VIN 16951 from France

[Domi]

Hello all,
About 2 years ago, I installed the Drayron board (see previous page)
I have a little problem with it.
When I hit the breaks, my light doesn't lit up, sometimes a little bit ans sometimes almost nothing.
On the other hand, if I switch on the light, then my 3 lights works ans when I hit the breaks, it also work.
It does not work only if my switch is off. It should work and it was working fine so far.
Does anyone occurs this problem?
Thank you for your kind help.
--> Break pedal no light
IMG_3139.jpg
--> Light switch ON
IMG_3137.jpg
--> Light switch ON + Break pedal
IMG_3138.jpg

[Mark D]

Each taillight board is somewhat independent of the other, so the fact that the brake lights are not coming on either side unless the headlights are on makes me think there is something going on with the vehicle's wiring, not the boards.

If you have your original tail light boards I'd try swapping one or both back in to see if the issue persists. There could be an issue with the ground for the brake light circuit causing them to not work, but when the running lights are on, the brake lights are able to find an alternate path to ground.

EDIT:

One other thing worth testing: On each of the Drayron boards, microswitch #4 controls if all three red lights are illuminated as running lights, or just the center one (as standard). ON = three lights, OFF = single center light. Try flipping the switch to OFF on each board to see if that changes the behavior you're seeing with the brake lights.

[Domi]

Thank you for your answer.
Everything was working fine since 2 years.
So, I guess a bad ground could be the problem, but why on both boards at the same time.
I'll try to put back my PJ Grady's board to see if everything is working fine with normal bulb, instead of Leds.
On the other hand, both connectors are news with new soldering.

[Domi]

By the way, I don't have the sequential tail light, but the normal one.
There is only one ground on this board, so it's really weird why it isn't working properly.
I have cleaned all the contact which were changed 2 years ago, so they weren't really dirty.
Put some contact spray on the bulbs,but it works only 1 time on 6...
On the other hand, it works fine with my old PJ Grady's boards and normal bulbs.
So, for now I have put them back because it's too dangerous to drive like this, the car's behind you might not seen when you hit the breaks...
IMG_3140.jpg
IMG_3141.jpg

[DMC-Ron]

Hello all,
About 2 years ago, I installed the Drayron board (see previous page)
I have a little problem with it.
When I hit the breaks, my light doesn't lit up, sometimes a little bit ans sometimes almost nothing.
On the other hand, if I switch on the light, then my 3 lights works ans when I hit the breaks, it also work.
It does not work only if my switch is off. It should work and it was working fine so far.
Does anyone occurs this problem?
Thank you for your kind help.
--> Break pedal no light
IMG_3139.jpg
--> Light switch ON
IMG_3137.jpg
--> Light switch ON + Break pedal
IMG_3138.jpg

Domi,
Based on your photos and your description, this is an issue we have not seen before. I believe you have our enhanced taillight board, not the sequencer board. The enhanced board is direct wired. There is no microcontroller or electronic switching in that product. In that sense, its circuitry is it is similar to the original taillight board and to all the other vendor offerings including the Grady board with the exception that we use dual filament 1157 lights for the middle three segments.

In any event, we would like to work with you to resolve the issue. Let's get a conversation going. You can contact us at [email protected]

Sincerely,
Ron Anderson
DRAYRON
[email protected]

[Domi]

Hello Ron, yes it is the enhanced taillight board, not the sequencer board.
That's why I don't understand why the breaks are working with lights ON and not alone like before.
I guess it it was a faulty ground on the car, the other board won't be able to work properly, but that's not the case as you can see on the photos above.
I will try to makes them work in the next few days, but for now the old boards are back in the car.
I will see if its working properly like this, and then try to put your boards back on the car.
Anyway, thank you for your help. I will send you an email when I will work again on the car.

[DMC-Ron]

Domi,
After some deliberation, we have a working theory that fits the symptoms. When you get back to working on the car I have some tests for you.

First, the theory: We believe that the brake signal is not getting full voltage. We're guessing its getting about 8 volts. 8 volts is commonly the trigger point for LED bulbs. Below 8 they will not turn on. Just above 8 and they will sometimes light up very dimly. Incandescent bulbs on the other hand, show filament glow at 4 volts and at 7 volts glow very similar to your photo (but photos are hard to judge).

Verification: Simply checking the DC voltage on the brake circuit at the taillight connector while the brake lights are on would be the simple method to verify. If it's reading 8 or less volts this would identify the issue. Should you not have a volt meter, an alternate test would be to remove all but one brake light bulb. You should observe the remaining bulb glowing much brighter. An additional test would be to swap the running bulb and one of the brake light bulbs. Turn on the running lights and press the brake. You should observe a side-by-side marked difference in bulb intensity (by the way, it's perfectly OK to put the larger 1156 bulb in the middle running light socked for this test).

Assuming the brake circuit has a low voltage issue, the problem is in the common components and wiring serving the taillights since both lights are presenting the anomaly. The most likely (and fortunately easiest to fix) cause of the low brake light voltage would be the fuse. Since you have a later 83 version car, your brake fuse is #18 in the fuse block. Remove this fuse and inspect the fuse blades and fuse box connectors. Clean both with DeoxIT electronic cleaner, CorrsionX, or some other cleaner. Consider installing a new 20 amp silver plated fuse. You can use a multimeter at the fuse to confirm the fuse is receiving and delivering 12 volts. If you verify full 12 volts on both sides of the fuse (with the brake lights on) the next possibility is the brake switch. It's located above the brake pedal and with a meter you can verify a full 12 volts on both sides of the switch (with the brake pedal on). If there is a voltage drop across the switch it will need to be cleaned or replaced. If the switch is OK, then the wiring harness is suspect. Check the black bulkhead connector pin 41(green-purple wire). You may need to clean the connector and push it into position to insure good connection.

Please let me know what you find. If none of the above proves helpful let me know and we'll work with you to troubleshoot further.

Ron Anderson
DRAYRON
[email protected]

[Domi]

Ron,
Thank you very much for the leads.
First of all I will start to clean the connector above the break pedal. Then, I will clean/change the 20A fuse and connectors.
I do have a voltmeter, so I will be able to check the voltage on the circuit board.

[Domi]

I have cleaned all the main components, and was able to measure the voltage on the board.
The result is 11,6 volts.
For now, I don't put them back on place and keep going with the old board.
I will see how it goes in the future.
If it still works like this, I will try to put the Led back to see how it goes then.
IMG_3151.jpgIMG_3152.jpgIMG_3153.jpgIMG_3159.jpg

[DMC-Ron]

Domi,
If that 11.6 volts was measured with both old taillight boards in place and the incandescent brake bulbs glowing, then that is a good result. If it was measured without the boards and bulbs, then not very helpful and further testing is warranted.

If I assume your 11.6 volts was with boards and bulbs, and engine off (battery only), congratulations, the issue should be resolved. I would expect the new boards to work well and be much brighter than the incandescent older boards. I would encourage you to reinstall your new boards. I think you will find the visibility of your car greatly enhanced.

Please let me know how things go.

Ron Anderson
DRAYRON