96 Cherokee LED front side marker issues
 

Hello everyone, this is my first post, so go easy on me here. I recently decided to extend the life of my 96 Jeep Cherokee XJ, and I started by replacing ALL of the LED's on my vehicle. I've done the proper resistor wiring for both front and read turn signal lights, and everything has gone smoothly after all the work was done. However, I noticed that the front side markers were not lighting up properly.

Let me explain here a bit: my headlight switch is a knob that has 2 stages of lighting: first one activates the running/tail/parking lights, and the 2nd stage turns on the main headlights. Keep in mind, ALL of the lights are LEDs now. Now then, when the headlights are off, the front sidemarkers and turn signals work just fine. However, when the headlight know is pulled to either stages, the side markers are off completely. They won't even turn on for the neither turn signaling nor for the emergency blinkers when the headlights are on.

​I'm asking if anyone has had this issue before and if they have somehow fixed it. I found that someone ran into a similar problem, but this was on a Wrangler thread, and I don't think the same solutions can be applied. I'll provide the link here:

http://www.wranglerforum.com/#/topics/1163153?page=1

If anyone has run into a similar issue and has found a solution, please let me know. Its not exactly an emergency, but it would be nice to have those side markers working with LEDs at night. Thank you in advance!

Try using non Proprietary leds

If non proprietary, you mean generic, unbranded leds, then yes, those are the ones that are currently installed, and I've tried 4 different bulbs from different sellers off ebay.

What I discovered while continuously replacing those is that the sockets for 194 bulbs of my jeep prefers ones with 4 filaments (2 on each side) like the ones used for interior lights (PC194), as opposed to the 2 filament ones (on on each side on opposing ends), in which only work if they are loosely inserted in the sockets at an angle.

Also, there is a nonstock alarm system installed in the jeep (Crime Guard 350i^3) in which, before the LED conversion, the panic/lock/unlock buttons would also cause the side markers to light up with the rest of the lights. However, now they just instantaneously flicker just once, like a strobe light.

Unsure if those last bit of info might help with discovering the problem.

No the LEDs I'm talking about is a LED that will work any way you plug it in not just one way . you need LEDs that don't have a pos or a neg side .

Oh! Sorry, didn't realize that's what you meant. And, well, I don't think I have. I searched those type of LEDs, and the ones I've found are called "non-polar" ones, which I assume are the ones that you meant. I also assume by being non-polar, they would always turn on the first time they would be plugged in, removing the need of removing and flipping the bulb in case they don't go on the first time.

Have you had a similar problem in which these kinds of bulbs helped? Because it sounds like it would make sense to fix the problem. However, as mentioned before, I've bough 4 pairs of previous ones looking for them to work on my jeep, and I don't want to keep spending searching for the right ones only to not have them work to then go over the returning process again.

Do you have any recommended sites or brands for these types of bulbs? Looking 194, in amber preferably. Thanks!

Yes you need the non-polar LEDs . the non-polar LED doesn't care witch way they are plugged in .

Alright, I'll see what I can find and order some. Thanks for the input. I'll get come back here once I get them installed and test them out...

Solution found
 

The non polar 194s arrived and I got them installed this morning. The non-polars did the trick! My sidemarkers fully work with LEDs now. Thank you very much for the input!

Oi, what brand of LEDs did you get? i'm considering doing my brakes, markers, signals and dome lights all in LEDs but im kind of leery.

are they brighter than stock i read on a (snobby sounding, albiet) flashlight forum that "LEDs were going to get people killed" because they are far to dim to be used in vehicle lights. this confused me greatly when ive always seen LEDs to be vastly superior at putting out light.

In short, where did you get your bulbs Ebay? superbrightLEDs? brick-and-mortar parts stores?

onewaylight.com

I tried converting my Cherokee to all led. My interior is all led, my license plate light is led, 3rd brake light is led and all turn signals are led, but when I do the brake lights led all hell breaks loose and nothing works correctly....

Alright, here's a short list of the final bulbs I bought (after much trial and error) from different vendors:

T10 non-polar amber side markers: Diode Dynamics (Website)

2057 (1157) front amber turn signals: syneticusa (Ebay)
1157 (2057) warm brake/rear running light: topline_autopart (ebay)
T10 green dash panel and white plate lights: autosaver88 (Ebay)
1156 amber rear turn signal: kaizenmotor (Ebay)
T10 Red Brake lights and 1156 white reverse lights: tunningpros (Ebay)
44mm 561 warm map lights: yitamotor (Ebay)
4x led resistors (both front and rear turn signals): ledkingdom-us (Ebay)
74 wedge dash bulbs: jcarpartscom (Ebay)
H6054 Metal and glass headlights with LED bulbs: octane_lighting (Ebay)

I do have intention of making a full review of my experience so far for the past few months with the whole LED conversion with photos and all, tut to answer your questions quickly:

- those are the places where I bought my bulbs; Learned that the more "bulbs" each led bulb had the brighter it would be, thus better;

- that last one is important because they do look a bit dim on a clear sky during high noon down here at the tropics, especially the rear turn signals, but at night, they are extremely clear and noticible, and people have told me they were brighter, but did not bother them too much;

- warm-colored lights are your best option when lighting with led since they mimic the incandecent ones that the colored housings were designed for. otherwise, get them the same color as the housing (red for brakes, amber for turn signals, etc)

And that's pretty much the basics. I'll post a full detailed review with photos sometime later in the week. Hope this helps and let me know if you have any questions.