Patrick - LED Taillight problems

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by kevins2

Hi Dan,

Since you have both the Pilots and SuperBrights it would be good to know which is brighter, if you can see a difference.

Kevin

Kevin - pretty sure the SuperBrights are a little brighter on running lights. There may not be a lot of difference on brake lights as they are both so bright that a slight difference is hard to percieve and not very apparent. If I get some time this weekend I may try to do a comparison photo.

[kevins2]

Originally Posted by DanEC

Kevin - pretty sure the SuperBrights are a little brighter on running lights. There may not be a lot of difference on brake lights as they are both so bright that a slight difference is hard to percieve and not very apparent. If I get some time this weekend I may try to do a comparison photo.

Thanks Dan,

Don't spend too much time on it. The Superbrights are very expensive, especially for those of us with double round taillights. I already plunged and have them installed but I thought it would be good to know if it was money well spent and it may help others reading this thread who are considering LEDs. The only comparison I could do was with the standard 1157's and, of course, the difference is very substantial.

Kevin

[DanEC]

Kevin - you obviously made the right decison and spared yourself a 10-page "whats the deal" saga.

[patrickt]

... and just to clear up a point, my beautifully fabbed third brake light 3rd Brake Light/Running Light - Detailed Instructions & Part Numbers ("Chas. Runner") was crafted well after I put in those LED 1157 lights, so don't be misled in to thinking that my additional light had any impact on the results.

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by kevins2

Hi Dan,

Since you have both the Pilots and SuperBrights it would be good to know which is brighter, if you can see a difference.

Kevin

Hey Kevin - fooled around with the SuperbrightLEDs again and installed one of them and one of the Pilot bulbs for comparison - had a difficult time doing so because the Superbrights didn't want to light on the parking light circuit.

I took a picture I could post but to be honest I couldn't perceive any overall difference in illumination. I could see through the lense that the Superbright bulb had a larger stack of leds lite up - and the Pilot a smaller group - but the overall effect looked to be the same. couldn't really compare the flasher circuit.

However, I can't get the SuperbrightLEDs to light up on the parking light circuit. I had to fool it by un-seating it and at one point it would light up sitting loose in the socket. I think it was on the parking light circuit but not 100% sure. There is power to the bulb socket as confirmed by my VOM - but nothing lights up when the bulb is seated in place. I even tried reversing the leads to the socket but still nothing. Turn the parking lights off and the turn signals on and they flash completely normal. However, when I disconnected the red parking light circuit leads to the bulb holders, I had power on the bulb side (red wire socket) flashing with the flashers - just like the Pilots. It was flashing over 8 volts peak. Checked the red wire leads and they were dead (as they should be with parking lights turned off).

So, I don't know - the Superbrights seem to work fine in my GTX - go figure. Short of calling Ghost Busters I think I'm stuck with 1157/2357 bulbs.

[patrickt]

Dan, why don't you buy two of these and just plug the bare wires in to the plugs on the back of the car? Yes, I know it's essentially throwing away $15, but it would make diagnostics easier.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EDJWR8W/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687762&pf_rd_s= lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B007FUF32S&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX 0DER&pf_rd_r=0DSSP0F24W35FQ637KWP"]Amazon.com: Auto Car Plastic Water Resist 1157 Rear Brake Light Socket: Automotive@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41sv6KryToL.@@AMEPARAM@@41sv6KryToL[/ame]

[kevins2]

Hi Dan,

Thanks for the info. I don't have a clue about the issues you're having. Since they work in your GTX, probably not a bulb defect. Anyway, interesting to hear that the different LEDs put out about the same light.

Kevin

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Dan, why don't you buy two of these and just plug the bare wires in to the plugs on the back of the car? Yes, I know it's essentially throwing away $15, but it would make diagnostics easier.

Amazon.com: Auto Car Plastic Water Resist 1157 Rear Brake Light Socket: Automotive

Patrick - actually I'm a little ahead of you. I bought one last week and I think I will go back and get another one. I bought it to hook an additional incandescient bulb up to the parking light circuit to see if the extra load would straighten everything out (it didn't). My latest theory - and I don't know if it will hold water - is some terminal incompatibility between the tail light socket contacts and the bulb contacts.

I don't know why, but if you check you'll find that the socket contacts and the bulb contacts are only aligned when sliding the bulb pins down the straight grooves. Once the bulb is twisted to seat it, they are no longer in alignment. It's like the socket contacts are at 6 and 12 o'clock and the bulb contacts will be at 1 and 7 o'clock. Seems to work OK in most instances but the LED bulbs don't have a nice round contact point on them - it's more of a rectangular contact. I think there is something about them and my light sockets that is shorting across the terminals.

Both the aftermarket 1157 bulb socket and the ERA tail light socket are oriented the same but the tail light sockets do have rather large, button contacts in their bottom.

For instance with parking lights on - if I slide the superbrights into the socket they light up - as soon as I twist them clockwise to lock them - they go dead.

So, I'm going to get another 1157 accessory socket and wire them up to my lighting leads and see what happens then. I have a suspicion they will work - but my record so far is not too good.

[DanEC]

I shot my latest theory to pieces. Installed two 1157 auxillary bulb holders with Pilot bulbs in place of the two tail lights and everything still behaved exactly the same. So the shorted contacts theory didn't get me anywhere.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by DanEC

I shot my latest theory to pieces. Installed two 1157 auxillary bulb holders with Pilot bulbs in place of the two tail lights and everything still behaved exactly the same. So the shorted contacts theory didn't get me anywhere.

Well, you know if you really want to get to the bottom of the problem, then you're going to have to separate the three circuits at the fuse box and see which one is shorting over to the tail light circuit when the tail light fuse is removed.

[DanEC]

Except with the parking lights switched off and the red wires pulled at the tail lights - the harness side is dead and the terminal on the light socket is hot. I'll probably do some more hunting and pecking around when I can think of something non-destructive. I may try the SuperbrightLEDs in the auxiliary sockets since they do behave differently than the Pilot bulbs.

8 Feb - tried the Superbright LED in the auxilliary sockets and they behave as before - wouldn't flash when parking lights are turned on. I'm also getting voltage bleeding through the bulb from the flaser circuit to the park light circuit although the park lights are off and disconnected at the tail lights. I checked for voltage at the fuse and it was 0. I can even duplicate this by hooking them up to a battery charger. But - they work fine in my GTX. So, I'm pretty much done for now. No Mas!

[Large Arbor]

Dan,

Don't give up as it helps Patrick and I gain further understanding. Did you try switching sockets? Perhaps the round sockets can be inserted into the rectangular signal locations.

Phil

[DanEC]

Phil - yes, I did completely by-pass the ERA sockets and wired in auxilliary 1157 sockets without success.

Went for a a short drive today and noticed my charge light was on. Apparently blew the #4 fuse when I turned on my signals. Tried it again at home and as soon as I hit the signal fuse blows. So - now I do have a turn signal problem to sort out. Back to the wiring diagram and tracing stuff.

[patrickt]

That's actually good news. Shorts are very easy to trace.

[DanEC]

Well - where do you suggest I start? Car runs fine until turn signal turned on and then fuse 4 blows. Fast blow fuses at trailer relay are fine.

There is a circuit from the fuse to the flasher unit and red-charging light. Also a lead from the voltage regulator, a lead from fuse 5 and fuse 4 appears to be linked to fuse 3. Haven't checked to sere if it blows when signaling in both directions - running low on fuses.

I'm probably not going to have much chance to mess with it for a couple days.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by DanEC

Well - where do you suggest I start?

First, confirm that making both a LEFT turn and a RIGHT turn both blow the fuse. If it does, try removing both of the front bulbs and see if it still shorts.

[strictlypersonl]

Disconnect the front signal lights (yellow/left, green/right) and see whether the fuse still blows.

[DanEC]

I'm going to work on it tomorrow. Have a stash of about a dozen fuses on standby. Plan to look under the dash to for any sign of anything that looks pinched or otherwise amiss.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by DanEC

I'm going to work on it tomorrow. Have a stash of about a dozen fuses on standby. Plan to look under the dash to for any sign of anything that looks pinched or otherwise amiss.

Tomorrow has come. Get out to the garage and start working....

[Xack]

Can you post your wiring diagram so we can review your blog posts and take a stab at it? Thanks