[Video] Sequential Tail Light Problem

[vipergts281]

[Video] Sequential Tail Light Problem (SOLVED)

Got my car inspected today and failed because my tail lights aren't working properly. I installed a sequential kit many many years ago. Worked fine for years and then started acting weird. I never bother fixing them but today the car wouldn't pass inspection. The guy said they needed to work the same way...even though they passed the car last year with the same issue.

Anywho, the passenger side works fine. It's the drivers side that has the problem.

When I turn on my hazards, ONLY the middle bulb is out. However, I checked the voltage and it is getting voltage. So I'm not sure why the bulb won't light up.

When I use the left blinker, ONLY the bulb closest to my license plate blinks, and it does it rapidly (I assume because the other bulbs aren't lighting).

All of the bulbs are good, I checked.

Nothing lights up, on the driver side, when I hit the brakes. Unfortunately, I don't know if this was the case before I started checking everything or if I got it back from the inspection place like this (I doubt it). I'll look tomorrow when it's light out to see if I have a bad ground.

Below is a video to show the issue. Also, you will notice that sometimes when I insert the bulb it will light VERY briefly. But that doesn't happen every time.

Maybe the bulbs are not making good contact with the socket??

Any ideas on what to check or how to fix this? Thank you.

[video=youtube;72fXUOTar0M]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72fXUOTar0M&feature=youtu.be[/video]

 

[Huachipato]

have you tried swapping the bulbs from one side to another - just to rule them out completely?

 

[vipergts281]

No. However, one bulb is brand new (although to be fair that doesn't mean that it works 100%).

But I did move them around, as in the other two I tried in the one socket that was always working.

Guess it couldn't hurt to swap with the other side though. Ideally I need to swap harnesses to see if the passenger side harness, which works fine, still works fine on the driver side.

 

[03SonicVert]

When you giggled the bulb it started working?
Looks like a bad socket or connection.

SV

 

[vipergts281]

When you giggled the bulb it started working?
Looks like a bad socket or connection.

SV

For a very brief second.



UPDATE: I bought new bulbs. So the driver side has 3 new bulbs in it. The lights "work" now when I hit the brakes. So that problem is fixed.

Found a way (instructions found on website of the place I bought them) to reset the sequentials. Followed them but they did nothing.

As it stands...

TURN LIGHTS ON - All 3 bulbs work fine.

HAZARDS - Middle bulb doesn't light up.

BRAKING - Middle bulb doesn't light up.

LEFT TURN SIGNAL - Only the bulb closest to the license plate blinks (at a rapid pace).

 

[WheelStander]

I've heard of this issue before where did you get the harness from?

 

[Huachipato]

The blinking at a rapid pace is the flasher without a proper load. The lighter the load (less bulbs working) the faster it will work. It sounds like there is a loose connection in that middle bulb wiring. On a side note - there are flashers you can purchase that will flash at a constant rate regardless of load that may assist with correcting this issue - you will just have to inspect the bulbs periodically to ensure they are still functioning properly.

You have an Ohm meter - you could remove the harness and check for continuity. Or just like swapping the bulbs - try swapping the harness from one side to another and see if the issue follows the harness.

 

[WheelStander]

I just ordered this to slow down my LMR sequentials.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000JZ33H8/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AQYPM03VC1ENM

If you don't have the LMR harness your problems are known issues, especially if it's older.

 

[vipergts281]

I've heard of this issue before where did you get the harness from?

http://www.webelectricproducts.com/

I contacted the owner before, awhile ago when it first started happening, since they have a lifetime warranty. He was friendly but he asked me to swap the harnesses first before sending in my unit for repair.

I never did it because it's a pain in the ass and just decided to deal with the issue.

I think the proper solution was to send a new unit and have me send my defective unit. If it turned out it wasn't defective, then I'd pay the amount of a new one.

Not sure why I'd want to remove it from my car since it's spliced in, pay to mail it in, wait it for it to get to him, wait for him to test it, then wait for it to be fixed/replaced and mailed back.

The blinking at a rapid pace is the flasher without a proper load. The lighter the load (less bulbs working) the faster it will work. It sounds like there is a loose connection in that middle bulb wiring. On a side note - there are flashers you can purchase that will flash at a constant rate regardless of load that may assist with correcting this issue - you will just have to inspect the bulbs periodically to ensure they are still functioning properly.

You have an Ohm meter - you could remove the harness and check for continuity. Or just like swapping the bulbs - try swapping the harness from one side to another and see if the issue follows the harness.

Thanks for the info. Yeah, I figured the middle bulb connection was the issue, so I took the connections apart and inspected them. Everything seemed fine from the get go though.

As a last ditch effort, I may just buy a new socket connection and try that. If that doesn't work, I'm just going to buy another kit from somewhere and just use that and be done with this.

 

[vipergts281]

UPDATE: I got it working properly. I ordered another kit from the company I got it from originally. Swapped out the old harness with a one of the new ones.

So obviously it was bad. Going to email the owner and see about a refund...they come with a lifetime warranty.

 

[Huachipato]

Cool - thanks for posting the resolution.