FYI: replacing signal flasher bulbs with LEDs

We bought my '98 Chevrolet Tahoe used, and within a year it blew a turn-signal bulb in the rear. A really helpful auto-parts store guy informed me that this was the only common issue on this vehicle that he knew of (quite true so far; Bertha, the truck, has otherwise been very nicely reliable).

So I began to look at options. The store had LED bulbs which were listed with exactly the same part numbers. I tried two different kinds, and odd behavior resulted, lights coming on and staying off just wrongly; so I replaced with incandescent that time. I was also told that the circuit-board is often at fault, so I replaced that too. Eight months later or so, ditto.

So I dug, and I learned that there are special flashers designed for LEDs. At least at that time, if one asked for a flasher unit at this and the other two auto-parts stores in town, one received a flasher identical to my original: suitable only for incandescent. But if one carried a part number to the store, they had the newer one in stock. :) I did a check just now, most of the flashers now available appear to be the newer, LED-compatible sort.

However, this was not the end of the saga. Eventually that circuit board died partially on one side. So I ended up replacing it all on both rear sides, lock stock and barrel, with all-LED units, with their own new circuitry. Oddly, the reverse LED was an option, if I hadn't spent the extra US$13 I would have been expected to re-use my incandescent reverse bulbs. I spent the extra, and much better in all ways!!!
 
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To add a note to this, some cars detect the ultra low resistance of an LED as a failed bulb and flash up a warning light. Well made bulbs should not have this issue, but in the early days it was a problem and still is on some of the cheap import LED bulbs.
 
Ah, had forgotten about that, indeed, I was warned about it. I saw some LED bulbs advertised as "with load" or "with loading resistor" or something akin, I figured this was an effort to simulate the resistance of an incandescent bulb. I wanted to avoid that altogether, in the hope of being able to keep the original circuit board at lower current, but that was not to be :)
 

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