I have a broken rear light , I got a replacement s/h rear light and it didn't want to go on I pushed the light and it's now more broken than the original
So I still have a cracked rear light
I have been looking at putting new lights on the car, and faced with stupidly expensive lights, or slightly more expensive led units. Which once fitted, I should be able to forget about and never have to remove them unless damaged. So looking in to the led option, I have now got to shell out for wiring adapter kits, etc.
And it suddenly occurred to me why not just fit Ballast resistors to all the lights, so that the stupid computer thinks that it still has normal bulbs fitted. Has anyone done it this way, and did it work?
Only from were I'm sitting 8 ballast resistors at £3.50 ea is a lot cheaper than anything else that I've seen on here or fleabay, plus over half the threads that I've seen say that they don't work  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

i think its more complicated than that and these resisters do get hot if left on for a while...afaik there's a constant live which is switched by impulses from the ecu when each light is required...

you do have a choice of yellow/red, white/red or white/white with the 'normal' lights and these can have led/cree bulbs fitted as pd118 and myself have done..

Why not just replace the rear light fittings with like for like and fit canbus led bulbs in lieu of the standard tungsten bulbs.
Once fitted you should never need to go back to them.
Simpler than the other options and at least then your rear lights would still match the front side / indicator lights.

Yes I was looking at the clear super changed one's, but I'd probably break them too The later led's will be hard wired so there will be no problems with bad contacts, plus they look nice
I know that the resistors get hot, I remember making contact with an ignition coil one on my MG , didn't do that again!
Having done a bit of reading on the wonder web, it would appear that ballast resistors break down a bit under load and a 25 watt will be reduced to 12.5 watts in seconds, and can melt if prolonged use continues. They then go on to recommend 50 watt for indicators, so that when they get hot they are still 25 watt load. Which going back to my collage days does seem to make sense, resistance will fall as the temperature goes up
I was contemplating moving them to a position behind the bumper, and mounting them on an ally heat sink, so that they can get all hot and bothered with out melting anything else, and get plenty of nice cool air  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

craig does a lot of conversions and he might be able to give some expert thoughts on the 'adapters' for the 2010/12 led lights.. ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
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Are but that will cost me £650 fitted
It just seems to that fooling the computer into thinking that it's got normal bulbs, is the simplest way to go. After all I'm not fitting the LEDs to save electricity, I'm fitting them for reliability, so I don't care if I'm warming up the environment with a bank of ballast resistors  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

stan wrote:

craig does a lot of conversions and he might be able to give some expert thoughts on the 'adapters' for the 2010/12 led lights..

Sorry Stan, we haven't, don't and won't fit resistor kits

So from that I can assume that you've some way of reprogramming on the board monitoring system, and what sort of damage would we be talking if I were to fit the lights and you make 'em work  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

Rear light prices are on the website sir

scored a set of 2012 tails for $525 shipped. Looking forward to the update this weekend

Having read lots of posts about light fitting, and different voltages, I have decided to go the Supercharged route. Mainly because I know that a FFRR is sensitive about electrical changes, and I wouldn't want to upset the apple cart, so to speak
So I have just got a set of new genuine SC lights for £342 delivered Just got to make sure that those stupid door stop clip things are lined up, might employ some boiling water too  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

Just a thought, do you think it's wise to employ some epoxy resin and go over all the seams before fitting them, or should I take a chance that I've got the only fully sealed set to come from the factory ?  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!