03 tahoe LED dome light

[Tahoewhat]

Problems:
Changed interior lights to LED. When opening door or just interior is lighted up, all lights come on just fine, super bright. When inside vehicle and doors closed, inside lights go out and you want to use the push button, (dome light) per each side, front or rear passenger ones. When manually pushing the dome lights, they are only half lit up. Not at full 12v power. Only at full power when using the dimmer control to full max to make all interior lights come one, manually push lights, half Dim

Solution:
What angel.arteaga posted with the relay. It does in fact work. When manually pushing the dome lights, they lit up just like normal, full brightness. But problem with this is, when inside lights go dim, (for instance when doors closed) the relay buzzes, like its going from 12v to 10 to 5 to 1 etc. Slowly dies. lol. Then the other problem is, that sometimes when the interior lights come on, the one light, (the side) you put the relay on, that one light goes dim, just like theres nothing on it. Half lit. So you have to manually push that one light w/ the relay to have it come back on full power. Then all is good again.

I can try to get a video of it, not sure how its going to work, but hey worth a shot.

 

[Rivieraracing]

That's pretty much what I was trying to say except I didn't think about the diode part. Though they might need to keep the original power wire so the domes come on when doors open.

Yeah, the diode does indeed prevent the backfeed, I ran into that problem when I hooked up my map lights and the diode before the switch solved that!! Wish I had a 03 and up truck because I would have already been out there and tested out my theory and tried all sorts of things to find the fix for this problem!!
But I'm pretty sure that would work in this situation, but the power wire has to be behind the switch, not in front!! The way to test which side of the switch to be on would be to turn the switch to the off position, shutting off the light. Then, take a wire with 12v to it and apply it to either side of the light switch, if it turns your light on without touching the switch, then you are in front of the switch (which you don't want in this situation), you want to be on the side that isn't affected by the 12v wire unless you actually flip the switch!! This is all theory however, since I have no way to actually test this on my own truck since I have an 02, but I really think this will work!! Each light that is affected by the manual dim problem would have to have it's own 12v (all the time power) wire as well as a diode on each wire going to the backside of each switch they wire up!!

---------- Post added at 10:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:25 PM ----------

I'm hoping someone will prove me right or wrong, either way we will figure this out!! I promise!! hahaha

---------- Post added at 10:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:26 PM ----------

Food for thought, check out my thread on how I made my map lights work when I open the door (for some reason, my 02 didn't do that like the newer trucks), only difference is that I got my power from another source that got it's power whenever the doors were open where as you guys would be looking for 12v all the time power!! I really think it should work the same, just the only crappy part would be running a separate wire to every light affected with the dimming problem!!

http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8576

Check out post #10 and let me know what you guys think!!

 

[chauncey0337]

Yeah, the diode does indeed prevent the backfeed, I ran into that problem when I hooked up my map lights and the diode before the switch solved that!! Wish I had a 03 and up truck because I would have already been out there and tested out my theory and tried all sorts of things to find the fix for this problem!!
But I'm pretty sure that would work in this situation, but the power wire has to be behind the switch, not in front!! The way to test which side of the switch to be on would be to turn the switch to the off position, shutting off the light. Then, take a wire with 12v to it and apply it to either side of the light switch, if it turns your light on without touching the switch, then you are in front of the switch (which you don't want in this situation), you want to be on the side that isn't affected by the 12v wire unless you actually flip the switch!! This is all theory however, since I have no way to actually test this on my own truck since I have an 02, but I really think this will work!! Each light that is affected by the manual dim problem would have to have it's own 12v (all the time power) wire as well as a diode on each wire going to the backside of each switch they wire up!!

---------- Post added at 10:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:25 PM ----------

I'm hoping someone will prove me right or wrong, either way we will figure this out!! I promise!! hahaha

---------- Post added at 10:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:26 PM ----------

Food for thought, check out my thread on how I made my map lights work when I open the door (for some reason, my 02 didn't do that like the newer trucks), only difference is that I got my power from another source that got it's power whenever the doors were open where as you guys would be looking for 12v all the time power!! I really think it should work the same, just the only crappy part would be running a separate wire to every light affected with the dimming problem!!

http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8576

Check out post #10 and let me know what you guys think!!

They could run all of them in parallel. Run 1 constant up to first dome, then from there go to the next one and so on. Much easier than running a separate wire from the source to each light.

 

[Rivieraracing]

Yeah, I thought about that when I went to bed last night, just matters where the power source is to whether it's easier to run separate wires from the source or to daisy chain it like you mentioned!! If parallel (daisy chain) is the approach used, I'd recommend them using the quick taps to tap off of the parallel wire to each switch!!
Now it's just a matter of getting someone to try out our theory!!!

 

[JochenWoern]

Yeah, I thought about that when I went to bed last night, just matters where the power source is to whether it's easier to run separate wires from the source or to daisy chain it like you mentioned!! If parallel (daisy chain) is the approach used, I'd recommend them using the quick taps to tap off of the parallel wire to each switch!!
Now it's just a matter of getting someone to try out our theory!!!

Yes, I would appreciate if someone would try it and if it indeed works, describe it in DETAIL!

I am sorry, but I have followed this thread IN DETAIL this time around as I DO have the same issue, but it still makes not a whole lot of sense to the old mechanic.

THANKS IN ADVANCE to all working on this issue, it is greatly appreciated.

 

[Tahoewhat]

I will try it, but can one of you guys put it in plain english for me. B/c i get lost reading all your guys input on what to do. Something about 12v before switch, and diode, and power wire to all lights. (thats alot of trouble, when just putting one relay works all of them)

I know its in english, but maybe put steps or something and i'll try it out. I dont mind.

Would it help if i got pictures of the backside of the front dome lights.

 

[Rivieraracing]

Check out my thread and look at post #10!! http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8576

That's the way you would hook up one of your lights, just gotta use a wire that has 12v all the time but hook your light up like I did!! Like I mentioned before, if you hook the 12v power to one side of the switch and the light comes on, that tells you that you need to hook up the other side of the switch instead!!

Just try one light like that and let us know if it works like it should!!

 

[JochenWoern]

I will try it, but can one of you guys put it in plain english for me. B/c i get lost reading all your guys input on what to do. Something about 12v before switch, and diode, and power wire to all lights. (thats alot of trouble, when just putting one relay works all of them)

I know its in english, but maybe put steps or something and i'll try it out. I dont mind.

Would it help if i got pictures of the backside of the front dome lights.

Mike, I am with you. I consider myself highly technical and somewhat educated, but I do not have a degree from Harvard.

 

[Rivieraracing]

Not sure how much simplier I can describe how to do the fix, guess I could just drive down there and do it for you guys!! lol

J/K!! I'm a very visual person so sometimes reading a "how to do something" thread without at least pics to figure out exactly what someone is talking about is sometimes difficult for myself!! Just kinda wished I had the problem you guys are having, I'd be all over figuring out how to fix it!! I love electrical, it's a fun challenge!!

Check out my thread as well JochenWoern, hopefully that will help you figure out what all I am talking about!

 

[JochenWoern]

Not sure how much simplier I can describe how to do the fix, guess I could just drive down there and do it for you guys!! lol

J/K!! I'm a very visual person so sometimes reading a "how to do something" thread without at least pics to figure out exactly what someone is talking about is sometimes difficult for myself!! Just kinda wished I had the problem you guys are having, I'd be all over figuring out how to fix it!! I love electrical, it's a fun challenge!!

Check out my thread as well JochenWoern, hopefully that will help you figure out what all I am talking about!

Nope, I will NOT check out your thread.

I am good with your first suggestion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!