LED tail lights with turn signals? A fix needed

gearloose

gearloose

Member
I just installed R and L LED tail light assembles and find that I can not use them as turn signals as I have in the past with the old double contact incandescent tail lights . Because the LED stop light is a single wire and not a double contact the current from the turn signal goes to both lights and blinks like a four way. Any know fix for this? I drive the A a lot and like the better light the LEDs give.
Dan
 
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On mine anyway, there are 2 sockets in the tail light. The upper portion is the stop light, the lower is the tail light. The upper portion is used as both a stop and turn.

The LED has 2 pigtails, one plugs into each socket. The lower one makes the LED shine (not so bright), the upper one makes the LED shine bright when the brakes are applied or the turn signal is actuated for that side.

The picture shows the LH tail light with the 2 pigtails and the license light that is also attached to the lower pigtail.
 

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carl; leds are a good choice...you didnt say 6v or 12v....guys been putting resistor inline to actuate flasher....lot on web about this...probably some good wiring diagrams also...been going to do this myself.....goodluck with your model (A)..kev
 
Dan, what type of switch are you using? The "seven" wire type switch separates the Right and Left side so the turn signals and brake lights work correctly.
 

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It's not the LEDs. When you add a tail light by just extending the wire from the left to the right tail light it makes no difference, incandescent or LED. To use any fixture as a turn signal you need a wire from each fixture to the switch.
 
I think it would help to know just what lights you are trying to use and what turn switch you have.

Some of the LEDs have a wire connecting both top and bottom lights, and, that wire needs to be clipped.

It sounds to me as though you are saying that both L and R lights come on when using the turn switch. Are both lights flashing ? Or none flashing ? The post is confusing to me, but, confusion is my normal state of mind.

Then you can let us know when you have trouble with the flash rate.
 
Patrick L. said:
...Some of the LEDs have a wire connecting both top and bottom lights, and, that wire needs to be clipped...
Click to expand...
If you leave the wire as it comes (ie: unclipped), the LED acts like a modern tail light where the tail light burns dim and when brakes are applied (or signal actuated), burns bright.

Clipping the wire separates the upper from the lower section and each section acts on it's own. Thereby you have the lower portion as the tail light and the upper portion as the stop (or turn) light.
 
Before you go clipping any wires on the LED lamps, understand why there is that wire linking the upper and lower LED segments. With that wire intact, both upper and lower segments will illuminate when you turn on the lights and when you activate brake/turn signal, both upper and lower segments will become much brighter! This works best with solid red LEDs. If you have Amber/red LEDs and want them to work as original, clip that connecting wire.
 
I have probably installed a dozen of these on my A's as well as friends cars. I never said that the wire in question had anything to do with lens color. If you want the upper and lower segments to operate independent of each other (as original) clip the wire. If you are using LEDS for maximum visibility, don't clip the wire.
 
Y-Blockhead said:
Dan, what type of switch are you using? The "seven" wire type switch separates the Right and Left side so the turn signals and brake lights work correctly.
Click to expand...

I have the seven wire switch wired in as showed. I disconnected the wire from the stop light switch to the LED tail lights as it is not needed anymore. I wired the car back when I had the stock tail lights with no turn signals. With just the turn signal wire connected to the LED tail light stop light wire everything works right. Now that the stop light power goes through the turn switch and is separate from the turn signal circuit there is no feed back.
Thanks for the fix,
Dan
 
I have previously posted a switching arrangement using relays to accomplish this.
I was told it could be accomplished with the seven way switch.
Does anyone have a diagram of the internal workings of the seven way switch. I can't seem to find it online.
Thanks
Lee
 
Please feel free to call me at United Pacific Industries. I am sure it can be sorted out easy and quickly. David 866-327-5288
 
l.e.d.man said:
Please feel free to call me at United Pacific Industries. I am sure it can be sorted out easy and quickly. David 866-327-5288
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I.e.d.man. Don't know if you are the person that started this light product off but your company MAKES A GREAT PRODUCT. Have had my led light's from UNITED PACIFIC IND. for about 2 years now . Model A people if you haven't used this system you are really missing out. I will never have another A without these tail lights. GREAT PRODUCT AND THANKS FOR HELPING OUR HOBBY BE SAFER. Have fun modelAtony tony white Lafayette, LA
 
l.e.d.man said:
Please feel free to call me at United Pacific Industries. I am sure it can be sorted out easy and quickly. David 866-327-5288
Click to expand...







Well, this is good. David may know of a 6v electronic flasher that will work in both 2 and 3 prong.

I've yet to try an EF-33W.
 
I just installed two LED tail lights from a dependable vendor. The lights were manufactured by United Pacific. On one of the tail lights the lower section would not come on and the turn signal flash was very weak. Earlier in the week it was the upper section that would not come on.

I disassembled the light and found that the LED electronics plugs into a light bulb socket, one each for the lower and upper section.

I had a good ground from the light fixture attachment screws to the frame but no ground on shell of the inoperative section. After much head scratching I pushed the socket out of the powder coated housing and found that the flanged hole the socket was pressed into had not had the powder coating removed. The socket gets it ground through the powder coating housing.

After cleaning out the powder coating the light work fine. I pushed out the socket on the working light and found some of the same powder coating in the socket bore.

I don't believe there is any way this light could have passed a functional test. Out of the box it was inop.
 

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Gearloose, just saw your thread about the lights. If still having any trouble, please call 866-327-5288. We will definitely get the lights working for you. United Pacific Industries.
 
Just had a 2nd failure of a United Pacific tea cup LED tail light. The ground between the case and the pressed in light socket is intermittent.
 
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