High mount brake light...questions?

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df2x4

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It definitely runs through one of them, IIRC it's a 15 or 20 amp. Or at least it was on my red '97. Been a long time, sorry I don't remember any more than that.
 

OffroadZ71

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Appreciate it...only the cargo lights are working at the moment no brake lights...bought a nice used oem light off ebay and couldn't get any lights working with it the wire that plugs into light was getting hot
 

df2x4

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Are you running LEDs in it by chance? The OEM 3rd brake light housings are notoriously picky about LEDs and will pop fuses and/or melt things if you're not careful. I strongly recommend sticking to standard incandescent bulbs if you want to use the OEM housing.
 

df2x4

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No problem! I tried running LEDs in mine years ago and kept popping the fuse I mentioned earlier. Went back to standard bulbs and it was fine until the lens cracked.

I know some people here have made it work but IIRC it takes some modification to the LED base wiring, and the sockets are so tight that if you use any LED with a base wider than a standard bulb you can cause shorts.
 

thegawd

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put a multimeter on the terminals and you will see the left side terminals are both connected and actually 1 terminal, same with the right. SOOOOO when you plug a standard led bulb in that has negative and positive alternating on the front and back of the connection is why it shorts out. man I blew 2 kind of expensive leds before I figured out why. SOOOO if it's a printed circuit board led, take and remove the copper from the board completely as far as you can up into the bulb and then all is well. if it has the wires snip them off of the opposite side.

Al
 
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OffroadZ71

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Good info...these are printed circuit led's, would it matter what side you remove the copper from..? Sorry for all of the questions, just would like to get these working they're 12.99 led's so if not no big whoop.
 

someotherguy

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if they fit that description then you have to take one off the front on the left side and one off the back from the right side. these leds are made so they cant be inserted backwards in a normal socket that is not made like this. generally there is only 1 terminal inside a socket on the left and 1 terminal on the right so when the printed circuit led has negative and positive alternating on both sides there isn't actually a terminal to contact inside the socket... except on these cargo lights. after finding this out the hard way I test all sockets first.

Al
"Finding out the hard way" illustrated 2011, colorized ;)

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Richard
 

thegawd

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the socket is wired like this... fine for an incandescent with wires on alternating sides.... a short for a printed led.

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this is a normal socket. most of the sockets in the truck are wired like this. (I think, it's been s while but I dont remember having any trouble with any others)

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