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!
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!
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