MESO Total Tail Light Kit

Just installed the vleds v6 extremes........wow

 

Ever since Meso’s XB LED tail lights started having issues he disappeared. Any coincidence? And he pulled them from his sight also

 

Bought a total tail V1 kit back in 2021 and have unfortunately been plagued with issues on it. Have had to buy replacement bulbs twice now. My wife was following me recently and sent me a picture of my truck asking why all my tail lights are out. I don't if my kit just shipped with a ghost in the machine or what, but basically it's just constantly flickering in and out and has been for years.

I reached out to Meso support a few weeks ago and haven't gotten any response. I'm prepared to just buy a whole new kit and replace everything, but these are never in stock (yes, I signed up for email notificaiton).

Anywho: For safety's sake and to eliminate the risk of getting pulled over, I unfortunately have no choice but to return to stock until the meso kits come back up.

From what I recall, we have to replace the bulb socket for the reverse light when installing these? I threw mine away years ago. Anyone know of a cheap replacement on those, or willing to sell me their existing ones?

 

https://www.vleds.com/3g-tacoma-vt-tail-light-conversion.html

https://www.vleds.com/3g-tacoma-vt-v6-tail-light-conversion.html

 

Heck yea. Good heads up, thanks. What's the big heat sink looking things? Load resistor?

 

VLR resistors for some trucks which need more load to avoid hyperflashing. Try without first and observe. Depends on headlights and the truck itself and time of year and whether your socks match and ….

 

Right on. Appreciate the heads up on this. Order is in.

 

You bought the meso stage 2 that required drilling out the tail lights, correct? If so, are you having any issues with the switchbacks or are your problems just the brake bulbs?

The VLEDS kits both don’t use any drilling of the reverse spot, so you’ll need new tail lights if you are having trouble with the switchbacks and are trying to use the VLEDS version.

 

Negative, just the vanilla Meso Stage 1. My kit has been jacked since pretty much six months in. All four red brake sections have been flickering and intermittently failing for years off and and now. Have contacted Meso support in the past. I think the first time they sent me two free replacement bulbs. That worked for a few months then everything started going haywire again. I ordered a couple more replacement bulbs and I thought that had fixed it until my wife sent me this photo recently... Apparently I've been rolling with 1/4 brake bulbs functioning for I don't kbow how long.

The only the that has worked consistently and correctly is the switchback turn signal/reverse bulbs. All four brake bulbs have just been jacked for the life of the kit.

 

Gotcha. I misread your post and now see you were looking for the reverse bulb socket itself so you could go back to stock.

If you need to be legal/functional until your VLEDS stuff comes in, just get 4 stock 7443 or 7444 incandescent bulbs and run them with the meso switchbacks. It’ll still perform like a total tail kit, just with incandescent brake/tail and led turn/reverse. That’s actually how I run my VLEDS kit, although the VLEDS reds are good and way better than Meso.

 

Right on good to know. I appreciate it!

 

Now that I've processed this and understand how it works I like this even better...

My wife drives a 3rd gen SR so when VLED comes in I'm going to swap my meso switchbacks to her truck and keep the stock brake bulbs. Sweet.

 

Yep, totally viable way to go and not throw out the old kit or buy new parts.

 

Unless the MESO harness has any issues. If it’s just the bulbs then you have a good plan.

I don’t particularly love either harness to be honest but the MESO one I like less than the VLED one. Some day I’ll make my own harness. No excuse why that’s not today.

 

Don’t really like either of them either. I’d like something different but never bothered to do anything about it. I think what makes it sloppy is having to reroute the turns down to the reverse connector.

 

Dave, might I suggest what I made… I refer to it as a V3. It’s the total tail design electronicly, but using VLED’s harnesses (DIY). I run the extreme reds and the larger extreme switchback (MESO printed cup).

EDIT: this may explain better…

 

Do you have more details on what you made? Are you willing to share?

 

It’s the “full c” design (tail/stop) with VLED Triton V6 Extremes as the upper and VLED Triton V6 Extreme Switchback in the (turn/reverse). The advantage to this is you can run either the stock VLED switchback or the socket modified. Same harness and using the VLED pigtails. The harness side is just stock OE CONNECTORS.

 

https://www.vleds.com/3g-tacoma-vt-v6-tail-light-conversion.html