the old bulbs in the housing and all others hook up the LED's through a wired in base that you push into the empty plug outlets. I'm sure you've seen them around here or on ebay, (sorry no pic's of mine as I'm at work). Mine are clear signals until you hit the turn signal and the LED's light up a very bright yellow. The brake section is red - also very bright. I blew the marker light 7.5amp fuses joining the small corner marker (fog) lights because the supplier did not have instruction NOT to hook these up. I found this out later from other posts on Rennlist and 6gear. So the tail lights work well aside from the hyper flash issue which is why I bought two power resistors to fix that issue. Later I have another person asking me why didn't I just buy some *electronic* relay for this circuit. Good question: I was told by others that the relay would not fix this issue alone and when I did check part numbers there is no such thing as an upgraded relay unless I pop in 997 relays that could or could not work.

I did find a supplier who makes LED replacement bulbs that you can replace the two incandesent lamps still left over and they have a built in resistor in the base of the lamp to fix the low .05amp issue that in theory would be plug in play in any normal old style tail light housings. I'm going to try those next in a few weeks and let people know how they work. If they work you could replace all your lamps with them without changing the whole housing. I hated the yellow/red housing anyway which is why I went for the whole replacement deal. (and got a good deal on them to boot)

But if there is a quick plug in play of a relay that fixes the hyper flash issue when you go from the old units to new LED units then I'm all over that even if the relay install is a 20 minute job for me - the plug and play relay may work best for most people - if it in fact works.

Cheers.

[torontoworker]

Here is a pic of the tail lights I installed, plus a before and after.

Edited April 1, 2011 by torontoworker

[wyovino]

There is a thread about this issue on Rennlist and 6SpeedOnline. The guy ended up buying a relay and not using the resisters. There is a link for the relay in that thread. I believe that SuperBrightLEDs.com sells the relays too.

[wwest]

So I have a debate going on with myself after someone asked the question, why not just change the direction signal relay to a relay that is 'electronic' instead of the route I am taking by installing power resistors 6ohm/50w for each LED taillight I am installing on my 99C2. The power resistors were like $10 shipped to me and are an easy install and they WILL fix the super quick flash rate of the turn signals back to the normal flash rate - but I'm wondering if the relay is an even quicker plug in fix? I'm not quite sure that there is a plug and play upgrade for 99's as Porsche show 997 part numbers but the relay I would need has the same part 996 number online as installed on mine in the fuse box. Anyone use the relay mod to fix the hyper flash issue for LED's and if so, what part number?

The flasher relay in your 996 is already electronic. It uses a nichrome link to sense the current flow to the bulbs. If the current flow is low, indicating bulb failure, it goes into fast flash mode. Open up the relay and replace the sensing link with a 1 ohm resistor of 2 watts.

[gu9cci]

I got the same problem before...

Resistors did not help me.Only way to go is relay from superbrightleds.com

Thats what i did and problem resolved.

[jimmy3530]

Can someone please indicate where the turn signal relay is housed. I bought one to eliminate the hyperflash of the new LED bulbs and thought it was in the fusebox in the footwell. Nope, not there. Alas, i cant find it.

[Loren]

Can someone please indicate where the turn signal relay is housed. I bought one to eliminate the hyperflash of the new LED bulbs and thought it was in the fusebox in the footwell. Nope, not there. Alas, i cant find it.

Relay position 3 - that would be top row - 3rd from the left.

[jimmy3530]

Thanks Loren! Easy as pie once you know where it is.

[keytohwy]

Is this the spot I should be looking and replacing?

[jimmy3530]

yes, that is the relay box. As Loren says, third from the left...the big black one. Swap it out for the one that works with LEDs. I bought mine from superbrightleds.

[keytohwy]

yes, that is the relay box. As Loren says, third from the left...the big black one. Swap it out for the one that works with LEDs. I bought mine from superbrightleds.

Thanks. Though from Loren's description, the relay you refer to is not on the top row. I pulled it anyway, and replaced with the one from superbrightleds.com, and my lights still hype flash on turn signal. So to confirm, it is the large black one in the picture that needs replacing?Thank you,Keytohwy

[keytohwy]

Update - Jimmy3530 is correct, as per Loren's directions. The relay to remove cannot be seen in this photo (hence my confusion). The relay that was to be removed is behind the tall black one in the photo, which is to say, third from the left, top row. Replaced it and my hyper flash is gone.

Thank you!