How to remove rear tail lamps

[altered_reality]

Load Resistors

Now when you put on your LED tail lamps, some of you may encounter a problem that your cruise control will not engage and the warning: asking you to bring your car in for servicing.

This is NOT consistent in all trims. My Olympic Edition requires these load resistors whilst my brother's VRX and cjsig's ES both do not need them.

This is due to the fact that LEDs have very low resistances, your ECU thinks the globes in your car have blown. To fix this problem, I have included a pair of wirewound 180 ohm 5W resistors in your box. This will simulate the globes to the ECU.

Place them in between the red and black wires on the corner tail lamp units as shown:


You could use a pair of pliers to pull out the red and black wires and inserting them back with the resistor across them. This should then allow them to sit tightly within the case. Take care with this step and place them tightly as you will have to screw the socket back into the housing of the lamp and if unsecure, the resistor may come lose.

There should be no problems with the resistor over heating as I've hooked it up directly to a 12V supply for over 1hr and it's merely warm to the touch. Let alone the fact that there will only be a load across it when you depress your brakes.

Let me know if you have further problems.

sorry, i saw that but still couldn't figure it out lol

i've pulled out the wires but i'm stuck on the "inserting them back with the resistor across them" i can't seem to get the wires the whole way back through, i don't think ive got the resistor wires in the right place.

[ofey]

I'm sorry that we're so far apart that I can't help you. Perhaps I should wire them first before shipping them out to people.

I cannot assist you any further and there seems to be few people in Perth who bought the lamp. Perhaps go see an auto electrician and ask if he can help you put the resistor in. Show him a picture and it should be easy for him.

[LZY_EYE]

The way I did it was strip a small bit of insulation off each of the red and black wires. I stripped them about the length of the resistor apart. Held the resistor and wrapped one end around the red and one around the black. I then taped up the connections to prevent shorting.

I didn't take any pics though sorry...

[altered_reality]

I'm sorry that we're so far apart that I can't help you. Perhaps I should wire them first before shipping them out to people.

I cannot assist you any further and there seems to be few people in Perth who bought the lamp. Perhaps go see an auto electrician and ask if he can help you put the resistor in. Show him a picture and it should be easy for him.

that's cool, i think i will play it safe and go to an auto electrician.

thanks for your suggestion lzy_eye, don't think i trust myself to do that right lol

[Blakey]

lzy_eye you should of really soldered thoes to together if you did that. creates a better join that cant rattly loose.as most resistor wire is very flexable it can easy bend from vibrations. not saying you have to but it would of been best let alot a better connection.

i soldered mine in to the cables. then taped over them. with electrical tape.

[LZY_EYE]

They are going nowhere.... it's all good.... had I have had an iron, then I would have done it...

[Blakey]

ah ok fair enough that's understandable if you didn't have an iron to do so.

[SIR-VRX]

RE the Error message:

The error message appears on the dash after a certain period of time. However, you can instantly tell they need resistors by trying your cruise control. If that does not work, then you need the resistors.

The problem is the ETACS ECU has a blown-bulb check and since the LEDs as a small load compared to the incandescent bulbs, but not an open circuit, it gets confused! An error message is recorded on the ECU, once the message is shown on the display and it translates to faulty wheel speed sensor, hence it disables the ASC after it realises.