BTCTexas

Hi everyone,

I know this question has been asked multiple times but I could not find a solid answer anywhere.

I've changed all the lights on my GX to LEDs (except the high/low/fogs lights) but the last one, which is the DRL/Turn Signal, is troublesome as I do not want to go to the resistors route.

So, my question is:

Is there a working LED flasher unit for our GXs?

VLED and Super Bright LEDs (and eBay as well) carry the LED flashers for newer Toyota/Lexus but are they compatible with our vehicle? I mean, has anyone use this before? If so, any success?

http://www.superbrightleds.com/morei...asher/786/840/

According to Sewell online parts store, the OEM part number is 81980-35020 (does everyone agree?). The shape of the flasher from this image below matches the one in the link posted above but I want to be 100% sure before placing an order and disassembling the car.

http://lexus.sewellparts.com/oem-cat...X470-2008.html

I have had these 1156 LED bulbs for over a year now but can't use them without adding a resistor or have to deal with the hyper-flash.

Please help!

Thanks!

ahnjae

iTrader: (2)

That is the relay I bought as well but I have not had a chance to install it so I cant comment if it works or not. Doing a search tho, it appears it is the correct one. My question is, where is this relay located? Is it under the hood our on the driver side fuse box location?

BTCTexas

Hey Ahnjae - I don't believe the flasher relay is located under hood.

According to the diagram from Sewell parts list, the flasher seems to be located right behind the driver's side air vent.

However, I went to the GX the other day and turned on the hazard lights, then laid down on the floormat under the steering column, and listen to the clicking sound. I noticed that the sound was coming from a black box (2 to 3 inches x 2 to 3 inches) right behind the fuses box. I reached my hand in to touch it and can feel the clicking as well. I want to say that's where the flasher is but I'm still not 100% sure.

My nephew purchased this from iJDM Toy for his IS250. It's called a decoder but I think it is bascially a resistor enclosed in a nicer looking plastic (maybe metal) box and instead of loose wirings at each end where you need to splice the factory wires, there are now connectors for the bulbs and factory connectors for easy Plug-n-Play installation.

http://store.ijdmtoy.com/9005-LED-Da...d_sku45_r4.htm

Here's an H11 one from eBay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/XENON-HID-CANBUS-DECODER-WARNING-CANCELLER-CAPACITOR-/261048488923?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cc7b3d3db&vxp=mtr

mann777

Yes absolutely right, the Flasher for GX is just behind the cluster. You dont get Toyota LED flasher nowadays, You can mod the flasher with the potentiometer.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gx-...al-lights.html. Here the topic discussed.Hope you gather and complete the task for your GX
cheers

BTCTexas

Man777 – Thank you so much for the info and link. However, I didn’t see the PDF file and/or the spec sheet on the other thread.

Could I get these parts (potentiometer/trim pot) from the locate Radio Shacks? I have a soldering kit but have very little experience with it. I have only soldered a couple of wires to no more than a few electronic circuit boards.

Also, is this 8-pin aftermarket flasher compatible with the OEM one in the GX just in case I want to go with this route? And will it make the ECU happy or mad? I need to do more research on how to remove that OEM flasher as well.

http://www.superbrightleds.com/morei...asher/786/840/

ahnjae

iTrader: (2)

BTCTexas - Thanks for the info on the location.

Well I already have the 8 pin flasher unit so I guess I will be going this route.

I already have the LEDs for the rear turn signals and am just waiting to purchase the signal lights for the front.

I located a switchback 7440 (single filament) bulbs from JDM Toys and am going to install them in the front so I can have white LEDs running for the DRLs and then it will switch to amber when I use the signals.

How am i going to use 7440 bulbs when the stock bulb is a 1156? I bought 7440 pig tails and am going to splice them in the factory wiring converting to 7440 bulbs instead of the 1156. Both the OEM wires and the pig tails are a 2 wire system (negative and positive) so it should be cake. The pig tail also fits perfectly in the headlight housing so there will be no issue of it coming loose.

I will keep you updated once I get the bulbs and do the install....

BTCTexas

Ahnjae - Yes, please keep me updated. Thanks.

mann777

Here are the detail images, they are self explanatory. All you need is good Soldering gun.
Part - Bourns Trim Pot ( 500 ampere) - Cost $2 ( P/N - 3299 )
A Cutter to cut out the plastic cover on the flasher. And a small file to trim the edges.
And Three Wire lengths - 2 inch

mann777

The next part of the set up.

mann777

Finally once done fix it back to its place and have all the bulbs replaced with LEDs and now have the trim pot adjustment done, from the lowest setting and increase it till the LEDS work. And you will never have flicker for life. All you need is patience and some time.

ahnjae

iTrader: (2)

So i played around with the 7440 switchback convert for the DRL/turn signal I had in mind. It looks like my plan will not work as the 7440 single filament led light requires 3 wires to be hooked up. It takes a negative, constant power wire for white led, and a power wire that pulses for the turn signals (amber).

Unfortunately, the OEM DRL/turn signal is a two wire system that has a negative and constant power wire for the DRLs and then the same power wire pulses for the turn signals. Due to this, the switchback convert will not work unless I decide to connect the the 7440 pigtail to ignition (for constant power/white) and get the signal for the rear turn signals for the pulse turn signal (amber). That means I will not be using the front turn signal wires at all and will have to disconnect the factory bulb from the 1156 bulb. It also means that the light will always be on with the car like a DRL and still be on with the headlights like a parking light.

Does anyone know if I switch the OEM relay to the LED relay and leave the front bulbs out and do the convert, will I receive some type of error like hyper flashing still?

BTCTexas

Mann777 - Thanks so much for the very detailed instruction. It's a great idea adding the adjustable trim pot instead of just using resistors.

Ahnjae - it s*cks that we can't convert the 1156 bulbs to a switchback bulbs like the 1157 bulbs. I''m reconsidering not changing to LED because I'm not sure if it's illegal to signal in white/xenon color here in Texas. I guess I need to look up the code to see if the signal lights alway have to be amber. But I might still do it and just use the amber-colored LEDs because I would still get the benefits from LEDs. I just wouldn't have the awesome 5000k color for the DRL.

I did, however, found this posting on a Toyota forum.

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd...12-tacoma.html

It appears that the 2012 Tacoma uses the same type of flasher our GX uses - the 12-pin. I believe the after market LED 8-pin flasher will work in our car. However, we will lose the DRL lights, which I think controlled by the missing 4 pins. The instruction shown in the above link seems to be pretty easy to do and you can probably add the adjustable trim pots to this flasher as shown in Mann777's instructions.

ahnjae

iTrader: (2)

I had sometime this weekend to work on the DRL install. Unfortunately, you are correct. The GX (atleast mine which is a 2004) uses the 12 pin flasher (black box, not brown) so the 8 pin will not work. I did however have a work around it and was able to successfully install the switchback DRL(white LED)/turn signals(to amber) without using an LED flasher with no hyper turn signals. However it is not an ideal way of doing it because as previously stated, you have to get the signal from the rear turn signals and uninstall the front turn signals from the headlamp and convert the 1156 factory bulbs to a 7440.

BTCTexas

Hey Ahnjae - I'm glad to read that you got your DRL working now.

I was looking at the 7440 pigtails you had mentioned and noticed that there are only 2 wires. Are you taking signal from the rear turn signal and slicing it to the constant power wire on the 7440 pig tail?? And when did you find the rear signal wires? I would like to have the switchback LED as well.

Thanks.

ahnjae

iTrader: (2)

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