Center High Mounted Stop Light note

zsrbest · 03-26-2006, 01:34 PM

takin' a break from the missing/blinkin' SES light black blazer to talk about the white one.

About 6 months back my wife took it in to get the state inspection. The brake light over the back hatch wasn't working. Of course they offered to order a new one for $140 plus installation and she told them no since I work on our vehicles as much as possible.

Took the light off the hatch, unplugged the wires and took the LED panel out of the lense. Finally noticed a small resistor had burnt clean in two. No way to look at it and get the color code off it to go to Radio Shack and buy another one. How many of you have been into the heating system fan controls and seen the system of coiled resistors used to soak up voltage and slow the fan motor down? Anyway I got a small paper clip, wound it around a nail in a spiral pattern and after removing the burnt up resistor I soldered the spiral wound paper clip into the spot the resistor had been in. Plugged everything back in and the light seemed right. Put it all back together and took it down for the inspection. It's still working after 6 months.

Just wanted to share this in case anyone might want to try it. Be sure to leave the light on long enough to insure the paper clip won't get too hot (mine didn't). You'll also need to make sure the light is bright enough to see well. I used the whole paper clip and made sure no loop touched another. Just had to bend the ends a little to get them to line up with the holes in the circuit board.

Xourque · 04-07-2006, 07:06 PM

Really? That's strange. My third brake light didn't work, and I found out that the fuse in the engine compartment fuse box was MISSING. Replacing the fuse obviously got it working again.

Where was this resistor located? Inside the LED strip, or somewhere else?

03-26-2006, 01:34 PM	#1
zsrbest Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 10 Location: User is: OffLine	Center High Mounted Stop Light note takin' a break from the missing/blinkin' SES light black blazer to talk about the white one. About 6 months back my wife took it in to get the state inspection. The brake light over the back hatch wasn't working. Of course they offered to order a new one for $140 plus installation and she told them no since I work on our vehicles as much as possible. Took the light off the hatch, unplugged the wires and took the LED panel out of the lense. Finally noticed a small resistor had burnt clean in two. No way to look at it and get the color code off it to go to Radio Shack and buy another one. How many of you have been into the heating system fan controls and seen the system of coiled resistors used to soak up voltage and slow the fan motor down? Anyway I got a small paper clip, wound it around a nail in a spiral pattern and after removing the burnt up resistor I soldered the spiral wound paper clip into the spot the resistor had been in. Plugged everything back in and the light seemed right. Put it all back together and took it down for the inspection. It's still working after 6 months. Just wanted to share this in case anyone might want to try it. Be sure to leave the light on long enough to insure the paper clip won't get too hot (mine didn't). You'll also need to make sure the light is bright enough to see well. I used the whole paper clip and made sure no loop touched another. Just had to bend the ends a little to get them to line up with the holes in the circuit board.
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04-07-2006, 07:06 PM	#2
Xourque Registered User Age: 25 Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 111 Location: Seattle, WA User is: OffLine	Re: Center High Mounted Stop Light note Really? That's strange. My third brake light didn't work, and I found out that the fuse in the engine compartment fuse box was MISSING. Replacing the fuse obviously got it working again. Where was this resistor located? Inside the LED strip, or somewhere else?
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