1988 Ford Ranger LED tail light conversion

[kirbyalaska]

I have a 1988 Ford Ranger that I put a 1938 Ford truck body with a wooden flatbed on. The wiring harness is the original 1988 Ranger. I added the hotrod LED tail lights from EBay. The tall lights have amber LEDs for turn/hazard and red for driving/ brake. The ranger had the turn/ hazard/ brake using the same wire (one to each side) to a single red bulb with dual filaments. Ihave installed LED compatible flasher relays. I spliced the brake wire before the turn signal switch and ran a dedicated wire for the brake lights to the rear to connect into the red brake light. Everything works, but when the ignition key is on and the turn signal switch is in the neutral position, the amber LED tail lights are constantly lit and maybe half brightness. The ground for this circuit are near the radiator support as far as I can tell. A temporary ground near the lights didn't seem to help. A new turn signal switch didn't help. 12 volts applied to the switch (removed and by itself) reads the same from the terminal where the turn signal flasher relay enters, to the terminals that go to the turn signal lights when it's in the neutral position. When the switch is moved to either turn signal position, the other side goes out. I'm thinking this is the design of the switch? Would ballast resistors near the lights prevent the LEDs from lighting when not necessary? Anything else to try?

These are the lights I have:

Chrome LED Custom Hot Rat Street Rod Tail Lights w/ Turn Signals Ford Model A | eBay

Smoke Glass Lens. Red Light for driving and braking, Amber Light for turn signals. 5 Wires set up. 2 Black Wires for ground, Red Wire for brake lights, White Line for driving lights, Yellow Wire for turn signal lights.

www.ebay.com

Thanks, Jason

 

[Diver300]

What have you used for the front indicators? Are they connected to anything else?

What happens if you disconnect the wires from the turn signal switch and turn on the ignition?

 

[kirbyalaska]

The fronts are LEDs as well. They work correctly and are not lit with the turn signal switch in neutral. I have not tried with the switch unplugged and the ignition on. I'll do that later. I have tried removing both flasher relays and that did not remove the problem.

 

[Diver300]

Is there a tell-tale on the dashboard to tell you that the turn signals are working? If so, is there one or two? If there is any sort of electronic dashboard, that could cause an issue.

From what you have said, I guess that the front and rear turn signals on each side of the vehicle are directly in parallel. Is that correct? Can you measure the voltage on the turn signals with the ignition on?