PT Cruiser and trailer lights

Looks like I jumped the gun. With a little research, and looking at the rear lights, it looks like the brake and turn-sig are separate bulbs--ie they don't use the same filament for brake and turn-sig like a lot of cars do. An interface module should only essentially consist of a pair of diodes each side to drive the single filament on the trailer from either/both brake and turn-sig circuits while keeping them separate in the Cruiser.

If what you say is the case, it's not just a pair of diodes - but there is a converter box available to make it work properly. If you think about it, a pair of diodes wouldn't help - you still wouldn't get turn signal action while the brake lights were on. You could accomplish what you need to do by adding a relay to cut out the brake light on each side and hold it off for a second or two while the directional is active on that side (in addition to your diodes) if you really wanted to cobble something together yourself.

good luck,

nate

That's what the "light converter/interface" units for sale at every U-Haul location do, yes.

I've seen so many of these working improperly on the road. They seem to have the standard 50/50 durability thing going (50 miles or 50 minutes, whichever occurs first).

If I were pulling a trailer with a vehicle that had separate brake and turn lights, I'd just add separate turn lights to the trailer and avoid messing with Rube Goldberg "converter" devices.

I went to the dealer and bought the MOPAR harness, complete with "converter" for my 1999 Intrepid. Except for the LARGE hole I had to drill behind the right taillight, it was a slick install - plug and play. Still going strong and working fine 6 years and 100K miles later. It was a bit of coin (~$70 CDN), but comparable in price to the "plug-and-play" Reese units sold by the local parts stores. Makes for a well sealed, robust installation.

Two notes: The "converter" isolates the BCM which controls the signals from the trailer lights - common trailer shorts don't roast your BCM. Also, the common method of testing the turn/brake lights by turning on the hazards and checking the bulbs doesn't do the trick any more - you need to also have someone check to see that the brake lights come on when you step on them in the car - to make sure the "converter" is still working properly.

Just put a new set of trailer lights on and could not find a set anywhere that sported amber turn segments. I assume this is a common item in the rest of the world.

Richard.

just buy separate amber lights, no big deal.

nate

On Thu, 21 Jul 2005, it was written:

Options from Truck-Lite:

Options from Hella Germany:

2SD 964 169-111 photo: 2XL 005 194-011 (left; right unit is -021): photo: Options from Hella Australia: (the compact option) (the "go big or go home" option) LEDs neatly sidestep the BCM interface problem; they draw next to zero current; the BCM simply disregards the trivial extra current as normal bulb-to-bulb production variations...also, no bulb burnouts, much less problem with connections and grounds, etc, plus much better photometric performance than is obtained from most US bulb-type trailer lights.

All this stuff is easily available; you just have to know whom to ask.

DS ;-)

Thanks for the comments. Nate is correct -- just a pair of diodes (an OR circuit) would prevent turn flashing when the brakes are applied. And, I certainly don't want to risk damaging the PT circuitry by possibly drawing too much current. Nor do I want to rewire the trailer lights and make the

4-wire connection "obsolete" because I have other vehicles that have the 4-wire connection. It looks like it's not as cheap and easy as I first thought.

Dan, your point is well taken, but all of the submersible units offered on those sites for domestic sales are red units only. One needs a submersible amber unit and I did not find that listed, just amber side lights with reflectors.

Richard.

Richard Unless the lights are immersed a lot perhaps just drilling some drain holes in the bottom and using some grease on the electrical contacts would be "good enough". I've used this technique with success in fresh water -- don't know about salt.

On Fri, 22 Jul 2005, it was written:

Check the 2nd post I made, with specific links to specific lamps.

Pure water is an insulator, not a conductor. It is what gets dissolved in it that acts as a conductor. Salt for example makes water into an excellent conductor. Soapy bathtub and sink water also make good conductors. Dissolved iron, AKA rust, also works well to make water into a conductor.

But for your average fresh water resivour you can go to the boat launch and watch them backing into the lake, and see the brake lights going even under water, then watch them pull out and see the water come pouring out of the light housings.

Ted