I've hesitated buying the LEDs to swap out all my bulbs because there's no definitive explanation on the use of the load equalizers. Does anyone out there know if I need one for each bulb I replace or just each circuit? What about turn signals? Will I get the funky quick flash without the equalizers on each side?

 

You need 1 for each turn signal bulb. So there would be 6 total (front, side, rear). If your going to go the LED route to save power consumption...your just wasting your money since the resistors bring you back up to power-robbing levels. I'm running the Deka 11 lb. ATV battery and need as much power-saving options as I can get!

 

i was told you only needed 1 per side of the car (IE left and right) which would only be 2, i put some LED blubs in my side turnsignal (the oval on the fender) and it still flashes like normal i didnt need a load equalizer. I havent done any of the other lights yet though

 

The issue of load equalizers/resistors applies only to the turn signals. LEDs draw so little current that electrically they are detected as burnt-out bulbs, and cause the circuitry to go into fast blink mode.

Speaking from personal experience, the bulbs for the side turn signals can be replaced by LEDs without load resistors, and the blink rate is unaffected. However, I have tried several varieties of LED bulbs and none were as bright as the standard incandescent bulbs. The trouble is that the lens is designed to be illuminated by an incandescent bulb, which produces a 360 degree spread of light. The brighter LEDs I tried produced a bright hot spot without wide enough dispersion, and the varieties that used several LEDs to produce a wide light pattern were not especially bright.

I also tried LEDs in the front turn signals, and they went into fast blinking mode. I'm hesitant to convert them because adding load resistors would negate the power and heat advantages of LED. However, in this case the tower array style of LED I tried did produce a good light. I too have heard that only one load resistor on each side (left/right) will produce proper blinking for front and rear.

In general, you can usually expect that retrofitting a standard bulb with an LED version will have lesser performance (visibility and brightness). LEDs perform well if they are used in a light fixture designed specifically for LEDs, but as replacements for standard bulbs they do not produce a matching light pattern.

 

Indeed

 

I read someplace else that one is needed if you decide to swap out the trunk lamp as well, but I've never tried changing out that bulb, so...

I assume that no extra help is needed if you just want to swap the parking lamps for amber LEDs, right, since those are constant-on?