| DanEC |
10-23-2014 03:57 PM |
Patrick - LED Taillight problems
Calling on electrical mastermind Patrick.
OK - got my 1157-R45-T LED bulbs installed in the tail lights. Earlier problem was due to having my trunk so full of stuff that I was going by feel and had the bulbs 180 deg turned.
Installed - I have no tail lights with lights on - but my turn signals and brake lights work. Noting that they seemed to work when I was trying to install them 180 deg out of position and held in place by hand, I reversed the leads at the light socket. Then I had tail lights but no turn signals or brake lights.
I put the leads back to original position and reinstalled my standard 1157 bulbs and my tail lights, turn signals and brake lights all again work correctly.
My only thought is the bulbs are in incorrect boxes and are for front turn signal lights. I sent Superbrightled an email this evening to see what they can offer. Any ideas?
Thanks
P.S. - I hate electrical crap
|
| patrickt |
10-23-2014 04:29 PM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by DanEC
(Post 1323507)
My only thought is the bulbs are in incorrect boxes and are for front turn signal lights. I sent Superbrightled an email this evening to see what they can offer. Any ideas?
Thanks
P.S. - I hate electrical crap
|
Pull your old 1157 bulb and your new LED bulb and compare the diameter of the shafts, the location of the two poles at the bottom of the bulb, and the location of the little raised knobby things on the outside of the shaft. If they do not line up exactly, then there is something wrong. |
| DanEC |
10-23-2014 04:33 PM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by patrickt
(Post 1323518)
Pull your old 1157 bulb and your new LED bulb and compare the diameter of the shafts, the location of the two poles at the bottom of the bulb, and the location of the little raised knobby things on the outside of the shaft. If they do not line up exactly, then there is something wrong.
|
They all match up. I even use a micrometer to check the diameter of the body. It's like they only have the equivalent of only one filiment. Hopefully superbrightleds will have a solution.
The only difference are that the contacts on the bottom are more like an oval section while 1157 bulbs are just a round contact. |
| patrickt |
10-23-2014 04:34 PM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by DanEC
(Post 1323519)
They all match up. I even use a micrometer to check the diameter of the body. It's like they only have the equivalent of only one filiment. Hopefully superbrightleds will have a solution.
|
Just for test purposes, put the LED bulbs in the front turn signal lights and see if your running lights come on normally and you turn signal lights behave normally while the LEDs are up there. |
| DanEC |
10-23-2014 04:37 PM |
I'll give that a try in the morning.
|
| patrickt |
10-23-2014 04:38 PM |
See, if the LEDs behave properly up front, but not in the rear, then it's not the LED's fault....
|
| DanEC |
10-23-2014 04:58 PM |
I may have discovered a clue. On top of the bulbs in real itty bitty tiny print I see ZY12-1156--45CS. I bet they sent me 1156 bulbs in 1157 boxes by mistake.
|
| patrickt |
10-23-2014 05:09 PM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by DanEC
(Post 1323524)
I may have discovered a clue. On top of the bulbs in real itty bitty tiny print I see ZY12-1156--45CS. I bet they sent me 1156 bulbs in 1157 boxes by mistake.
|
But there are two connectors at the bottom of the base? Not just one? |
| Horseracejudge |
10-23-2014 05:22 PM |
Patrickt, Had the same problem with my 1157 LED bulbs. I think the pins on the base are reversed. If I put the bulb in my Parking Light, Turn Signal, in front and pushed it in and held it in the wrong way (it didn't lock) it worked correctly. Something is wrong with the bulbs. Nick
|
| patrickt |
10-23-2014 05:31 PM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Horseracejudge
(Post 1323528)
Patrickt, Had the same problem with my 1157 LED bulbs. I think the pins on the base are reversed. If I put the bulb in my Parking Light, Turn Signal, in front and pushed it in and held it in the wrong way (it didn't lock) it worked correctly. Something is wrong with the bulbs. Nick
|
OK, that's good to know. And that's a good test up front as well. |
| DanEC |
10-23-2014 05:57 PM |
The 1156 was a false lead - looking at enlargements on their website both the 1156 and 1157 bulbs have the same print on the top of the light. I think the LED unit is the same on both. But the pins on a 1156 are at the same distance from the bottom of the base instead of unequal like an 1157.
Horseracejudge - that sounds like exactly my experience. I'll see what Superbrightled's has to say about it tomorrow.
Bummer - they are a lot brighter. I would like to get them to work. :confused:
|
| patrickt |
10-23-2014 06:08 PM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by DanEC
(Post 1323531)
Bummer - they are a lot brighter. I would like to get them to work. :confused:
|
You'll get it to work. Remember, nothing on these cars is easy... even changing a light bulb.:CRY: |
| DanEC |
10-24-2014 04:11 AM |
I took one of the bulbs last night and tested it with my battery charger. They work fine - they are dual intensity and light up from either contact, one being much brighter than the other. I know my taillights and wiring are good so it apparently has to be some sort of issue between the socket and the bulb. I'm going to remove a tail light so I can examine the socket better and see if I can figure out what the incompatibiity is.
|
| patrickt |
10-24-2014 04:35 AM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by DanEC
(Post 1323559)
I'm going to remove a tail light so I can examine the socket better and see if I can figure out what the incompatibiity is.
|
Excellent. You are well on your way now to earning your EE degree, from ClubCobra University, of course.:LOL: |
| DanEC |
10-24-2014 07:00 AM |
Everything checks out. Bulbs light up in the light fixture using my battery charger. I reinstalled in my car and with my test light I show power at the connection but the bulb doesn't light. I checked polarity with a standard 1157 and they are the same. Only thought is that voltage off of battery is not sufficient to energize the LEDs on the tail light circuit - so next I'm going to wheel the car out and start it up and see if running voltage will light the tail light circuit.
If that doesn't work then I'll call superbightled since they haven't answered my email yet.
Edit - when I said polarity that was a misnomer. What I checked was orientation of the two illumination circuits and compared to a standard 1157 bulb.
|
| patrickt |
10-24-2014 07:30 AM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by DanEC
(Post 1323570)
Only thought is that voltage off of battery is not sufficient to energize the LEDs on the tail light circuit - so next I'm going to wheel the car out and start it up and see if running voltage will light the tail light circuit.
|
Or you have quite bit of resistance "upstream" from the tail light fixtures. That resistance translates in to voltage drop. The easy way to test that is just run a ten foot piece of lamp cord from the positive side of your battery to one of the fixture's wires (first brake/signal then tail), and run the other leg of the lamp cord to the negative side of the battery and to the ground of your light fixture. If the LED lights up nicely doing it that way then you have voltage loss through that circuit when it's trying to operate normally. It could either be on the positive or ground side of the fixture. My feeling is if that battery has enough juice to start your car then it has a enough juice to light your LEDs.;) |
| DanEC |
10-24-2014 07:52 AM |
Talked to Superbrightleds and they were totally baffled. It sounded like they had never heard of a problem on the tail light circuit - only the signal and brake light one.
Did a little more testing and this is where it gets a little wierd, I have the driver-side light hooked up to the car but hanging loose. With light switch off, I connected the ground on my battery charger to the bulb socket. With both the yellow and red harness wires plugged in - I touch the + lead to the yellow terminal and the bulb lights - touch it to the red terminal and no light. I unplugged the yellow terminal and touched the + lead back to the red terminal and the bulb lit. Also touched it to the un-connected yellow terminal and that side lit also. It will not light on both circuits with the yellow lead plugged in.
Apparently there is some sort of issue backfeeding through the trailer relay unit is all I can figure. It looks like I've gone as far as I can and these just are not going to work in my car for some reason. May Bob will think of something.
My next project is to try to get my lake pump for the sprinkler system running by replacing the 220/24 starter relay. Hope this electrical project goes better. :(
|
| glenview289 |
10-24-2014 08:18 AM |
Some time back, about 3-4 years ago, I converted my Unique to LEDs. At that time there was discussion about the low current draw of LEDs that would notwork with some trailer relay switches. I'm sure a search on this will bring up something. Not an EE, but do remember this could be an issue.
Bill
|
| patrickt |
10-24-2014 08:25 AM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by glenview289
(Post 1323575)
Some time back, about 3-4 years ago, I converted my Unique to LEDs. At that time there was discussion about the low current draw of LEDs that would notwork with some trailer relay switches. I'm sure a search on this will bring up something. Not an EE, but do remember this could be an issue.
Bill
|
To help Bliss with his tail light/trailer relay problems, I went out and measured the voltage drop across my trailer relay (with the circuit operating, of course). My stock trailer relay was eating up 1.7volts with the battery source putting out 12.5volts. There are better relays than our "stock" ones. They are touted as "heavy duty" trailer relays. He's had problems before with his relay, too. Some of the guys in other forums report voltage drops of well over 2 volts for some of the relays. |
| DanEC |
10-24-2014 09:03 AM |
I'm giving up for now as it's not worth tearing back into the trailer relay at this time. I will put some 2357 bulbs in for a little boost in turnsignal and brake light brightness.
Thanks for the help.
Dan
|
| All times are GMT -7. The time now is 01:25 AM. |
|
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.0
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0
The representations expressed are the representations and opinions of the clubcobra.com forum members and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and viewpoints of the site owners, moderators, Shelby American, any other replica manufacturer, Ford Motor Company. This website has been planned and developed by clubcobra.com and its forum members and should not be construed as being endorsed by Ford Motor Company, or Shelby American or any other manufacturer unless expressly noted by that entity. "Cobra" and the Cobra logo are registered trademarks for Ford Motor Co., Inc. clubcobra.com forum members agree not to post any copyrighted material unless the copyrighted material is owned by you. Although we do not and cannot review the messages posted and are not responsible for the content of any of these messages, we reserve the right to delete any message for any reason whatsoever. You remain solely responsible for the content of your messages, and you agree to indemnify and hold us harmless with respect to any claim based upon transmission of your message(s). Thank you for visiting clubcobra.com. For full policy documentation refer to the following link:
