hotponyshoes
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- Somerset. Uk
I am having some problems with a 2014 Mercedes van.
I have fitted some led strip lights into the rear as the standard ones are so dim they are useless.
From the factory the van has 3 lights (single bulb in each) in the rear.
The one by the back doors has a switch with 3 positions - always on / off / on with doors open.
The bulb light at the front of the van has 2 wires running to it. I identified live/ground and connected my first led strip to the 2 wires feeding the light (so in parallel with the existing bulb)
The rear light with the switch has 4 wires running to it. 2 of these wires are in parallel with the bulb in the housing (I presume these 2 feed out for the other lights in the rear and the colour codes of these 2 wires match the wires on the other 2 light fittings)
I connected my second led strip onto these 2 wires (so in parallel with the rear bulb)
I now have a problem where all of the lights stay on when the doors are closed.
If I use the switch on the rear light they all turn off in the off position and on in the on position.
If I close the doors (lights stay on) then turn the switch to off they turn off.
If I turn the switch back to auto they stay off (as they should) until a door is opened then they all turn back on properly.
However, if the door is then closed they stay on again.
Now, I have noticed that if I turn them off using the switch they don't just switch off but they have a "soft off" feature and they fade/dim down first.
I am wondering if the dimming is activated by resistance of the bulbs and adding the leds has interfered with this in some way?
The original bulbs are still in the fittings though? (Same problem if I take them out)
It's possible I may have connected to the wrong wires on the rear light although as the on/off part of the switch is working (and the fact that they will turn back on automatically) I think these are correct.
I did look at the Mercedes wiring diagrams with view to removing the soft off control but it looks like the lights and door switches all run to the ecu.
My next idea is to try some resistors across or in series with the led strips and see if that sorts it but then I will loose the power saving point of the strip lights!
All ideas welcome!
I have fitted some led strip lights into the rear as the standard ones are so dim they are useless.
From the factory the van has 3 lights (single bulb in each) in the rear.
The one by the back doors has a switch with 3 positions - always on / off / on with doors open.
The bulb light at the front of the van has 2 wires running to it. I identified live/ground and connected my first led strip to the 2 wires feeding the light (so in parallel with the existing bulb)
The rear light with the switch has 4 wires running to it. 2 of these wires are in parallel with the bulb in the housing (I presume these 2 feed out for the other lights in the rear and the colour codes of these 2 wires match the wires on the other 2 light fittings)
I connected my second led strip onto these 2 wires (so in parallel with the rear bulb)
I now have a problem where all of the lights stay on when the doors are closed.
If I use the switch on the rear light they all turn off in the off position and on in the on position.
If I close the doors (lights stay on) then turn the switch to off they turn off.
If I turn the switch back to auto they stay off (as they should) until a door is opened then they all turn back on properly.
However, if the door is then closed they stay on again.
Now, I have noticed that if I turn them off using the switch they don't just switch off but they have a "soft off" feature and they fade/dim down first.
I am wondering if the dimming is activated by resistance of the bulbs and adding the leds has interfered with this in some way?
The original bulbs are still in the fittings though? (Same problem if I take them out)
It's possible I may have connected to the wrong wires on the rear light although as the on/off part of the switch is working (and the fact that they will turn back on automatically) I think these are correct.
I did look at the Mercedes wiring diagrams with view to removing the soft off control but it looks like the lights and door switches all run to the ecu.
My next idea is to try some resistors across or in series with the led strips and see if that sorts it but then I will loose the power saving point of the strip lights!
All ideas welcome!