LED Tailight Installation
Parts Specialist
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I have photoshop but no photoshop skills 
I made my sig and a couple others. played a bit but nothing ever really looks all that good when I try and make it happen.
thanks for the pat on the back for all my cutting and pasting
I made my sig and a couple others. played a bit but nothing ever really looks all that good when I try and make it happen.
thanks for the pat on the back for all my cutting and pasting
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 6,570
Likes: 89
From: Austin
You guys have way too much time on your hands, lol, funny.
This whole LED tail light deal reminds me of projects at work. They start out simple and straight forward, then all the complication pours in.
This is not some easy plug and play deal. I am going to have to get some resistors like others stated and install them as well. Because the LED's draw a lessor current than the regular bulbs, our cars think a bulb is blown. This doesn't seem to be the case with 99/00 yr 996's. Mine's a 03.
Hyper-Flash Solution for the New 996 LED Tail Lights
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Because the new LEDs in the new 996 tail-lights do not consume as much power as standard bulbs, they do not draw an equal amount of current as standard bulbs. This lowered current draw causes the car's computer to "think" the bulb is burned-out, which triggers a "hyper-flash" mode designed to notify the driver a bulb replacement is needed.
To trick the car's computer you will need high wattage resistors 20-50 watts. NOTE: Do not use the small, low wattage electronic resistors as they will be overloaded and possibly melt.
To fix your Turn Signal Flashing problem: To start, you will need 2 Resistors. The resistor's values depend on how many led bulbs are used to replace each idvidual bulb. For example, if you only installed 2 bulbs (see pic below - each bulb consists of multiple, small LEDs) one bulb per tail-light on each side, then you would need (2) 6-8ohm resistors between 20-50watts. Note: I do not yet have a set of the new 996 tail-lights to test the the LED's current draw for each location. Regardless, this information should remain applicable and fix the hyper-flash issue.
"
The brake lights are not working correctly and/or the PSM/Brake dash light is illuminated: The PSM & Brake in-dash, indicator lights are inter-related. Once the following process is complete, these lights should turn-off as your computer will no longer have a reason to trigger them on. You will likely need to complete the same resistor mod. However, you may want to use a slightly higher wattage resistor, because the brake lights have a semi-continous current draw versus interval flashing. "
Here is the solution to the fast flash directionals.
Flasher
This whole LED tail light deal reminds me of projects at work. They start out simple and straight forward, then all the complication pours in.
This is not some easy plug and play deal. I am going to have to get some resistors like others stated and install them as well. Because the LED's draw a lessor current than the regular bulbs, our cars think a bulb is blown. This doesn't seem to be the case with 99/00 yr 996's. Mine's a 03.
Hyper-Flash Solution for the New 996 LED Tail Lights
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Because the new LEDs in the new 996 tail-lights do not consume as much power as standard bulbs, they do not draw an equal amount of current as standard bulbs. This lowered current draw causes the car's computer to "think" the bulb is burned-out, which triggers a "hyper-flash" mode designed to notify the driver a bulb replacement is needed.
To trick the car's computer you will need high wattage resistors 20-50 watts. NOTE: Do not use the small, low wattage electronic resistors as they will be overloaded and possibly melt.
To fix your Turn Signal Flashing problem: To start, you will need 2 Resistors. The resistor's values depend on how many led bulbs are used to replace each idvidual bulb. For example, if you only installed 2 bulbs (see pic below - each bulb consists of multiple, small LEDs) one bulb per tail-light on each side, then you would need (2) 6-8ohm resistors between 20-50watts. Note: I do not yet have a set of the new 996 tail-lights to test the the LED's current draw for each location. Regardless, this information should remain applicable and fix the hyper-flash issue.
"
The brake lights are not working correctly and/or the PSM/Brake dash light is illuminated: The PSM & Brake in-dash, indicator lights are inter-related. Once the following process is complete, these lights should turn-off as your computer will no longer have a reason to trigger them on. You will likely need to complete the same resistor mod. However, you may want to use a slightly higher wattage resistor, because the brake lights have a semi-continous current draw versus interval flashing. "
Here is the solution to the fast flash directionals.
Flasher
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From: Winston-Salem, NC
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2009
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From: Aiea, HI
Radio Shark shack has resistors
For figuring the resistances on your own try testing the original blinker set up for what resistance it is. Then test the new module for figuring how much to add. Would be even more accurate testing from the fuse box to be sure since the flasher unit operates from there I think. Not sure of your car but some other manufacturers hook running lights in series and some parallel. Parallel read at the fuse box is right while at each individual module would read higher. You divide resistance for parallel hook ups and add for series hook ups the flasher or what ever else would be varied by resistance. Yep best to talk to manufactuer for short and sweet....hopefully
For figuring the resistances on your own try testing the original blinker set up for what resistance it is. Then test the new module for figuring how much to add. Would be even more accurate testing from the fuse box to be sure since the flasher unit operates from there I think. Not sure of your car but some other manufacturers hook running lights in series and some parallel. Parallel read at the fuse box is right while at each individual module would read higher. You divide resistance for parallel hook ups and add for series hook ups the flasher or what ever else would be varied by resistance. Yep best to talk to manufactuer for short and sweet....hopefully
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 248
Likes: 0
From: Austin, Tx
Its a good thing I remembered how to solder. I installed the resistors. Fry's electronics has everything you need for this project. After I was finished, it really wasn't all that big a hassle as I thought it would be.
They had 6.8 Ohm 25 Watt resistors that worked perfect. No more hyper flash. If I had to do all this again it would be probably about an hour if that.
I took the wiring harness out completely to solder in the resistors.
The lights look great, I will post the pics in a couple weeks, once I get some damage fixed in my bumper too.
I was going to scan in drawing that depicts the whole process using the 64 count crayola kit and scratch n sniff stickers. My scanner seems to be missing.
They had 6.8 Ohm 25 Watt resistors that worked perfect. No more hyper flash. If I had to do all this again it would be probably about an hour if that.
I took the wiring harness out completely to solder in the resistors.
The lights look great, I will post the pics in a couple weeks, once I get some damage fixed in my bumper too.
I was going to scan in drawing that depicts the whole process using the 64 count crayola kit and scratch n sniff stickers. My scanner seems to be missing.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 248
Likes: 0
From: Austin, Tx
They match the tinted windows pretty good. The blinkers and lights themselves look really modern and slick.
I'll post some pics of the left side soon, my right side still has some damage on the bumper, which is why I got these in the first place. Since I was paying $350 for 1 replacement OEM lense, I may as well spend a little extra and get the LED's.
Now that I got my bumper from the Bumper Dr out in Hotlanta, I will take it up to the shop to get swapped out once they open again after the holidays.
Been without my pcar for a long time now >ugh<
Once it's out of the shop will post some more pics then too.
Three Wheelin'
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,623
Likes: 4
From: Virginia Beach VA
LED Trailer Lights
I am upgrading my tail lights to the LED ones for my 2003 996 C2.
Smoked LED tail lights
I didn't get any installation instructions with them as I thought they were pretty much plug and play. Well not so much, I installed the right one and they are not turning on.
I am about to install the left one but thought I would post here to see if anyone has experience with installing these - if it requires any additional wiring that I am not aware of.
I tried searching yesterday and the day before but couldn't find anything on our website.
Smoked LED tail lights
I didn't get any installation instructions with them as I thought they were pretty much plug and play. Well not so much, I installed the right one and they are not turning on.
I am about to install the left one but thought I would post here to see if anyone has experience with installing these - if it requires any additional wiring that I am not aware of.
I tried searching yesterday and the day before but couldn't find anything on our website.
5th Gear
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
I had same issues when I replaced by turn and break light bulbs with LED's.
Go to link below and you can buy a flasher for around 13.00 that will solve your problem. I'm on vacation otherwise I would have told you the exact flasher to get. Your current flasher is under your dash up in behind steering column with other relays.
http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-b...rake-turn.html
Go to link below and you can buy a flasher for around 13.00 that will solve your problem. I'm on vacation otherwise I would have told you the exact flasher to get. Your current flasher is under your dash up in behind steering column with other relays.
http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-b...rake-turn.html
Rocky Mountain High
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From: Kolorado
Gen 1 Cayennes don't do well with LED lights as replacements or on trailers.
Feel free to ask ltc about this over on the Cayenne forum. I'm sure he'll have a few things to say about it.
Feel free to ask ltc about this over on the Cayenne forum. I'm sure he'll have a few things to say about it.
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 206
Likes: 0
From: los angeles, ca
did OP ever make an installation diagram? I have a 01 and when I plugged in everything it blew a fuse. I installed the original back and changed the fuse and the blinkers and brakes still don't work on that OEM back light. I think I replaced a wrong bulb or something, a diagram would be nice!
