# Resistor Needed for LED Turn Signal...
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/resistor-needed-for-led-turn-signal/175630
**Category:** PittSpeed Automotive
**Created:** [July 14, 2005, 4:06pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/resistor-needed-for-led-turn-signal/175630 "2005-07-14T16:06:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Sight\_N\_Sound](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Sight_N_Sound)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 4:06pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/resistor-needed-for-led-turn-signal/175630/1 "2005-07-14T16:06:28Z")
Ok here is the deal. The previous owner put in LED under the tail brake and turnsignal lights. I like them. Only thing is he ghetto riged the turn signals. He left the stock signals in the storage compartment and just hooked the turn signal LEDs into the signal wire for the Stock turn signals.
That kind of shit irritates me. So I cut the stock signals off and of couse due to the low current draw of the LEDs they are blinking fast. Now they only blink fast when one side is used. When I put the 4-ways on they all blink at a normal pace.
My question is, I know I need a resistor, but what kind and what rating? I have never needed resistors before and want to get the right one. It has to be pretty simple due to seeing a few Lighting sites for motorcycles selling “Load Resister” But I’m not paying 10 plus shipping for something that is just a simple resistor with extended wires.
here is what some of these sites are selling to slow the blinking but charging a rediculous amount.
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### Author:  [@T70\_Tsi](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/T70_Tsi)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 9:20pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/resistor-needed-for-led-turn-signal/175630/2 "2005-07-14T21:20:30Z")
unless you can get a look at the color striping on them you’re gonna be down to trial and error
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### Author:  [@Sight\_N\_Sound](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Sight_N_Sound)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 9:36pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/resistor-needed-for-led-turn-signal/175630/3 "2005-07-14T21:36:17Z")
The ones in the picture are actualy square. I have a 10 ohm 10 watt ceramic one now and the blink correctly. IS that going to be ok? It gets warm/hot when being used but then cools down.
I read that the ceramic ones do that. :duuno:
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### Author:  [@Quik](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Quik)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 9:48pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/resistor-needed-for-led-turn-signal/175630/4 "2005-07-14T21:48:51Z")
honestly stay with the faster ones. it will get ppls attention alot faster then standard speed ones. mine are fast and so is everyone elses with a LED setup. seriously faster gets ppls attention better
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### Author:  [@T70\_Tsi](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/T70_Tsi)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 9:49pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/resistor-needed-for-led-turn-signal/175630/5 "2005-07-14T21:49:17Z")
all resistors heat up the ceramic ones are designed to dissapate heat like that they make aluminum heat sink housed ones too…u dont’ need those for turn signals with leds as the current draw isn’t that much but to simulate an o2 sensor heat circut you need a 50w one for example
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### Author:  [@Sight\_N\_Sound](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Sight_N_Sound)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 10:06pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/resistor-needed-for-led-turn-signal/175630/6 "2005-07-14T22:06:26Z")
> [@Quik](#):
>
> honestly stay with the faster ones. it will get ppls attention alot faster then standard speed ones. mine are fast and so is everyone elses with a LED setup. seriously faster gets ppls attention better
Its still the same ones that are on there. I was just trying to de-ghetto rig them.
Kurt. Will the ceramic one I have hooked up do any damage? or is it just basically overkill but safe.
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### Author:  [@T70\_Tsi](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/T70_Tsi)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 10:35pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/resistor-needed-for-led-turn-signal/175630/7 "2005-07-14T22:35:05Z")
it’ll work it’s just that i was trying to save you space…if you think 10ohms is what you need (i would think something more along the lines of 600ohms but i hve no idea the setup) just get 1/2w 10ohm resistors tomorrow from the shack ti’s not like you’re doing this tonight anwyay
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### Author:  [@T70\_Tsi](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/T70_Tsi)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 10:35pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/resistor-needed-for-led-turn-signal/175630/8 "2005-07-14T22:35:29Z")
also keep in mind the higher you go in resistance the dimmer they will be u sure they aren’t diods?
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### Author:  [@Quik](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Quik)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 10:37pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/resistor-needed-for-led-turn-signal/175630/9 "2005-07-14T22:37:11Z")
LEDs are mostly on bikes. PPL use a 10ohm resistor. cheap ones lead to light failure along with fire
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### Author:  [@starboy](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/starboy)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 11:43pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/resistor-needed-for-led-turn-signal/175630/10 "2005-07-14T23:43:30Z")
my buddy makes them quik if you didnt make or buy them yet…
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### Author:  [@fmfkid250](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/fmfkid250)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2005, 7:21am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/resistor-needed-for-led-turn-signal/175630/11 "2005-07-15T07:21:31Z")
a typical LED needs a 330 ohm resister,
V=IxR
12/330=30mA i think this is about right??
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### Author:  [@Sight\_N\_Sound](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Sight_N_Sound)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2005, 9:52am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/resistor-needed-for-led-turn-signal/175630/12 "2005-07-15T09:52:13Z")
Ok check this out see if this clears it up.
I have 12 Yellow LEDs for each of the turn signals. They are allready in a sealed unit. There is only one wire coming out of the set up for the signal. When I hook that wire up to the signal wire for the turn signal form the bike it blinks really fast. I added a 10 ohm 10 watt resister between the power and the ground wire to cause the resistance which in turn slowed down the blinking.
The red leds there are more than 12 but they are totally seperate in hook up and work fine as both running lights and get brighter when you brake. so they are not an issue.
here is a diagram of what I did…
Its a 12v system on my bike, the turn signal blubs were 12v 23 watts if it makes any difference…
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### Author:  [@VENOMevo](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/VENOMevo)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2005, 12:12pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/resistor-needed-for-led-turn-signal/175630/13 "2005-07-15T12:12:21Z")
Sweet so it worked mike???
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### Author:  [@Sight\_N\_Sound](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Sight_N_Sound)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2005, 1:33pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/resistor-needed-for-led-turn-signal/175630/14 "2005-07-15T13:33:27Z")
Ok well it worked but this is what I need to make sure they don;t too hot like while turning in traffic…
I either need a (per side)
10 ohm 25 or 30 watt resistor
2 - 20 ohm 10 watt resistors to run in parallel which will equal a 10 ohm 20 watt…
What other places besides Radio Shack sell this kind of stuff…
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### Author:  [@T70\_Tsi](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/T70_Tsi)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2005, 2:10pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/resistor-needed-for-led-turn-signal/175630/15 "2005-07-15T14:10:13Z")
mike you’re better off running the correct one than 2 of them together go to [www.mouser.com](http://www.mouser.com) and search for the resistance value and the type you need
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### Author:  [@Sight\_N\_Sound](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Sight_N_Sound)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2005, 3:19pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/resistor-needed-for-led-turn-signal/175630/16 "2005-07-15T15:19:32Z")
Ok cool, well I ordered several 25 watt 9.1 ohm and 25 watt 11 ohm just to be safe. If they work out I will have a few extras in case anyone needs them.
I can’t fucking believe that the only store in the area that sells shit like this is radio shack and they only have 6 to choose from. Thats fucking irritating.
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### Author:  [@T70\_Tsi](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/T70_Tsi)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2005, 5:02pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/resistor-needed-for-led-turn-signal/175630/17 "2005-07-15T17:02:48Z")
you’re lucky they carry them at all, last i heard when i worked there they were phasing that stuff out completely
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### Author:  [@Sight\_N\_Sound](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Sight_N_Sound)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2005, 5:56pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/resistor-needed-for-led-turn-signal/175630/18 "2005-07-15T17:56:28Z")
Eh never mind. I cancelled the order. I actually came across a site today for my make of bike. [ZX-12R.org](http://ZX-12R.org) go figure. Anyways there was a thread posted today about this issue and I found a relay kit that will fix and actually give you 4 additional flash patterns. So I ordered that.
I also found out who made my tail lights. It is Libertek. Those damn lights without anything else were like 300 bucks :eek:
here is a gif file of them. They are bright as hell in person and I’m happy with them. I’m just looking for flush mount LEDs for the front now so I can do this all at once. This week.
