Did you know – LEDs may trigger outage detection systems in your vehicle?
Vehicles are required to have Outage Detection systems that warn drivers when a bulb has burned out. These systems work by monitoring the power consumed by the bulb. When the power drops below a preset threshold, the warning is triggered. The warning can be either a hyperflash (fast-blinking of the turn signal) and/or a warning light on the dashboard.
LED bulbs consume a fraction of the power of incandescent bulbs. This difference can be enough to trigger your car’s outage warning system. For example an incandescent 3157 bulb consumes 27W, in contrast our ZEVO 3157 LED replacement bulb that only consume about 1.5W. In many cases, LED bulbs use so little power they end up triggering an outage warning. One way to eliminate the warning is to install a SYLVANIA Load Resistor in parallel with the turn signal socket wires. The load resistor will consume enough power to mimic the power draw of an incandescent bulb, eliminating the warning.
The load equalizer must be connected between the turn and ground wires of the socket. Because its power consumption will be dissipated as heat, it is important to attach it to a flat metal surface so the heat can be safely dissipated.
Learn More About SYLVANIA Automotive's Load Equalizer!