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Thread: 21st Century tail light circuit boards

  1. #21
    DMC Midwest - 815.459.6439 DMCMW Dave's Avatar
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    Just for grins, put standard bulbs in the new boards rather than the LEDs. Then put the LEDs in your old boards. See what happens with those two combinations. I'd also check and clean the contacts right in the connectors. They are often a problem which is why the extra landings in the board were provided to allow you to replace the factory connection entirely.

    My guess is that there is nothing wrong with the boards, but the new LEDs are such low current there is a weak (poor) connection, probably a ground, that they will work through but the standard bulbs won't, and you are getting some sneak currents through other bulbs on the circuit.

    The boards are pretty simple, and everything is soldered, so there isn't much to go wrong with them.
    Dave S
    DMC Midwest - retired but helping
    Greenville SC

  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael View Post
    As far as your boards go, the brake lights may not function anymore unless the ignition is on(probably because of the LED option?). The only way to make sure is have a friend get in the car, command them to brake, light, reverse, turn signal, etc. and view for yourself from outside the car. As long as everything works with the engine/ignition on you should be fine. As far as I know, the ONLY function that works with ignition power off is brake, and your running lights of course with lights on. Turn signals and reverse will not function unless ignition is in the run(#2) position....that's with incadesant bulbs, LED's may be totally different.
    Just like George, I'm currently running LEDs in the running light, brake light, and reverse light positions only - the blinkers on both sides are still stock/OEM incandescents.

    My boards are stock/OEM.

    Brake lights still function normally for me with the ignition key in the off position. They also only ever turn on when the brake light switch is activated by depressing the brake pedal - just as they should.

    I've experienced no problems with the LEDs since installing them (except a loss of concour points because I didn't have the time to swap them back to the stock/OEM incandescents before DCS).

  3. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by DMCMW Dave View Post
    My guess is that there is nothing wrong with the boards, but the new LEDs are such low current there is a weak (poor) connection, probably a ground, that they will work through but the standard bulbs won't, and you are getting some sneak currents through other bulbs on the circuit.
    My LEDs are 7W/each and I don't have any issues in running them on the stock/OEM boards.

  4. #24
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    Hmmm... after reading through George's description of the situation again, it sounds like the brake lights are coming on whenever the engine is running, regardless of whether the light switch is activated or not.

    It will be interesting to see what switching back to the old boards, but retaining the LEDs does for him.

  5. #25
    DMC Midwest - 815.459.6439 DMCMW Dave's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by NightFlyer View Post
    My LEDs are 7W/each and I don't have any issues in running them on the stock/OEM boards.
    Mine too. And they work fine along with the others we've installed.
    Dave S
    DMC Midwest - retired but helping
    Greenville SC

  6. #26
    Mostly Harmless... refugeefromcalif's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by NightFlyer View Post
    Hmmm... after reading through George's description of the situation again, it sounds like the brake lights are coming on whenever the engine is running, regardless of whether the light switch is activated or not.
    Yes and No. I guess I didn't explain it right. They are acting like an 1157 single bulb, brake/running light setup.

    The brake lights are working when I depress the brake pedal, key On or Off just fine.
    They come on as running lights after I bump the starter, (or start the car), and leave the key in the ON position.
    The normal middle running light light only comes on with the headlight switch.

    I just like the OEM setup. Middle running light, either side of it, brake. If anything, I'd love the middle bulb to also be a brake light.

    Thanks for the replies and I'll try getting video and swap boards and bulb combinations after work today.

    George
    George.



    1974 BMW RS90 motorcycle
    1981 DeLorean. Cruise Control, Wings-A-Loft, Eibach springs, Spax shocks, Stage1 exhaust, Manual, Grey and Grooved, LED clock and fixed pulls.
    1993 del Sol S (With a Few, Upgrades)
    2017 Chrysler Pacifica Limited

  7. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by refugeefromcalif View Post
    They come on as running lights after I bump the starter, (or start the car), and leave the key in the ON position.
    Which shouldn't be happening at all. And this happens regardless of the light switch, correct - in other words, it happens with the light switch on (in either of the two on positions) or off, correct?

    So it's as if the starter circuit is triggering such activity, and then they remain on as running lights so long as the ignition is left in the on position (engine running or not).

    Looking forward to seeing what the experimentation reveals about the situation.

    Best luck

  8. #28
    DMC Midwest - 815.459.6439 DMCMW Dave's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by refugeefromcalif View Post

    They come on as running lights after I bump the starter, (or start the car), and leave the key in the ON position.
    The normal middle running light light only comes on with the headlight switch.

    I just like the OEM setup. Middle running light, either side of it, brake. If anything, I'd love the middle bulb to also be a brake light.

    George
    I have no idea how a defect in the board could do that.

    I rewired the ones in my personal car so that the center light is normal (i.e. comes on as the running tail light). However when hitting the brakes with the lights off (i.e. in the daytime) it lights up all 3 red bulbs. This took 4 diodes and does make the running light very slightly dimmer due to the voltage drop in the diode. Not really noticeable unless you compare them side by side.

    See following photo sequence. Note the side marker lights in the last two pictures.

    only lights.JPG
    Tail Lights only

    only brakes.JPG
    Tail Lights off, brakes on

    brakes with lights.JPG
    Tail lights on, brakes on
    Dave S
    DMC Midwest - retired but helping
    Greenville SC

  9. #29
    Mostly Harmless... refugeefromcalif's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DMCMW Dave View Post
    I have no idea how a defect in the board could do that.
    I never suspected the boards. I figured it Had to be something unique with my cars wiring.

    Quote Originally Posted by NightFlyer View Post
    Which shouldn't be happening at all. And this happens regardless of the light switch, correct - in other words, it happens with the light switch on (in either of the two on positions) or off, correct?
    Yep.

    So it's as if the starter circuit is triggering such activity, and then they remain on as running lights so long as the ignition is left in the on position (engine running or not).

    Looking forward to seeing what the experimentation reveals about the situation.

    Best luck
    After I got to work this morning, I was thinking of Anything that's been added to the brake light circuit when it hit me. Cruise Control.
    When your CC is On And set to a speed, using the brake pedal de-activates it, although it's still On. My CC is ON anytime I start the car. So at lunch I checked a theory.
    I found that turning the CC off when the car is running also turns off the running light glitch in my brake lights. Everything back to normal.
    Turning CC back On, the lights also go on.

    I still need to swap back to my old boards with the LEDs to see if the result is the same. I expect it's the difference with the LEDs that's causing this Weird glitch.
    I wish I had a wiring diagram for the CC unit as it's installed in my car. Then again, I'd love to have the Diag. for the Wings-A-Loft system also.

    Thanks again for the input guys!

    George
    George.



    1974 BMW RS90 motorcycle
    1981 DeLorean. Cruise Control, Wings-A-Loft, Eibach springs, Spax shocks, Stage1 exhaust, Manual, Grey and Grooved, LED clock and fixed pulls.
    1993 del Sol S (With a Few, Upgrades)
    2017 Chrysler Pacifica Limited

  10. #30
    Senior Member Bitsyncmaster's Avatar
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    Is it just a very dim light on the brake light with the cruse on? The cruse control probably uses a pull up resistor so it's putting some power into the LEDs. You can fix it by putting a resistor over the brake light circuit. I would try a 10 Kohm and reduce that value until the lights don't glow.
    Dave M vin 03572
    http://dm-eng.weebly.com/

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