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dash lights come on with brakes!!?? help!

xtascox

Hard-core CEG'er
Joined
Sep 13, 2007
Messages
1,132
Location
Philadelphia, PA
Ok. So I installed some LED tail lights yesterday along with the load equalizers. Everthing is all fine and dandy except I noticed two things. When I hit the brakes, my dash lights come on very dimly even with the headlights off completely. This is annoying because it also makes the display on the radio disappear. Also, my turn signals flash normally when the headlights are off, but as soon as I turn on even the parking lights the blinker blinks fast again! what the #%#@$% is going on???
 
Sounds like the power from the taillights/brakelights is back feeding into the rest of the system. I would double check the wiring that you did for the LED taillight/brakelight. Check out your wiring schematic, you have a wiring issue for sure.
 
yea its definitly gotta be back voltage. But I double checked the load equalizers and they are in there right but possibly they are feeding power back to the system? I'm leaving for work now but I'm going to check D1 and D2 on my way out. Anything else it could be?
 
Sounds pretty cut and dry to me... your brake/turn wire is connected to the parking light wire.

Do you have dual action LED lights (bright/dim corresponding with brake/tail) to replace the dual filament factory lamps? If not, then the LED light could be the culprit.
 
yea the led has to be it because it even did it before i wired in the load equalizers. So then should i return the leds and get a different brand? I am pretty sure they are dual action being that they adjust brightness according to brakes or normal lighting... but still...
 
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well a quick test showed it was the LED's. I'm going to look for the packaging and receipt so I can return them tomorrow hopefully. Anyone recommend any
led 1157's? The one's I'm having problems with are from Advanced but I'm thinking of trying streetglow ones next.
 
Well I was wrong. The problem actually persisted when I put the original bulbs back in. Well what else could it be... the load equalizers! I cut them out in the freezing cold air when I got home tonight and voila, everything is back to normal. I'm just going to have to find a way to handle the flashing of the LED's, anyone know a flasher that will do this. I found another thread like that but there were really no specifics as to what flasher would do the job/fit.
According to that thread I need an electronic one with no bulb out indicator... everyone gives me weird looks at the auto parts stores when I ask for that...
 
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