Tail light wiring woes

[00redse]

Many of you may know this car. I'm having an issue, and thought I would post up to see if there's something I'm missing here


What is there:
Zero factory tail lights.(shaved, welded over)
There is a 36 " x 1/2" window in the trunk lid

The original LED array is failing in sections, and at one point the BRAKE light stopped functioning altogether. And we all know that is no good. So out it came. It's hundreds of led's resin molded in a metal channel, so there's no going back in to fix it.


I've purchased some lighting that fits in the area and should work
http://www.ebay.com/itm/222162853941...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
These have 2 hot wires. one for bright and one for dim.

I've got 2 amber versions of those same lights that (luckily) I'm just using one positive and the ground so it blinks on/off and works fine

One reverse light in the center that also works fine

2 dual brightness red and hey have 3 wires
ground (black)
reduced light (red) for PARKING LIGHTS
bright light (blue) for BRAKE LIGHTS

The dual brightness works if hooked up to the battery one at a time.... also if hooked up to the parking light circuit (when energized) one at a time it works. Red one connected it's dim, blue one also connected to parking light circuit and it's bright...

When i take the blue wire away from the park light it goes dim (which it should), but when I attach it to the brake light (without pressing the brake) the whole thing turns OFF... shrug...

it's like it's grounding out

but now get this........I can turn off the parking lights (the light stays off) and then the brake light works fine! .... shrug...



This is the same configuration the old LED array was in.
AMBER turns on each end
ONE reverse in the center
2 reds on either side of the reverse that acted as park and brake

I have the following wires coming from the car
left turn
right turn
Brake
Park
Reverse
Ground

edit: and if nothing else, I can just put 2 separate small parking lights at the very ends, but they will be super small. Like these http://www.ebay.com/itm/351665633405

[00redse]

SOLVED.

Not that I got any replies here, but in case it helps anyone in the future.

I needed to install another limiting diode inline with the brake line (blue wire)
Apparently the cheapy leds come with some cheapy diodes, so I was getting feedback from the non energized brake circuit. At rest it was acting as a ground and shorting the light.
I went ahead and installed another resistor in line to dim the parking light even further. I hate when led lights that use the same light for park and brake don't have enough of a difference in light output. Especially if they don't have a 3rd brake light.
I bought a few resistors, ended up landing on a 1w 150ohm. This wired inline with the parking light circuit (and another diode to prevent any possible feedback on this line) dimmed the led perfectly for parking lights. And the brake light works great now. Nice and bright. Went with a blue light in the center for the reverse light. Looks cool. Actually makes a purple reflection on the garage door when the brake and reverse lights are both on.

[tw0123]

given the level of modding that alero has, i don't think anyone here (well, the 10 of us that are left lol) have really messed around with the brake wiring... Probably why no one offered any tips lol!!

I'm glad you got it figured out, it makes me happy this car is being preserved

[00redse]

Ha! That gave me a laugh. I really am an enthusiast of these cars, and I want to be a good steward to this one. I don't know if a lot of you know this, but I've been responsible for a bunch of stuff with these cars

My red grand am was the first with an intercooled vortech supercharger running the GM reflash and 2 bar map sensor with the s/c injectors.

Then I bought the GM eaton s/c kit and swapped it. The vortech was nice, but belt slip was a bitch, and the blower sat right on top of the ABS box causing a brake line to rupture. I drove home with the ebrake. A long ways lol.

I was the prototype car for the Pacesetter Exhaust. They used my car for the mock up. Eric from pacesetter helped with the install of the vortech s/c actually too.

I was at Len Dodd SR's funeral. I hung out with Len Jr several times, and he came to my place to trade me motors. I have the Bettyracer's original ecotec and 5 speed. With 500 miles on it.

Len and I built an intake manifold to adapt the M62 from a cobalt ss to the m45 kit from GM. never finished, but We worked on it for a day with a bunch of beer, and all I can say is THAT DUDE COULD WORK METAL. Holy crap. lol. Len and Sus were/are good people.

I think I'm the only one to have a kitted GA and Alero. Certainly the only one with both boosted.

I have the interior (with massaging heated front seats), and IDI cover and spoiler and front bumper from the original AED red car. I had the wheels too, but.... long story.

I have 1 of only 2 sets made of dual posts with LED arrows built in.

I'm looking for a 4 door red GA with a 5 speed ecotec to build. Near AZ, but willing to travel a bit for the right one.


Sorry for the rant.

edit: I actually called i nRichie on the tail light issue. He didn't offer any solutions, but did tell me where the original tail light setup came from. http://www.hitechledproducts.com/ind...211e2bac427548
And he reminded me I've had this car for 8 years now... crazy.

[tw0123]

well Damn man!! That's awesome... I knew you had the aed ga... Didn't know it was boosted too!! Do you still have it or looking for another shell to redo it?

And holy crap... 8 years?!?! I've had my alero for 10 years now and hoping to get my kit finished this summer...

[00redse]

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/816505/2000-pontiac-grand-am/photo-gallery/

bought this one in 2002


bought Richie's alero in 09

got this pic done a looong time ago lol

Need a shell. Preferably ecotec 5 speed 4 door in red

My ex wasn't kind to the red one. lets say that. I have all the kit and hood and goodies still.