Electric Brake Controller to Control Brake Lights

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Re: Electric Brake Controller to Control Brake Lights

Postby Dale M. » Thu Jul 06, 2017 9:41 am

RunnerDuck wrote:
MtnDon wrote:I believe the whole problems stems from trying to illuminate lights from a lead that is meant to supply variable voltage to the brake system. Who knows if the brakes will even work correctly with lights of any kind wired into their circuit. I don't think you are going to find any other solution without a lot of luck because you are doing something the controller mfg never meant to be. Just my opinion.


You are so right! But I don't have electric brakes on this teardrop so interference is not a problem but finding the correct fix is. I'm looking at a Tow Ready Vehicle to Vehicle Taillight Converter, part # 118158 but it says that it won't work with LED tail lights, but on eTrailer it is recommended for the third brake light solution. I've got an email off to them asking that very question.

I'll let you know what I find out.


Lets back up a moment... Where are are you center brake lights connected on 7 pin connector?... Just because you have no brakes, controller does not know that and becasue LEDS take so much less voltage/amperage they are reacting to it.... Do not believe adding any converter will solve your problem....Suggest you wire center brake light wire on to vehicle and TD to center connector on 7 pin (probably unused) back up light wiring position ... This takes brake controller completely out of trailer center mount barke light circuit.....

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Last edited by Dale M. on Thu Jul 06, 2017 9:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Electric Brake Controller to Control Brake Lights

Postby RunnerDuck » Thu Jul 06, 2017 9:51 am

[quote=Lets back up a moment... Where are are you center brake lights connected on 7 pin connector?... Just because you have no brakes, controller does not know that and becasue LEDS take so much less voltage/amperage they are reacting to it.... Suggest you wire center brake wire on to vehicle and TD to center (probably unused) back up light wiring ...

Dale[/quote]

It's connected to the "Electric Trailer Brake" pin. I use the back up light pin to turn on a rear view camera.
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Re: Electric Brake Controller to Control Brake Lights

Postby Dale M. » Thu Jul 06, 2017 9:59 am

You stated earlier that a incandescent bulb across the brake lead to ground does no blink... It may be that controller sees "trailer" in circuit and is happy with incandescent bulb.... Try a incandescent bulb from brake lead to ground along with LEDS and see if blink is eliminated...

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Re: Electric Brake Controller to Control Brake Lights

Postby RunnerDuck » Thu Jul 06, 2017 10:05 am

Dale M. wrote:You stated earlier that a incandescent bulb across the brake lead to ground does no blink... It may be that controller sees "trailer" in circuit and is happy with incandescent bulb.... Try a incandescent bulb from brake lead to ground along with LEDS and see if blink is eliminated...

Dale


When I install an incandescent bulb in the tail light in the center of the galley hatch cover and it stops blinking but the LED center brake strip still blinks.
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Re: Electric Brake Controller to Control Brake Lights

Postby absolutsnwbrdr » Thu Jul 06, 2017 11:05 am

FWIW, I had to get a vehicle-to-vehicle tail light converter to wire my center (third brake light).... https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-an ... 56196.html

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The converter draws off of your left and right trailer circuits (yellow and green wires). I have LED lights for everything. You can read my post about it here...

viewtopic.php?p=1080599#p1080599
absolutsnwbrdr wrote:The high-center light is also made by Optronics. It functions as a tail light and brake light (but not turn signals). I had to install a 2-wire to 3-wire converter for it to function properly. The converter has a simple logic circuit in it that will only illuminate the brake light when a signal is received from BOTH the green and yellow stop/turn wires. Without the converter the high-center light would get brighter during braking, but it would also flash every time EITHER turn signal is activated.
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Re: Electric Brake Controller to Control Brake Lights

Postby RunnerDuck » Thu Jul 06, 2017 11:37 am

absolutsnwbrdr wrote:FWIW, I had to get a vehicle-to-vehicle tail light converter to wire my center (third brake light).... https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-an ... 56196.html

Image

The converter draws off of your left and right trailer circuits (yellow and green wires). I have LED lights for everything. You can read my post about it here...

viewtopic.php?p=1080599#p1080599


Thank you for chiming in on this. I have the same LED strip light and I've been looking at the tail light converter but is says in the instruction that it won't work with LED tail lights. I've asked eTrailer that question but haven't heard back yet. I'm thinking that means that if you have LED tail lights only on your tow vehicle it won't work.

What kind of tail lights do you have on your tow vehicle?
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Re: Electric Brake Controller to Control Brake Lights

Postby absolutsnwbrdr » Thu Jul 06, 2017 11:46 am

RunnerDuck wrote:
Thank you for chiming in on this. I have the same LED strip light and I've been looking at the tail light converter but is says in the instruction that it won't work with LED tail lights. I've asked eTrailer that question but haven't heard back yet. I'm thinking that means that if you have LED tail lights only on your tow vehicle it won't work.

What kind of tail lights do you have on your tow vehicle?


I have a Subaru Crosstrek which required a tail light converter at the trailer hitch (most small vehicles require one, while larger trucks with factory towing packages have this circuitry built in). This converted the separate brake and turn signals into one wire for each side (green and yellow). It's a powered device so it doesn't care whether or not it's LED or incandescent. It acts as a powered relay and takes care of the trailer lighting. The trailer lighting is then what controls that vehicle to vehicle converter I linked to. I installed the converter in the hatch right behind the center brake light.

What is your tow vehicle?

More reading for you, regarding the converter I mentioned.... https://www.etrailer.com/question-63534.html
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Re: Electric Brake Controller to Control Brake Lights

Postby RunnerDuck » Thu Jul 06, 2017 4:52 pm

I just got a reply from etrailer on my question about the Tow Ready Vehicle to Vehicle Taillight Converter, part # 118158 for my application.

"The # 118158 will work for you. It can work to power an LED when installed on a vehicle with incandescent bulbs. As long as it has incandescent bulbs to power the converter it functions fine."

WOOT! :beer:
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Re: Electric Brake Controller to Control Brake Lights

Postby jkeane » Thu Jul 06, 2017 8:18 pm

Where are your other brake lights wired if you have this 3rd light tied to the output on the 7 pin?

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Re: Electric Brake Controller to Control Brake Lights

Postby RunnerDuck » Fri Jul 07, 2017 8:54 am

jkeane wrote:Where are your other brake lights wired if you have this 3rd light tied to the output on the 7 pin?

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The brake lights on the side of my TD are tied to the Left Turn/Brake output pin and Right Turn/Brake output pin. That's the way they are on newer cars and trucks. In the old days, and I know ;) , each function was wired separately.
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Re: Electric Brake Controller to Control Brake Lights

Postby H.A. » Fri Jul 07, 2017 9:43 am

If m
Last edited by H.A. on Mon Aug 28, 2017 4:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Electric Brake Controller to Control Brake Lights

Postby RunnerDuck » Fri Jul 07, 2017 10:30 am

Thanks to everyone for their comments and helpful hints. I should have my new controller early next week and installed shortly there after! :applause:
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Re: Electric Brake Controller to Control Brake Lights

Postby Camp4Life » Mon Aug 28, 2017 11:10 am

The kit from etrailer will work if you put a resistor in series with the LED strip. That's the only difference between a regular bulb and an LED; the resistance. I've done the same thing to add LED brake and turn signals to my vehicles so that I don't get the fast blinking when the truck thinks a light is burned out.

You want something like this : https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/flashers-load-resistors/led-light-load-resistor-kit-led-turn-signal-hyper-flash-warning-fix/190/
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