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Small LED conversion difficulty

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Old Aug 19, 2016 | 09:59 AM
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Default Small LED conversion difficulty

My teenage son has a 92 XJ that we love fiddling with. It's been a wonderful vehicle. 271k and awesome.

Anyway, I converted all the exterior lights, except for the headlights, to LED. It's much improved the brightness I have to say. Took me a couple tries to get the correct relay so the turn signals would flash but I got it done. I have one small issue remaining. When the brakes are applied, the driver's side, rear amber turn signal illuminates about 50%. Is this caused by an improper ground? Something else? If it is the ground, where would I locate it?

Thank you!
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Old Aug 21, 2016 | 12:43 AM
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Is it just at that turn signal, or does the indicator on the dash illuminate as well?

It's never a bad idea to refresh your grounds, and in all reality, a good idea to go ahead and do it anyway. The grounds for the lights are located behind the interior panels in the cargo area. You'll have to unscrew all of the trim panels around the hatch and the sail panels to be able to pull the interior quarter panels off and access them. Shouldn't really see too much corrosion in them being as their inside, so I'd make sure to check all the wires for that bank of lights to make sure there isn't a short somewhere.
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Old Aug 21, 2016 | 09:12 AM
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Originally Posted by Basslicks
Is it just at that turn signal, or does the indicator on the dash illuminate as well?

It's never a bad idea to refresh your grounds, and in all reality, a good idea to go ahead and do it anyway. The grounds for the lights are located behind the interior panels in the cargo area. You'll have to unscrew all of the trim panels around the hatch and the sail panels to be able to pull the interior quarter panels off and access them. Shouldn't really see too much corrosion in them being as their inside, so I'd make sure to check all the wires for that bank of lights to make sure there isn't a short somewhere.
Thanks for that. I've already had the hatch panel off when we added rear speakers for the stereo so it shouldn't be too hard. I have to take the side panels off as well? Also by refresh grounds, you mean tighten? I don't know if the dash indicator light goes on I will have to check that out. Thanks very much.
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Old Aug 21, 2016 | 11:33 PM
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Originally Posted by Kinch
Thanks for that. I've already had the hatch panel off when we added rear speakers for the stereo so it shouldn't be too hard. I have to take the side panels off as well? Also by refresh grounds, you mean tighten? I don't know if the dash indicator light goes on I will have to check that out. Thanks very much.
Yup.... the grounds for your stop/turn/tail/reverse lights are here:

Name:  jpgcargobaygrounds.jpg
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By "refresh" I mean, take them off, clean them with a wire brush until you see shiny metal on the body and the ground ring, put a dab of dielectric grease on the ground point and tighten it back down real good.

It sounds more like you have a shorted wire somewhere, but check the indicator light on the dash and the front passenger light to make sure it isn't the whole circuit.
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Old Aug 22, 2016 | 08:26 AM
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[QUOTE=Basslicks;3294108]Yup.... the grounds for your stop/turn/tail/reverse lights are here:

Name:  jpgcargobaygrounds.jpg
Views: 73
Size:  79.3 KB

By "refresh" I mean, take them off, clean them with a wire brush until you see shiny metal on the body and the ground ring, put a dab of dielectric grease on the ground point and tighten it back down real good.

It sounds more like you have a shorted wire somewhere, but check the indicator light on the dash and the front passenger light to make sure it isn't the whole circuit.[/QUOTE

Thanks for the help. I'll check the grounds. This didn't start happening until I put the LED's in.
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Old Aug 22, 2016 | 10:36 AM
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I have the exact same issue, only BOTH of my turn signals illuminate with the brakes applied;

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f89/le...ignals-225342/


The best I could get was that there is either voltage bleed, or other phantom voltage on that line. I never tried to put a resistor or anything to "eat" up the additional voltage, I tried manually grounding that bulb (stuck a wire into the harness and grounded it well), basically gave up and returned the turn signals.

If anyone has any ideas, I am certainly game to try again. Would love me some LED turn signals (since I already have the electronic flasher relay).
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Old Aug 25, 2016 | 07:57 PM
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Waffles, you are describing classic poor ground symptoms. Check ALL the ground circuits for your lights. All of your rear lights.
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Old Aug 25, 2016 | 09:02 PM
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Originally Posted by BlueRidgeMark
Waffles, you are describing classic poor ground symptoms. Check ALL the ground circuits for your lights. All of your rear lights.
Exactly. LEDs behave differently when they have a poor ground than a conventional incandescent bulb does.
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