Do LED Brake Lights Need Resistors?

do led brake lights need resistors
do led brake lights need resistors

Brake lights are one of the most important lights that can be found in a vehicle. On the other hand, Brake LED light is a much more efficient technology that helps the user be able to save up around 90% of energy.

Moreover, the responsiveness of these lights is far better than your traditional options. You will notice a clear difference in the performance of the unit when sticking with this option over the standard lights.

So, be sure to switch over to LED brake lights if you have the budget and the time for the installation.

Do LED Brake Lights Need Resistors?

Quite a lot of users have been asking questions regarding brake lights on the internet. Most of them don’t seem to have an idea of whether resistors are present in an LED brake light.

This is especially true for first-time owners, and you’ll find many owners inquiring about the same situation.

If you are also someone who is asking the question, “Do LED brake lights need resistors?” then this article should be of great help to you.

Through this article, we will be explaining everything that you need to know about LED brake lights. So, let’s not waste any time further and get straight into it:

Do They Really Need Resistors?

For those of you who are asking whether LED brake lights need resistors, then you will first have to learn how LED brake lights work. LED is basically a current-driven device.

Because of this, it always requires a resistor connected in series or some other means through which it can limit the current.

Similarly, plenty of modern vehicles do not seem to have a suitable system that allows a direct replacement of OEM tail-light assembly.

Hence, in this case, you will definitely need to load fit load resistors on each one of these indicator lights. What these load resistors need is special mounting that ensures the components do not overheat and cause fire hazards.

Installing these load resistors (which are also commonly called equalizers) with your brake LED lights will help you avoid hyper flash.

In case you don’t know much about what hyper flashing means, it basically refers to a turn signal that blinks faster than normal.

A hyper flash also indicates to the driver that there is an issue with their bulb, i.e., bulb failure. However, not connecting resistors is not the only reason for hyper flashing. 

Even if you have connected resistors, it is crucial that you make sure each wire is connected in the right spot.

If not, then you will also experience hyper-flashing. Most of the time, it is not a bad idea to leave this job to the professionals. You might just save yourself the hassle that way.

Spending a few bucks on hiring an expert won’t seem like a bad idea when you consider thousands of dollars’ worth of loss that you might avert. So, be sure to avoid the risk and just let the experts do this job.

It will barely cost you a few bucks, and the responsiveness from the lights will also be better.

value for money

The bigger problem is that this may also affect the safety features of your car in a bad way.

If you decide to leave it as it is for extended periods of time, what will happen is that your load resistor’s temperature will melt insulation which can go as far as creating a fire hazard.

For all these reasons, we also suggest that you seek help from an expert. There is simply no point in wasting all of this time trying to adjust the system when you’re not even sure about the presence of resistors.

Hiring an expert or just seeking some power from a local will help you avoid a lot of pitfalls along the way. Moreover, you will be able to get a better response from the LED lights as well.

So, if you’re still confused, we suggest that you go to your local workshop and let an expert take a look at the LED lights.

He will barely take 5 to 10 minutes to get through the installation and the wiring management. All tools will be available at the workshop, and there are no extensive routines involved here.

So, be sure to keep that in mind and save yourself the hassle of fixing everything by yourself.

The expert will not only make the installation easier, but he will also guide you through each step of the way. From there, you can adapt the new system yourself without having to worry about more errors down the road.

Depending upon the type of lights installed on the back of your vehicle, you might need different load resistor kits. There is no one-stop solution for all lights, and you will have to do a bit of research on your end.

Luckily, there are many great brands that offer decent kits within a reasonable budget of 10 to 20 dollars.

You can explain your requirements to these experts, and they will take over the situation. All that you need to do is to ask these experts for a compatible piece.

From there, you can also inquire about how to set up the load resistor kit if you’re not too keen on the idea of hiring other experts. 

The customer care members from most brands are well-versed in helping first-time owners get through minor issues with the installation. So, rest assured that you’ll be in good hands.

installation

All that you need to do here is to inquire about the setup and follow closely with their instructions. It will take a few minutes at max to set up this system, and you won’t have to worry about more errors down the road.

A bit of effort in reaching out to the experts is far better than testing out all the wrong things yourself. There is no point in guessing the installation routine when experts are available to guide you freely through all procedures.

So, be sure to adjust the system and then go with all of the details provided above.

Hopefully, you won’t have to run into any of the issues listed above, and you’ll enjoy an amazing response from these lights without any hyper flash or other errors.

The Bottom Line

Do LED brake lights need resistors? They most definitely do. This article features all the details that you will need in order to learn more about this topic.

Be sure to read through the article! You’ll surely have a clearer perspective of the situation after going through these details.

However, if you’re still not sure about the situation after going through these details, then you need to get hands-on assistance from an expert.

ask the expert

He will guide you through the intricate details of the process, as the wiring management can be a bit complex.

You will have to browse through many issues as you try to adjust to this system, and it will lead to more complications down the road.

There is no point in wasting hours of your time on issues that can be fixed within a few minutes by asking the experts for help.

So, be sure to reach out to the locals, and they will guide you on the issue.

It might take a bit of time, but you’re not left with many options here. All that you’re trying to do is add the resistors and manage the wiring clusters properly so that there is no hyper flashing.

Hopefully, you won’t have to deal with any of the listed issues!

1 thought on “Do LED Brake Lights Need Resistors?”

  1. Ok I have a 2001 Suburban, I replaced all the lights with led replacements. I love them as they are so much brighter. The issue I have is after putting the 3rd brake light I noticed it has a slight glow and my cruise control won’t activate. Could this be do to the fact that it might be indicating that the brakes are applied? If so and I add a resistor where would I install it, at the brake pedal?

    Reply

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