converting tail lights

I am converting my 09 Suburban's incandescent tail lights to LED tail lights from an Escalade. The Suburban uses separate bulbs for the brake and turn signals while the Escaldr uses the same LEDs for both. Others have already completed this conversion with success by using a Hopkins trailer 5 to 4 wire converter and 50 watt resistors. My only issue with this (thanks to my OCD) is that this makes the tail light turn signals flash opposite of the front and side mirrors when the brake is applied. I believe the converter sees the momentary feed from the turn signal wire while the brake is applied it cuts the power to the led. Is there a simple way to build my own converter that would allow them to always flash with the front regardless if the brake is applied? Thanks in advance!-=riggz

Forget the resistors, change your flasher can. Alternatively consider keeping the bulbs and add LEDs, or move the bulbs. The conversion can be done with a DPDT relay per side (or 1 SPDT and 1 SPST per side) and moving where the flasher can resides - ie, replace with a link; the L/R switch controls the L or R relay, and the flasher can output does to each relay. I might be able to provide more info if you are still interested.

I don't think there is an actual flasher as I believe it is controlled by a computer module. I will double check though. As for the resistors, the new lights I am installing are LEDs built in to the housing (all in one unit) there is no bulb to replace, only the entire unit. I would rather have resistors mounted instead of hiding bulbs somewhere.-=riggz

You'll have to find out or decide if you can reposition the flasher signal/can. Otherwise you need some smart module that samples both brake and flasher signals - maybe an exLED Electrical TPC Module (ver 2 or ver 3 etc) per side though these too may be out of phase.

The problem with LEDS bulbs, is they only allow current to flow one way, they are diodes. Some tail configurations need the Incandescent bulb because it can ground back through the bulb, but not an LED since current can only go one way. I had a problem like this, using LEDs, so I had to splice in another bulb connector, put a bulbs in, and heat-shrink tube over the bulbs. Anyhow, if you splice your trailer connector/harness right into the factory wires, and have incandescent bulbs in the trailer, you should not have a problem. You have three wires at each left and right bulb you want to use: HI(signal/stop), LOW (running), & GROUND. You only need one low side (left or right) for both the trailer's running/parking lights, and one ground. Then, the HI side from left and right, to the harness for the left/right stop/signals on the trailer. If your trailer has two bulbs on each side, and you want ONE on each side to just be brake, tap into your CENTER HI-MOUNT light, so they only come on with the brakes.

To clarify the first "one way grounding" (thru a LED) in powerslave's first para above, the problem with LEDs is usually that they provide too low a load for current sensitive circuits like flasher cans and blown-bulb detectors. In other cases, some circuits like cruise controls apparently need to sense closer to 0V than the FWD voltage drop of a LED, but that's only relevant when the "light" is off. In all cases you merely have to parallel a suitable resistor. For cruise controls etc, the resistance required depends on the sensing voltage threshold & impedance/resistance. For flashers and blown-bulb sensors, the resistor(s) need to be similar to the original bulbs. (This obviously negates the use of LEDs for power saving reasons, hence why shunt or programming resistors else software is changed or load-insensitive flashers substituted.)    Apologies for the interrupt, but I just wanted to clarify. I've seen too much rubbish emanating from the idea of "rectified grounding".

The Chevy SSR has the cruise control issue with LEDs. We also fix the hyper flash, or no flash with thermal flashers, with an a electronic flasher. The van we did, the signals would not work with LEDs (Hazard did), it had a thermal flasher and you need current for that to work. We went to the electronic flasher, and all fixed, no hyper-flash either. You can buy them specifically for LEDs now, they say LED FLASHER on the unit. The resistors have to be just enough to work, and only use where needed. If the parking light side works fine, then don't use the resistor on that wire, that way, you still benefit from the lower power consumption if you want to leave the lights on for a while. Since you don't sit/party with the brake lights or signals on, then use the resistor on the high side when needed, because your using them when driving; thus droving the alternator is charging the battery anyway. I have been getting great deals on LEDs from Amazon.... I got 20 Festoon panel lights, for under $10.00, each panel has 12 LEDs. ARe they CHEAPLY MADE? You bet, but they're under a lens... I also got TEN 168 type LEDs for under $4.00 + shipping, they all work. What hurts LEDs is the Manufacturing process. THe more heat applied to put them on the boards or in a circuit, the less they last. 90% of LED failure is due poor/cheap manufacturing. But hell, I got TWENTY of them, enough to replace one every year if need be. On and Off cycles DO NOT effect an LED like a filemant bulb.

Actually, each 562 panel has 16 LEDS, forgot, four rows of four LEDs. Each 194 has five LEDs, one forward, one on each side. I got plenty of them... Did my whole car with LEDs...

Though the above doesn't solve the OP's problem, to clarify powerslave's reply - the resistors are placed across (or parallel) to the LEDs though they can be placed anywhere. Remember - the resistors are to give the circuit the same loading as the original bulbs hence the proper current for thermal flashers (or non-reprogrammable electronic flashers), and fool check sensors into thinking the "bulbs" are still ok. That has no effect on alternators etc since the LEDs and resistors look the same as the OEM lighting. In some cases, lower power (higher Ohmage) resistors may be ok. EG - a cruise control may get away with a 150 Ohm 1W or 680 Ohm 1/4W instead of one or more 10 Ohm 20W etc (across brake-light LEDs).

I would have ADDED the post above yours to the one above THAT, but I can't EDIT. IT was not for solving his problem, it was FYI, as part of the post where I explain somethings with new cars and how they work.