LED tail lights with resistor, CC inop

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

OP
OP
B

bdl04

TYF Newbie
Joined
Mar 14, 2024
Posts
17
Reaction score
16
Keep us posted on what happens with it. Also nice looking 2005 Denali. My 2006 Xl Denali is the same color.
Thanks. I got it from a family member on a crazy good deal and at first I wasn't stoked on the color but it has grown on me. I have a 05 silverado with the 5.3 as well and the 6.0 is so much better with the 4 speed. Absolutely love the thing.
 

adventurenali92

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2015
Posts
7,389
Reaction score
8,618
Location
Big Bear Lake, ca
Thanks. I got it from a family member on a crazy good deal and at first I wasn't stoked on the color but it has grown on me. I have a 05 silverado with the 5.3 as well and the 6.0 is so much better with the 4 speed. Absolutely love the thing.
My thoughts are the same on the color. lol. I had three colors specifically picked out and couldn’t find anything for saw in what I wanted. Everything was either black or white. This was the first one outside of black or white and not totally thrashed I found. After buying it the color grew on me. It hides dust quite well so when it’s mildly dusty it still looks pretty clean haha.
 
OP
OP
B

bdl04

TYF Newbie
Joined
Mar 14, 2024
Posts
17
Reaction score
16
Yes man. I got a blue silverado and that thing always looks dirty. The yukon always looks better.
My thoughts are the same on the color. lol. I had three colors specifically picked out and couldn’t find anything for saw in what I wanted. Everything was either black or white. This was the first one outside of black or white and not totally thrashed I found. After buying it the color grew on me. It hides dust quite well so when it’s mildly dusty it still looks pretty clean haha.
 

wilcfr

Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2010
Posts
46
Reaction score
29
Had the same problem with my 2003 Tahoe. It's the aftermarket lights. The LEDs do not have enough, for lack of a better term, resistance in the bulb themselves. So, the car senses that you have the brakes on. Hence no CC. You can buy an online resistor for the wiring and it solves the problem. Can't remember the particular part. I owned the Tahoe in 2002-03. Had to get rid of it. It was a lemon. Beautiful vehicle but a rolling piece of crap. Replaced it with an 04 that never gave me any problems.
 
OP
OP
B

bdl04

TYF Newbie
Joined
Mar 14, 2024
Posts
17
Reaction score
16
Had the same problem with my 2003 Tahoe. It's the aftermarket lights. The LEDs do not have enough, for lack of a better term, resistance in the bulb themselves. So, the car senses that you have the brakes on. Hence no CC. You can buy an online resistor for the wiring and it solves the problem. Can't remember the particular part. I owned the Tahoe in 2002-03. Had to get rid of it. It was a lemon. Beautiful vehicle but a rolling piece of crap. Replaced it with an 04 that never gave me any problems.
Yep. I think the issue is that the aftermarket assembly came with a resistor but only for the turn signals. So, I'll just need to get one on the brake circuit and I should be good.
 

petethepug

Michael
Joined
May 4, 2016
Posts
3,025
Reaction score
3,283
Location
SoCal
The solution to LED lamps isn’t resistors. Once you get enough in there you’re creating enough heat to melt a lamp socket.

New technology just hit that has tiny little fans built into the base of the bulb. They’re slowly hitting the market. Electric motors are one of the highest consumers of power and they’re self sustaining in their cooling as long as there’s a fan blade attached.

These little suckers create enough load to fool the BCM into knowing an incandescent bulb is there as well as preserving the life of the bulb and wiring with the fan.
 
OP
OP
B

bdl04

TYF Newbie
Joined
Mar 14, 2024
Posts
17
Reaction score
16
Problem solved! Installed a 50w 6R resistor on both the brake light curcuits and we have cruise again! I went to Ace and got a u-bolt and some 90 degree bent sheet metal brackets and mounted the resistors on the little rib behind the light assembly to dissipate the heat. They definitely get hot quick. It's a little sloppy but it'll do. Thanks for everyone's help on this. Also, I put a KN cold air intake on while I was working on the truck. So stoked.
 

adventurenali92

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2015
Posts
7,389
Reaction score
8,618
Location
Big Bear Lake, ca
Problem solved! Installed a 50w 6R resistor on both the brake light curcuits and we have cruise again! I went to Ace and got a u-bolt and some 90 degree bent sheet metal brackets and mounted the resistors on the little rib behind the light assembly to dissipate the heat. They definitely get hot quick. It's a little sloppy but it'll do. Thanks for everyone's help on this. Also, I put a KN cold air intake on while I was working on the truck. So stoked.
Photos or it didn’t happen lol :Big Laugh:
 

Tajohns34

TYF Newbie
Joined
Mar 24, 2023
Posts
10
Reaction score
16
There is a built in resistor for the turn signals, but you have to add one for the brake lights. Cruise control won't work because it thinks your brake lights are out. I just fixed the exact same thing and i have those exact same tail lights.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
132,366
Posts
1,866,783
Members
96,987
Latest member
Chineyfari
Top