Using LED lights to reduce load?

[wagonist]

I know you can buy replacement LED type lights that fit into the existing sockets in the rear light clusters of cars.
In my application, I need to use the "bayonet" type.

Now, I also know that they are technically not legal, but also in my application that's not 100% applicable anyway. The reason being is that they'd be going into the back of a rally car that'll be operated under "unregistered vehicle permits" when required.

The reason I'm looking into this is that my car trailer is very short leaving the rear of the towed car overhanging. Not the greatest idea for leaving the trailer lights visible (& I'm sure there's also some legal implications there as well).
Therefore, I made up a loom to plug into the trailer wiring & also into the rear clusters of the towed car, like thus
and yes, I know it's not a Toyota. But until someone can see a way to make a one make series using a Starlet...
The problem I'm trying to solve is the "Christmas tree" effect that occurs under certain conditions.
ie tail, brake, indicators work perfectly on their own
combinations of tail/brake & tail/indicator work too.
It's when the brake/indicator happen, that things start to go astray.
And gets even worse once the taillights are on as well.

I'm assuming that there is insufficient current flow to handle the extra lights in the system (the original trailer lights are still functioning).

Therefore, I'm after ideas whether the reduced current load of an LED system will help this?

[oldcorollas]

recheck the way you hooked it up, and the cars wiring diagram.

basically, you are earthing something that shouldn't get earth, or similar (ie, lights are powering backwards)
maybe diodes will help.. and i spose LED's are diodes

[lexsmaz]

What goes astray ?? do other lights come on as in blinkers & other lights go dull etc ... if thats the case, runing a bigger & better earth to the lights / trailer etc should fix it up ..

[wagonist]

I have rechecked the wiring.
Symptoms:
Only happens when the "extension" is plugged in.
the indicator/brake will flash alternately, which usually indicates a bad earth.
It doesn't do it with the indicator/tail, which I figured was because the taillights are only 5W vs 25W for a brake light.

I will try an extra earth wire back to the car to see what effect that has.
I am aiming to rewire the trailer anyway with 7 core wiring vs the current 5 core as the current loom shielding has been worn through in some places, plus I want to add reversing lights to the trailer.

Anyone know what the deal is with changing of some of the bayonet globes?
ie the front indicators on the Caldina have amber globes, but the 2 pins on the bayonet aren't opposite each other. I haven't seen these sold in any aftermarket places.
I first noticed it replacing the rear indicators on the Excel. The series 1 had white globes (with straight pins), whereas my series 2 had amber globes with clear lenses.
The replacement globes from "a large automotive chain" only had the straight pins so I was lucky enough to be able to change the looms over.

Only thing I can think of is to stop people putting clear globes into an indicator lens that requires an amber globe (otherwise the indicator appears white, not amber)

[airfireman1]

You sure you are not getting feed back up the wiring loom back to the cars electrics?
you may need to fit diodes to stop the current feed ing back up the loom into your track cars system and draing the voltage from the lights
JUST A THOUGHT
cheers

[wagonist]

The Excel has a plug near the rear lights that separates that last part of the loom that runs across the rear of the car from the rest of the loom.
So I made up a loom that plugs into there & is therefore separate from the rest of the "race" (rally) car.
Otherwise, the front parkers & indicators would be working on it too.

Thanks for the thought though.

[oldcorollas]

so the lights that are earthing in the excels body.. where does that earth go to?
ie, do you have an earrth connection from the two car to the excel, or the trailer to the excel?

[wagonist]

There's an earth wire from the Excel rear loom (main loom has an earth attachment just forward of this plug) through my makeup loom to the trailer's earth wire.
The Excel lights aren't earthed out, & I haven't noticed any other earth wires.
The Excel plug has six wires:
Left indicator, right indicator, brake, tail, reverse, earth.

I have maybe a feeling that the trailer's earth wire isn't large enough to cope with the load of 4 brake lights & 2 indicators happening at once.
ie 150W @ 12V = 12.5A.

If it's only 10A wire...
Anyway to tell?

[oldcorollas]

jumper that wire using jumper leads or 20a wire.. see what happens

[Cuzzo]

If the wire couldnt handle the load wouldnt it just burn out?

It would handle the extra load untill it burns?

Not sure if this would help in anyway but try taking out a few globes and see if it still does it. That way you may find out if its too much current draw?

other than that gets some thicker more amp wire and run it externally.

[wagonist]

Found the problem.

It was a bad earth, in that the earth wire wasn't handling the load.
I ran an extra wire from the where all the looms joined at the rear of the trailer back to the car body & all the lights suddenly worked.
With the tow car running they worked even better.

Thanks for everyone's help.
Now I've got to run a permanent wire...