07 Electraglide - replacing bulb in tailight. Can I use a 3157 LED instead of stock 3157 incandesent bulb without using a load equalizer ? I thought LED technology uses less energy than incandesent. Maybe this is the reason for a load equalizer ? But for 1 bulb ? Please set me straight.

 

Load Equalizers are needed for LED turn signals to keep them from flashing really fast as they are designed to do indicating a burned out incandescent bulb (ECM thing). Not required for tail lights no matter how many LEDs are in it.

 

No you don't need any equalizer for a single bulb. The equalizer is only necessary on bikes when replacing the incandescent bulbs with LEDs, to fool the flasher unit into thinking it still has normal bulbs. The flasher unit is designed for the higher electrical loads of filament bulbs, not the low loads of LED bulbs.

 

The simple answer is.................NO

 

Generally taillights and headlights don't need a load equalizer. Typically only lights with flashers need a load equalizer as the flasher depends on a load to work properly.

 

If I was to add a 2nd set of turnsignals that were LED and tap the wire from the existing signals [which I am keeping], would I then need to add an equalizer for the LED's?

 

not if you are keeping the original incandescent turn signals connected.

 

You will not as your original signals will be providing the load that your flasher needs. You are actually increasing your load slightly which is okay. It's when you decrease the load things get strange. LED's draw very little load which is what causes the the issue when swapping the lights out.

Hope that makes things a little more understandable.

 

and I simply agree with him

 

Skratch and PhatTerry - thanks, that' what I thought but wanted verification from someone that knew