OK, short of taking off all my chicken lights or hard wiring in L.E.D. lights, how do I keep them working? Those bases seem to go bad quickly in winter weather. Anyone have a good way of keeping them up and running? Layoutshooter
&*^% Chicken Lights
- Thread starter layoutshooter
- Start date
Anyone who chooses the "Chicken Light" path to trucking deserves the problems associated with it.
The solution to the problem is, SIMPLIFY and go LED.
Bought the truck used, it came this way. Will change to LED's when the money is available for it. Just looking for a way to keep these up for now. Layoutshooter
mrgoodtude
Not a Member
Silicone, Wire loom and more
Silicone
Silicone
Check all electrical connections. They should be soldered, not crimped... then sealed with heat shrink tubing that extends well beyond the bare wire onto the wire insulation.
Corrosion issues with the base units? Remove the bulb, clean up existing corrosion, smear some dielectric grease over the socket and bulb, reinstall the bulb. Seal the base unit with silicone.
While at it clean up your ground wire connections. Remove the connection wires and clean up the connector and attachment point. Paint on the attachment point? Remove that down to the bare metal. Smear dielectric grease over the connection points, reconnect, then coat the whole connection again with dielectric grease.
Corrosion issues with the base units? Remove the bulb, clean up existing corrosion, smear some dielectric grease over the socket and bulb, reinstall the bulb. Seal the base unit with silicone.
While at it clean up your ground wire connections. Remove the connection wires and clean up the connector and attachment point. Paint on the attachment point? Remove that down to the bare metal. Smear dielectric grease over the connection points, reconnect, then coat the whole connection again with dielectric grease.
Many thanks. I spent 3 hours on them today, what fun. Hope they hold till summer when I can really get to them or change to LED's. Layoutshooter
Doggie Daddy
Veteran Expediter
Just as long as you realize that changing to LED's will not cure your problems if you don't protect the connections,as the others have stated.DD.
Yepper, I will cover them puppies everyway possible. I just want to hold off till summer if I can. I just hate having to fix lights on every layover and I would REALLY hate to lose a load to one of them being out. Layoutshooter
arkjarhead
Veteran Expediter
There is one thing you should remember when you switch to all leds. Put a regular incandesenct in the line somewhere. Something about all leds makes stuff work weird. When I worked at Empire Chrome Shop in West Memphis,AR we'd have people come in with all leds and sometimes they would have bad delays on turn signals, break lights, and such. Something about the led doesn't send enough current back or something. It's been awhile and I've forgotten the actual terms. What we always did to fix it was take the cheapest incadesent light we had and tuck it away somewhere where it couldn't be seen. Then cover the light with duct tape. It's like it's not even there, and the electrical system goes back to working perfectly. Some don't have the problems with all leds, some do.
COOL! I had not heard that one. Would love to know more about it. Anyone else know anything on this? Try to remember more Ark, if you can. The neat things you learn in here.
Layoutshooter
Layoutshooter
theoldprof
Veteran Expediter
FYI, many light problems are because of a poor ground. I have had lights that I have had to run a ground wire and not just rely on the light mounting screw to ground it.
arkjarhead
Veteran Expediter
Well I know it has something to do with when you turn on your blinker power goes out and a certain amount has to come back. For whatever reason all leds don't send back enough power to make the blinker or whatever come on right away, and it cause a delay. I guess due to waiting on the electricity to get back to the box. The first time I saw it we had put all leds on a guys trailer. He brought it in and the boss sent me out to look at it. I said put on your left blinker. Nothing happened. I said put on your left blinker again. He said I got it on. Then the truck started blinking but not the trailer. He got out of the truck walked back to where I was and then the blinker kicked on. I checked the connection and all that. Talked to the boss about it and he told me to take the cheapest incandescent we had in stock put duct tape over the lens and mount it under the trailer. We did that on both sides and it worked like a charm. I know it might sound like a load of crap, but I swear it's true.
Plus you know when you hook up those lights there is a bright side and a dim side. I know you've seen those guys with leds all the way across the top of their trailers in the back. If you do it like that please hook it up on the dim side so you don't blind folks.
That's true to Prof. a ground wire run straight to the frame is your best bet in that situation. I learned that when I was in the cb biz.
Plus you know when you hook up those lights there is a bright side and a dim side. I know you've seen those guys with leds all the way across the top of their trailers in the back. If you do it like that please hook it up on the dim side so you don't blind folks.
That's true to Prof. a ground wire run straight to the frame is your best bet in that situation. I learned that when I was in the cb biz.
greg334
Veteran Expediter
Just to throw this into the mix, there is a problem with most turn signal controllers, the blinker thingy, they work on the principle of resistance and current to switch on and off the relay (older ones do and some newer Chryslers - the new ones look for a current level but seem to still have the problems). Most LEDs do not have enough current so the thingy thinks there is a burned out bulb, which of course you don't have. The solution is to have some resistance in the line of the turn signal, like 3 to 8 ohms but I would venture to guess 10 to 20 may even work.
Most of the new replacement USA made 1157 LED bulbs have resistance built in while a lot of the cheaper ones don't.
Most of the new replacement USA made 1157 LED bulbs have resistance built in while a lot of the cheaper ones don't.
arkjarhead
Veteran Expediter
That's what I'm talkin about Greg!!!! Just couldn't remember exact terms. Thanks for the back up.
I REALLY like this forum. I learn sooooo much in here. Which is a good thing since I know sooo little. Layoutshooter
