2016 Renegade taillight LED issue

[Sequoiasoon]

Weird module on voltage draw left reverse light '16 Renegade Trailhawk with LED bulb vs 912 incandescent

Father-in-laws '16 Jeep Renegade TrailHawk had left reverse / back up light out. I have some 912 LED's I just got for my Accord to try newer versions. Great opportunity to swap his with one of the sets. He has no issues (yet) with the grounds and wiring on "circuit board" like some have had. I replaced the left bulb first with the LED and to get a comparison to original then replaced the right one also, works well, much brighter appearance in daylight, we'll try to get picture tonight. I have one from both incandescent 912 bulbs from a week ago.

Here is the weird part. When the vehicle turns off and you lock doors, the taillights flash as they always have. When I went to take a picture of the LED in housing to share my camera was doing the LED flickering. I look closer and yup, just enough power for slight power to reverse LED. I take it all apart again and start checking. If you lock car and lights flash, the reverse circuit on the left side has 1.26V for 15 minutes with the LED in it. I tested it 3 times setting an alarm on my phone. With NO bulb in it, it stays powered for 30 seconds at 1.53V. If you put a regular 912 incandescent back in, the multi-meter shows brief power and then 0 volts. I tried 3 different LED bulb brands with same result.

Don't even get me started on the 1057 single filament tail light bulbs I need to order as like the front turn/DRL Jeep has these running at reduced voltage for parking lights and full voltage for brake lights. His have the black building up inside bulb so time to change. The front run at 5V for parking light and 12V for DRL. I presume these are doing the same as parking/brake but didn't measure this time.

 

[Jetronic]

put a pull down resistor on it. the bcm is likely trying to push a small current through to check the bulb is good.

 

[Sequoiasoon]

put a pull down resistor on it. the bcm is likely trying to push a small current through to check the bulb is good.

But only on left not on right? I checked both after discovering the odd behavior.

 

[HemiBenny]

Your post reads as if you only replaced the left side and immediately discovered the issue while taking a picture. Do you have the LEDs on both sides, and only the left is doing this? Your testing has proved that the LED is the source of the issue. When the incandescent is put back in, the system is happy again.
As for the voltage when nothing is there, as mentioned above, is it checking for a bad bulb to illuminate the "bulb-out" message?

 

[Sequoiasoon]

Your post reads as if you only replaced the left side and immediately discovered the issue while taking a picture. Do you have the LEDs on both sides, and only the left is doing this? Your testing has proved that the LED is the source of the issue. When the incandescent is put back in, the system is happy again.
As for the voltage when nothing is there, as mentioned above, is it checking for a bad bulb to illuminate the "bulb-out" message?

Thanks, edited some. Both have the LED's in them. I did left first to see the difference since right was still working. I didn't see the glowing issues until all was back installed. I then took apart to try and diagnose. Weird that right side does not behave that way and yes I tried swapping left/right LED's also.

If bulb out test shouldn't it do both sides the same way?

I'll check again later in week or weekend when the new single filament parking/brake bulbs show up. They get variable voltage to be dim/bright. They will stay as incandescent but new.

 

[97prizm]

Weird module on voltage draw left reverse light '16 Renegade Trailhawk with LED bulb vs 912 incandescent

Father-in-laws '16 Jeep Renegade TrailHawk had left reverse / back up light out. I have some 912 LED's I just got for my Accord to try newer versions. Great opportunity to swap his with one of the sets. He has no issues (yet) with the grounds and wiring on "circuit board" like some have had. I replaced the left bulb first with the LED and to get a comparison to original then replaced the right one also, works well, much brighter appearance in daylight, we'll try to get picture tonight. I have one from both incandescent 912 bulbs from a week ago.

Here is the weird part. When the vehicle turns off and you lock doors, the taillights flash as they always have. When I went to take a picture of the LED in housing to share my camera was doing the LED flickering. I look closer and yup, just enough power for slight power to reverse LED. I take it all apart again and start checking. If you lock car and lights flash, the reverse circuit on the left side has 1.26V for 15 minutes with the LED in it. I tested it 3 times setting an alarm on my phone. With NO bulb in it, it stays powered for 30 seconds at 1.53V. If you put a regular 912 incandescent back in, the multi-meter shows brief power and then 0 volts. I tried 3 different LED bulb brands with same result.

Don't even get me started on the 1057 single filament tail light bulbs I need to order as like the front turn/DRL Jeep has these running at reduced voltage for parking lights and full voltage for brake lights. His have the black building up inside bulb so time to change. The front run at 5V for parking light and 12V for DRL. I presume these are doing the same as parking/brake but didn't measure this time.

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There's not enough resistance in the led so it's getting a little bit of power causing it to glow. This happen to my neon when I swapped the dome light to a led. Supposedly some aftermarket bulbs will have a resistor built in.

 

[HemiBenny]

Just out of curiosity, I googled your problem, and it seems to have happened to others with a Renegade that switched to LEDs. Only the left side stayed on for a bit.
I agree with the resistor comments, that's going to be the route you need to take, or just reinstall 912 incandescent.

 

[Sequoiasoon]

There's not enough resistance in the led so it's getting a little bit of power causing it to glow. This happen to my neon when I swapped the dome light to a led. Supposedly some aftermarket bulbs will have a resistor built in.

These don't say canbus on them. They work both ways and act the same if flipped. I like these as the side firing ones are aimed nicely at the X in the Renegade reflector and have the end firing with a little projector lens.

 

[Sequoiasoon]

Just out of curiosity, I googled your problem, and it seems to have happened to others with a Renegade that switched to LEDs. Only the left side stayed on for a bit.
I agree with the resistor comments, that's going to be the route you need to take, or just reinstall 912 incandescent.

I'll keep an eye on it for now. If it turns off after the 15 minutes I'm not too worried. Not a very high wattage draw. I'll see how it looks tonight when dark out.

If I did a resistor any input for versions, resistance etc? Pretty easy to get to and room inside taillight. I like the potential for a lot more added back up light. Lots of dark areas, no street lights, long unlit driveways etc I go to.

I have the XTR license plate light mounted on lower bumper on my Accord. Mounted at plate created way too much glare on camera due to angle. Wife's Pilot has flush mount floods in the rear bumper. My Accord has some of the smallest reflectors for stock reverse lights. The LED's helped but it's like the function with stock bulb was an after thought. Just enough to let others know you are backing up but useless for visibility even with camera.

 

[97prizm]

These don't say canbus on them. They work both ways and act the same if flipped. I like these as the side firing ones are aimed nicely at the X in the Renegade reflector and have the end firing with a little projector lens.

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Check out Rallylights or susquehanna motor's. I think they have Led tail lights that have a built in resistor