Flickering aftermarket LED brake lights with error on dash

[Dimsum]

Hi all

I fitted these rear LED lights after the originals took to creating a pulsing light show for the car behind instead of actually being brake lights.

They tend to flicker a little and often give me a dashboard check lights error.

Can the flickering be fixed and will that stop the error code popping up?

Any help greatly received.



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[X5Sport]

You need to code out the lighting check.  It sends pulses which LEDs react to and the resistance is wrong so the system thinks the bulb has blown.

Or fit an error cancelling device.

Richard

[Dimsum]

Thanks Richard.

Do I need to get hold of a 1.4 scanner for this?

Will an eBay jobby be ok?

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[Sim0x]

I'm sure you can code out the check with PA-Soft / Car Scanner.

[Raj]

I've just fitted the same thing to mine and had the same. Only flickering constantly on side lights but when brake activated the flickering stops?

To stop the flickering you need to solder in a capacitor to even the supply. I've used 4700mF 35v caps from Maplins at a cost of £1.49 each. Lights won't flicker but will be a touch brighter. I'm planning to put a resistor inline to reduce the brightness.

I've coded the check control out to stop the dash error. I did it before the caps were fitted so haven't tried activating it after fitting the caps (but highly unlikely it will have resolved the dash error but who knows).

[Raj]

[quote="X5Sport"]
You need to code out the lighting check.  It sends pulses which LEDs react to and the resistance is wrong so the system thinks the bulb has blown.

Or fit an error cancelling device.

Richard
[/quote]

Strobing and flickering are 2 seperate issues.

The strobing tends to be the check control and the flickering is due to uneven supply on the facelift E53's from research.

[Raj]

[quote="Dimsum"]
Thanks Richard.

Do I need to get hold of a 1.4 scanner for this?

Will an eBay jobby be ok?

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk
[/quote]

I'll try the check control enabled after now fitting the caps and let you know if sorted.

[X5Sport]

[quote="Raj"] I've used 4700mF 35v caps from Maplins at a cost of £1.49 each.
[/quote]

Did you mean 'milli' Farad (mF) or 'micro' Farad (uF)? 

Richard

[Raj]

[quote="X5Sport"]
[quote="Raj"] I've used 4700mF 35v caps from Maplins at a cost of £1.49 each.
[/quote]

Did you mean 'milli' Farad (mF) or 'micro' Farad (uF)? 

Richard
[/quote]

uF  :-[

[Raj]

Just re-enabled the check control and nothing comes up so the caps do stop the check control too as well as sort the flickering. 

[Colin]

im going to maplins this afternoon as my rear LEDs flicker and was wrighting down what Raj said about 4700 mf35v capacitor ... then Richard asked about milli or micro soooooooo which is it , im leaving the house at 1, and do i need 1 for each side .. and where do you fit them .? thanks..

[Raj]

THESE are the ones I bought.

You need 1 per side and they are soldered in positive side connected to the green wire on the lights and the negative side on one of the black wires.

[Colin]

Thanks Raj , thats one more thing sorted.  Colin ..

[Colin]

The front fog lights strobe for 10 seconds or so since i changed them to 50watt cree, but its not a problem and only happens when you start up , the light is crisp n white and a nice mod , already changed the dip to 55watt 4000k hid kit , white light ,  have ordered the same for main beam only with instant start ,a little more £ ..

[Dimsum]

Thanks Raj

I have not soldered anything since school! Should be interesting.... I don't suppose you have a link to a guide?

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