How to eliminate (HYPER-FLASHING) without using load resistors? 2013 Edge Sport

[TheWizard]

I almost gave up on tapping into the factory wire, but then I found a socket with 3 tabs that might actually fit:

 

 

It has a decoder (which doesn't solve the hyper flashing issue with our Edges, according to one of the previous posts that I read ?), and who knows, maybe it'll actually work without needing the load resistors!

Im guessing there is no harm in using this decoder extension with a load resistor tapped into it?

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pair-LED-Decoder-3157A-Adapter-Anti-Hyper-Blinking-Flashing-Error-Cancel-Canbus-/321392426297?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4ad47b3d39&vxp=mtr

 

Should I go for it?

 

I found a pair of 3-tab 3157 sockets on eBay here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Heavy-Duty-3157-3057-3155-3357-3457-3757-4057-Wiring-Harness-Sockets-Pre-Wired-/290942034410?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item43bd7f21ea&vxp=mtr

I also found a pair of the plugs here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/3156-3157-Male-Adapter-Wiring-Harness-For-Headlight-Tail-Lamp-Signal-Retrofit-/380722876309?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item58a4da0f95&vxp=mtr Combine the two and you have your own harness extender and the wires are pre-stripped for installation of a load resistor in the middle.

 

That combination ends up being a couple of bucks cheaper than the "decoder" but more importantly it doesn't add some unknown piece of equipment to your electrical system.

Edited May 1, 2014 by TheWizard

[BlackEdition]

Thank you for the info, but you shouldn't worry about that as it is different around here in Saudi Arabia

 

Im still under the dealer warranty if I install those things at the authorized shop, im sure about this otherwise I wouldn't have installed the intake 2-3 months after buying the car.

 

 

I found a pair of 3-tab 3157 sockets on eBay here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Heavy-Duty-3157-3057-3155-3357-3457-3757-4057-Wiring-Harness-Sockets-Pre-Wired-/290942034410?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item43bd7f21ea&vxp=mtr

I also found a pair of the plugs here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/3156-3157-Male-Adapter-Wiring-Harness-For-Headlight-Tail-Lamp-Signal-Retrofit-/380722876309?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item58a4da0f95&vxp=mtr Combine the two and you have your own harness extender and the wires are pre-stripped for installation of a load resistor in the middle.

 

That combination ends up being a couple of bucks cheaper than the "decoder" but more importantly it doesn't add some unknown piece of equipment to your electrical system.

 

Awesome! It's the same socket but with no decoder. I was kinda interested more in the decoder wire because it may actually solve the issue.

 

Just to be safe, i'll get all of these and try my luck with the decoder:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pair-LED-Decoder-3157A-Adapter-Anti-Hyper-Blinking-Flashing-Error-Cancel-Canbus-/321392426297?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4ad47b3d39&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Heavy-Duty-3157-3057-3155-3357-3457-3757-4057-Wiring-Harness-Sockets-Pre-Wired-/290942034410?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item43bd7f21ea&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3156-3157-Male-Adapter-Wiring-Harness-For-Headlight-Tail-Lamp-Signal-Retrofit-/380722876309?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item58a4da0f95&vxp=mtr

 

And a pair of black resistors:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Black-50W-Load-Resistor-12V-Module-6OHM-Electronic-Unit-LED-Turn-Signal-Fix-/290909032573?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item43bb87907d&vxp=mtr

 

Any tips before I hit that purchase button?

[TheWizard]

The installation is fairly straight forward. The center wire (white/black on the socket, blue on the plug) is for parking light power and will just be connected together without any other connection. One outside wire (green on the socket, red on the plug) is the turn signal power and the black outside wire on both socket and plug is ground. You will connect the green, red and one end of the resistor together. Then you will connect the two black wires and the other end of the resistor together. Make sure everything is solid and well insulated then just plug them in. Try to position it so that the resistor is not resting against anything plastic (including the insulation of other wires) because the heat could cause a melting issue. There are a couple of holes in the bodywork near the headlights that you can run a zip tie through to suspend the resistors so that they aren't resting on anything.

[TheWizard]

Thank you for the info, but you shouldn't worry about that as it is different around here in Saudi Arabia

 

Im still under the dealer warranty if I install those things at the authorized shop, im sure about this otherwise I wouldn't have installed the intake 2-3 months after buying the car.

 

 

We're getting way off topic here but I seriously suggest you confirm that with a dealer rather than just taking the word of an "authorized shop". It has nothing to do with where you are located (or even with Ford Motor Company specifically). No company in the world is going to make warranty repairs on any of their products if the product has been modified with parts they didn't manufacture. It doesn't matter if it's a car or a vacuum cleaner and it doesn't matter if it's in the US or Saudi Arabia or on the moon - they have no obligation to repair a modified item. Why should they? The warranty covers only manufacturer's defects in the original product. They have no control over what a modification may do to their product so they are not responsible for fixing it.

 

Yes, you are still under warranty. There is no such thing as voiding an entire warranty other than for misuse (such as racing) but the modified items specifically (and any items the dealer can show were directly affected by the modification) would not be covered for warranty repairs.

Edited May 1, 2014 by TheWizard

[BlackEdition]

I understand what you're saying, and I agree with you..but I made sure about that even before buying the Edge. I got that info from the same dealer, not the authorized shop. It's probably because the same dealer owns that other shop.

 

Honestly, I can't remember if the K&N intake is not voiding my warranty, but im 100% sure when it comes to those HIDs. It's why I paid a ridiculous amount of money for them just to "keep" my car under the dealer's warranty. I could've saved over $300 by getting them somewhere else (such as ebay) and installed them myself.

I even think what they installed for me is a cheap piece of low quality hardware, but I had to buy it from them if I don't want to void the warranty. I was actually more interested in different kind of temperature than the one they offer.

Edited May 1, 2014 by BlackEdition

[BlackEdition]

Is this a good place to mount the heatsink? (on each side)

 

 

Just wondering how hot does it get? there is a rubber tube right next to it.

[TheWizard]

You should try to mount it underneath that panel at the hole there... not just for the heat but also because that rubber piece is a weatherstrip that gets compressed when the hood closes. The resistor will probably not even get hot enough to be uncomfortable to touch because it is only active when the turn signals are in use (and then only 50% of the time - only when the bulb is on). But I have always been a very cautious person when it comes to things like that and I tend to allow for even the remote possibility that the heat could cause a problem. It definitely won't be a problem mounted to the underside of the metal panel plus it will be out of the way for a cleaner looking installation.

Edited May 1, 2014 by TheWizard

[FarmerDave]

BlackEdition, you are da man! I wish I were in your shoes. The "fabricate your own extender" light bulb went off in my head too, but it was after I had already made the connection into my factory wiring. Not a positive move for me now to untap just for the sake of not using a tap. The contact point is better protected now with the PosiTap left installed.

 

 

The only thought I have on the 3 tab sockets you found is to wonder whether the right angled wire exit (path, direction, orientation - not sure of the correct terminology) will interfere with any part of the headlight housing when you go to twist it in.

Being as how the tabs are sized and located so you can only insert the socket one way, it crosses my mind that one side or the other might not be insertable due to housing interference. Not saying you will have a problem here, but something to check on before you do any hardwiring.

 

I'm probably just overthinking this.I see the ebay description says "left side and right side", so if theyre mirror-molded then one or the other should work in each housing. The tabs look the same, tho, on both sockets pictured. I'd be willing to bet that the headlight housings are molded with the tab slots oriented 180 deg rotated rather than there being both a left and right socket as different parts. Let us know whether this ever became a problem for you to use the right angled socket. Also, if you end up getting the decoder harness as a base for your fab, do you get the same screwy results as I did with the decoder in the circuit? Good luck!

[FarmerDave]

 

The whole point of Daytime Running Lights is that they be visible in the daytime - that's why they have to be so bright.

...many new cars are now coming with the "string of individual LEDs" look around the headlights.

I love the DRLs on the new Caddy CTS!

 

 

I dont yet fully understand all this new LED stuff, Wiz, and how all the common lighting specifications interrelate, but I'm speculating that it's the color temp that makes the DRL sizzle in the daytime. Maybe its just the nature of LEDs. When coming at you, and you see them side by side, Dan's DTBLs actually appear to be much brighter than my (halogen) headlights. They're certainly much whiter. If you were to judge by that alone, you'd get the impression they'd be like one of the old military searchlights in their ability to reach out. But as for raw illuminating power, what gets reflected back that you can see from behind the wheel - they have absolutely none compared to the regular headlights! Even on 100% the DRLs barely light up a guardrail 15 ft in front of the car. I find this interesting.

Edited May 3, 2014 by FarmerDave

[BlackEdition]

BlackEdition, you are da man! I wish I were in your shoes. The "fabricate your own extender" light bulb went off in my head too, but it was after I had already made the connection into my factory wiring. Not a positive move for me now to untap just for the sake of not using a tap. The contact point is better protected now with the PosiTap left installed.

 

 

It's actually Wizard's idea so thanks again, Wiz.

Mine was to use the one with the decoder, and if that doesn't solve the issue then I could just tap into it with a load resistor. But then Wiz mentioned that it's just better to make my own wire (without the decoder), so I went with it as it seems safer.

 

I'll let you guys know what happens after I receive my packages in about a week or so. I just placed the orders 2 days ago. And If the socket on the extension doesn't fit the housing, then im just gonna have to tap into the factory wire whether I liked it or not.

Edited May 3, 2014 by BlackEdition

[smokeatr164]

Unfortunately I am also part of the 10%, and can not figure out a quick fix to the lights on hyperflash. I opted to just run the stock 3457 incandescent in the front and keep the LEDs in the rear, was informed that tapping into the factory wires to install a resistor would void any electrical component warranty since the BCM could be compromised.

[TheWizard]

...was informed that tapping into the factory wires to install a resistor would void any electrical component warranty since the BCM could be compromised.

 

That would be an over-zealous dealer or an uninformed internet poster who told you that. Under US law, the dealer would have to show that the resistor you installed was the cause of whatever electrical problem in order to deny warranty coverage. Since the resistor is being installed to replace the lost resistance in the circuit from the LED bulb, it would be pretty difficult for them to show that patching in the resistor was the cause of ANY electrical problem, let alone a damaged BCM.

 

But if you don't want to find another dealer who won't lie to you, you can always use the extension harness method we've been discussing to install a resistor that is plug and play and can be removed before taking the vehicle in for warranty service. That way the dealer has nothing to complain about.

[BlackEdition]

So I just received my package a couple of hours ago. The LED decoder kinda works but not the way I want it to be, i'll explain it below.

 

I have 3 different kind of amber LEDs, one of them is what Dan at DTBL is selling and is probably made by Osram (which is the one I really like! it has rich and bright colors, but not necessary the best build quality), the other 2 are from a company called LUMEN and they come with a canbus controller built in them.

 

- Dan's amber LED does not flash when connected to the decoder, it just lights up continuously. Maybe because it doesn't have a canbus controller like the other 2? So anyway, it doesn't work.

- The other 2 LEDs with a canbus controller seem to work okay with no hyper-flashing. But unfortunately, the difference between the running light and the flashing is not noticable at all (I tested it out under a sunny day, but you can just tell it's not going to be that noticable even at night.)

 

So...either way, the decoder isn't solving anything (at least not with the LEDs that I have).

Edited May 18, 2014 by BlackEdition

[BlackEdition]

Im almost giving up to the idea of tapping into the factory wire, but there is one last option to test:

 

 

I'll give this extension a shot. Although the brown socket doesn't seem to fit easily in the headlight. I didn't want to push it harder to avoid breaking anything, however, I was able to insert and lock the socket into the headlight after I removed the rubber black ring, but sadly it jiggles inside a little bit, so that can't be safe. Maybe I can find a way to mount it perfectly later on, but for now I would like to concentrate on connecting and finishing my new extension to test it out.

 

Please bear with me as im pretty bad at this..which connects to which? Here's a close shots of the wires:

 

(let's call those wires black, red and green so I don't get confused with the secondary coloring).

 

 

I wanna connect those two together before moving on to the load resistor. So which connects to which?

 

 

Since I don't actually have a full & connected wire, wouldn't it be easier to throw away the splicing tabs and just connect the wires directly to the load resistor? I have no idea what im doing.

[TheWizard]

On a 3157 lamp socket, the black wire is always ground, the center wire (red in this case) is power for the dim "filament" for the parking/running lights, and the non-black outer edge wire (green in this case) is power for the bright "filament" for turn signals.

 

The same holds true for the plug except that it isn't clear on the photo of your plug which is inner and outer because they don't seem to be arranged in a straight line. Certainly the black wire is ground. If you can see inside that heat shrink cover on the plug to determine which wire (red or blue) goes to the center and which is on the outside edge then you just connect them the same as the socket (black to black, outer to outer and center to center). If you can't see the wire positions but you have a multimeter, you can test which of the blue or red wires is the parking versus the turn signal connection. If not, you may have to try connecting one way and if the bright versus dim functions are backwards, simply reverse the red and blue wires.

 

Once you have determined the correct connections, the load resistor gets connected between the bright (turn signal) power wire and the black ground wire. No need to use those blue ScotchLock connectors, simply connect the wires where you're connecting the socket to the plug. For example, if you find the red plug wire is for the turn signal then you will connect the red plug wire to the green socket wire and to one of the load resistor wires (doesn't matter which one). Then you will connect the black plug wire to the black socket wire and to the other load resistor wire. The remaining two wires (red from the socket and blue from the plug) get connected together by themselves for the parking light (no connection to the load resistor).

 

You really should leave the rubber seal on the socket to ensure a weatherproof connection. You can make it easier to install in the lamp by putting a little silicone grease on that seal so that it will turn more smoothly when you twist it into the lamp opening. If you really can't push it into the opening enough to get it to turn, you can **carefully** file the locking tabs with a nail file to adjust the spacing between the locking tabs and the rubber seal until you can get it to turn. Bear in mind that you want it to be fairly tight to keep moisture and grime out of the lamp.

[BlackEdition]

After connecting the wires together (without the load resistor) and connected the wire extension to the factory socket to test it out, I had about the same problem as this guy over here after I reversed the LED plug:

http://www.fordedgeforum.com/topic/14592-turn-signal-not-working/

 

In my case, the turn signals do work ok on both sides, but the vertical LEDs and the parking amber lights are not working. Can I reset the BCM by myself or do I have to go to the dealer? would disconnecting the positive battery wire solve this?

Edited May 20, 2014 by BlackEdition

[TheWizard]

I hate to say so, but I suspect there was a problem with your connections that caused a short. And I think you'll find the resolution is simpler than resetting the BCM. I would guess that you'll find you blew the parking light fuse. Fuse #30 in the passenger compartment fuse panel (behind the left kick panel below the dash) is a 15 amp fuse that protects the front parking lights and the front auxiliary parking lights (the pipe lights in the bumper). I would test and/or replace that fuse first before looking for other possible causes.

[BlackEdition]

I dropped the car at the dealer about 8 hours ago and explained to them that it may just be a blown fuse, or maybe reset the BCM to get it solved. I don't have any fuses laying around so I thought it would be easier to let them check it for me.

So I decided when I get the car back to just go with tapping into the factory wire and get this whole thing over with...im honestly tired from all of this. I'll also be installing the Flowmaster exhaust system very soon, so no need to make a big deal out of keeping my warranty intact anymore.

[BlackEdition]

According to the dealer, the BCM is not responding at all. They're gonna replace it under the warranty

I have to go back in 2 days and drop the car so they can work on it.

 

I don't know what caused the damage to the BCM? I connected the wires same as what you told me before (the blue wire on the plug was in the middle, so I connected that to the other middle wire).

Edited May 24, 2014 by BlackEdition

[TheWizard]

As long as you didn't short the connections by connecting any of the power wires to the black (ground) wires or accidentally allowing an uninsulated power connection to touch metal body parts, there is no way the connections caused the BCM problem. Even if you connected the bright (turn signal) wire to the dim (parking light) wire, or vice versa, no damage would result. The lights would look wrong because the bright and dim would be reversed but from an electrical standpoint there would be no problem with the circuit.

 

There is one other possibility and that is the LED bulbs or sockets themselves. If you mistakenly installed CK (also called SACK) bulbs or sockets rather than standard 3157 replacements, you would cause a short circuit that should have just blown the fuse but could possibly cause a problem with the BCM. The standard 3157 socket and bulb has both grounds in the contacts at one end of the socket. The CK type has the two ground contacts along one side of the socket. Using a CK bulb or socket in a vehicle designed for standard 3157 will cause a direct short to ground. You can't determine the bulb type by just inspecting but you can check the socket. Look in the socket and you will see two of the four contacts are connected together - those are the ground contacts. If they are the two at one end (across the narrow portion of the slot) then it's a normal socket. If they are the two along one side then it's a CK socket. You can see an image here: http://www.rzrforums.net/lighting-stereo-electrical/100925-led-brake-tail-lights-2.html

 

[BlackEdition]

So the BCM was successfully replaced under warranty, and now everything is back to normal

Im gonna go ahead and start tapping into the factory wire using the load resistor, can you help me out with this one Wiz? much appreciated.

I want to avoid damaging the BCM again, so just to make sure, would screwing up the resistor connections be another way of damaging the BCM?

 

As long as you didn't short the connections by connecting any of the power wires to the black (ground) wires or accidentally allowing an uninsulated power connection to touch metal body parts, there is no way the connections caused the BCM problem. Even if you connected the bright (turn signal) wire to the dim (parking light) wire, or vice versa, no damage would result. The lights would look wrong because the bright and dim would be reversed but from an electrical standpoint there would be no problem with the circuit.

 

There is one other possibility and that is the LED bulbs or sockets themselves. If you mistakenly installed CK (also called SACK) bulbs or sockets rather than standard 3157 replacements, you would cause a short circuit that should have just blown the fuse but could possibly cause a problem with the BCM. The standard 3157 socket and bulb has both grounds in the contacts at one end of the socket. The CK type has the two ground contacts along one side of the socket. Using a CK bulb or socket in a vehicle designed for standard 3157 will cause a direct short to ground. You can't determine the bulb type by just inspecting but you can check the socket. Look in the socket and you will see two of the four contacts are connected together - those are the ground contacts. If they are the two at one end (across the narrow portion of the slot) then it's a normal socket. If they are the two along one side then it's a CK socket. You can see an image here: http://www.rzrforums.net/lighting-stereo-electrical/100925-led-brake-tail-lights-2.html

 

 

Im sure my connection was fine, and no metal was touching the copper wires at that time of use. Im also sure that both the LED bulb and the sockets are the normal 3157 (non-CK).

I may be wrong about the socket, you can have a look for yourself:

 

 

 

And this is how my temporary connection looks like to test it out, not sure if there is something wrong with what I did?

 

Edited May 28, 2014 by BlackEdition

[BlackEdition]

Hey Wizard, I hope you're doing ok.

 

*Bump*

[TheWizard]

Sorry, I must have missed your post somehow.

 

Those photos are of a normal 3157 (not a CK) socket. You can see that the brass colored connectors at one end are connected together by the strip of metal across the end of the socket. That's the two ground pins that share the common black wire. The two silver colored contacts are separate and are power for the parking lights (upper edge) and the turn signals (lower edge).

 

The resistors have no polarity - either wire can be connected to power or ground. They also cannot cause a short because the resistor itself is always a load on the circuit. So no, there really is no way you can cause a problem by installing the resistor. Just connect one of the resistor wires to the turn signal power wire and the other resistor wire to the ground wire (or to any chassis ground such as a screw in the body).

 

Your connections look correct assuming you matched the correct colors for the outboard and inboard wires. But even if you had them reversed, it wouldn't cause any damage... it would just reverse the function of the bright and dim bulb outputs. The only thing that could have caused a problem would be a short to ground and the only way I can think of that happening is if the sockets didn't use the universal standard of black wire for ground. If you have a multimeter, you can check that by testing continuity between the brass colored contacts in the socket and the black wire coming out the other side. There should be continuity (0 ohms resistance) between the brass colored contacts and the black wire but not any other wire. If there is continuity to multiple wires then the socket is defective.

 

I hope that helps.

[BlackEdition]

Thank you for the info! I decided to throw away those extension wires, they didn't feel good and a safe idea in the first place.

So i'll just be using the load resistor and do it the old fashioned way. Can you help me out with what connects to what? I see 2 yellow and 1 black wire, and the one in the middle seems to have a secondary color:

 

Edited June 5, 2014 by BlackEdition

[BlackEdition]

So one wire from the resistor goes with the black wire, but what about the second one? does it go with the center or right wire? Sorry I still have no idea which one is the turn signal power and I only get one chance with this. I don't want to do an unnecessary cuts thru the insulation.

Edited June 7, 2014 by BlackEdition