Help: Meso Led Total Tail

Yup with turn signal coming from one of the tail connectors and not the circled gray connector, I would assume the bulb itself is malfunctioning and not processing the difference between amber and reverse correctly.

There is a brain in the bulb that actively decides to run amber or white (prioritizes amber over the white) so it could definitely be malfunctioning.

The reason people need resistors only when using turn signal in reverse is because of the bulb circuitry when you turn on reverse and then turn signal, the bulb actually uses the power on the reverse circuit to run the amber for that time period. Which results in the turn signal circuit on the truck seeing no load (only when in reverse and using turn signal, NOT when using turn signal normally without reverse).

Which means you actually don’t even need power from the turn signal circuit to flash amber - if the bulb malfunctions then it could definitely be stuck in amber mode and lighting the amber constant when the bulb has a reverse signal.

Obviously it’s good to swap the harnesses to opposite sides and then swap the bulb sides after that but I suspect bad bulb. VLEDS sold me switchbacks separately (the new ones that come in the stage 1 tail kit - NOT the V6 921s (I didn’t like those)), but they are not a listed item. Will need to call and beg. If using the V6 921s instead, then those can be purchased right off the site.

 

Oh wow I didn’t know about the turns running off the reverse power but it makes sense thinking about how a switchback would have to work…
What didn’t you like the 921s?? I had two of the meso bulbs (pictured in your post #37) burn out in less than a two years. Turns still worked but white was completely dead. They were the originals that came with my kit, so maybe it was a bad batch of bulbs? The first one I replaced under warranty from meso. When it happened again a couple months later I sprung for the 921s on Black Friday sale.

I’m almost positive I remember the listing op bought and they were the 921s, but I’ll try and see if I can dig it up

 

So when I got my truck I immediately bought the Meso kit. At the time Meso was the only one selling a kit. When Meso created the kit several years ago, VLEDS was supplying the switchbacks. They looked identical to what I posted (which is the current VLEDS version) except they didn’t say VLEDS on them, they either said Meso or they were unbranded. I don’t remember which. But they had the silver on them.

At the time I purchased (May 2022), Meso was having their bulbs manufactured by someone else. They were entirely black plastic. They overall looked the same but they had a noticeable delay in the amber blink (it started later than the mirrors - drove me nuts because I pay attention to stuff like that). I consider those ones junk. Is that what you had that failed? I’m curious if the ones that failed for you were the original VLEDS that VLEDS supplied for Meso, or if it was the all black knockoff Meso later came up with.

Because of the turn signal delay, I decided to try out the 921s that VLEDS marketed as an upgrade (same brightness on Amber but brighter on white). I found the Amber to be significantly dimmer to my eyes which is why I didn’t like them. I DID like that they blinked in unison with the mirror signals, but the dimmer Amber bothered me.

So I went back to the Meso black bulbs….until VLEDS came out with their entry level tail conversion kit in October/November 2022. So I converted to that and sold the Meso kit entirely.

In the lower level kit, VLEDS is supplying what they used to supply to Meso for stage 1, except it says VLEDS on it. The silver ring is there like it used to be on the original Meso kits. It blinks in unison with the mirrors and is plenty bright. I am now happy.

 

Interesting. The amber on the 921s is noticeably brighter to my eyes from the drivers seat than the mesos from stage 1 despite supposedly having the same output. I feel like I can see the intensity in the reflection off the snow when looking in the mirrors and when standing behind the truck.
All three (two with burnt out white and the one that was sent to me under warranty) are solid black and stamped meso.

Maybe if I had rotated them 180 degrees they would have lasted longer and been brighter

 

Yeah….those are the Meso knockoff garbage. Second version of the switchback. Prior to those was the VLEDS made product that Meso knocked off. Cost savings thing.

Original Stage 1 Switchback (made for Meso by VLEDS):



Knockoff switchback made by Meso (junk):



Current VLEDS “stage 1” (entry level) tail conversion switchback:



The last one uses the same design they originally provided for Meso. Blinks in unison with mirrors (faster processor I guess), and overall much better quality (as usual for VLEDS).

The 921s are fine if you like them, I just didn’t like the Amber comparatively. There were others who posted about it here too so it definitely wasn’t just me. I even compared again to the VLEDS switchback once I had both in hand and the 921s were worse…But anyways.

 

Interesting… Now I sort of want to try the 1 good meso I have against the 921. I’ve been meaning to upgrade to the vled kit completely and dump the total tails out of fear that the reds would crap out prematurely as well, but am just sooo lazy lol
Theoretically, if OP had managed to reverse polarity on the correct plug or the harness was wired incorrectly would that cause amber in reverse like his picture? Or could it only be the bulb you think?
I’ve been unable to find the total tail with Vleds listing I suspect OP bought and it’s kind of driving me nuts. That and OP keeps claiming “yellowish tint” when the pic looks completely amber to me. Too much TW for one night

 

Yeah I’ve actually noticed more people here seem to have problems with Meso reds than switchbacks. I swapped to VLEDS mostly for the switchback, but I was not using the Meso reds. I had already upgraded to VLEDS reds, but now I am using incandescents. Being warm white behind red lens, I think they are easier to see in the sun than the darker red of LED. The LEDs are better at night but I need the brightness more in the day than night. And the incandescents are still really good at night being there are 4 of them.

At this point I think it’s the bulb. I can’t think of anything OP could have done to cause the problem. Maybe faulty harness but it’s unlikely. The wiring to the 3-pin black connector could be wrong with the ground in the correct location (Amber and white flipped). But doubtful.

Just need more info from the OP to figure it out. My guess is he got all Meso with the exception of VLEDS 921s. I do believe the “yellow” being referred to is the Amber turn signal on when it’s not supposed to be. Neither of the whites are anywhere close to yellow - both are white or cool white.

There’s the incandescents on mine.

 

I was able to take the taillight out and take some pictures. I am thinking, like BLtheP mentioned, the led light be bad. It seems like the led is mixing the white and the amber colors when in reverse and when on blinker. So instead of getting bright white when reversing or amber when blinking, it is a mixture when doing both. Below are pictures of the color and of the VLEDs I have.

 

Looks like you got the Stage 2 with the VLEDS Triton V6 as your switchback. Is there a 3d printed piece epoxied to the tail light where that bulb goes?

If so, reach out to VLEDS to purchase a replacement

I do see how it’s kind of a washed out mix of white and amber making yellow instead of being fully one or the other.

 

Good to know! Does VLEDS still make that version? Hopefully they can just send me one. And I believe there is a piece epoxied, like a plastic ring? I don’t know for sure, but it looks like it. I noticed I couldn’t spin the LED bulb out of the drivers side, but I didn’t want to pull too hard on it.

 

alot to unpack in this thread. Interesting development with the Meso Total Tail quality. I'll keep an eye on my Total Tail stage 1 to see if it starts to degrade. good stuff TW.

 

I think they do, it has definitely been superseded by the V6 Extreme series, but I believe they offer both. I’d give them a call. If you get stuck buying 1 extreme, then brightnesses will not match, so hopefully they do still sell the older ones.

You should have a 3d printed adapter ring in each tail light for the switchback. You should be able to twist and remove the bulb from that adapter ring. If not then maybe PO got it stuck somehow.

 

Just wanted to give an update. I reached out to VLED and sent them pictures. They told me the bulb was bad, but out of the warranty period. So $40 later, I got it swapped out and everything matches and is working like it should.

 

Fantastic! Enjoy the good quality parts.