Led tail light problem

[Jeepsinker]

So I picked up a pair of Riverside l.e.d tail lights the other day and got around to installing them today. Now, to date I have only swapped the headlights and the tails out to led. Everything works great except for the blackout functions. The tails not only stay on with the blackout lights, but they actually brighten like they would if the brake pedal were depressed. I still have the old style flasher unit, but I wouldn't think that would have any effect on the markers. Any helpful insights/ suggestions are appreciated.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Pica? Are you sure the numbers are hooked up right? How are they grounded?

 

[DeucesWild11]

Ditto, did you run a separate ground wire for the LED's? I have a set that I didn't install yet and the guy that sold them to me gave me a ground wire for each as well and told me they needed that to work properly.

 

[Jeepsinker]

Yeah they have a dedicated ground lead, which is attached the the mounting bolt for the light brackets. All numbers matched up, triple checked that. Could be the ground I suppose, but I figured they wouldn't light at all if that were the case. I wish I could post pics but they always post upside down or not at all from my phone and tapatalk doesn't work for me.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Yeah, tapatalk tells me to contact the site admin, go figure.

 

[Jeepsinker]

I'm going to try drilling a new hole in the frame for a fresh good ground on each light tomorrow and see if that fixes it. The lights are brand new so they shouldn't have any issues.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Thats what the star washers are for! Also, try putting voltage to the wires from a power source, not the truck. Then you will know if the issue is with the truck. I would then measure the truck's wires for voltage maybe bleeding over. Did you check to make sure the old tail lights didn't do this? Just a couple things off the top of my head to try.

 

[welldigger]

If the blackouts don't work and they are led's then my guess is they are toast. Ask me how I know. Seriously, these things are so poorly designed I won't waste my money on them.

The only other reason they won't work is if your not getting power or bad ground. Run a temporary ground from the batteries and test them that way.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Welldigger, he said the taillights come on with the BO lights, not that they don't work.

 

[welldigger]

Ah, sorry, overlooked that part. Sounds like a short then. Possibly an internal short in the taillights wiring.

Jeepsinker, did the origional lights work correctly?

A buddy here locally has a deuce that a peterbuilt dealership attempted to rewire. Its going to be a literal nightmare to straiten out. When you step on tbe brakes one front park light comes on.....along with many other electrical gremlins.

 

[Jeepsinker]

Everything original worked correctly, and everything now works correctly except the blackouts. When I turn the blackouts on they come on alright but so do the brake lights.

 

[Jeepsinker]

I have plugged each wire in on the tail lights separately and all the functions work that way but when I plug more wires in at the same time they act stupid. Could I have a bleed over problem in the three lever switch? It seems now as if it may be a bleed over problem on just the blackout side.
Oh, and before anyone asks why I need the blackouts anyway, I do actually need them from time to time.

 

[ATPTac]

I have plugged each wire in on the tail lights separately and all the functions work that way but when I plug more wires in at the same time they act stupid. Could I have a bleed over problem in the three lever switch? It seems now as if it may be a bleed over problem on just the blackout side.
Oh, and before anyone asks why I need the blackouts anyway, I do actually need them from time to time.

You've got me curious now...

 

[welldigger]

Well start by taking one of the old housings and plugging it in. Then pull the lens off. See if the bo bulb lights up. It may be an incandescent bulb is either too dim to notice or has enough resistance it won't light up. If both led housings do the same thing then I'd agree that your 3 lever switch is bleeding power out.

 

[m-35tom]

take the rear harness connector apart and look for corrosion. it is near the airpack under the truck.

 

[Jeepsinker]

Will do the above mentioned things. There are certain places on the training grounds around Fort Polk that you can only enter at night if you have a vehicle equipped with blackout lights. I have friends in the that are 509th Geronimo opfor and I go out and see them/ bring them food and other things while they are in the field. They also work well with my night vision goggles.

 

[3dAngus]

Could still be the ground. Grind the connection down to bare metal on the truck under the bolt and same on the mounting bolt head. If/when you get it working, consider putting silicone over the ground connection to seal out any moisture. Some of the units in the field resorted to doing that with their trailer mounter LEDs tailights.
You can even have a bad ground on one side, affecting the full operation of the led light on the other side. Weird stuff!

 

[ATPTac]

Will do the above mentioned things. There are certain places on the training grounds around Fort Polk that you can only enter at night if you have a vehicle equipped with blackout lights. I have friends in the that are 509th Geronimo opfor and I go out and see them/ bring them food and other things while they are in the field. They also work well with my night vision goggles.

Ah. Well that's less exciting than I was initially imagining . Still cool none the less.

 

[Jeepsinker]

Lots of good info here. Going to spend today packing hubs and tracking down my light problem.

 

[Jeepsinker]

Well I got two hubs packed today, a leaky wheel cylinder found and changed, and changed the three lever switch out. So I ruled out the switch as the problem. I did not get to relocate the grounds.