1. Welcome to Tacoma World!

    You are currently viewing as a guest! To get full-access, you need to register for a FREE account.

    As a registered member, you’ll be able to:
    • Participate in all Tacoma discussion topics
    • Communicate privately with other Tacoma owners from around the world
    • Post your own photos in our Members Gallery
    • Access all special features of the site

LED reverse lights flickering!

Discussion in '1st Gen. Tacomas (1995-2004)' started by ThunderOne, Feb 12, 2017.

  1. Feb 12, 2017 at 9:40 PM
    #1
    ThunderOne

    ThunderOne [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 20, 2009
    Member:
    #17473
    Messages:
    10,020
    First Name:
    Mitchell
    Nashville
    Vehicle:
    1ST GEN OR GTFO
    Toyota NERD
    i installed some 18watt LED aux lights and they flicker just like my LED 1156s did. Is the wattage too low? What's the problem here? The stock 1156 wattage is 26 watts so the LED wattage being too high isn't the issue.

    http://youtu.be/mQ8OfwlqIco

    EDIT:
    I'm going to put the solution in here for anyone searching. It was a bad backup light switch, Part # 84210-52050. I will probably remove my relay once I install the new switch, no sense in having a wire going from my tail light all the way to the battery if I can help it.

    EDIT: putting new switch in fixed problem. Removed relay and still no more flickering. Yay!
     
    Last edited: Dec 28, 2017
  2. Feb 13, 2017 at 10:04 PM
    #2
    ThunderOne

    ThunderOne [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 20, 2009
    Member:
    #17473
    Messages:
    10,020
    First Name:
    Mitchell
    Nashville
    Vehicle:
    1ST GEN OR GTFO
    Toyota NERD
    Fuck it, I'm going to throw a resistor in line with each light and I'll report back.
     
  3. Feb 13, 2017 at 10:06 PM
    #3
    crashnburn80

    crashnburn80 Vehicle Design Engineer

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2015
    Member:
    #156893
    Messages:
    14,542
    Gender:
    Male
    Kirkland, WA
    Vehicle:
    2003 DCSB TRD OR
    Go Hawks!
  4. Feb 13, 2017 at 10:18 PM
    #4
    ThunderOne

    ThunderOne [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 20, 2009
    Member:
    #17473
    Messages:
    10,020
    First Name:
    Mitchell
    Nashville
    Vehicle:
    1ST GEN OR GTFO
    Toyota NERD
  5. Feb 14, 2017 at 10:27 AM
    #5
    ThunderOne

    ThunderOne [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 20, 2009
    Member:
    #17473
    Messages:
    10,020
    First Name:
    Mitchell
    Nashville
    Vehicle:
    1ST GEN OR GTFO
    Toyota NERD
    Actually screw it, I'm just going to add a relay. Didn't want to have to run a wire for the whole length of the truck but i don't have a choice
    -_-
     
  6. Feb 15, 2017 at 9:20 PM
    #6
    ThunderOne

    ThunderOne [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 20, 2009
    Member:
    #17473
    Messages:
    10,020
    First Name:
    Mitchell
    Nashville
    Vehicle:
    1ST GEN OR GTFO
    Toyota NERD
    Relay fixed The flickering, as I thought it would. I guess that means even though the LEDs don't draw that much power, the reverse light wiring is not exactly 'clean' power
     
  7. Feb 16, 2017 at 6:56 AM
    #7
    Tacoma_2000

    Tacoma_2000 Member

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2016
    Member:
    #173927
    Messages:
    16
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Brian
    Vehicle:
    2000 base 2wd
    Or the ground you supplied using the relay is making a better connection.
     
  8. Feb 16, 2017 at 7:59 AM
    #8
    ThunderOne

    ThunderOne [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 20, 2009
    Member:
    #17473
    Messages:
    10,020
    First Name:
    Mitchell
    Nashville
    Vehicle:
    1ST GEN OR GTFO
    Toyota NERD
    Using the same ground as the aux lights (mounting bolt from a hole I made in the bumper). Didn't change the ground at all. FWIW my 1156 leds in the reverse of the tail lights flickered the same way. I think the reverse light power wire is not very good.
     
    Last edited: Feb 16, 2017
  9. Feb 16, 2017 at 10:47 AM
    #9
    jammer

    jammer 2003 Toyota PreRunner 3.4L

    Joined:
    Jan 23, 2014
    Member:
    #121272
    Messages:
    1,281
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ben
    Bentonville, AR
    Vehicle:
    2003 Lunar Mist Tacoma PreRunner 3.4l
    OME Coils/Bilstein 5100's front / 5125's rear 105 Amp Denso Alternator
  10. Feb 16, 2017 at 11:07 AM
    #10
    ThunderOne

    ThunderOne [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 20, 2009
    Member:
    #17473
    Messages:
    10,020
    First Name:
    Mitchell
    Nashville
    Vehicle:
    1ST GEN OR GTFO
    Toyota NERD
    Yeah, that's what I was hoping to do. I mean, they don't draw that much power. There shouldn't need to be a relay used. But I did the same, tapped into the reverse power wire, and still got the flicker, the same flicker that was happening with LEDs installed in the tail's reverse socket. Maybe my reverse light wire is messed up somewhere, but not sure how or where it would be messed up. Either way, glad the relay fixed it at least.
     
  11. Feb 16, 2017 at 11:39 AM
    #11
    jammer

    jammer 2003 Toyota PreRunner 3.4L

    Joined:
    Jan 23, 2014
    Member:
    #121272
    Messages:
    1,281
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ben
    Bentonville, AR
    Vehicle:
    2003 Lunar Mist Tacoma PreRunner 3.4l
    OME Coils/Bilstein 5100's front / 5125's rear 105 Amp Denso Alternator
    Well, I will say this, they light it up in the back now. I can never complain again about not being able to see out the back. I almost went with the 30W, but I'm glad I didn't now.
     
  12. Feb 16, 2017 at 12:12 PM
    #12
    Wulf

    Wulf no brain just damage

    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2015
    Member:
    #147523
    Messages:
    58,412
    Gender:
    Female
    First Name:
    Kira
    1789 28th St, Boulder, CO 80301
    Vehicle:
    rock raisin
    Did you wire them inline or parallel with the factory reverse bulbs?
     
  13. Feb 16, 2017 at 12:18 PM
    #13
    ThunderOne

    ThunderOne [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 20, 2009
    Member:
    #17473
    Messages:
    10,020
    First Name:
    Mitchell
    Nashville
    Vehicle:
    1ST GEN OR GTFO
    Toyota NERD
    Each light had its own ground and its own power, which was drawn from the reverse light power wire on the tail harness
     
  14. Feb 16, 2017 at 12:36 PM
    #14
    tony2018

    tony2018 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2014
    Member:
    #123866
    Messages:
    5,288
    Gender:
    Male
    Tap into another source and if it still flickers than the led's are the issue.
     
  15. Feb 16, 2017 at 12:55 PM
    #15
    ThunderOne

    ThunderOne [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 20, 2009
    Member:
    #17473
    Messages:
    10,020
    First Name:
    Mitchell
    Nashville
    Vehicle:
    1ST GEN OR GTFO
    Toyota NERD
    Works fine with the relay. See previous posts.
     
  16. Feb 20, 2017 at 1:35 AM
    #16
    Wulf

    Wulf no brain just damage

    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2015
    Member:
    #147523
    Messages:
    58,412
    Gender:
    Female
    First Name:
    Kira
    1789 28th St, Boulder, CO 80301
    Vehicle:
    rock raisin
    I just added a pair of 18w LED pods. I tapped the power for each of the existing reverse bulbs and used the existing ground point under the bed. I don't have any flickering. :anonymous:
     
  17. Feb 20, 2017 at 6:29 AM
    #17
    ThunderOne

    ThunderOne [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 20, 2009
    Member:
    #17473
    Messages:
    10,020
    First Name:
    Mitchell
    Nashville
    Vehicle:
    1ST GEN OR GTFO
    Toyota NERD
    :mad: :mad: :mad: lol
     
  18. Feb 20, 2017 at 9:21 AM
    #18
    tony2018

    tony2018 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2014
    Member:
    #123866
    Messages:
    5,288
    Gender:
    Male
    Corrosion must play a part somewhere.....
     
  19. Feb 20, 2017 at 9:25 AM
    #19
    ThunderOne

    ThunderOne [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 20, 2009
    Member:
    #17473
    Messages:
    10,020
    First Name:
    Mitchell
    Nashville
    Vehicle:
    1ST GEN OR GTFO
    Toyota NERD
    Maybe. At this point it works great with a relay, so I'm not going to worry about it too much.
     
    tony2018[QUOTED] likes this.
  20. Feb 20, 2017 at 9:31 AM
    #20
    tony2018

    tony2018 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2014
    Member:
    #123866
    Messages:
    5,288
    Gender:
    Male
    Gotcha, I would've done the same too.
     

Products Discussed in

To Top