GeauxLadyZ

iTrader: (9)

^ I rem you asking me if i had any probs with them....now i see why....so i take you got them.

surfer05rdr

iTrader: (20)

i bought those exact same headlights and had the exact same problem. My friend fixed it for me thou, he spliced into one of the wires and grounded it to the body and it was fine but i sold them cuz i just didnt like the look of em

o2sys

iTrader: (27)

Yea i bought a set but had other problems besides electrical, they were fogging so got rid of them...

GeauxLadyZ

iTrader: (9)

damn man, i must have gotten lucky with mine...

I really have not noticed any major problems, but i got these things a long time ago, so i will take off and test for the hell of it. Actually, one is slightly chipped anyway from an accident where everything was fixed but that one tail, so i might say *** it and get the 06+.

o2sys

iTrader: (27)

DIY Fix for LED tail lights:

JTZ0327

iTrader: (7)

I had these one time too and the car did hesitate from shifting through 1st-3rd. After that, it was fine. I got rid of them for 06+ OEM's and super happy that I did.

Highway Riding

iTrader: (6)

Vas had similar issues and it was determined to be the cheapo ebay lights pulling more voltage or the wrong voltage. OEM fixed this

GeauxLadyZ

iTrader: (9)

Damnit..... looks like ill be getting rid of


EDIT - funny thing is, i put these on so long ago i might be used to changes, it must have been something i would have never attributed to the taillight installation so i wrote it off....

Chebosto

iTrader: (43)

damn. i stand corrected.

wtf taillights??

Highway Riding

iTrader: (6)

original post from Vas with resolution:

https://my350z.com/forum/engine-and-...blem-help.html

GeauxLadyZ

iTrader: (9)

Werd.

This is the most retarded problem with the most off the wall catalyst that i think i have ever seen/heard of on any platform.

OP, THANK YOU for starting this thread and bringing this to my attention... I will switch out lights to stockies tonight and see if makes any difference.

GeauxLadyZ

iTrader: (9)

I just read some more threads on this....

My car is alittle bipolar in the sense that it performs a tad differently day to day, but i had no idea what to attribute that to and the difference is minute, nothing like what some of these guys are talking about like "near-limp" mode and cutting off after 3K and VDC or cruise shutting off.

Even so, my guess would be that even a small amount of wrong voltage could cause issues with this "brakelight sensor" or whatever, unless the voltage is dead-on correct as with OEM. So i may not be experiencing as serious issues as others might (i have heard some say no problems to report) but even a slight voltage issue would be enough for me to trash these tails. SO... i will still do this test tonight.

GeauxLadyZ

iTrader: (9)

Yup.... sure enough it made a difference. Not dramatic but def noticeable. Allbedamned

NismoZ123

iTrader: (2)

EDIT: I WAS SLEEPY I UPLOADED WRONG DIAGRAM ITS NOW FIXED SRY

http://www.amazon.com/Resistor-Hyper.../dp/B002CJQIGW

Wire that resistor into your taillight harness for the high-low led circuit...

It should work with just one resistor on one side, but it might need 2, or one on each side. Zip tie or mount the resistor securely. Remember that the resistor gets really hot when the lights are on.

Wire into a PINK with BLUE STRIPED wire and BLACK for ground as indicated in the FSM.

Zquicksilver

iTrader: (5)

So I performed a test on my aftermarket LED tail lights, which look to be identical to the OP's. I have not installed them yet, but based on others experiences I assume mine will have similar problems and cause my 350z to act odd. I too think the aftermarket LED TL's are being read wrong by the BCM or ECU and it's making the car go into a limp mode. Call me crazy, but I’m trying to remedy this problem with two resistors per tail light that correct or make up what the aftermarket TL's lacks in power. BTW, I know OEM LED tail lights work fine, not sure how, but others claim they do even though the early cars are setup to handle incandescent lamps. My guess, they have resistors of some sort inside.

Moving along, I tested the aftermarket LED TL's with a digital volt meter to see where I stand. What I found was pretty crazy, because I had a certain number in my head based off another post adding up the LED’s in the aftermarket TL's.

LED aftermarket TL's - amperage: 0.015 running light and 0.14 brake light! (0.2w/1.68w)

Incandescent Lamp 7443 - amperage: 0.41 running light and 1.75 brake light (5w/21w)

If my numbers are correct, I can understand how the BCM or ECU thinks the lamps are out. Why the engineers built in some safety factor to put the car into a limp mode when the tails are out beats me!? I hope my tails never go out with an approaching hail storm behind me, lol!

So based on the numbers above, I was searching for a pair of resistors that could make up what the aftermarket TL's lack in terms of power. If you subtract the aftermarket TL's power from the incandescent lamps power you get the following numbers.

Amps needed: 0.395 running light and 1.61 brake light (ideal)
12v / 0.395 = 30ohm @ 10w
12v / 1.61 = 7.5ohm @ 50w

These are decent sources for resistors...
http://www.surplussales.com/Resistor...d/WW51-99.html

http://www.digikey.com/


These are merely suggested numbers... What I found with our DVM was surprising in regards to the aftermarket TL's, but accurate as I tested some other LED's here at work and they matched the manufactures suggested amperage @ 12 volts.

I'm working on a semi-custom setup, so my resistors won't be the same as above. So please don't PM me with questions. I am not an electrical engineer.
http://www.powerstream.com/Amps-Watts.htm


GL,
Zquicksilver

Rx Punk

iTrader: (4)

Anyone know if its possible for the issue with the taillights, also possible to happen when adding aftermarket HID's for base model Z's? U see, right now I'm having an issue with my car, no cel, idle is fine, only problem is, when i fully accelerate my car cuts off at 4k rpm's. I tried half throttle, and it's fine all the way to redline, but full throttle has problems. I saw another post where someone had the same symptoms as my car, and all the problems went away with switching back the tail lights. I didn't buy taillights but i'm wondering if it surges cuz i have the aftermarket hid's?

Zquicksilver

iTrader: (5)

^ possible... I think the ECU is constantly regulating the voltage on our cars. When it comes down to important stuff like the actual brake lamp and low beam lamps, the car may go into a limp/safety mode if it detects improper voltage feedback.

I bought a resistor for my LED tails (no experimenting for me) and in your case, it's another reason I'm not swapping out my halogens with a HID (35w) kit. I'm just going to switch over to the HID looking halogen lamps (55w) to achieve a color match in the front. I believe the deep blue colored lamps are in the 5500-6k color range.

On topic: What I learned through sifting through the wiring schematics, I needed to focus on the higher watt brake lamp circuitry only, the rear parking side lamp and lower watt brake lamp are on similar circuitry. It’s why I went with one 4ohm 100w resistor for the brakes only. I ended up going with this resistor for my particular setup. Fingers crossed that the modified tails never leak or short out... The resistor is huge BTW, not a bad thing if your standing on your brakes. I tucked it under lamp, inside the car... fired it up and it was only luke warm, not hot.
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=019-015


GL,
Zquicksilver

looq

sorry to bring this thread back from the dead, hoping one of you guys might be able to help me

basically, swapped in just the LED bulbs to the stock lights in my 03 Z. car went into an actual limp mode as you guys described.

After this happened came on here and read it was a common issue so thought id just switch them back and be fine.

unfortunately it seemed to of done some permanent damage?

Now the car seems to go into this limp mode / feeling like someone is holding the break through the first 3 gears but only when I turn VDC off. once it has been turned off it doesn't matter weather i turn it back on or not or even restart the car it remains in this limp mode.

The only way I have been able to get out of it and avoid going back into it is by resetting the ecu and then making sure not to ever turn the vdc off again. all of this has seemed to of stemmed from when i changed out the bulbs and back thinking it must have done some permanent damage?

tattoosand350zs

I changed my lights to ebay leds few months ago I really couldn't tell what the issue was at the time because it was winter snow and cap no traction but knew the car was running like crap I was first advised to take to a speed shop of my mechanics friend was told spark plug clutch or change exhaust possible c logging I then staged 2 the clutch 3 inch piping from new headers back same problem u guys made out okay then the old me take to Nissan visited Nissan told me possible timing chain issue after various mechanic said this change that nothing I finally did timing chain job still same issue again 3 more hrs with Nissan couldn't find a thing wrong except what's the obvious slow acceleration at certain rphs shifts fine no check engines mechanically sound I gotta get car today I remember telling my friend I think it's the lights and he told me it wasn't think he even did dry run without them in but I don't recall after a lot of money spent gonna give it a try gonna be Pissed if it' was only that all along

travlee

iTrader: (8)

find a big open area, unplug them and see if you still have the issue. my buddy with a 04 put the 06+ leds in his car and he had the problem, went back to the older lights and no issues