LED reverse lights causing problems?

To check the switch, you could bypass it at the switch harness. If you connect the wires at the harness with the key on (but engine off, since you'll be under it) the lights should illuminate. What you're doing is simulating the reverse switch in the on position. If they illuminate, you can be fairly confident the switch is the problem.

 

Ok I think I see what your saying. So would I just use like a paperclip to connect the two wires? I'm assuming there are like 2 prongs in the harness that just need to be connected somehow correct?

 

Anything metallic would work, but use a piece of insulated wire instead.

The D in LED stands for Diode. A diode only allows electricity to flow in 1 direction. If you wire an LED in backwards, no juice will flow, no light. No short, blown fuses or anything like that, just won't work. They're often used to prevent electricity from back flowing (lighting up a brake light when the turn signal is used in multi light setups etc).

The LED itself, as far as current goes, is like a switch. It's either on, or its off. When the LED is energized to the point it switches 'on', resistance is about 0 across the LED itself, it basically creates and arc which creates the light. Too much juice across an LED and it will burn out, in about right now. It won't blow a fuse, it will just die. LED's designed for automotive use will have a built in resistor to keep that from happening. A standard bulb works on resistance. Running electricity through a resistor produces heat. In the case of a filament bulb, the filament glows as it heats up, which produces the light, plus a lot of wasted heat. In any case, unless you have a bad LED light, you won't need extra resistors.

If an overcurrent situation actually destroyed a switch in your vehicle, odds are greatly in the realm of you releasing all the magic smoke, which a fuse is intended to prevent. You will notice when you let all the magic smoke out of a wire or switch and there is no way to refill the magic smoke reservoir in a wire. When it's empty, it's empty and you have to replace the wire.

The odds of a switch just going bad, much greater.

 

Yes, a paperclip is often the tool used. I'm not certain about the reverse switch on your truck but it's usually on the transmission on the side. Sounds like you understand the concept. Just don't forget to have the key on when you test it. If you had a meter, you should find power on one side of the switch.

 

I was tracking all the way up until magic smoke. Haha

 

Let the smoke out = fried the component.

 

Oh OK, but since I checked the fuses and they all seemed fine wouldn't that be more than likely a bad switch? I'm about to go test it like you said with a wire when my buddy gets here.

 

It's a running joke/cliche, that all electrical actually runs on the magic smoke in a wire. When you run out of smoke, it won't work any more.

A shorted wire that doesn't blow its fuse heats up real hot, real fast and melts the wires insulation. That smokes like a mo-fo, like I can't see out the windshield levels of smoke in the cab. So if you let the magic smoke out of a wire, you have to replace the wire.

 

Gotcha, yeah I figured it was something like that but didn't know how to apply it exactly haha

 

If you have 12v to the switch, but 0v past the switch, the problem is in the switch. I'd use a multimeter rather than jumping the switch, but I won't say I've never gone that route when I didn't have a MM handy.

 

My suggestion: bypass the switch with the paperclip first. If that doesn't make the lights work, then start troubleshooting the rest of the circuit.

If it works, replace the switch.

 

Yeah I don't have one handy. I've also heard that some people have had success with just removing the little buffer where the switch plugs in and somehow that allows the switch to work. Probably because it allows the switch to sit deeper in its hole to trigger the light.

 

Can't help with the buffer, I've never had an issue with the switch you dealing with, just basic electrical troubleshooting above.

If the connection is dirty just pulling and replacing the plug might give a good enough connection to complete the circuit. If so pull the plug again and clean all the contacts. Dirty connections create arcing, which creates heat, and the potential to be right back where you are today in the near future.

Bad grounds create a whole host of bizarre problems that make 0 sense. Ask anyone dealing with trailer lights. The weird symptoms I had to clear up on my latest camper alone took 3 days to fix. 20 minutes if I had just started with cleaning the grounds would have accomplished the same thing It's too easy to overlook the obvious sometimes.

 

Alright thanks for all the help guys, I did what one of you guys suggested and jumped the switch with a piece of wire and the reverse lights lit up. So it wasn't bad LEDs probably just a bad switch. Ordered the part (20 bucks from newegg) and that should be the end of it. I'll let you know how it turns out when the part gets here in a week or so.

 

put back the old ones

 

Good news everyone! The new switch came in and it works like new.

Now there dilemma is do I reinstall the led lights or keep the incandescent bulbs in there? The reason I ask is because deep in the back of my head I'm worried that the LEDs somehow caused the switch to fail. What say you, gentlemen?

 

I repair everything with reliability as my primary objective. If the LEDs are good quality and you like the light output, by all means use them. Personally, I use Sylvania long life bulbs for everything because they are pretty durable. I'm not one for blue tinted lights so I pass on most LEDs (plus, they typically don't last long because of the quality). In theory, LEDs should outlive the car and the driver but most just don't. YMMV

As far as the switch lifespan, it doesn't make a difference. It was designed for incandescent bulbs so it will certainly be ok for lower draw LED bulbs. I guess it's possible the LEDs could burn out in a shorted condition and damage something but who knows. Given their limited use, normal reverse lights should last a while.

 

Unless you bought magic LED's they'll have no effect on a switch. The switch doesn't care what's at the end, electricity is electricity.