Brake LED not working properly

[Drew]

G'day,

I replaced the 3 brake lights with LEDs, the two on the bumper work fine however the eye level one doesn't come on and only flickers for a fraction when the brake pedal is released. The incandescent bulb works fine.

I checked with the supplier and they said it was an earth issue. I checked for power/earth using a pen tester thingy :) and a multimeter, both show power with or without the LED inserted.

Any ideas ?

[teno45]

Able to swap them between positions? Put the light you know works in the problem position, problem light in the good position?

[Drew]

Able to swap them between positions? Put the light you know works in the problem position, problem light in the good position?

I don't know of any other spot to try it. The bulb is a different type http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/77.jpg as opposed to http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/09/78.jpg

The second pic is the parker/stop in the bumper, the first is the eye level stop light

[patch697]

Is it fitting in the light socket properly?

Just check the pins from the incandescent bulb against the 2 contacts on the bottom then check the LED against it just to be sure.

If nothing else it rules out that being a possible cause.

[Yendor]

What part of the socket had power, was is the centre part of the socket or the housing/body?

[Drew]

I tested the bulb (while it was in the socket) by touching the side of the bulb (-ve) (not the socket itself so that I knew that there was some contact) and the wire inside the socket (+ve) and there was power. Should I do it differently ?

I'll check the pins out Patch.

What confuses me is that it flashes when my foot comes off the brake and not on when I would've expected.

[Drew]

Ok, the distance between the base of the bulb and the bottom of the pins is close enough the be the same. I didn't have a bee around to measure that fine. :)

[threedogs]

I have these fitted with no issues RHS one has 120 smd LEDs

[Drew]

Yup, not much can go wrong, can't even put it in the wrong way.

I'm starting to wonder if the voltage is a little low (after all it is going up hill :) ) that could possibly cause it but my understanding is that it will just not be as bright.

[patch697]

I tested the bulb (while it was in the socket) by touching the side of the bulb (-ve) (not the socket itself so that I knew that there was some contact) and the wire inside the socket (+ve) and there was power. Should I do it differently ?

I'll check the pins out Patch.

What confuses me is that it flashes when my foot comes off the brake and not on when I would've expected.

That flicking your getting would tend to suggest its poled back to front as LED's will only work with a true positive to positive connection unlike incandescent globes which will work either way as long as there is power & earth.

Go back & check the light socket itself (without the globe in) as Yendor suggested & see your getting positive power at the 2xcontact points in the bottom or on the side of the socket wall.

[Drew]

That flicking your getting would tend to suggest its poled back to front as LED's will only work with a true positive to positive connection unlike incandescent globes which will work either way as long as there is power & earth.

Go back & check the light socket itself (without the globe in) as Yendor suggested & see your getting positive power at the 2xcontact points in the bottom or on the side of the socket wall.

There is only one contact point on the bottom. But I will check.

[threedogs]

It may have worn the solder away on the contacts, common if lots of off road encountered

[Yendor]

There is only one contact point on the bottom. But I will check.

You will need to check it with the bulb out

[patch697]

There is only one contact point on the bottom. But I will check.

Well that discounts an issue in the contact alinement in the bottom of the plug but the poling still needs to be checked none the less.

So I take it, its only a stop light & not a stop tail where the problem is???

[Drew]

I went back and checked the poles and noticed what I didn't see before so a - on the multimeter. :oops:

Well I'm no sparky (see above :) ) so I took the inside panel off to see if the connector was on wrong and found this.

Am I right that even though red goes to the middle pin and black to outside on the socket that the connector is arse about ?

If so which way is easier, rejoin the wires somewhere between the socket & connector or get an auto elec to fix the connector or redo the socket ?.

[Yendor]

So the housing is positive and the centre pin is the negative, this is why the LED is not working.

I would just cut the wires between the socket and connector and rejoin them the correct way around.

[Drew]

So the housing is positive and the centre pin is the negative, this is why the LED is not working.

I would just cut the wires between the socket and connector and rejoin them the correct way around.

Yup.

How stoopid am I thinking Nissan would do it right :)

[Yendor]

It makes you wonder doesn't....how could they get something so basic wrong.

There lucky the lights are all plastic and above ground.

With incandescent bulbs it doesn't matter which way the pos. and neg. are they will still work, LEDs it's a different story.

[GUIIIpatrol]

I have the same problem only mine is wired correctly. Centre is +ve and and the side is -ve.
A normal globe works fine.
The LED i'm wanting to put in there is the same type and base as the indicator in the lights in the bumper bar. I have put it in there and it works fine so the LED is ok.

Any other suggestions as to why it wont work in the barn door?

[Yendor]

I have the same problem only mine is wired correctly. Centre is +ve and and the side is -ve.
A normal globe works fine.
The LED i'm wanting to put in there is the same type and base as the indicator in the lights in the bumper bar. I have put it in there and it works fine so the LED is ok.

Any other suggestions as to why it wont work in the barn door?

Are your sure the polarity is around the right way?. Positive must be the centre pin and the housing body negative for an LED to work.

I would double check this.

[Drew]

+1 with yendor


“The best way to cheer yourself is to cheer somebody else up.” - Albert Einstein

[GUIIIpatrol]

I went back and checked the poles and noticed what I didn't see before so a - on the multimeter. :oops:

Well I'm no sparky (see above :) ) so I took the inside panel off to see if the connector was on wrong and found this.

Am I right that even though red goes to the middle pin and black to outside on the socket that the connector is arse about ?

If so which way is easier, rejoin the wires somewhere between the socket & connector or get an auto elec to fix the connector or redo the socket ?.

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=20233&d=1347939022

Is the Black on the right side of this plug in the picture on the right the earth and not the green and yellow stripe?

Mine is exactly the same. If i measure with a multimeter at the moment, with a filament globe in the socket. From the side of the globe to the chassis is a direct connection to earth. Meaning the centre would be +ve yeah? And that's how it should be right?

If i cut and swap them then the centre of the socket would become the -ve and the side of the socket the +ve. To me that would be wrong. As you say a filament globe would still work, but if all the other sockets on the car are wired the same why do they work and not this one?

[Yendor]

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=20233&d=1347939022

Is the Black on the right side of this plug in the picture on the right the earth and not the green and yellow stripe?

Mine is exactly the same. If i measure with a multimeter at the moment, with a filament globe in the socket. From the side of the globe to the chassis is a direct connection to earth. Meaning the centre would be +ve yeah? And that's how it should be right?

If i cut and swap them then the centre of the socket would become the -ve and the side of the socket the +ve. To me that would be wrong. As you say a filament globe would still work, but if all the other sockets on the car are wired the same why do they work and not this one?

What are you measuring voltage or resistance/continuity?

What is the voltage reading, brake lights on, positive of multimeter connected to the centre pin and the negative connected to the housing, is it a positive or negative reading?

[GUIIIpatrol]

Continuity from side of globe to chassis is 0.00 earth. And A normal globe works fine. But swap the globe for an LED and i get nothing. If the side globe socket is +ve and it is a direct connection to the chassis like people are saying they have to change to then, wouldn't the whole care become live??? And then short out?

My way of thinking you can't have one socket wired one way and another the opposite when they are powered in the same system or circuit.

[Yendor]

The socket is above ground it mounts into a plastic light.

I think you will find you are getting continuity through the bulbs.

Measure the voltage across the socket and pay attention to the polarity of the readings.

[GUIIIpatrol]

The socket is above ground it mounts into a plastic light.

I think you will find you are getting continuity through the bulbs.

Measure the voltage across the socket and pay attention to the polarity of the readings.


I hadn't thought of that. I will check it out without the globe in and see what i get.

[Yendor]

I hadn't thought of that. I will check it out without the globe in and see what i get.

You will need to remove all brake light bulbs as they are connected in parallel.

Would be much easier to measure the voltage.

[GUIIIpatrol]

Yep got the wrong reading before. Took the globe out and measured the continuity from the centre of the socket to the body of the car and sure enough it's been hooked up opposite to the whole car. Thanks for that Yendor.

Now for the quick snip and rejoin.

[GUIIIpatrol]

Also for those in this position. This is if you have steady hands and a little patience you can actually swap the red and black wires in the plug itself. There fore no cutting or re-joining like i was going to do and everyone has probably done.

Upon looking at both plugs and a little poking with a little hook/pin tool i had, You can actually pick open a cover exposing the bare wire terminals and gently push them out, swap them over and push terminals back in until they clip back into the plug.

Then gently, in the reverse to opening the little cover, clip it back into place.

Now once you have put it back together, either globe will work no problems.

*** http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/icons/icon4.pngPlease note that in the pictures below I have already swapped the wires. So looking at the last pic and holding the plug as I am, red on the left black on the right is what you should end up with if successful.http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/icons/icon7.png