Patrick - LED Taillight problems

[kevins2]

Dan,

When I wired my car initially, not everything worked properly and I discovered that two pins (one on each connector) on the wire harness were not seated properly. So, when I connected them, the pin simply backed out of the connector and wasn't making a connection. It is really easy to check if you haven't already. In my case, as I was checking all the connections, I heard the two distinctive "clicks" as the pins locked into place. I think it is best to check these connections with the connectors unplugged. My apologies if this has already been addressed - this has become quite a long thread!

Good luck tracking this down.

Kevin

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by kevins2

Dan,

When I wired my car initially, not everything worked properly and I discovered that two pins (one on each connector) on the wire harness were not seated properly. So, when I connected them, the pin simply backed out of the connector and wasn't making a connection. It is really easy to check if you haven't already. In my case, as I was checking all the connections, I heard the two distinctive "clicks" as the pins locked into place. I think it is best to check these connections with the connectors unplugged. My apologies if this has already been addressed - this has become quite a long thread!

Good luck tracking this down.

Kevin

Hey Kevin - yes, this is a long thread. I think I should re-title it; "How to create a problem where none existed before and successfully fix it in 12 pages or less".

That's my fall back plan - I don't have to run LEDs. I can be satisfied with a 100% functioning filiment light system. I am going to look over the connection blocks closely again. I think I checked all the pins at the time of assembly but it's been a couple of years. And also match up the wires on each side, although I spent a week doing that during installation.

I guess another fall back is just to drive with my lights on all the time. I considered that but I'm afraid I would forget to turn them on sometime and the first time I signaled for a turn everyone would think I was declaring an emergency.

[kevins2]

Originally Posted by DanEC

Hey Kevin - yes, this is a long thread. I think I should re-title it; "How to create a problem where none existed before and successfully fix it in 12 pages or less".

I hear you, but you've learned a lot from this process and I believe Patrick is designing your honorary Electrical Engineer plaque as we speak.

As for your comments about driving with your lights on, I always drive with mine on but, as you stated, I've forgotten a few times and turned them on in progress. So far, I haven't left them on and run down the battery. Probably because I always look back at the car whenever I'm walking away from it...

I hope you get the satisfaction of figuring this out.

Kevin

[patrickt]

Dan, you might want to try this: Put your old incandescent bulbs in that you were reasonably happy with. Pull your Fuse #6 and put a VOM on the driver's side of the fuse receptacle. Then turn your key on and put your turn signals on. See how much, if any, your VOM indicates. Then do the same with the LEDs and compare.

[DanEC]

I tried some of my above mentioned testing this afternoon and came up with some interesting results.

1. Disconnected both red (parking light) leads at the rear tail lights. Turned on the key and the flasher. Tested both red leads for any sign of voltage and came up with 0 volts.

Stuck the VOM probe on the tail light socket for the red wire and got a significant fluctuating voltage at both of them (fluctuation with flashing). To me that is pretty convincing that the power to the parking lights (with lights off) is coming through the bulbs.

Installed my 2357 bulbs and repeated the test and got 0 voltage at the red wire socket on the bulb holder.

2. Next I took one of the pilot bulbs and hooked it up to my battery charger (putting out about 10 volts - thought they would be higher) and with a VOM checked voltage at the other contact.

With voltage to the flasher contact I got bleed over of .46 Volts at the parking light circuit. With voltage on the parking light circuit I got voltage leaking over to the flasher lead of 6.26 volbs.

I pulled one of the SuperbrightLEDs out of my GTX and tested it. Power to the flasher contact I got 0 volts at the parking light contact. Power to the parking light contact I got 3.64 volts at the flasher contact.

So, in conclusion I'm pretty sure the Pilot lamps are junk and anybody reading this shouldn't waste money on them. Still doesn't completely explain my problems with the SuperbrightLEDs and maybe someday I will pull them out of my GTX and go through some checks. But they seem to also have some leak over between circuits and I don't know why this affects my car more than some others. Re-installed my 2357 bulbs and buttoned everything up for now.

Thanks for all the help and support.

[patrickt]

Alright... eventually you'll return to the LEDs in search of the fix -- that's just your nature; you may delay it, but you'll not dismiss it in its entirety. You can't, and you know you can't.