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I mentioned on a now closed thread that I had some adventures with changing my trailer lights from incandescent to led. I find that this problem is widely scattered but frequent news about the web.
I did find that a company called Redarc makes a device part # LDLIBT12 that solves the problem - I rang Redarc and they directed me to several local auto-electricians. I rang one I knew and he priced the device for me: AUD$330.
He thought that VW might be able to reprogram their towing harness electronics or resistors could be placed in parallel across the feeds/earth to fool the harness into thinking that it was dealing with incandescent bulbs.
From other sites it seems that VW do have a solution by way of a European type plug but it does not always work satisfactorily. A call to a helpful workshop supervisor at the local VW dealer gave no hint of a VW solution and the harness could not be reprogrammed.
I have now found that you can fit load resistors supplied by led autolamps across each function - these cost about $19 each. This problem seems to be widespread and is growing as more led lighting is installed in trailers. I figure that I can manage with three resistors with a bit of cunning - it seems cheaper than the packaged solution.
Everyone seems to be falling into the pit by default, many auto-electricians and dealers seem unaware how to fix the problem but there seems to be an increasingly widespread awareness of a fix.
ps: the problem? Led lights have less resistance than incandescent lamps and the modern car trailer loom circuitry thinks that a bulb has blown and a warning lamp comes on - not a big deal so far but the circuitry then flickers the leds every few seconds on all trailer lights leaving a crazy distraction for all who follow you on the road. The turn indicators, tail and stop lights? Well they seem to work anyway - but if you follow someone with rear trailer lights flashing in a low level way every few seconds then you know what the problem is.
Fitting some resistors tomorrow - wish me luck.
The best solution would be an in-house oem fix from VW - meanwhile incandescent lights are cheaper and a whole lot less bother even if they blow bulbs and generally rot away.
Tom
I did find that a company called Redarc makes a device part # LDLIBT12 that solves the problem - I rang Redarc and they directed me to several local auto-electricians. I rang one I knew and he priced the device for me: AUD$330.
He thought that VW might be able to reprogram their towing harness electronics or resistors could be placed in parallel across the feeds/earth to fool the harness into thinking that it was dealing with incandescent bulbs.
From other sites it seems that VW do have a solution by way of a European type plug but it does not always work satisfactorily. A call to a helpful workshop supervisor at the local VW dealer gave no hint of a VW solution and the harness could not be reprogrammed.
I have now found that you can fit load resistors supplied by led autolamps across each function - these cost about $19 each. This problem seems to be widespread and is growing as more led lighting is installed in trailers. I figure that I can manage with three resistors with a bit of cunning - it seems cheaper than the packaged solution.
Everyone seems to be falling into the pit by default, many auto-electricians and dealers seem unaware how to fix the problem but there seems to be an increasingly widespread awareness of a fix.
ps: the problem? Led lights have less resistance than incandescent lamps and the modern car trailer loom circuitry thinks that a bulb has blown and a warning lamp comes on - not a big deal so far but the circuitry then flickers the leds every few seconds on all trailer lights leaving a crazy distraction for all who follow you on the road. The turn indicators, tail and stop lights? Well they seem to work anyway - but if you follow someone with rear trailer lights flashing in a low level way every few seconds then you know what the problem is.
Fitting some resistors tomorrow - wish me luck.
The best solution would be an in-house oem fix from VW - meanwhile incandescent lights are cheaper and a whole lot less bother even if they blow bulbs and generally rot away.
Tom
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