LED tail lights and making the brake and blinker the same wire?
10-10-2014, 08:12 AM
#22
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The way I deal with it is just always have my lights on. The other idea I'm having is to splice in to factory wiring harness like I did with the extra turn signals and not even use the trailer wiring harness. Probably going to explore this more this weekend so that all 4 lights flash the same and at the same time. As you can see in the video I have no right LED turn signal until I push on the brakes. I would like to make it so the LEDs are just brake and tail, and try to track down some amber lenses for my turns.
I also am thinking about getting some small white lights to use as reverse lights and plug those in the same way. Apparently my truck doesn't meet safety standards. Something about a cracked windshield, no spare tire, no reverse lights, no license plate lights, and modified (no cat) exhaust.
I also am thinking about getting some small white lights to use as reverse lights and plug those in the same way. Apparently my truck doesn't meet safety standards. Something about a cracked windshield, no spare tire, no reverse lights, no license plate lights, and modified (no cat) exhaust.
Last edited by Badger62811; 10-10-2014 at 08:15 AM.
10-10-2014, 08:40 AM
#23
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the beginning of the video is very similar to what mine are doing (I have been leaving the lights on also) i have read somewhere that there is a way to hook in a diode in line that will fix this problem but cant find any real info.
I was in the same boat with back up lights and license plate lights. For the license plate lights check out DEI Light N boltz, I just hooked mine up they work awesome. And for the back up lights I will wire them in this weekend but I found a set of rigid dually flood lights ( they are incredibly bright )
I was in the same boat with back up lights and license plate lights. For the license plate lights check out DEI Light N boltz, I just hooked mine up they work awesome. And for the back up lights I will wire them in this weekend but I found a set of rigid dually flood lights ( they are incredibly bright )
10-10-2014, 12:13 PM
#24
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. I am getting cross feed between the blinkers, it is only slight but it is enough to bother me is there any way to fix this?Does it do it both ways? (I.e., right blinker ON causes flicker in left, and left blinker ON causes flicker in right.)
Last edited by RJR; 10-10-2014 at 12:14 PM.
10-13-2014, 03:27 AM
#25
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Yes it does it both ways, and I also believe it is the trailer converter. I have to do some harness work I think I will try putting a resistor in line?
Last edited by oldmansimek; 10-13-2014 at 03:29 AM.
10-13-2014, 06:46 AM
#26
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I'd think (I havn't put much thought into it though) that you could just trigger a relay for one light with the tailer converter, then trigger a second for the other light off the line from the first, so one is on, the other is off. It'd be one normally open, triggering a normally closed. So if your outside lights are turn only, then they'd act as running lights unless you have them flashing, as long as the key is on, regardless of the headlight or running light switch's status. Then the center two would be brake only, no running lights, unless you had the turn signal on. You may need to use some diodes in there to isolate the two sides but maybe not.. Can't remember quite how they are wired up upstream.
Edit: Just realized, every time you'd hit the brakes your running lights (outside lights) would turn off.. Might be sortable though by just using some diodes on the brake and turn wires, then splicing them together after the diodes, and using a resistor (every single car stereo shop should sell them, and places that sell the super cheap LED bulbs). I have used the resistors before, and they are like little ceramic rectangles that need to be mounted somewhere that'll get some air just to keep them from getting too hot, but never had problems with them on reverse lights before to prevent the LEDs from burning out (the cheap ones are not made quite right to handle 12v on their own) (the only thing those directional LED lamps are any use for), but I've used them on turns too and they work out there. You MAY need one resistor for both the brake and turn, or one for each brake and turn, though that'd be easy to give a try.
Edit: Just realized, every time you'd hit the brakes your running lights (outside lights) would turn off.. Might be sortable though by just using some diodes on the brake and turn wires, then splicing them together after the diodes, and using a resistor (every single car stereo shop should sell them, and places that sell the super cheap LED bulbs). I have used the resistors before, and they are like little ceramic rectangles that need to be mounted somewhere that'll get some air just to keep them from getting too hot, but never had problems with them on reverse lights before to prevent the LEDs from burning out (the cheap ones are not made quite right to handle 12v on their own) (the only thing those directional LED lamps are any use for), but I've used them on turns too and they work out there. You MAY need one resistor for both the brake and turn, or one for each brake and turn, though that'd be easy to give a try.
Last edited by the 38 special; 10-13-2014 at 06:54 AM. Reason: added some stuff
10-13-2014, 07:23 AM
#29
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It has some goofs, like a lack of a power source and diode for the brake light from the turn signal side (its just connecting the brake and turn wires together at the top with a diode to block power from turning the turn signals on when you hit the brakes, but allowing it to flow the other direction... and a few missing ground wires...
Toyota uses switched grounds instead of switching the positive side (safer) unlike most manufacturers, so you'd have to adjust it for that (maybe later when my brain works I can draw up another for you, or someone whos brain is lightly more active can sort it out for you).. I wrote it up with switched positives because that was what I worked with most so its my default way of thinking about this stuff. All it really means is instead of putting the switch on the positive wire, they run a ground wire all the way to the light (instead of just grounding it directly to the body at the light, and they don't have to run power wires into the cab) and put the switch on the ground, then worst case is it grounds out the ground wire, and your light turns on, instead of grounding a positive and frying something or catching fire.. But the tail lights might not be a switched ground, that might just be the headlights they did that with since they use a lot of power so its more beneficial there and doesn't require so much extra wiring.
Toyota uses switched grounds instead of switching the positive side (safer) unlike most manufacturers, so you'd have to adjust it for that (maybe later when my brain works I can draw up another for you, or someone whos brain is lightly more active can sort it out for you).. I wrote it up with switched positives because that was what I worked with most so its my default way of thinking about this stuff. All it really means is instead of putting the switch on the positive wire, they run a ground wire all the way to the light (instead of just grounding it directly to the body at the light, and they don't have to run power wires into the cab) and put the switch on the ground, then worst case is it grounds out the ground wire, and your light turns on, instead of grounding a positive and frying something or catching fire.. But the tail lights might not be a switched ground, that might just be the headlights they did that with since they use a lot of power so its more beneficial there and doesn't require so much extra wiring.
10-13-2014, 07:33 AM
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What is happening here?
Right side of the schematic, starting with the Brake light wire, it goes through a diode, just because it can, though its probably not necessary (I'd need to see how its wired upstream to be sure), then into a normally closed relay, which is just a switch that is thrown by an electromagnet. This one is normally closed, so power can flow through it when the electromagnet is not activated. Its safe enough for brakes because if it fails, it fails in the closed position, meaning your brake lights still work (I wrote it up so if both relays fail, your outside turn signal will still work, and your brake light will still work, but the brake light won't blink, just the outside light).
Now, on the blink side:
Power goes through another probably pointless diode, and powers your turn signal.
Then into the electromagnet side of the relay, which closes (this is a normally open relay, so normally an open circuit) and powers the other relay (the one on the right), which makes the brake light turn off. So when your turn signal blinks, your brake light turns off. When your turn signal turns off, your brake light turns on.
I need to fix this so that the brake light actually gets power if you don't have your foot on the brake when the turn signal is on, which means just connecting the input from the brake light relay electromagnet positive side to the brake light relay switched positive side (with a diode, this one is necessary). And I need to sort out the way the blinker works so that it is normally on, so you have a running light, unless you use your cool Trailer box for that, but that'd mess with the brake lights, so.. blah
I'll come back to this later.
Right side of the schematic, starting with the Brake light wire, it goes through a diode, just because it can, though its probably not necessary (I'd need to see how its wired upstream to be sure), then into a normally closed relay, which is just a switch that is thrown by an electromagnet. This one is normally closed, so power can flow through it when the electromagnet is not activated. Its safe enough for brakes because if it fails, it fails in the closed position, meaning your brake lights still work (I wrote it up so if both relays fail, your outside turn signal will still work, and your brake light will still work, but the brake light won't blink, just the outside light).
Now, on the blink side:
Power goes through another probably pointless diode, and powers your turn signal.
Then into the electromagnet side of the relay, which closes (this is a normally open relay, so normally an open circuit) and powers the other relay (the one on the right), which makes the brake light turn off. So when your turn signal blinks, your brake light turns off. When your turn signal turns off, your brake light turns on.
I need to fix this so that the brake light actually gets power if you don't have your foot on the brake when the turn signal is on, which means just connecting the input from the brake light relay electromagnet positive side to the brake light relay switched positive side (with a diode, this one is necessary). And I need to sort out the way the blinker works so that it is normally on, so you have a running light, unless you use your cool Trailer box for that, but that'd mess with the brake lights, so.. blah
I'll come back to this later.
10-13-2014, 08:49 AM
#31
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I really appreciate the input but that whole schematic and too much information just makes me feel like i'm stuck at work (I am a cnc machine mechanic). I tested my trailer converter sure enough it is getting bleed through, I was going to do the whole diode route but instead I found a trailer converter for motorcycle led lights I think I will try.
10-13-2014, 07:58 PM
#32
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One thing you might try to stop the cross feed is to run a ground wire directly from the battery to your lights. You can ground it to the frame back there if you want (I never do because that opens up a corrosion point) but use that wire specifically for your lighting ground. With a lesser resistance return to ground your cross talk might be eliminated.
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