Thread: Rear pillar lights wiring advice needed

I doubt it's the fuses(just gave that info so that you know where and what to look for if you had too)
Fuses also lop into other parts of the circuit too, like(can't remember exactly) but ciggie lighter, or interior lights, or something. Says on the drivers under dash drop down panel what those fuses ALSO protect.

eg. if one of those fuses were blown, then you front parkers(smaller light inside the headlight) won't come on either for that side of the light system.

ps. those parkers are a good little light to change to LED. You can leave them on all night and it won't drain your battery.

eg. when camping or in the bush at night and you just want a bit of ambient lighting, but not too bright. Brighter than the 5W T10- globe that should be in the headlight, but I think they're 0.5W .. and still 2 - 3x brighter than the incandescent globe type.

They're just a straight fit with LEDs.
I think my pack of 10 T10 LEDs cost about $4 or something not worth thinking about.

And that was one of the reasons I wanted to also fit the LED to the tails. Leaving them on as ambient lighting also has the tails on too, and they're my only 5w power draw. So while the LEDs(on parkers) otherwise draw about 1-2w, it's only those pillar tail globes that draw 10w out of the ~12W in total. If I can work out a way (or globe type) that will just plug and play, then the total power draw with the park lights on will end up being about 3w all up(ie. not 12W as it is now).
With all the globes as normal incandescents, the total power draw with the parkers on = about 30w or so.

Well, sometimes things just work out real quickly! OK, so F2 fuse was blown hence no power to the wire... fixed. Power now on. When bridging the wire from the bumper coloured wire, plugged into the pillar light plug, started working as I initially thought it would. So why didnt it before, dont really know, unless fuse related??

Anyway, all working great. A little tip about the damn globe holder on the bumper. When I took it off, it was relatively easy, when trying to put it back it was almost impossible. In the end I figured out that the two smaller locator pins in the back, not the two bigger ones that fit into the slots, where pinching due to tight fit. Using a stanly knife, I cut the tips into a 45 degree so it would slide into position, and it did with ease.

Thanks so much for your thoughts and posts Arthur, muchly appreciated as always.

Cheers,

Originally Posted by Cap

....
Anyway, all working great. A little tip about the damn globe holder on the bumper. When I took it off, it was relatively easy, when trying to put it back it was almost impossible. .....

LOL!
I reckon we must have been cursing in sync at the time of trying to get that mongrel connector back in to the fitting!

I went out to check what I could at about 530-600 ish, kids came over, I had LEDs out and cables and multimeters out, and lengths of wire and all manner of crap all over the place.
(trying to measure the estimated power usage of those Canbus LED lights)

Kids were hungry, I was hanging for a smoko, hands filthy from all the muck and I lost it trying to line the globe holder correctly into it's slot in the light fitting! .. AHHHHH!

Had my smoko, kids (surely must have!!)heard a fresh set of expletives they probably never knew existed, ash falling onto my face and up my nose, damned light fitting things just don't want to go back in.

Anyhow, I think I worked out that the canbus corrected(ie. built in resistor into the LED globe) uses about 3w or so .. current draw was about 0.2a.
But trying to check a lower powered LED globe, I must have shorted the multimeter and blew it's internal fuse.
So I got stuck with only the one LED reading. The low powered LED globes(ie. non canbus types) don't work in the bumper fittings.

Good to see it was as simple as a fuse issue.

Damn Arthur, what a saga... times like that i tend to walk away from the job and leave it for another day. I forgot to mention earlier, but i installed led lights into my caravan when running on 12v. Easy stick on types, comes with multiple leds (cant remember how many) and work really good. I think i got some left over so may try giving it a go at some stage when i feel like a challenge with wiring.

Give the light globe fitting the trim i mentioned if it makes sense, you can see where it catches on the prongs and trim with knife. Problem solved.

cheers,

Just gone through something similar on my newly acquired 98 D1 in VIC. Seller had got RWC but after failing on a LH rear tail light out problem. They'd then patched two wires from right side tail to the left to make it work! then RWC issued.
After some testing I found the LH side sides/tail lights fuse was blown... removed patch wires and all was well. Not known was why fuse had blown...
Then found LH side reverse lamp not working. doh!
After much checking turns out the white plastic lamp holder (fits into the cluster unit in the pillar) was knackered and would not make contact with the cluster frame connectors.
Luckily I had a spare from a previous dismantle job.

LEDs : Why bother? original style lamps are adequate enough. and cheap as... if you have problems with wiring and lamp holders, sticking in LEDs won't fix the underlying issues
Neil

Originally Posted by brookvale

....

LEDs : Why bother? ....

I got no worries about incandescent bulbs for tail/brake/fog/indicator, but I had two brake lights blow out in quick succession, and one indicator globe on the back.
The pathetic design of the D1's rear globe access got me up and running trying to find LEDs that work.
Finally got nearly all LEDs now, and only because of the stupid access design.
I can fit my hand in the recess but when I 'make a fist' to grip the bulb holder, there's no room for me to turn the bulb holder.
About the best I can try to do is get them off with a pair of long nose pliers, but damned hard to get the bulb holders back in and turn them by hand .. trying to line up the correct cutouts.

Strange thing is, brother's D2 had all three of his brake lights blown out a while back, and then just the other week both his reverse lights blown.
I'm 99.9% confident that it's not an electrical issue, just that they blow out, one by one sooner rather than later.

D2 is so much easier to replace globes tho.

Originally Posted by AK83

I got no worries about incandescent bulbs for tail/brake/fog/indicator, but I had two brake lights blow out in quick succession, and one indicator globe on the back.
The pathetic design of the D1's rear globe access got me up and running trying to find LEDs that work.
Finally got nearly all LEDs now, and only because of the stupid access design.
I can fit my hand in the recess but when I 'make a fist' to grip the bulb holder, there's no room for me to turn the bulb holder.
About the best I can try to do is get them off with a pair of long nose pliers, but damned hard to get the bulb holders back in and turn them by hand .. trying to line up the correct cutouts.

Strange thing is, brother's D2 had all three of his brake lights blown out a while back, and then just the other week both his reverse lights blown.
I'm 99.9% confident that it's not an electrical issue, just that they blow out, one by one sooner rather than later.

D2 is so much easier to replace globes tho.

So, how did you get round those nasty bulb holders? Had the same issues and a tab breaking off jamming one holder in the unit - ended up taking the whole thing out - painful!
or is it that LEDs (should) last longer?
Neil