Fitted LED parking light bulbs: Now its telling me theres a fault?

[RSV_Ecosse]

Figure this has something to do with the check control system?.

I fitted LED Xenon parking light bulbs this afternoon ( how fiddly is it getting into the back of the headlight!!!??? :eek: )

I'm sure they are the same wattage/voltage as the standard ones that were in there. Both fitted fine and look great.

Got in the car and nipped down to the shops. The infocentre thingy was telling me "Check left parking light". So I got out the car and looked, both parking lights were on fine. So I pressed "OK" and it said "Check right parking light". Pressed "OK" again. I just assumed it was maybe because I had removed the old bulbs to fit the new ones and it had sensed the bulbholders were empty for a few seconds.

Drive off and it does it again and under the speedo there's a yellow bulb symbol in the little display with an exclamation mark in it.

Both bulbs are working fine so if this is something to do with the check control system, is there any way around it?.

Also, as I parked up on my drive, got out and walked away from the car, after I had locked it with the remote, I noticed that one of the LED bulbs I had fitted was flashing on and then going off with an interval of a few seconds between flashes. Did that for about a minute then stopped?. Is that related?. :confused:

[signumT]

if im correct led dont work use less current so it thinks they are faulty and throws a wobbler but one of the techs will confirm:rockon:

[RSV_Ecosse]

if im correct led dont work use less current so it thinks they are faulty and throws a wobbler but one of the techs will confirm:rockon:

Darn!!!.

Thats a pity, they look really good as well:-

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/7564/led1qr3.jpg

[Gsi3.2]

IIRC.. the LED bulbs won't get recognised by the check computer..

sad to say that i think they'll have to come back out..

[RSV_Ecosse]

Is there any way to add resistors in the wiring to fool the check control system?. Seems like extra hassle though I suppose.

[chrisschild]

does that in mine, I got blue LEDs, and yes its cause the LEDs use such a small current, the computer can't pick up enough resistance in the circut, therefore it thinks the "bulb" as failed of is not present.

Also, at night, lock the car and look carfully, you might be able to see the LEDs pulsing (near side followed by offside) 1 flash at a time, looks wicked on mine as they strobe blue, and the car is silver, so people who are unaware are slowing down when im in a layby thinking im an undercover car lol!

back to the warning message, if you put a resistor in the circut of each led, to bring the resistance up to the same as a normal bulb, the warnings should dissapper. i havent done this yet as i need to find out what resistors to get!

Chris

[Jamie]

Also, at night, lock the car and look carfully, you might be able to see the LEDs pulsing (near side followed by offside) 1 flash at a time, looks wicked on mine as they strobe blue, and the car is silver, so people who are unaware are slowing down when im in a layby thinking im an undercover car lol!
wanna br careful with that mate! :mod:

[chrisschild]

wanna br careful with that mate! :mod:

Yeah, already had discussion with local police, 1 officer was adiment that the under car lighting i got is illegle, But i stated its legal as long as you cant see the light itself, just what they are glowing onto, and they remain static while car is in motion, he radio'd in the check and i was right :rockon:

He didnt notice the fact I was drivin with pure blue sidelights and front fogs on! But the argument I gave for the sidelights was "all the HGVs have them!"

[Maddog1974]

I have been thinking about this, i reckon if you put resistors inline you will cut down the voltage to the LED and it wont light properly?

Or do you mean resistor across the actual bulb :confused:

[Jamie]

Yeah, already had discussion with local police, 1 officer was adiment that the under car lighting i got is illegle, But i stated its legal as long as you cant see the light itself, just what they are glowing onto, and they remain static while car is in motion, he radio'd in the check and i was right :rockon:


Yes and no! There is no provision in the vehicle lighting reglations act (1989) for under car neon lights, therefore there is no specific law against it...... there are ways around that though (which I will not disclose... I have to have some secrets!!). :mod:

[RSV_Ecosse]

I read a post somewhere here on the forums on the subject after much searching ( cant remember where, it was buried within pages of a thread ).

If you put the resitors "in-line" it wont work, they need to be fitted "across" the bulbs.

More hassle than its worth to be honest, in my opinion. I'm not the best when it comes to understanding electrics, so I dont think I'm going to bother.

A bit of a pity, as I am looking at fitting an HID kit to my car, and the LED white bulbs are the closest match I have found yet to the "whiteness" of the HID dipped beam bulbs, as illustrated by my old HID kit on my Calibra:-

Click the thumbnails for full size pics.......

http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/6346/ledsidelights25xf.th.jpghttp://img236.imageshack.us/img236/1139/high47ag.th.jpghttp://img176.imageshack.us/img176/465/dipped22pc.th.jpg

Damn, thats not working........hang on......

[RSV_Ecosse]

Click thumbnails for larger pics:-

LED White Xenon sidelights only

http://img490.imageshack.us/img490/4749/ledsidelights16ei.th.jpg (http://img490.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ledsidelights16ei.jpg)http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/6346/ledsidelights25xf.th.jpg (http://img226.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ledsidelights25xf.jpg)


HID headlights

http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/2379/dipped11xj.th.jpg (http://img375.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dipped11xj.jpg)http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/465/dipped22pc.th.jpg (http://img176.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dipped22pc.jpg)http://img459.imageshack.us/img459/9036/dipped33ws.th.jpg (http://img459.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dipped33ws.jpg)http://img487.imageshack.us/img487/8898/dipped48ff.th.jpg (http://img487.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dipped48ff.jpg)


HID headlights AND highbeam

Notice the difference in colour temperature between the HID dipped and the standard high beam.

http://img359.imageshack.us/img359/6249/high12xm.th.jpg (http://img359.imageshack.us/my.php?image=high12xm.jpg)http://img376.imageshack.us/img376/7829/high22cg.th.jpg (http://img376.imageshack.us/my.php?image=high22cg.jpg)http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/2186/high36xq.th.jpg (http://img210.imageshack.us/my.php?image=high36xq.jpg)http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/1139/high47ag.th.jpg (http://img236.imageshack.us/my.php?image=high47ag.jpg)

Drivers side is HID, passenger side standard H1 bulb

http://img287.imageshack.us/img287/6373/frontoffside13ww.jpg

[Harry]

the difference is amazing in that last pic RSV!

i've got a friend who should be getting some HID kits in stock - so hopefully i should be getting my car sorted soon!

[stehanson]

RSV_Ecosse - what bulbs you got in in the avatar pic? they look much brighter than the oem ones in my SRI and just what im looking for - or are they HIDS? (pic too small to see realy) and did you sort the LED sidelight prob out? - Crazy LEDs over on vvoc.com sells some that supposedly dont trigger the warning system

[stevedee3]

I haven't confirmed this, but I think there are two elements to the bulb check system:
"Cold" bulb test: This is performed when the bulb is off. An incandescent globe when off has a very low resistance. "Hot" bulb test: When lit, an incandescent bulb should draw a specific amount of current
So in order to use something other than the correct wattage incandescent bulb without failing the bulb test, you need to fool both tests. Don't ask me how though...

[RSV_Ecosse]

RSV_Ecosse - what bulbs you got in in the avatar pic? they look much brighter than the oem ones in my SRI and just what im looking for - or are they HIDS? (pic too small to see realy) and did you sort the LED sidelight prob out? - Crazy LEDs over on vvoc.com sells some that supposedly dont trigger the warning system


Hi m8, the bulbs I have in the Avatar of my car are PIAA Plasma Spark blues. They retail at @£70. :eek:

They are the closest I've seen any aftermarket bulb come to the "look" of HID's. They light up the road pretty well although I'm still looking to fit a set of HID's to my car very shortly indeed.

There are a couple of bigger pictures in this thread:-

http://www.vectra-c.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13963

[stehanson]

Im liking them a lot , but sadly too expensive for me given their short life!

[rickyroo]

I can tell everybody know how to cure the bulb failure on led sidelights and what resistance to have the problem I have is the flashing led when off.

still working write now to cure the fault you get 0.055vdc which is normal then check comes in and gives the led current which creates the flash, between 0.218vdc - 0.181vdc.

p.m me if you want to cure the failure problem

[rickyroo]

i have solved the problem, but not going to be able to use them really.
you require an 8.2ohm resistor (which must be mounted to the body work as will get red hot) also a 4 pin 40amp relay. you need to seperate the input voltage +ve from the wiring loom to the bulb via the relay, and join the -ve in series.
This will allow you when the switch is made to have led sidelights without bulb failure, and nothing when off.
The problem you will find is you carn't mount the resistor inside the casing for the sidelights as this would melt the light unit, nor is their any room for the relay to go.
Your only option is to leave the caseing off and have the wiring loom exposed.
Not a good idea from a water / condensation point of view.

[RSV_Ecosse]

Seems more bother than its worth m8, but some good investigational skills there!!!

[rickyroo]

why thank you.
i'm going to see my mate tommorow who has fitted these to his astra 2.ot 55plate i'll ask him if theirs another way around it and let you know if their is, because they look smart as f*ck with hids in.

[Green Growler]

Well the only obvious solution I can see to get around this is to use a relay.
Use it to switch the bulbs in when turned on, but switch the bulbs out (leaving just the resistor in place) when turned off.
Not by any means ideal, would be messy to wire up a relay in there, but I don't know how else you could do it.
Not really worth it IMO, as you can achieve a suitable match to HID's with a conventional side light bulb. :)

[stehanson]

as you can achieve a suitable match to HID's with a conventional side light bulb. :)


Which bulbs can achieve this and look best iyo? now got my Piaa spark blue bulbs in the dipped beam - so the orange light looks ****!!

[Paddy2bsure]

Well the only obvious solution I can see to get around this is to use a relay.
Use it to switch the bulbs in when turned on, but switch the bulbs out (leaving just the resistor in place) when turned off.
Not by any means ideal, would be messy to wire up a relay in there, but I don't know how else you could do it.
Not really worth it IMO, as you can achieve a suitable match to HID's with a conventional side light bulb. :)
Problem there is that the system only detects a blown bulb (or resistance imbalance) when the lights are on - when they're off, it doesn't detect them - but it will still register the fault if logged once until remedied (i.e. lights on & the resistance as it should be).

Using a resistor will get around this - it's the only way to get around it - but as rightly pointed out above, it'll get very hot indeed. You could have it exposed in a sheltered part of the engine bay, but ideally any connections would need to be shrink-wrapped to prevent water ingress to any element of the loom.

Motorcyclists use LED bulbs all the time for indicators, which will flash really quickly without a resistor - then they're back to normal with one. Of course this a short "on-off" action, so the resistor doesn't get hot at all.

Cheapest resistor you can get is the original bulb - gets a bit hot, but it's bright too. Wrap it in tin foil & tuck it away somewhere??? :biggrin1:

[Harry]

i thought the system checks the lights regardless of whether they are on or off.

i had a sidelight go recently and i'm sure as soon as i started the car it would come up with the 'bulb failure warning' message.

[Paddy2bsure]

i thought the system checks the lights regardless of whether they are on or off.

i had a sidelight go recently and i'm sure as soon as i started the car it would come up with the 'bulb failure warning' message.
Only if it had previously come on IIRC.

[stehanson]

Cheapest resistor you can get is the original bulb - gets a bit hot, but it's bright too. Wrap it in tin foil & tuck it away somewhere??? :biggrin1:

Having played with the leds and the buld checker detecting them it got me wondering if you could buy a bulb holder (wedge type) and scotch block it on - put the led in the sidelight holders and the original in the new holder, - as paddy says, thus the resistance would be correct - anyone know if its possible to do?

[stehanson]

No input on the above?

[Darrell]

i know this is an oldish thread but

http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=429&osCsid=7ad657ac7f6c23d5a23ce8f89d57eb1b

[Ant SRi]

I have had the same problem with LED parking lights - Fault and flashing.

The fault can be sorted as said above with a resistor across the parking light contacts, but I used a 47ohm resistor, this will draw just over 4watts (standard bulb is 5watts) I used a 10watt ceramic cased wire wound resistor which can be got from Maplin for 40p each. I soldered a couple of leads on and fed them into the light casing. This sorts out the bulb failure display and the resistor does not get too hot.

It does not stop the alternate flashing of the LEDs when ever anything electrical is activated on the car (opening doors, starting car, putting alarm on, etc) it only flashes for about a minute.


Sorry, only just noiced this is an old thread !

[rickyroo]

You can buy from Quicksilver an internal led kit which comes with a bulb failure device I't works inside the car in the light and stops the failure device might work in lights will try and post pics.
They are the surface mount type on a ten series block.

[mushy2007]

Only if it had previously come on IIRC.

Wrong,

The car checks the whole lighting system when the ignition is turned on. Otherwise whats the point in driving your call all day to find when you put your lights on at night that they dont work.

I learnt this the hard way as when i retro fitted xenons i had a faulty balast that would bring a fault on straight away.

[rickyroo]

I agree, the car scans when you unlock or lock the vehicle for upto 20mins after "vauxhall engineer info" which is why the leds flash when you are away from the car. Once the key is inserted the car and ignition turned on the cpu primes and does another check as sometimes my looming used to get damp and b8gger the relay and the car would say check r/h low beam. When you start your car the cpu does another check and stores the info for 20miles or how ever long is preset dependant on model engine etc before it relearnes again, which is why if you are going on a motorway over a set period of time the car learns how you are driving and adjusts accordingly every 20miles in mine car.

[lee4]

hi does anybody have these angel eyr`s fitted if so am they worth the money and do they look good are they bright and wot about the computer

also does anybody now how the side skirts come of as need to get repaint and the garage ask me to just take the skirts in

thx

[chrisschild]

The Angel eyes do not have LEDs in them. They just the really small side light bulbs (can't think what the code is for them).

I had no issues, the unbolt 1 unit, uplugg, plug in new unit, bolt in place. No computer errors.

Chris

[Vectra-c-SRI]

guess i will be going back to the shop with ma led's,too much carry on,

does anyone know anything thats close to pure white, because standard ones are dirty yellow/gold colour

gutted

[Robatel]

Try these (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MTEC-XENON-SUPER-WHITE-501-W5W-WEDGE-BULBS-SIDELIGHTS_W0QQitemZ220223025821QQihZ012QQcategory Z72235QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trks idZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247)mate they are great

[Vectra-c-SRI]

or can i just ignore the bulb warning light,will it damage my car??

one other problem, i had to remove the airbox to get my hands into replace the bulbs, and when i put everything back together, i turn on the ingition a picture of a yellow car with a spanner in it comes up in the rev counter also where the picture of the bulb is, the car with the spanner in it goes off when i start the engine,
do you think the problem is because i disconnected the airbox, but i connected everything back up, i double checked everything
any ideas ?

if i remove the led's do you think everything will be back to normal.
hope i have not damaged the car.

[pricey]

I'll second that, fantastic bulbs.

[Big Dave]

when i put everything back together, i turn on the ingition a picture of a yellow car with a spanner in it comes up in the rev counter also where the picture of the bulb is, the car with the spanner in it goes off when i start the engine,

Reason it's staying on without the engine running is that there is a stored fault. As the light goes out once the engine is running there is no fault still present. It will take several clean starts or 3 or 4 weeks before the stored fault code deletes itself.

[tyreman]

You can use led's,just piggy back a separate bulb holder onto the s/light loom and fit a normal bulb into it,the computer 'sees' that bulb not the led's.

[Vectra-c-SRI]

Reason it's staying on without the engine running is that there is a stored fault. As the light goes out once the engine is running there is no fault still present. It will take several clean starts or 3 or 4 weeks before the stored fault code deletes itself.



Will it ever go away, do you think this is because i disconnected the airbox or the led's ??

[Big Dave]

Will it ever go away, do you think this is because i disconnected the airbox or the led's ??

As mentioned in the reply to the PM you sent me, providing the fault has been fixed, then the stored fault code will self delete after a period of time or 'x' amount of clean start ups.