Ralph77

Did you read my thread? Are sure they are working at all times. Headlights on, blinkers work, headlights off blinkers still work? Not only did we confirm with a meter that power flows both ways but I also have an '01 FSM. My buddy who is really good with reading schematics says that is how it is wired. He has know idea why. Maybe we are wrong. Cause if so I am starting to wonder why I am having this problem. Which I did fix with non polarity LED's.

Black & Tan

Ralph77. You are absolutely right. They operate as you said. Now they work with the headlights on but not with them off. I guess I'll drive with the lights on until I change them back or find a fix.

I was thinking of having the front running lights wired up to be used as DRL's. I wonder if that will confuse the wiring into thinking the lights are on all the time?

Ralph77

I am sorry that you are having this problem but to be frank a bit relieved. Cause if you weren't that means there is something wrong at my end.

Could not even begin to tell you what wiring up the front lights to be used as DRL's would do.

If you put your regular 194's back in, that is what I did until if figured out what to do, you will see your turn signal indicators dimly glowing when you turn on your headlights.
Anyway, go buy these 194's for the side markers.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/more...t-car/199/872/

Fit nice and will solve that problem. These are the non polarity LED's I mentioned before. Since power flows both ways in the side markers and factory is not LED's but regular bulbs they work fine cause regular bulbs don't have polarity.
Best description I found for non polarity bulbs is think of it as 2 LED's rolled into one.

Thing that pisses me off is the Youtube video I posted in my thread. The guy has to turn the side marker bulb around to get it to work. He has his headlight on when doing this. Never actually shows it working as a turn signal. Never a mention about this problem. Put in these bulbs, swap the flasher, and good to go. Yeah my ***. That is why I started the thread. I think people should know.

Black & Tan

Thanks again. I'll read your full post later and thanks for the fix tip.

dave1123

Okay, here's the trick with side marker lights. They are powered thru 2 different supply circuits. When the headlights are on, they get power from the parking light circuit and are grounded thru the turn signal bulb filament. The turn signal doesn't light up because there isn't enough amperage going thru it. When you turn on the turn signal, the power goes thru the side marker bulb BOTH ways so it goes out when the turn signal is flashing, in other words it flashes alternately with the turn signal. The 194s don't light up brightly because of the resistance of the turn signal filament is in series with it.

NOW you stick LEDs in the sockets and everything changes. LEDs have literally NO resistance and need built in resistors so they don't fry. Combination LEDs, like brake and tail bulbs don't have 2 separate sets of chips in them but instead do some creative switching internally to serve both functions. You could probably get away with LEDs in the park/turn sockets and and leave the 194s in the side markers, but I'm not sure about that. In addition, because LEDs only have enough resistance in them to protect the chips, you'll have to add ballast resistors so the flasher unit works properly or put in a special flasher.

You can also buy LEDs with different lumen outputs. I have a pair of white 550 lumen LEDs in my reverse lights and they are really BRIGHT!

Ralph77

I think I understand what you are saying cause the front markers and side markers alternate flashing causing the problem with the side markers. If that is the case why don't the front markers give you the same problem?
Putting in the 194 LED's non polarity bulbs in the side markers seemed to have solved this problem though.
You can put in 3157 LED's in the front markers and run regular 194's bulbs in the side but that makes your turn signal indicators dimly glow when you turn on your headlights. The blink bright when you do use your turn signals though.
And all this is with putting in the LED Flasher.
Do you have a link for the 550 lumen LED's you used for your reverse lights?
Would like to check them out and also had this info to the thread I started about my experience with putting LED's in my '00.

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f67/le...000-xj-246749/

Ralph77

Did any of you guys put an LED in for the licence plate light? If so could I get a part number or link?

investinwaffles

I used a Philips 194 bulb and it is very bright.
Any small 194 bulb will work - just make sure it isn't oversized because the license plate light housing is pretty small.

Philips and Sylvania both make good drop-in bulbs

investinwaffles

I made a post on Reddit and got the exact fix but it is not a "simple" fix because of how the side marker resistive circuit is wired. Basically in the same way you are saying - the function is tied to the headlights and the resistance of the stock incandescent bulb.
Read through this thread;

https://www.reddit.com/r/CherokeeXJ/...signal_issues/

You need an XOR gate to handle the "logic" to get it to switch like factory.

OR use some resistors which is less than ideal (you are basically turning power into heat for no reason other than to keep the factory turn signal circuit happy).
But at the end of the day I think I am going to do just that, because I also have issues with my trailer wiring because it can't sense any resistance or something.

The VLEDs resistors are the only ones I will run, the cheap chinese ones are a fire hazard
http://www.vleds.com/shop-products/v...-6-duotap.html

dave1123

superbrightleds.com

3157 LED Bulb - Dual Function 28 SMD LED Tower - Wedge Base

550 lumen natural white

Ralph77

I tried the 194 Sylvania Zevo and felt it was a little tight. It is right up on the glass or a sheet of paper away. Tough be be sure cause of the angle of the license plate lens and the light refracting might be making it look closer then it is. Thing I don't know will an LED there put a burn mark in the lens from being that close. I don't expect it to be melting plastic but thinking it could cause a brown spot. Then of course cause of my OCD I started wondering if in really colder temps if the plastic could crack because of the heat from the LED. These are the stupid things that go through my head. If my imagined issues about the heat from the LED are just that I will run the 194 Sylvania Zevo and call it a day.


I think what they are describing in the post on Reddit is a fix that I found on some of the TJ forums.

https://www.wranglerforum.com/f210/t...s-1163153.html

But the non polarity bulbs seem to have taken care of it. Not going going to lie I am a little confused by the problems the guy in the Reddit post is talking about. He is all over the place trying to figure out what is going on. Plus he seems to mention something about DRL's. And while they talk about that fix no mention of non polarity LED's. So does that mean they really are not a fix? Plus I do not have any trailer wiring or DRL's. So I have no idea how these might effect a LED light install. I think I saw where you posted the VLED resistors before. I remember thinking how different they look compared to the ones I usually see. Does a LED flasher not always solve the hyperflashing problem? Cause for the life of me I have no idea why you would wire in those load resistor kits when you could just plug in a flasher.

Are those really that bright? I mean that is $25 a pop. But I am noticing in the specs that they are listing Comparable Wattage at 55 to 60. If I am not mistaken isn't that what the factory fog lights on the front of my Jeep are? 55 watts? I could talk myself into that if they really would let me see what is behind me at night.

dave1123

Man, I'm telling you they light up the world! They are also multi-directional in that they spread the light in all directions, not focused like a fog light bulb. It took me quite a while to understand the difference between lumens and candlepower, and color temperature. One thing I've noticed now that they are replacing sodium vapor street lighting with LED lighting is they tend to be very bright, but they don't spread that intensity in as big a pool of light as the sodium vapor, especially when they are stand-alone as in one light on a dark corner.

It's going to take these dinosaur eyes a long time to totally accept LED lighting, but these reverse bulbs are far better than your standard 3157 incandescent bulbs. Yes, they are expensive but I don't think you will be disappointed.

One thing! I've seen guys who think LEDs get hot. They don't. not at all. As a matter of fact snow and ice will collect on LED headlights if they aren't heated!

Ralph77

Might have to bite the bullet and check those bulbs out for the reverse lights. But as some point was thinking of hooking up some lighting back there anyway so I will have to overthink this like everything else I do. LOL.

So chances are the Sylvania 168/194 Zevo LED will not burn the lens or crack it in colder weather. Think I will have to pick up another lens, just in case, to have and just run that LED. See what happens.

Ralph77

I was just noticing that you said these bulbs were 550 lumen in the natural white. Did you buy the Natural 4100K or the Cool 6500K? I ask cause it looks like the Natural 4100K's are 510 lumen.

dave1123

To be honest, it was so long ago I don't remember, but they are natural white. I really don't care for the harsh natural white color, but they work well enough that if I hit reverse in a parking lot, people get upset! I've even been tempted to wire up a pushbutton trip to turn them on for tailgaters! One of my friends did that and he said people drop back about 100 yards! And that's with normal lights!

BTW, incandescent 3157 are only about 60 lumens.