Troubleshooting LED Tail Light Bulbs Flickering when Vehicle Lights are Turned Off

Updated 12/11/2017 | Published 12/10/2017

Question:

I put 1156 led bulbs in my 20016 saab 93 they work great when I turn the lights on but when I turn the lights off they continue to flicker

asked by: Jim E

Helpful Expert Reply:

The flicker you are referring to with LED bulbs is known as hyper flashing. This occurs because the LED bulbs require so much less power than incandescent bulbs. So when your lights are on, the power to the bulbs is reduced due to the draw on the headlights and running lights, but when they are turned off the power is too great for proper function without adding load resistors. I recommend adding the Putco LED Light Bulb Load-Resistors - Aluminum - Qty 2 # DI34ZR to your wiring for each LED bulb. This will create a draw similar to the incandescent bulbs and keep the LED bulbs from flickering.

expert reply by: Jason S