eliyarbrough

I bought their Raxiom Smoked Aero taillights. I put their LED reverse lights in with them. From Amer Muscle!! I have a 11 GT.

Amer Muscle only sent me 1 pack of 2 lights. So I ran 2 LEDs & 2 stock bulbs. They worked perfectly!
When AM sent me new bulbs, they worked even better.
& I had this all put on for me.

I ordered their license plate bulbs. When I got these, I put these in myself! They worked perfectly!
Except @ night, I noticed my reverse bulbs wasn't shining! I now know they just flash as I go from park to drive. They stay on that long when I just put it in reverse, also.
& just my pass side works.

Why aren't they working?

Thanks!!

Reverse:


LP:


Video of how that light up.
1st flash is me putting into reverse.
2nd is going into drive.
It's AM auto.
DA07DBD0-4298-4FC8-896C-0582A93C1CE4-1080-00000094FBCAE7E2.mp4

Thanks again!!!

wingless

There are lots of components in the reverse lamp circuit.

The reverse lamp switch (pin 17 on the Powertrain Control Module) connects to pin 41 on the PCM when in reverse.

The PCM talks to the Body Control Module B via the Module Communications Network.

The Body Control Module gets lamp power from Battery Junction Box 20A fuse F18.

The Body Control Module drives the right lamp from pin 17 and the left lamp from pin 5.

The right lamp is connected to ground G402 and the left lamp is connected to G400.

There are a handfull of connectors in the mix too.


My guesses are either a bad connection at the bulb or bad bulbs. Have the bulbs been tested on the bench?

eliyarbrough

Thanks Wingless!

I have some brain damage so most of that went right over my head. I haven't put my stock bulbs back in it yet. But, I'll have my mechanic do this.

& what exactly is 'on the bench'? Meaning not in my car?

I'm trying, give me some time though. I'll show this all to him. Thanks again!

eliyarbrough

Oh yeah, what I don't understand is why only the pass side flashes? Why do they come on @ all?

stupidgenius36

Try turning the bulb around before digging in too far. That and needing resistors are common issues when using leds.

wingless

You are welcome!

Yes, not in the socket in the tail lamp assembly, but instead powered by a 12VDC power source, like a battery or power supply.

The modules command the lamps to illuminate.

Either the modules are bad, the switch is bad, the wiring is bad (including the connectors), the lamp housings are bad or the lamps are bad.

My first guess is the lamps. The second is the lamp housing. Then the connectors.

Good luck!

wingless

That makes sense. An LED bulb could prefer the power to be routed only one way.

The T5 wedge base on the 912 lamp used for the backup lamp can be inserted either way, so swapping the orientation should work.

eliyarbrough

I'm sorry I am saying this a lot. But they worked before. Would sticking the LP bulbs in reverse the polarity on the back up bulbs? Is t that what you are typing about?

wingless

Here is a link to a 912 LED bulb.

The 912 bulb can be plugged in two ways. That is not a problem w/ the incandescent lamps used by the factory, they work both ways. That can be a problem w/ an LED bulb because many (all?) will only work when plugged in one way. When a 912 LED buld is installed and doesn't work it sould be unplugged and reversed.

If the bulbs worked okay, then stopped working (w/o being unplugged and swapped), they are broken and should be replaced.

eliyarbrough

I've had my AM guy I'm talking to offer to send my replacement bulbs. I told him to hold off till I know for sure.

stupidgenius36

I was just stating some typical issues with LEDs, and I guess I don't fully understand your issue. Most of the time they're cheap junk from overseas, so they're kinda hit or miss. If they were working fine and suddenly stopped, I'd go ahead and try the new ones. Did the rep from AM have any suggestions, other than replacement?

I've had bad luck with a set of switchbacks before. They lasted less than 3 months before I had problems with them. They worked fine initially, then one day I noticed that one of them was not on. It would only work after I let it "rest" for a while. Then it would work for about 2 seconds, before it'd start flickering and then fade out completely.

eliyarbrough

The rep said it might be I need a bigger fuse? I told my mechanic that & he says it'd cause the fuse to blow. It comes for that 1/3 of a second so it's getting power. Well, my RH side is.

It's going in the shop tom morning. He wants to start off my putting back in my stock reverse bulbs. That's all I know of.

eliyarbrough

I had my mechanic work on it.
He said he pulled it in. He unbolted it & stuck in 1 stock bulb. It didn't work.
I think he just put the LED back in.
I think he moved my shifter up & down? He put it back in reverse & went to look. They was on. He put them back & went to bolt them up, stopped. He unscrewed it. It worked. Bolted it back, nada. He did this like 3 times.
By this time I had showed up. I saw 1 of the cycles. He them thought it had a short in the wires or a issue up @ the shifter?
They just started working & he had me run through the shifter so he could stay back & watch it.
It never messed up again. We did this prob 5 times? It never failed. He then bolted it back up & put the plastic back on it.
It's working great!

stupidgenius36

Hmmm, odd. I'd keep an eye on it every now and then...

eliyarbrough

It's odd like me!!
I check it every time I leave my house. & if I back up & can see my reflection where I park. I'm keeping an eye on it. Thanks!