Map light LED issues

Hello all, bought the plug and play ready to go from superbrightleds mentioned on this forum for the map lights (personal lights in the manual). When my key is turned to on, or running lights turned on, or my dome light is on (be it via switched to on or when door open) the map light LEDs work perfectly. When simply from the battery without any of those other mentioned things on, the LEDs are very very dim and flicking.

I'm looking at the wiring diagram and the body ECU provides the power, not a strait source from 12vdc, so I guess there is something more complicated going on vs. just a bus of 12vdc for the various bulbs. The dome light has a dimming feature so I understand it having solid states that could cause an issue, but the map lights should be strait 12vdc bus as nothing should be affecting their operation, be it door open, keys in the ignition etc.

I'm just finding this very weird, there has to be additional draw in parallel for these LEDs to work correctly. I thought resistors are only needed for turn signals to avoid the hyper blinking but I do not see how 12vdc to these map light LEDs is any different when other loads are in parallel or not. Maybe its the 2001 body ECU? That ECU's other issue is not having consistent wireless unlock actions (have a junk yard 03 to toss in when I get the time).

 

Is it an LED in the dome too??

 

there are about 10 posts regarding this issue. but I'll sum it up.

the 01-04 gained a courtesy light feature that requires resistance to operate correctly (lights dim out when ignition is started or door closed). LEDs do not meet this resistance and therefore also need resistors to function without the key turned on.

@csjumper2003 sells LEDs with resistors attached or you can do it yourself. just make sure they are attached to the bulb and not the receptacle.


edit: 5 second search: https://www.tacomaworld.com/search/4959380/?q=LED+dome&t=post&o=date&c[node]=4

 

Nope, just wanted to change out the map lights.

I was in denial with resistor mentions because these were supposed to be very reputable LEDs with integrated resistors for exactly this- its why I didn't buy from Ebay. I swear, more and more I'm just going to buy from Amazon where the reviews are crucial. What doesn't make sense to me is that the map lights do not have any dimming feature adding to my denial that a resistor would be the issue- maybe simply to measure current to use the warning chime that you left the map lights on I guess...

 

I bought the "supposedly" error-free canbus bulbs from Amazon for both the maps and dome after first buying the cheaper ones that didn't work, and returning. I still had to add a resistor to the dome light bulb to get all of them to function the same as they did when using incandescent bulbs. I can't explain, but that is what worked for me. Wish I had tried the added resistor to those cheapies. Curious if they would have worked. They were 10 for $8, as opposed to the 2 for $10 error frees!!

 

Yeah annoying- and more LED drama, changing the rear brake lights and now the 3rd brake light IMO is causing a weird issue where when I used the change lane blinkers, the tranny downshifts but also bucks up and down. Have some testing to do.

 

unfortunately the map lights feed from the dome so there is some connected wiring that still has issues

yeah this should never happen, separate circuits. or did you have cruise control on? that could explain if the brake lights kick on and you did not use a LED compatible blinker module (towing wiring harness also).