tail light resistor question- best place to mount resistor

[shadowhawk]

I've got to add a resistor to my Spyder tails to fix the "turn signal bulb out" condition. Word is to mount it away from plastic due to the heat. Where would you all suggest I put the resistor?

TIA
Geoff

 

[Dinky]

Straight back there is room behind actual light. Make sure its mounted to metal it will melt plastic. Also you should look into AlfaOBD you wont need resistors then

 

[shadowhawk]

Straight back there is room behind actual light. Make sure its mounted to metal it will melt plastic. Also you should look into AlfaOBD you wont need resistors then

I've tried Alfa and never got it to get rid of my error. I've got the sport model, and it had LED tails from the factory, and replaced it with led tails. According to the manufacturer, there shouldn't be an error- but there is

 

[Jimmy07]

I've tried Alfa and never got it to get rid of my error. I've got the sport model, and it had LED tails from the factory, and replaced it with led tails. According to the manufacturer, there shouldn't be an error- but there is

If the new tails are actually working and the only thing that happens is you get the error, then just use the alfa to shut down the error detection. It’s under CBC features- rear lighting DTC disable.

 

[shadowhawk]

If the new tails are actually working and the only thing that happens is you get the error, then just use the alfa to shut down the error detection. It’s under CBC features- rear lighting DTC disable.

but that also means I won't know when the tail actually fails. I would rather fix the issue, not mask it

 

[atom13]

Resistors are no real solutions IMHO. Mainly due to heat. I would play around with alfa more if I were you. I added led tails with built in resistors that somehow failed after 4 months. Lucky they came with external jumpers. I enabled led in alfa and disconnected the resistor jumper. Everything has been good for the last month or so.


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[shadowhawk]

Resistors are no real solutions IMHO. Mainly due to heat. I would play around with alfa more if I were you. I added led tails with built in resistors that somehow failed after 4 months. Lucky they came with external jumpers. I enabled led in alfa and disconnected the resistor jumper. Everything has been good for the last month or so.


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you're missing the point. I already had LED tails, so enabling them in alfa should do squat for me.

 

[Jimmy07]

Resistors are no real solutions IMHO. Mainly due to heat. I would play around with alfa more if I were you. I added led tails with built in resistors that somehow failed after 4 months. Lucky they came with external jumpers. I enabled led in alfa and disconnected the resistor jumper. Everything has been good for the last month or so.


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Thing is, he had factory led tails. That means the led tails and led rear turns are already set from the get go, so there’s nothing else for the alfa to do.

 

[Dinky]

I've tried Alfa and never got it to get rid of my error. I've got the sport model, and it had LED tails from the factory, and replaced it with led tails. According to the manufacturer, there shouldn't be an error- but there is

Try turning off Led and make halogen present in alfa. I know leds pull less power but enough led and you will draw more power.

 

[shadowhawk]

Try turning off Led and make halogen present in alfa. I know leds pull less power but enough led and you will draw more power.

I can try that. I've done everything else, including turning LED off and then back on.

 

[shadowhawk]

these are the error codes:


Error code: B1646
Rear Right Turn Lamp Control
Short circuit to + battery/Open circuit
Last test completed unsuccessfully
Error present
Failure warning lamp 'ON': Not requested
Error code: B1642
Rear Left Turn Lamp Control
Short circuit to + battery/Open circuit
Last test completed unsuccessfully
Error present
Failure warning lamp 'ON': Not requested
___________________________
'Clear fault codes' command sent
___________________________
'Clear fault codes' command sent
___________________________
Reading faults for: Body Control Module MY 2016
___________________
Faults reported:
2019/01/01 18:03:23.954
Faults found.
B1642
B1646
Error code: B1642
Rear Left Turn Lamp Control
Short circuit to + battery/Open circuit
Last test completed unsuccessfully
Error present
Failure warning lamp 'ON': Not requested
Test Failed: Yes
Test Failed This Monitoring Cycle: Yes
Confirmed DTC
Test Not Completed This Monitoring Cycle: No
Warning Indicator Requested: No
Error counter: 1
Original Odometer Value: 45840 km
Most Recent Odometer Value: 45840 km
Frequency Counter: 1 km
Ignition Cycle Counter: 0 km
___________________________
Reading faults for: Body Control Module MY 2016
___________________
Faults reported:
2019/01/01 18:18:37.346
Faults found.
B1642
B1646

 

[werdna1977]

So i have spyder led tails and they replaced my factory led tails. I dont get any error message for the tails. I replaced my reverse bulb with an led and then i got the error message so i added a resistor to it and never had another issue. I mounted the resistor right to the truck body behind the taillight assembly. Hope this helps

 

[shadowhawk]

So i have spyder led tails and they replaced my factory led tails. I dont get any error message for the tails. I replaced my reverse bulb with an led and then i got the error message so i added a resistor to it and never had another issue. I mounted the resistor right to the truck body behind the taillight assembly. Hope this helps

I haven't pulled the tails off since I got the resistors to see how much room is back there. I'll figure it out.

 

[atom13]

you're missing the point. I already had LED tails, so enabling them in alfa should do squat for me.

I said to play with the alfa setting. If it's set to led and resistors are added wouldn't it set off code for high current draw? Just letting you know what worked for me.


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[shadowhawk]

I said to play with the alfa setting. If it's set to led and resistors are added wouldn't it set off code for high current draw? Just letting you know what worked for me.


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I appreciate the suggestion, really. It just when you have LED and replace with LED, it shouldn't set off codes. I played with the settings and still have the error. Adding a resistor reduces load, not increases it.

 

[JB1]

Have you tried setting it to halogen and not using the resistor?

 

[shadowhawk]

Have you tried setting it to halogen and not using the resistor?

from what I can see there is only LED yes/no. I did not see a halogen option. I have set it to "no" with the same error still present

 

[atom13]

I appreciate the suggestion, really. It just when you have LED and replace with LED, it shouldn't set off codes. I played with the settings and still have the error. Adding a resistor reduces load, not increases it.

Resistors increases load. That’s why people put them on leds to fool them into seeing a higher load that it looks for with halogen bulbs. If you add resistors I would set led to NO.

Worst case is turn tail light checks off and live like a caveman circa 1990.

FWIW I had tails with resistors and got messages and drop out for my led tails. Finally got Alfa and disconnected the resistors, set my tails to led and disable tail light check. Works like it should now.

 

[BWL]

I wonder if the brake and signal lights are just a higher draw than factory, but too low to run led off. Errors are just signals so I'd check plugs since the harnesses aren't the best on a lot of the aftermarket lights either. Resistor probably will not solve the problem. Most of the led replacements say not for vehicles with factory led lights so maybe their tolerances aren't tight enough.

 

[shadowhawk]

I wonder if the brake and signal lights are just a higher draw than factory, but too low to run led off. Errors are just signals so I'd check plugs since the harnesses aren't the best on a lot of the aftermarket lights either. Resistor probably will not solve the problem. Most of the led replacements say not for vehicles with factory led lights so maybe their tolerances aren't tight enough.

There are 2 version of aftermarket lights- those meant to replace incandescent, and those to replace LED. I bought the LED version, designed specifically for the sport trim line. The manufacturer is stumped, as well.

so with the error disabled, does the turn signal still fast-blink?