Led light problems

fins_up_fl

Active Expediter
I have a 07 Volvo tractor. My OEM tail lights burned out, so I thought I would put cool LEDS in. Lights work great. Only problem is my dash is telling me that both right and left brake light circuit is open (ie, ur tail light js out as$bole) the only reason I can think the cause is LED pulls a lot less watts so the computer thinks the bulbs are out????? Any thoughts on this?

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Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
That's it. The LEDs pull less wattage, and the control module thinks the lights are burned out. You need to wire in a resistor that matches the resistance of the OEM bulbs to fake the computer into thinking the original OEM bulbs are in place and lit. You need one resistor for each bulb. They're relatively easy to install, and will run you about $10 or $12 each. Putco has one. Do a Google search for "led lights resistor" and you'll get all kinds of information. You can find them at Amazon, Summit Racing, even Autozone. Make sure you visit here.
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
The computer has a setting that can be changed for LED lights. Take your Volvo to the Volvo dealer and have a tech readjust the threshold for the lights you have replaced and have that done for those you are going to replace. EACH light has to be done separately because of the way Volvo and Mack for that matter are setup.

Each light is setup through the body computer to sense a failed (burned out) light and this is done by measuring the current on each light when the power is applied. The little current sensor gives the computer a voltage level and if the voltage is low, it tells the Dash Computer that the lights out and tell the driver.

As mentioned, the LED light presents little in the way of a load on the circuit, hence it looks like it is burned out. The old buld has something like 220 ohms of resistance that produces a load when power is applied, the LED has something like a million ohms so there is in effect no load.

DO NOT wire a resistor in line with anything, it will cause more problems for you in the long run and when you go get your truck repaired, they will rip all of them out and replace the LEDs with IC bulbs.
 

fins_up_fl

Active Expediter
Thx guys for all of your input. I will head over to Volvo this week. I know just having a Volvo makes things sometimes a pain in the a$$..... but the extra room is well worth it. Thx again
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
Yeah I know what you mean, I had to deal with a Mack ECM upgrade and it wasn't pleasant but the truck runs like a tiger now. I am looking at a few vnm64t630 volvo bit unsure if they will fit the need.
 

purgoose10

Veteran Expediter
Before you run to Volvo and spend a lot of money it could be one simple thing called grounding.
Volvo looses about 75% of its main grounding after the first year due to cheap aluminum grounding cables. Before you do anything ground the cab to the frame then try it. Google grounding issues with Volvos and read some articles and they will back me up.
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
Yep the grounding issue is a big problem, one area I found that needs one is the ground between the chassis and the radiator.
 
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