Led bulb problems

Thread Starter

John appleseed

Joined May 20, 2020
101
So i decided to swap out my old incandescence head light bulbs For led ones in my 2011 frontier. Before i made the change i added an 120watt led light bar to my grille. This light bar is powered directly from the battery, on a relay that is controlled from the high beam wire i spliced into from the left headlight assy. That wire i spliced into acts as a ground when my DRLs are on (Because polarity becomes reversed for say time lights) so i put a diode (1N4004) in series with the relays coil So that the coil of the relay wouldnt activate when the DRLs are on, only when the high beams are on. My leds head lights i got are meant for my truck and say “non polarity” on them. So basically there supposed to work as DRLs. Now the problem is ever since i swapped the new led bulbs in i noticed only the left on is working as a DRL but both are working for high/low. My theory is the light bars relay is giving continuity to ground so its by passing the right head light. One time i opened the door and all the interior lights started going crazy. My question for you guys is what type of diode should i use? Would that fix the problem? And do you think my bcm had taken any damage from this flashing moment? Here are the schematics below. Thanks!
 

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gerty

Joined Aug 30, 2007
1,305
Have you tried disconnecting the wire you added to activate your relay ? Does that fix your headlight problem ? Lastly I would put the light bar on a toggle switch, for nothing else but to keep from frying the module..
 

geekoftheweek

Joined Oct 6, 2013
1,201
Most likely it's due to the internal regulator of the new headlights. LEDs by nature work differently than normal bulbs. You may have to contact the manufacturer on this or eliminate the del module and wire your own. Add your del diagram for those not already familiar with your lights from the previous issue.
 

Thread Starter

John appleseed

Joined May 20, 2020
101
Have you tried disconnecting the wire you added to activate your relay ? Does that fix your headlight problem ? Lastly I would put the light bar on a toggle switch, for nothing else but to keep from frying the module..
Yes when i disconnect it i have no DRLs. When its connected i only have the left drl im assuming because its traveling through the relays coil and giving continuity to ground. A diode should do the fix no?
 

Thread Starter

John appleseed

Joined May 20, 2020
101
Most likely it's due to the internal regulator of the new headlights. LEDs by nature work differently than normal bulbs. You may have to contact the manufacturer on this or eliminate the del module and wire your own. Add your del diagram for those not already familiar with your lights from the previous issue.
Thanks i should note the led headlights have there own driver. I will try adding my own diagram
 

geekoftheweek

Joined Oct 6, 2013
1,201
Thanks i should note the led headlights have there own driver. I will try adding my own diagram

I was actually referring to the DRL info you posted in the thread about the light bar. I haven't dealt with LED headlights myself, but something tells me the problem is the way the power is split between the two bulbs instead of separate power for each bulb.
 

Thread Starter

John appleseed

Joined May 20, 2020
101
I was actually referring to the DRL info you posted in the thread about the light bar. I haven't dealt with LED headlights myself, but something tells me the problem is the way the power is split between the two bulbs instead of separate power for each bulb.
33C38D02-AD3E-430A-A83C-5E2A4D9E85E9.png
So this is the factory diagram for my truck. It seems the headlights are wired in series for the day time running lights. My light bar gets power direct from the batter, but its on a relay that gets triggered from my high beam. I spliced into the highbeam wire right at the left headlight assy at the socket where the bulb goes, to trigger that relay. Im thinking the left headlight drl turns on because the relays coil technically has continuity to ground right? Given the new led headlight bulb has less resistance dont you thing its taking the easiest path to ground (through my relays coil)? So in that case wouldnt a bigger diode be the case?
 

geekoftheweek

Joined Oct 6, 2013
1,201
If I'm thinking right the regulator for the left headlight is knocking down the voltage to where the bulb needs to be and not leaving enough to light up the right light. The diode simply only allows power to flow one way. If your light bar is still working as it should changing the diode won't do anything.

If I remember right the DRL power goes through the left ground, out the left high to the right high and back to ground in the module. Measure the voltage at left high with the DRL on and if it's showing less than 5 or 6 volts then you will have to do some more wiring to get things right again. Simply put the circuit wasn't designed for LED lights and probably won't work with them no matter what you do short of a rewire.

If I'm thinking right you will find less than 1 volt at your left high when the DRLs are running instead of 6 or so that would normally be going to the right light.
 

Thread Starter

John appleseed

Joined May 20, 2020
101
If I'm thinking right the regulator for the left headlight is knocking down the voltage to where the bulb needs to be and not leaving enough to light up the right light. The diode simply only allows power to flow one way. If your light bar is still working as it should changing the diode won't do anything.

If I remember right the DRL power goes through the left ground, out the left high to the right high and back to ground in the module. Measure the voltage at left high with the DRL on and if it's showing less than 5 or 6 volts then you will have to do some more wiring to get things right again. Simply put the circuit wasn't designed for LED lights and probably won't work with them no matter what you do short of a rewire.

If I'm thinking right you will find less than 1 volt at your left high when the DRLs are running.
Yeah so i just probed around Again and found I have 14v with the truck running with high beams on and -14v with with DRLs on to the left head light harness. Polaritys become reversed for drls to work. The led lights i bought (posted below) are made for my truck and are supposed to be “non polarity” well thats what it says atleast. The diode in series with the light bar relays coil will stop the DRLs from having a negative path through my relays coil if my theory is correct, that might explain why when i cut the wire going to my light bar relays coil my left drl turns off. Does that sound right?
so F084463C-2DCA-477B-8493-D43E448CE58A.png
 

geekoftheweek

Joined Oct 6, 2013
1,201
Yeah so i just probed around Again and found I have 14v with the truck running with high beams on and -14v with with DRLs on to the left head light harness. Polaritys become reversed for drls to work. The led lights i bought (posted below) are made for my truck and are supposed to be “non polarity” well thats what it says atleast. The diode in series with the light bar relays coil will stop the DRLs from having a negative path through my relays coil if my theory is correct, that might explain why when i cut the wire going to my light bar relays coil my left drl turns off. Does that sound right?
More or less I think you have it. Even though it's not enough power to fire the relay the light is being grounded through the relay coil. The problem is they can't be in series as your DRLs are wired would be my thought. What about if you ground the right side high beam with the DRLs on, but no relay? If the left starts working again then the poster failed to mention the DRL issue and if nothing else you could get your money back. I have a feeling that isn't the course you want as I have experienced LED headlights and if I did enough night driving would have them myself.
 

Thread Starter

John appleseed

Joined May 20, 2020
101
More or less I think you have it. Even though it's not enough power to fire the relay the light is being grounded through the relay coil. The problem is they can't be in series as your DRLs are wired would be my thought. What about if you ground the right side high beam with the DRLs on, but no relay? If the left starts working again then the poster failed to mention the DRL issue and if nothing else you could get your money back. I have a feeling that isn't the course you want as I have experienced LED headlights and if I did enough night driving would have them myself.
Well really im not to concerned if the drls work or not but i would like them to either both work or not work at all because it looks like i have a burnt out headlight driving with just the left drl on. If i cut off the path to ground that my light bars relay coil is providing (with a diode) it should fix the problem right? I do have a diode inline already, a 1n4004 and it worked just fine when my halogens bulbs were in but i think it may be to weak now? Any suggestions on what type of diode to use? My diode has to be failing because if it wasn’t nt failing my left drl wouldnt have continuity to ground through my light bars coil.
 

geekoftheweek

Joined Oct 6, 2013
1,201
Long story short your LED lights will not work with your DRL module. It's not the diode if your light bar still works correctly. Diodes don't get weak... they fail. Even with the halogen lights there was a ground path through the relay, but not enough voltage to turn the relay on due to the lights being in series. The diode simply made sure you were getting power from high beam to ground instead of ground to high beam like the DRL uses.

Simply put it is the LED lights that are the problem and your DRL module was designed to work with regular bulbs. LEDs and incandescent lights are like comparing gasoline and diesel. The end result is the same, but the process to go from fuel to power is totally different.
 

Thread Starter

John appleseed

Joined May 20, 2020
101
Long story short your LED lights will not work with your DRL module. It's not the diode if your light bar still works correctly. Diodes don't get weak... they fail. Even with the halogen lights there was a ground path through the relay, but not enough voltage to turn the relay on due to the lights being in series. The diode simply made sure you were getting power from high beam to ground instead of ground to high beam like the DRL uses.

Simply put it is the LED lights that are the problem and your DRL module was designed to work with regular bulbs. LEDs and incandescent lights are like comparing gasoline and diesel. The end result is the same, but the process to go from fuel to power is totally different.
Yeah but when i flip the switch (which disconnects that high beam wire/ground for drls that does to my relays coil, the light shuts off. This tells me the diode is not doing its job no? Bc when i hit the switch to off position the left drl turns off. Has to be that the diode is letting my led bulb get continuity to ground through the relays coil. Thats why im thinking the diode isnt strong enough its a 1n4004
 

Thread Starter

John appleseed

Joined May 20, 2020
101
Yeah but when i flip the switch (which disconnects that high beam wire/ground for drls that does to my relays coil, the light shuts off. This tells me the diode is not doing its job no? Bc when i hit the switch to off position the left drl turns off. Has to be that the diode is letting my led bulb get continuity to ground through the relays coil. Thats why im thinking the diode isnt strong enough its a 1n4004
Goes*
 

geekoftheweek

Joined Oct 6, 2013
1,201
Yeah but when i flip the switch (which disconnects that high beam wire/ground for drls that does to my relays coil, the light shuts off. This tells me the diode is not doing its job no? Bc when i hit the switch to off position the left drl turns off. Has to be that the diode is letting my led bulb get continuity to ground through the relays coil. Thats why im thinking the diode isnt strong enough its a 1n4004
The light shuts off because of the way LED lights work. Disconnect the relay, diode, and whatever else is connected and see what happens. If neither light works it is your lights. If both lights work then a different diode won't make a difference. If your light bar still works correctly the diode is doing it's job... there is no other way to put it!
 

Thread Starter

John appleseed

Joined May 20, 2020
101
The light shuts off because of the way LED lights work. Disconnect the relay, diode, and whatever else is connected and see what happens. If neither light works it is your lights. If both lights work then a different diode won't make a difference. If your light bar still works correctly the diode is doing it's job... there is no other way to put it!
Ok thanks for your input i will go and do that now
 

LesJones

Joined Jan 8, 2017
4,174
You seem to be assuming that the LED headlight bulb will work at about half the brightness when supplied with 6 to 7 volts as they would be when connected in series with a 12 to 14 volt supply. Try supplying one of your headlamp bulbs with a 7 volts supply and see if they light up. I don't think they will.

Les.
 

geekoftheweek

Joined Oct 6, 2013
1,201
I'm tired and cranky and know I insisted on a wiring problem the last time before you posted the diagram to see how it all worked. This time it's a little more cut and dry. There is no such thing as a stronger or weaker diode in the context you are asking... it either works or it doesn't. There are different voltage drops across the diode, but even that won't help due to how LEDs work. You'll end up with non working lights before a different diode does anything. Good luck.
 

Thread Starter

John appleseed

Joined May 20, 2020
101
You seem to be assuming that the LED headlight bulb will work at about half the brightness when supplied with 6 to 7 volts as they would be when connected in series with a 12 to 14 volt supply. Try supplying one of your headlamp bulbs with a 7 volts supply and see if they light up. I don't think they will.

Les.
Thats a good point they will not
 
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