Thrash

This issue has been brought up on several past posts, but never fully addressed, answered or solved. I installed switchbacks recently ... and am NOT loving them so much:

- When installed w/o the resistors, you get hyper-flash on the turn signals, and they flash amber-white-amber-white as it seems they should while the DRL's are on, but need to be slower. (1st 2 photos)

- When installed with the "red-hot" solder-melting resistors, the turn signal LED bulb is half white - half amber, so flashes pale amber-white-pale amber-white ... which makes for a VERY dim turn signal, and hard to see, thus dangerous (sucks). (2nd 2 photos)

- DRL mode is amber, and white when headlights are on, but are amber turn-signals if DRL's are off, and seemingly clear when all lights are off, so those parts are fine.

Previous posts mentioned the problems:
1) The resistors get close to 300ş, if not 500ş, one of mine melted the solder off one of the wires, in the last photo (fun taking the whole headlight out again to re-solder and fix, thanks much). Seems there is a risk of fire here as well.
2) There was mention of a bypass or a flasher module on past posts, but none were ever directly identified or offered for the C6 (lots of C5 solutions though).
3) Fitting the resistors in the space is very tight. I added more wire to their leads to wire-out and access easily.
4) Did I mention the resistors get really hot?

So can anyone offer a C6 "bypass" solution for the cheap resistors, and state a source & contact for an alternative?

Thanks mucho, and grassyass ...

madmax4499

Mine did the same thing, half power with resistors. they said they had not heard of that happening, Now i just let them hyper-flash.

Why on earth would you remove the headlight?

5 Liter Eater

Do you have the resistor in parallel or series? I can't remember how I have mine hooked up. Mine get hot but not hot enough to melt solder.

madmax4499

I just followed the directions.

ncvette_1FUNRIDE

Yes, I tried those 'switchbacks' briefly for a few minutes and decided that I liked the OEM bulbs better so I returned mine.

I didn't care for the 'amber-white-amber-white-amber-white' turn signal. I much prefer the 'amber-off-amber-off-amber-off' as I think it is much easier for others to KNOW that you are getting ready to turn.

I was also concerned about the resistor heat as well.

Thrash

--- Doh! I installed them when I put in my new headlights, and the resistors were not reachable from underneath ... that's when I added the extra wire! Nonetheless, getting to them you have to take off the wheel, remove the front wheel well which is about as bad on that alone!

Parallel I guess, as the instructions stated. I saw several posts mentioning this and there must be lots of returns as well, yet no fix has been offered ...

Just seems these are being sold knowing the dimming and heat issues w/resistors and no fix is being offered. The dim flasher is really barley noticeable ...

RLSebring

Still love those headlights....

I can't offer any suggestions as I could never get my switch backs to work at all on my car. Some vettes just don't like the switchbacks apparently.

I am currently sourcing a very bright halo that will fit into the DRL housing and burn white when on and leave the DRL/Turn signal alone. Only drawback is it's a mod while the lights are apart.

I'll be posting up some pics when done.

speedraider

I also had problems with white LEDS in the DRLs. So, I put the LED's in the back up lights and move the regular white bulbs from the back up lights into the DRLS.

MikeyTX

http://www.kuryakyn.com/search/load%20equalizer Cut the white plastic plug off and simply wire in line. One lead is a ground wire. They also have a low heat unit which I've never tried. This is the one I use on my Harley and never had an issue with excessive heat and it is under the seat.

txsugar08

I have a set I ordered from Corvette Mods. I also ordered the resistors but decided not to install them after reading about the overheating issue. Other than the hyperflash, they work great. Amber with the headlights off and white with the headlights on. When the headlights are on they flash amber only,not white to amber,amber to white. They hyperflash is annoying but for now I deal with it. I hope someone will come up with a bypass soon.

MKenM

I just got my switchbacks, have not installed them. Waiting for a little warmer weather. Got the resistors, mine are crimp on and plug in not solder. The solder may also make a difference. When wires are spliced they should normally not be soldered but rather crimped or wire nutted. Don't think the latter will last. Solder adds extra resistance to the wiring and may cause extra heat. Go to Home Depot and get crimp on connectors similar to what Mickey shows. It is a much better connection.



Not a great picture but it gives you the idea.

MikeyTX

3m Scotch Locks in red are the best. The blue is for thicker gauge wire. Available at Wally World, most auto parts stores, Home Creep-o Lowes

raysk

Wow, I heard of heat associated with the resistors, but I hadn't realized they produce so much heat. i was about to order them for my new GS, but I don't want anything getting that hot inside the front light port. It also doesn't seem right to be drawing so much power from the battery as waste heat. Too bad, i really wanted them, but do not want hyperflash. I heard another solution is a different flasher unit, but I haven't found anyone who sells them for the C6. Would like to hear from the primary vendor on this board who sells these, and hopefully offer us another solution. I've bought other C6 products from them, and have been very satisifed. they are a very customer oriented business.

5 Liter Eater

FWIW the stock bulbs I took out looked like they were producing quite a bit of heat themselves.

I have to disagree about soldering VS:crimping/wire nutting and especially vampire taps. Soldering > any other method.

Still not sure whats going on here with the OP though. Perhaps the resistor has too much resistance?

Swiftrider08

I'm keeping this idea in my back pocket as a good alternative.

FortMorganAl

Soldering will always give a much better connection than any mechanical connector because the contact area is so much larger. The heat is coming from the resistor, not the connection.

The BCM is using the current through the light bulb to determine if the bulb filament is broken. LEDs don't pull as much current because they have a resistor in series to keep them from going up in smoke. The BCM doesn't see enough current and so thinks a bulb is burned out and gives a fast flash to indicate a problem. To increase the current you add a resistor in parallel. This resistor is simulating the original bulb. That bulb got hot so the resistor is going to get just as hot. They are dissipating the same amount of power to convince the BCM that a bulb is still there. The bulb has been known to melt the socket so the resistor is going to melt things if it doesn't have a lot of air circulating around it. Solder melts at more like 400 degrees F not 300 so that tells you how hot the resistor was getting.

The solution is to find a way to get air to the resistors to keep them cooler. But they are going to still get very hot. Just as hot as the original bulb because that is how much power it takes to fool the BCM into thinking there is still a bulb there.

SeanMo

I don't see why hyper flash or white to amber bothers you. Its just something different. You get use to it. I actually like the hyper flash better. It seems like it makes your blinker to other cars more noticeable.

FortMorganAl

1. See previous post. Yes, they could be a fire hazard because they are going to get very hot if they are going to work.
2. The BCM is what is flashing the light on the dash. Until you figure out how to reprogram that, it is going to fast flash if there isn't enough power going to the DRL "bulb". This isn't a '53 Buick with a mechanical flasher that could be replaced. These cars use computers to do a lot of functions that used to be mechanical.
3. You need to get them WAY out into the engine compartment or wheel well where they can get some air.
4. The solution may be to start trying different resistors. You could increase the resistance value until they no longer kept the BCM from fast flashing and then back off just a little. The higher resistance would use less power and so dissipate less heat. I doubt this will work though since the BCM detection design would be easier and more reliable if it is looking for a lot of power. Also, whoever designed the DRL LED replacements should have already sized the bypass resistors with the highest resistance that worked consistently. To repeat that design work would require a high power variable resistor (expensive) or a lot of big resistors (expensive) or a lot of luck (not always available locally).

The fact that you say the colors change when you install the bypass resistors is puzzling. That would indicate that the bypass resistors may be incorrectly sized. It might be worth a try to go to Radio Shack and get a resistor with the same wattage but 50% higher resistance and see if the result is different. If that worked better it would also produce a third less heat.

MSTROBES

Why no vendor response?

JW Motorsports

I have seen this a couple of times in the last few months. The year prior that we've sold them I never had the issue. Not everyone reports back though.

I run the load resistors in one of my vehicles and after 1.5 years and three 8+ hr trips with them running they're still solid. I run the switchbacks in this vehicle as well. They do get hot, but I've never had an issue. They're the same 50 watt 6 OHM resistors we've been selling for the C6 and C5 for a while now.

As far as the switchback light operation that isn't normal. I have seen this on a few C6s. I really don't know why some do it and most don't. I'm guessing without the resistors they don't do it right? That would mean something with the resistors is causing it.

I wish there was a fix like the C5 hyper flash harness for the C6. It would be a lot easier than dealing with the resistors.

If you bought them from us I would be glad to send another set of resistors if you want to try them again. I still feel they're a good cheap option when care is taken to install them (in regards to heat). Yours could just be defective.