LED light in turn signals blinking fast

Susan Fernandez February 02 2022

Who uses LEDs in turn signals?

LEDs in turn signals are becoming more and more common, especially with the general shift over to LED lighting.  Along with the most popular yellow bulbs for turn signaling, there is now a blue LED variant as well.  Typically if you have high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights, your car will most likely come equipped with LEDs in turn signals as well.

Usually, people use for their turn signals either yellow bulbs or LEDs.  The LED variant is obviously more expensive than the yellow bulb, but what's the reason for this price difference?

How are they different?

LED turn signals typically have an intensity of about 6000MCD (millicandela), while a standard incandescent bulb usually has only around 100 MCD.  This means that LED turn signals are 6 times brighter than the standard incandescent bulb.  Turning signal brightness is measured in candelas, which can also be abbreviated to cd.  

Millicandelas are used often when measuring light bulbs because it gives a good idea of how intense the light will appear to you, or someone else on the receiving end. The brightness of a light source is important for turn signal visibility.  Light bulbs that are 100MCD or less may be difficult to see during the day, and can definitely be missed at night.

At 6000 MCD, LED turn signals will appear very bright from the receiving end of those lights.  In fact, those lights can be seen even on some modern vehicles with HIDs as low beams. This brightness not only makes it more visible for people driving directly behind you, but also possibly cars driving adjacent to you as well.

What bulbs are better for turn signal in your car?

With the LED turn signals being 6 times brighter than the standard incandescent bulb, it is difficult to estimate which type of light would be better.  For example, you are probably able to see the 100 MCD bulb from about 25 feet away at night. If you have 6 100 MCD bulbs in your car (600 total), and they were all turned on at the same time, they would most likely not be visible within a mile.

Even though LEDs tend to cost more money for each individual light (100mcd vs 6000MCD), if we look at this 600-bulb scenario in which both run off of the same power source, it might make sense to install LED turn signal lights instead of regular incandescent bulbs.  Even though they appear to be more expensive, LEDs would work out better because even the non-high intensity discharge car headlights from modern vehicles can see your turn signals from a mile away.

In turn signal lights, you should always choose high-intensity discharge (HID) or LED bulbs over their incandescent counterparts.  This is not only for safety reasons while driving on the road at night, but also in case of an accident where other drivers will be assessing damages and how the accident occurred.  The 6000MCD LEDs will make it easy for others to estimate your position and speed when turning them on.

Major problems?

The main issue with LEDs is that they draw a lot of power compared to standard incandescent bulbs.  Your car's electrical system isn't designed to provide this sort of power, and only a limited amount of power is provided to your turn signal circuit.  This can often cause problems if you don't use the correct resistor for LEDs.

If too little power is supplied, the LED will never fully turn on, and you may see it flash very rapidly.  This does not mean that your LED bulb is faulty; most likely there isn't enough power available for this accessory.

Avoiding these problems: You need a load equalizer or resistor, also known as LED flashers or load resistors when using LEDs in place of standard incandescent bulbs.  These components are usually tucked away somewhere near your fuse box under the hood of your car, but they vary from one vehicle to another.  So you'll need to use your owner's manual or shop around to find the location of these in your specific vehicle.

Why do LED lights blink fast?

When you use LEDs in your car`s turn signals, you often see them rapidly blinking.  This is not because they are faulty or broken, but rather that there isn't enough power to provide the full intensity of light required for these bulbs.

LEDs require a certain amount of voltage to function properly, and with less available, the LEDs blink rapidly in an attempt to let you know something may be wrong.  If your car`s turn signal circuit has the right resistor installed, then no current will flow through the LED bulb - this will result in low illumination.

LED lights are 'current' devices, meaning they have a fixed voltage drop when turned on. If there is insufficient current available due to a lack of sufficient charging system output (e.g., alternator ), then the LED light will not function as bright as it should be. If an incandescent lamp is used in place of a similarly rated LED, then the load resistor would cause a current to flow through the bulb. This current would cause a voltage drop across the bulb and result in dim illumination.

LED lights blink fast when there isn't sufficient power for them to function at full brightness.  In turn, this causes them to blink rapidly so that you know there's a problem with the power available to use these bulbs. With enough power, LEDs will remain lit without blinking or flashing at all.

How can you fix it?

If your LED light in the turn signals hyper flashes, you can try one of two things.  First, you can either replace your incandescent bulbs with LEDs or find the right load resistor for use with LED turn signal lights.  

Replacing your standard bulbs with LED versions will resolve this problem and allow these lights to operate as intended. If you chose to go this route, we recommend using a kit that includes both sides so there aren't any issues when the time comes to do the other side.

However, if you don't want to replace all of your bulbs just yet (and why would you?), then finding the correct resistor is your best option. These components are designed to reduce the power output from your vehicle's charging system and keep it at safe levels for both people and vehicles around you on the road.

You'll need to locate your turn signal load resistor and connect it in line with your LED bulb. This means that you will still have the resistor, but you won't be using it for anything else.  The resistor attaches to both of your LED lights and reduces the power going through them so that they aren't overworked.  

If you're unsure where this component is located or how to hook one up, consult a professional so they can fix this problem for you and prevent any future issues from arising!

LED flasher relay or LED load resistors?

When fixing this problem with blinking fast turn signals you can fix it in two ways.  You can either replace the bulb with a LED version or you can install a load resistor to fix this problem. But what is the difference between these two options?

There are some differences when it comes to installing a LED flasher relay or resistor when replacing your incandescent bulbs. First, if you choose to use a load resistor, then you need to find one that has been made for your specific car model. This means that it will have been designed so that there aren't any issues when being used with your vehicle's wiring system and charging system.

Another reason why using a load resistor is typically better than using a flasher relay is because of how easy they are to hook up. All you need to do is locate where your turn signal resistor is, unplug it , and connect the load resistor in its place. The resistor will be able to maintain a safe power level for all lights so that there isn't any chance of them burning out or becoming dimmer than they should be.

If you use a flasher relay instead of a load resistor, then you need to find one that has been designed for your specific car model. The issue with this is that not every car uses the same type of flasher relay, which means you need to make sure you get one that's compatible with your vehicle's charging system. This can make installation much more difficult since you'll run into issues trying to install an incompatible part on your own if you're not a professional.

If you're unsure what load resistor or flasher relay is the best option for you, then consider going with a LED flasher relay instead. There are plenty of universal fit options that will work for any vehicle and make installation much easier since they don't need to be tailored specifically to your car model.

Note: If there isn't enough power available from the charging system, this can cause many different problems with your lights including dim illumination or hyper flashing where all of the lights on one side turn on at once.

How to choose and buy good LEDs for your turn lights?

When picking out which LED lights to use for your turn signal, you need to make sure that they meet a few different criteria. First, you should choose LED bulbs that have high resistance and low power consumption (less than 0.1 ohms and less than 1 watt). This means that the amount of power going through them will be reduced while still maintaining the same level of brightness as an incandescent bulb.

There are also some other factors that you'll want to look into before making your purchase. You'll want to consider how much light is being emitted from each bulb because there are some with brighter illumination than others.

Then, you'll want to take a look at what kind of warranty each one comes with so that know exactly what you're getting. Finally, you'll want to choose LED bulbs that have a color closest to an incandescent bulb so that they match the turn signal lights already installed on your car.

Other interesting options

When it comes to choosing the best LED for your turn signals, there are plenty of options available and many of them come with different features and benefits depending on what you're looking for.

There are some great universal fit options if you want something simple yet effective, but if you want something more high tech then consider checking out all of the amazing new smart lights coming onto the market!

For example, one cool option is using smart lights that come with Bluetooth! This way, when someone uses their smartphone in range of your vehicle it can trigger other actions like turning on your turn signal or turning on your car's lights. This is a cool way to add some extra safety and security to your vehicle while also being able to have fun with all of the different options you have available!

If you don't want anything too flashy, then consider using smart lights that come with a built-in resistor. Not only will this make installation easier since it doesn't need to be wired up specifically for each vehicle, but it can solve some of the issues caused by LED lighting systems. For example, there are many people who complain about how hyper flash occurs when they install LED bulbs because the voltage going through them is too high (which causes them to blink at very fast speeds).

Conclusion

If your LED blinks fast in turn signal it means that you need to replace flasher relay.

If your turn signal is not blinking at all, it may mean that there's a bad ground wire or you don't have enough power to support the LED lights.

When purchasing new LED lights for your turn signals, make sure you choose ones with low resistance and low power consumption. This will allow more current to go through the bulb so it doesn't cause hyper blink (when both sides of the turn signal light up at the same time).

There are also many other options available when choosing new LED lights for your car like smart bulbs that come with Bluetooth! This way, any smartphone within range can trigger actions like turning on your headlights or flashing your turn signal!