LED taillights review

[Mooseman]

I just installed these taillights I bought from ebay.
[EBAY]190836751729[/EBAY]

Just a no-name, made in Taiwan set of taillights. Mine were getting water infiltration and I wanted LED's so this was the perfect solution. What I didn't notice in the ad was that there are load resistors included. Sweet!

There were no installation instructions but if you don't know what you're doing, you shouldn't be adding LED's . I put the load resistors, which have double sided tape, in the empty space just below the taillights, as in the pic. A couple of hiccups though. The brake lights didn't work at first. Simple enough, just flip the connectors around. Then, the LED parking lights would flash with the signals. Flipped the signal light connectors around, sorta helped but they still flash very dimly. Seems to be worse with the left signal than the right. Once the brakes are applied or the parking lights are on, they don't flash and everything else works as it should.

I will contact the seller to see if there is something I might have missed but I doubt it. Also, he jacked up the shipping charges to Canada to $60. I got them shipped here for $17 + $19 for taxes.

 

[TexazReece]

I have the same LED Tails and LOVE THEM :wootwoot: I got mine from a different seller on ebay but with the resistors that came with mine I just tucked them into a nice space under the tails when installed. I like these because they are led and look stock.

 

[Mooseman]

Exactly why I got them too. Doesn't look added on or just an LED bulb thrown in. Just this thing with the parking lights is a little annoying. The seller replied and he wants me to send a video as it's difficult to describe and understand exactly what it's doing.

 

[djthumper]

Those look nice.

 

[TexazReece]

Exactly why I got them too. Doesn't look added on or just an LED bulb thrown in. Just this thing with the parking lights is a little annoying. The seller replied and he wants me to send a video as it's difficult to describe and understand exactly what it's doing.

I think you may have a bad set of the led taillights. With mine I had no issues at all, see if he could possibly send you another set

 

[Mooseman]

I'm not so sure if they're defective. The upper and lower lights are totally separate, the uppers being the parking and brake lights, lowers only turn signal. The only thing connecting between the two is ground. I think that the turn signal is back feeding the parks through the ground. When I was first tweaking the connectors around, the right side was doing what the left is still doing but not anymore. Maybe pulling it in and out cleaned it out. I'll try cleaning out the connectors and see if it helps.

Shipping them back from Canada would cost me too much so I'll try just about anything to avoid that. Before I fix them, I'll take the video just as a reference.

 

[sndtechthis]

I have gotten LED bulbs from Superbrightleds.com and I have had the same issue. The LED bulbs want to be dual intensity by being half power and full power on all LEDS, but the socket has two different circuits for two different filiments in the incandecent bulb (one for park and one for brake). For the bulbs I have they say I need the 3157-SCK to add the necessary electronics to accommodate it. I haven't ordered the correct ones but I had ordered the SCK versions for the turn signals in the front by misake and when I tried them as a test they worked great so I guess they are right. Hope this helps.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

They do look good.

 

[BoldAdventure]

Yeah, think I might have to pick myself up a pair of these, decent price too and look sharp.

 

[Mooseman]

Forgot to update. My front turn signals do the same when the parks are off. Basically, when a turn signal is on, all the parks flash with it. If I pull the bulb, the parks stop flashing. Basically the front signals are backfeeding the parks. I didn't have time to check further but I'd have to go into the wiring, circuits, the flasher and relays to see why it's doing this. I got some LED bulbs for the front but they only work when the parks are on.

 

[CDJuda]

It would kinda bug me if the third brake light didn't have LED's too. Do they make a LED 3rd brake light for the TB?

 

[Playsinsnow]

It would kinda bug me if the third brake light didn't have LED's too.

Wife's car taillights are LED's but not the third brake light. It does stand out, to me. She doesn't mind it or notice because the LED's "look nice"

 

[Sparky]

Same tails I have (except mine are the "smoke" ones). Plug-n-play, have had no issues with anything except I got water in the one after I apparently inadvertently hit the lens on the edge and chipped it, cracking the seal.

 

[TexazReece]

I have the 3rd brake light led as well and they both compliment each other. Looks more complete with led tails and 3rd brake light led

 

[dmanns67]

It would kinda bug me if the third brake light didn't have LED's too. Do they make a LED 3rd brake light for the TB?

You can purchase an Avalanche 3rd brake right and it will work. BlckShdw has a write up on how to replace the OEM 3rd brake light with one from an Avalanche. It is very easy and it compliments my LED tails well.

Below is a picture of mine. All you need to do is cut the old wiring off of the OEM 3rd brake light and splice it into the new one.

View attachment 30844

 

[Blckshdw]

Forgot to update. My front turn signals do the same when the parks are off. Basically, when a turn signal is on, all the parks flash with it. If I pull the bulb, the parks stop flashing. Basically the front signals are backfeeding the parks. I didn't have time to check further but I'd have to go into the wiring, circuits, the flasher and relays to see why it's doing this. I got some LED bulbs for the front but they only work when the parks are on.

I wanna say some of the 02 models have SRCK sockets up front. Matt had a similar issue when he tried to install some switchbacks there, they wouldn't work right.

 

[Matt]

I wanna say some of the 02 models have SRCK sockets up front. Matt had a similar issue when he tried to install some switchbacks there, they wouldn't work right.

Still have issues. When the parks are on, the front indicators work. When they are off, they don't. I'm just going to replace the socket with a non-SRCK one when I have the time and money.

 

[Sparky]

I wanna say some of the 02 models have SRCK sockets up front. Matt had a similar issue when he tried to install some switchbacks there, they wouldn't work right.

Yup. My 02 has some screwball front marker wiring

 

[DDonnie]

Forgot to update. My front turn signals do the same when the parks are off. Basically, when a turn signal is on, all the parks flash with it. If I pull the bulb, the parks stop flashing. Basically the front signals are backfeeding the parks. I didn't have time to check further but I'd have to go into the wiring, circuits, the flasher and relays to see why it's doing this. I got some LED bulbs for the front but they only work when the parks are on.

What about diode isolating the ground so it cant back feed?

 

[jrSS]

I bought my depo tails and I think gives the ass end a cleaner look. I am not a fan of the bubbly tails.

 

[CdnGMan]

I myself have the exact same one Moose... the only issue I have with mine is a blown resistor on the left side with causes the dreaded hyper-flash...
I'm sure that if I ever made it out to see Harmless, he'd be able to switch that out in a heartbeat... right Stef??

One of these days I'll get around to switching out the 3rd brakelight with an Avalanche one...

 

[Sparky]

I have a spare set of resistor boxes (since I had to buy a replacement set of tails after I broke one). Not sure what shipping would cost to Canada however, or if it would even be worth it.

 

[Mooseman]

If I were to grab some non-SRCK sockets from a junker for the front lights, anybody know what models/brands to look for? How to tell the difference? Maybe using a DMM and http://gmtnation.com/f33/modding-trailblazer-throttle-body-tail-light-boards-non-srck-leds-2046/ , I could probably figure it out but cutting down search time through the yard would be nice

 

[Sparky]

You might be able to just rewire the existing sockets.

 

[Mooseman]

You might be able to just rewire the existing sockets.

Impossible. Wires go into the socket so it's all internal and no way to rewire it. I guess I'll just spend a day in the yard with a DMM.

 

[Blckshdw]

You might be able to just rewire the existing sockets.

Impossible. Wires go into the socket so it's all internal and no way to rewire it. I guess I'll just spend a day in the yard with a DMM.

Not impossible. It would just take some work and modding, that you don't have the proper game plan in place to tackle it (yet). That's all.

Although I think it would be far less work to go with Donnie's idea of introducing a diode into the system to prevent the backfeeding.

 

[Jkust]

Way back when, I had a 1995 car (Eagle Vision TSI) that had stock LED third brake light in the cool factory spoiler...I also had a 2000 minivan with the same. Never understood why they used them in novelty areas so long ago and not the rest of the car.

 

[BoldAdventure]

Anyone have a photo of these on their truck?

 

[Mooseman]

The diode would probably work except I would also like to have LED's in the front too.

 

[Sparky]

I just realized that if/when I get a newer year truck the front markers are probably wired differently than my 02... meaning I'd have to take apart and rewire my turn signals in my headlights. Fun

 

[eXplicit]

I have the OEM tail lights, but was thinking about converting to LED bulbs. Is this a viable option, or should I go with full LED tail lights? My lenses are perfect, practically new. Just figured the bulbs themselves would be good.

 

[Mooseman]

These are full LED tails and are plug and play. My particular problem with the parks is a wiring/bulb issue in the front. The only thing missing is the backup lights but I fixed that by getting these:

[EBAY]221212628977[/EBAY]

Bright is not the word.

 

[Mooseman]

Oh yeah, forgot to add the video which shows the LED tails and the problem with the parks.

[video=youtube;4OObOAy_YZM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OObOAy_YZM[/video]

 

[Matt]

I have the OEM tail lights, but was thinking about converting to LED bulbs. Is this a viable option, or should I go with full LED tail lights? My lenses are perfect, practically new. Just figured the bulbs themselves would be good.

There's a lot of us that have gone with the LED bulbs in the rears. Remember that you'll need to get one "normal" set of LED's and one SRCK set. You'll also need load resistors to stop the hyperflash...3ohm or 6ohm, depending on whether you do the fronts as well.

 

[eXplicit]

There's a lot of us that have gone with the LED bulbs in the rears. Remember that you'll need to get one "normal" set of LED's and one SRCK set. You'll also need load resistors to stop the hyperflash...3ohm or 6ohm, depending on whether you do the fronts as well.

Is there a write up anywhere on doing all of this? I'm a novice when it comes to electrical, unless it's stereo systems.

 

[Matt]

Is there a write up anywhere on doing all of this? I'm a novice when it comes to electrical, unless it's stereo systems.

The brake light needs to be an SRCK bulb, the park and reverse lights are "normal" 3157 bulbs. There's a couple of LED threads in this appearance section of the forum that you can read and will give you all the info you need. I also think May03LT has something on You Tube, under that name. He's done quite a few useful videos.

Since you can do stereo's, wiring in a load resistor will be easy.

 

[BoldAdventure]

I actually just bought these and got them today. And already discovered a possible problem. I've got the rapid blinker light when my headlights are on. My headlights are the halo projectors with LED turns. Hmmm...

 

[Blckshdw]

I actually just bought these and got them today. And already discovered a possible problem. I've got the rapid blinker light when my headlights are on. My headlights are the halo projectors with LED turns. Hmmm...

You mean just the parking lights, or when the low beams are on? I assume your turn signals flash normally when they are not on?

 

[BoldAdventure]

You mean just the parking lights, or when the low beams are on? I assume your turn signals flash normally when they are not on?

Both actually, just tested. With both parking lights only (on) or with low beams (on) the blinkers flash rapidly. When I turn the lights to the O position to turn them off (like you would to turn off DRLs) the blinkers flash normally at the correct speed.

 

[Sparky]

Those halo headlights have resistor boxes for the turns don't they?

Are they dual brightness LED or a separate row of brighter LEDs for the turn vs park?