HELP LED TAILLIGHT INSTALL

I have read through other posts about installing the JCR rear armor with LED lights. Thought i had it down but now that i am into it i am having all kinds of problems. I will be the first to admit i am an idoit when it comes to electrical work.

2000 XJ with the JCR armor package. Purchased LEDs from JCR. Was going to use oval Red light for brake light and then small rounds for tuen and marking lights. I purchsed round LED from Super Bright for reverse lights.
I figured from what i have read since i was not using the red oval for turn that it would be a straight up, take the three wires from the oval and swap with the three hooked up to the brake bulb. First try the LED light would come on with the lights on but then tun off when i pushed the brake pedal. The i noticed the ground from the factory was not white so i changed that and the brake light works but will not will not light up with the lights turned on.
Can anyone tell me how to wire that LED up so it works like the factory bulb does?

Also during messing around with the wires to the brake light bulb ( i did blow a fuse trying to hook up both power wires to one lead) now the turn signals and hazards will not work. ( i never touched the turn bulbs yet) I have checked the fuses but cannot find a blown one any other place i should look and where is the location?

Thanks in advance for the help. If your located any where near north eastern IL i would be happy to supply beer and anything ( ok prob not anything but within reason) else for some help. ( Heated garage)

I did my own LEDs and I had a hell of a time with them.
It was something in the front harness I think I had to run new wires from the front turn signal lights back.
It was a nightmare
It was a few years ago and I was fuzzy

Maybe someone smarter than me will chime in.

you more then likely blew the fuse to the hazards also. and as for getting them to turn on with the running lights im not sure if thats possible with the new led setup. they would have to have something similar to the old dual filimant bulb you had in the stockers. I bet the new led setup you bought has some type of diagram that could be used to match things up? Is this your daily driver? because I may be able to come by and help you tomorrow if it's not a major need right now.

First, did you buy Stop, Turn, Tail Light (STT) LED's ? The wires or the terminals on the lamp housing should be labeled for their functions, look carefully and closely. With a STT there are 3 terminals, two next to each other and one farther away. 1= ground, 2 =tail or running light, 3=stop/turn

1............2
..........3..


The factory tail lights wires are labeled for function or you should be consulting your Factory Service Manual for the wire functions.

You will probably have to hook up additional ground wires wherever needed.

seanR said:

I did my own LEDs and I had a hell of a time with them.
It was something in the front harness I think I had to run new wires from the front turn signal lights back.
It was a nightmare
It was a few years ago and I was fuzzy

Maybe someone smarter than me will chime in.

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Sean..thanks man...well hope i figure it out before winterfest...lol

ifixit8 said:

you more then likely blew the fuse to the hazards also. and as for getting them to turn on with the running lights im not sure if thats possible with the new led setup. they would have to have something similar to the old dual filimant bulb you had in the stockers. I bet the new led setup you bought has some type of diagram that could be used to match things up? Is this your daily driver? because I may be able to come by and help you tomorrow if it's not a major need right now.

Click to expand...

thanks man shot me a PM if you have time to hel tomorrow i will fit your schedual.

Tim_MN said:

First, did you buy Stop, Turn, Tail Light (STT) LED's ? The wires or the terminals on the lamp housing should be labeled for their functions, look carefully and closely. With a STT there are 3 terminals, two next to each other and one farther away. 1= ground, 2 =tail or running light, 3=stop/turn

1............2
..........3..


The factory tail lights wires are labeled for function or you should be consulting your Factory Service Manual for the wire functions.

You will probably have to hook up additional ground wires wherever needed.

Click to expand...

Tim: yes the terminals are laid out like that on the LED lights. I can tell what wires from the Stock bulb do what from watching the filaments on the stock bulbs. that would make sense for the additional ground. were would you think i could try that from?

anywhere on the unibody will make ground.

If you don`t have this figured out by the end of the bears game, I can swing by and give ya a hand. Im right in Lake Zurich

willsmysticcobra said:

If you don`t have this figured out by the end of the bears game, I can swing by and give ya a hand. Im right in Lake Zurich

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PM sent thanks man.

John

I had to change my flasher to get my LED turn sigs to work.

Dan has 1 good point, you'll need either an electronic flasher (doesn't depend on current flow for the timing,) or you'll need to wire in a resistor in series with each of the LEDs. I already had an electronic flasher for towing when I mounted my LEDs (won a set of FarmerMatt's taillights.)

SeanR: did you bypass that connector behind the airbox? That's another fairly well-known trouble point.

I probably shouldn't say anything more, I've got a problem in my front clip that I haven't chased down yet.

Fore Wheeler said:

I had to change my flasher to get my LED turn sigs to work.

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Dan i have read that in the 97 plus Xj's tha tthe LED trun signal will work but you get that fast flashing and just have to switch out the flasher to a EB-27. I could be wrong. heck i have not even got to the turn signals yet still trying to figure out what i did to the stock ones. thanks for the advice

RAM-ROD said:

Dan i have read that in the 97 plus Xj's tha tthe LED trun signal will work but you get that fast flashing and just have to switch out the flasher to a EB-27.

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I think you may have meant EP-27, not EB-27 - EB-series stuff is the terminal block, not the flasher relay itself.

Paying attention to this thread because I'm going through this same hell right now on my 2000, though mine's just a straight bulb swap (not a rewiring job), so I feel your pain. That particular saga's over here - my symptoms are different to yours, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that they're related.

I could be wrong. heck i have not even got to the turn signals yet still trying to figure out what i did to the stock ones. thanks for the advice

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I have no idea at this point either. I've tried every reasonable combination of thermostatic and electronic flasher with both LED and incandescent bulbs over the past few days, and it appears as though the flasher is feeding back into the brake/tail lights if there's more than one LED bulb in either the indicators or front sidemarkers. Having said that:

ChiXJeff said:

SeanR: did you bypass that connector behind the airbox? That's another fairly well-known trouble point.

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Searched on this, but couldn't find an exact reference to what it does that made sense to me in this context - can I get a Cliff's Notes summary of what the issue is with it?

This is the only vehicle I've ever attempted this conversion on where I've had this much trouble, and it's driving me up the wall at this point. I really hope it doesn't come down to splicing resistors in, because that would negate the benefit (lower current draw) that I'm aiming for.

willsmysticcobra said:

If you don`t have this figured out by the end of the bears game, I can swing by and give ya a hand. Im right in Lake Zurich

Click to expand...

This is why I love .

casm said:

Searched on this, but couldn't find an exact reference to what it does that made sense to me in this context - can I get a Cliff's Notes summary of what the issue is with it?

Click to expand...

Big problem with this multi-way connector is the corrosion issue. The exposed wiring in the terminals tends to corrode, get brittle, and crack.

Thanks for all of the ideas Guys. I was able to fix the "flasher" that i messed up. Then got all of the stock lights working again. Went back at it and got the turn sinals and back-up LED lights to work perfect.:clap: Now i just have to figure out why the Three pin "Stop, Running" Lights will only do one or the other. I am thinking being they are three pin but can be used for Stop, running and turn that i may need to hook the running and stop wires up to the same lead and leave one lead not hooked up like i did with the reverse lights. Going to give Superbright a call.