Body Lights

Forum: 

Hi all.
I have purchased a set of rear body lights, to replace the blanks,which are non functioning lenses. '91 TDX Fourtrak'. Am I right in thinking that, if I splice them into my present bumper mounted lights, the extra indicator bulbs will cause my trailer warning light /relay to flash/beep,as if I had my trailer attached. So can any one advise, as how to wire these extra body lights up.

Keep up the good work lads, this site is a mine of info.
Edward.

Yes you are correect it will

Yes you are correect it will buzz / flash. This is what happened with mine. And that was done by a main dealer. Well anoying. I ended up cutting the damn thing out.
As a theretical excecise though, the buzzer must sound due to extra amprige going through the loom (more than is nececary to run 2x21 watt and 1x5 watt at 12v). I'm not electronics wiz enough to say which component does this, but presumibly an electicion can. If this where replaced with a higher 'rated' component which will allow enough amp's for 3x21W and 1x5W befor passing power to the buzzer, it should solve the problem. Aulternitavly take to bulbs out of the bumper indicaters, this will put the amperage right, you will still have the high level lights that I asum you are after, and it is still an MOT pass as both sides have a working indicator and they are simetrical on the car.

Any veiws expresed in this thread by me are purely from my own experience, and (sometimes) falible memory. Hope my comments help, but please don't take them as gospel.

Indicators

Hi Edward,

this must a feature on later Fourtraks as my 88 model doesn't buzz or flash when i have a trailer connected. Maybe a flasher unit from an earlier car would sort it. Another thought is to try putting 5w bulbs in the extra lamps, they wouldn't be as bright but the lower current draw might not trigger the trailer warning.

Daz

A thought,

This is off the top of my head , could I replace the indicator bulbs in the body lights with LED's. Any thoughts,any one !!!!!!, do they use less amp's. My rear door mounted, high level brake light use's LED's. May be I could cut up a Halfords high level brake light,!!!!!!!!. More thought's , the custom car boys use LED's for all manner of things. O'h boy , lets see what I can find.

Edward

Edward (ews) '92 Fourtrak 2.8 TDX

You could use LED's, and they

You could use LED's, and they would draw considibrally less current. However please don't. I for one (and I know I'm not alone) find following a car with LED rear lights very destracting, not to mention painfull. You see tail lights are fine, but the break lights, and indicators hurt the eyes. The problem is with a filiment bulb the light goes from nothing to full intensity over half a second or so. This gives the eye of the driver behind time to adjust. LED light is as close to instantainious as you can get, not alowing the eye to keep up. And with a flashing light, like an indiucator you get this suden bright light repeatedly. Not a problem in daylight of course, but a real pain after dark.

Any veiws expresed in this thread by me are purely from my own experience, and (sometimes) falible memory. Hope my comments help, but please don't take them as gospel.