canbaufo

I have these aftermarket LED taillights:

95 02 Chevy Camaro LED Tail Lights Rear Brake Lamp Smoke Tint Assembly LH RH New | eBay

It SHOULD be "plug and play" and was intended to be but just doesn't fit. The connectors for the LED taillights do not fit in the old taillighs' bulb sockets. I tried trimming the connectors so they could "reach" far enough into the old bulb sockets. Then I even tried hard wiring. I can get everything working except the turn signals. They simply illuminate but won't blink ...UNLESS I touch the non negative wires together of the 3-wire connector and then it blinks super fast with not much illumination on each blink, you can tell it's not right. Arrrghh, in the process I accidentally let the brake light wires touch each other and they shorted out the taillight fuse ...AND, the actual brake lights within the housing of the new tailight assembly. So it's already ruined but I still want to figure out how to wire the next one that I suppose I'll be replacing it with. By the way ....if you scroll down you'll see a picture of a "box" that's wired to the LED lights that has orange tape on it. What is that for????? I tried using them with it connected and disconnected and nothing changed.

I need to try to return and/or just buy another set and start over. I never did figure out how to get the turn signals to blink and cannot find instructions. The part number is 03-CO93TLEDSM:

03-CO93TLEDSM - Google Search

I have about 10 hours in this and I'm miserable. Should have been a 20 minute plug and play installation ....any ideas or helps is greatly appreciated.

Randy Bilyea

If you have a mechanical flasher, and your LED's don't draw enough current, they won't flash.

Buy a replacement electronic flasher....

canbaufo

Thanks for the tip. I wonder if the box with the orange tape on it that's attached to it is suppossed to make up for a difference there? I have no idea about flashers or where to look / how to know. The blinking sound seems mechanical sounding if that says anything.

Randy Bilyea

I'm guessing that's exactly what that is, some kind of resistance load. I had the same problem with my CBR when I changed over to LED's. The ceramic resistor that came with didn't provide enough load for my flasher. $10 later at my auto parts store, I was good to go.

Not sure where you're located but any large auto parts store will carry them. Just take your old one in to match it up.

The old one should be here:
(Credit to Shbox here...again!)

That pic is from a 95, but yours should be the same.

Let us know how you make out.

canbaufo

Thanks a lot for the info! That may just be the problem. What kind do I replace mine with (just say "same but electronic")? $10 is encouraging.

Also, would I keep the ceramic resistor that they included or disconnect it once I swap to a different flasher? Thanks again!

Edit: OK, so the ceramic boxes are the "supplemental resistors" or something to that effect. The seller told me to try switching left to right. NOTE that I have only tried installing the left taillight with the old right one still installed ...could that be part of the problem????

Randy Bilyea

Keep the resistor in there. Take your existing relay to an auto parts store and say "I want the electronic version of this"....tell them it's for LED's....hopefully you get someone with 1/2 a brain and they know what you are talking about.

canbaufo

Yup, mine looks like that (from what I can see). The red connector is clip on and is attached to a tiny tin can of a "relay" I suppose (has some voltage info on it and it's "tinny"). So there's an electric relay like that that will plug right in to the red connector? ...probably not quite that simple but boy it would be nice. I obviously don't know much about electronics so I really appreciate your help!

Note: The seller says I may want to try a "can-bus" adaptor. Any thoughts on that?

Randy Bilyea

Yes, just unplug the "tin can" and take it to autozone.

Ask them for an electronic version of it.

The new one will plug right into that connector. It took longer to type this than it will to change it.

This will work: Electronic Flasher

canbaufo

You're awesome, thanks! I was thinking at the least there would at least be a ground wire (no biggie). Jeez, I've wired my own MSD ignition and gauges and didn't have any trouble ...this taillight thing has been freaking me out. I did a quick general search and it seems many are having the same issue:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&r...rp.HyEgnD-jSAg

canbaufo

OK, getting ready to go to Autozone today. Which of these two should I ask for? One says "electro-mechanical" but is longer life and puts out 240W but the other says "electronic" and puts out 150W. I'm not worried about price difference in this case, just wondering which one's best:

"Electronic":

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par..._132997_11714_

"Electro-mechanical" (the heavier duty one):

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...r=6413_0_7281_

Thanks again!

Randy Bilyea

I assume you already went, but if not, get the "electronic" one...not the electro-mechanical.

canbaufo

Well I got the EL-12 "electro-mechanical" because it was the only one they had in stock that would fit and the tech told me it would work the same as the LL-552.

Actually in the "features and benefits" both flasher links I posted say "electro-mechanical" and compare them against "thermal" flashers. So I'm hoping they're both electronic flashers and that "thermal" really means "mechanical"?:

"The Tridon EL-12 is an electro-mechanical turn signal flasher that operates at 12 V. This type of turn signal flasher uses electro-magnetism to operate and lasts 10 times longer than thermal flashers. The EL12 is capable of handling additional lamp loads due to trailering and is proudly made in the U.S.A. by Novit%u00E1 Technologies Inc.

Part Number: EL-12
Weight: 0.1 lbs
Notes: Electro-mechanical <<<<<<<<<<<
Description: Heavy duty flasher
Terminals: 2
Life: 400 hours
Lamp Load: 1 - 10 lamp maximum
Power: 240 W. "


"The Tridon LL-552 is an electro-mechanical turn signal flasher that operates at 12 V. This type of turn signal flasher uses electro-magnetism to operate and lasts 5 times longer than thermal flashers. The LL-552 is capable of handling additional lamp loads due to trailering and is proudly made in the U.S.A. by Novit%u00E1 Technologies Inc.

Part Number: LL-552
Weight: 0.1 lbs
Notes: Electronic <<<<<<<
Description: Long life flasher; alternate part # EL12
Terminals: 2
Life: 180 hours
Lamp Load: 1 - 6 lamp maximum
Power: 150 W."

Should I not even try the EL-12 and just return and order something that strictly says "electronic"? Maybe I should carefully take it out of the package and try it ...but, sometimes electronics aren't returnable if you've done that. Arrghhh, what do you recommmend? Maybe I should return it and see if Advanaced has one that's strictly electronic.

Note that the EL-12 is listed as an alternate PN for the LL-552. I'm thinking maybe either will work and "thermal" is a truly mechanical flasher, does this sound right?

Thanks again.

Randy Bilyea

Jam it in there, see if it works. They should exchange it for an electronic one if it doesn't work, but I bet it will.

You are not so much concerned with the MAX lamp load here as you are with the minimum.

Your LED's need to have enough load to trigger the flasher.

Plug it in and let us know how it works.

canbaufo

Yeah I noticed it has a 1 lamp minimum so maybe it will work. Some searches on Google indicate that "electro-magnetic" is less than ideal but will work ...but is not truly "electric" unless there's a ground wire. The EL-12 works for some and not for others on other forums ...it seems that it's ok if your LED's are rear only but if you go front and rear you may need to go fully electronic. Arrrghhhh! ...we'll see. This one's probably a better bet and I may just order it if the EL-12 doesn't work to my satisfaction (I hear it may not make an audible sound btw):

EF32RL ELECTRONIC FLASHER,EF32RL 12 LAMP 2 TERMINAL ELECTRONIC LED FLASHER,EF-32RL,EF32RL,#458724,2FNE7,#2FNE7,458724,EF-32RL

Edit ...another idea is go ahead and try the EL-12 and if I'm not happy with it maybe I'll order the EF-32RL for the taillights and use the EL-12 for the hazards (the hazards may not work with the stock hazard flasher either) ...hadn't even thought about testing the hazards until I did a search.

canbaufo

OK finally the suspense is over, the EL-12 works beautifully! Just to clarify, even though it's electro-mechanical it does make an audible blinking sound and it's a more pleasant/classy tone than my old thermal OEM flasher. There is no issue with the speed of the blinking either, it's just as it should be. Finally, I also tested the hazard lights and they work with the OEM hazard light flasher just fine.

For those considering using the EL-12 on a 4th gen F-body, I have read that it works fine for front OR rear LED's but not necessarily if you're using LED's front and rear (you may need a fully electronic flasher for that).

For me, I can't sing enough praise for the EL-12 and to Randy Bilyea for pointing out the need for a different type of flasher. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! ...what a relief!