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Author Topic: Electrical Question  (Read 1060 times)

Offline Cooper

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Electrical Question
« on: December 17, 2014, 12:50:10 pm »
Hi all,

I'm hoping someone with a better understanding of electronics will be able to answer this for me as it's a niggling issue.

So i had an white LED bulb installed in the reverse light of my mk6, was one with the resistors built in so that I did not get a bulb out warning on the dash, had been fitted for a few months with no issues. Then I finally got round to installing my RVC kit to the car and tapped into the live for the reverse light in order to get the camera to activate when reverse is selected, and now I get a bulb out warning on the dash and I've had to go back to the halogen bulb to stop the bulb out warning.
Is this because when I've tapped into the reverse light live it's reduced the resistance across the circuit and the already low resisitance of the LED bulb is causing the car to think the bulb is out?

Now it's not a great issue as everything is working, but I'd like to be able to re-fit the LED bulb if I can as it gives out a brighter light and honestly it looks better then the halogen light.
Any suggestions?

Thanks  :happy2:
C63
SQ5

Offline gtgeorge

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Re: Electrical Question
« Reply #1 on: December 17, 2014, 01:16:38 pm »
You are right there mate, as the LED bulbs run on lower power than standard bulbs already the resistance is low, you buy a LED bulb with the appropriate resistor in to compensate for this, but then when you tap into it your causing another drop in resistance which bring the light on on the dash.

Ive got a weird one at the minute with my MK5. Ive got LEDs in the sidelights, rear plate lights, front foglights and ive got HIDs in the dipped beam. Put my sidelights on on their own they work fine, put the fogs and sides on, works fine, but put the fogs, sides and HIDs on and both sidelight bulbs go out? It didnt do this at first so im hoping a new pair of bulbs solves it. Frigging canbus systems !