ABS light and LED tail lights

[awpsome]

I know i read how to fix this before but it never bothered me at the time because on my 97 when i first bought the tail lights i didnt have the abs light come on.

Im slowly moving my equipment to my new to me 2000 and when i did the tail lights last night i got the infamous ABS light.
not a big issue to me, but i would like to fix it..

i remember something about load resistors and such but where do i put them and how much of a load resistor? anyone got a link to a resistor that worked well for them?

ive read some put it on the stock third or some put it between the new led tail lights. haha so any information to those who fixed this would be great.

the pattern seems to be that on a truck 99 and newer the abs light comes on but anything older 3rd gen was okay.

Thanks! btw i still am running the stock third brake light.

 

[5280nrg]

Great timing on your post...

The previous owner put in LED tail lights on my 98 and the ABS light was on when I bought it. He said it came on right after he installed them. We had ice and snow last week so I know the ABS is actually working... as well as the on the fly 4 high.

I would like to know where the resistor goes as well. And can I just pick one up from Radio Shack?

 

[GottaBeTRD]

I cant help on what kind of load resistor you need; however, I hear those things spit out some nasty heat that can do some damage.

On mine, my original bulb in the 3rd was burned out so i just tapped the 3rd LED in to that wire and presto! it's been working for almost a year now. I think it just always sends the 12 volt power to the bulb so this method maybe tricks the system?

Before the LED conversion my 3rd was out and i never knew it. It must have been out for a couple months. I think even after I installed the LED tails, I was running around without a 3rd brake light and never got the ABS light.

anyway, there is no harm in trying this method if you have a burned out bulb

 

[Crashnrondo]

Does the ABS light come on right away? I just put LEDs in the tail/brake lights and reverse lights but I left the 3rd brake light as a regular bulb, no ABS light yet.

 

[awpsome]

there is a slight difference though, some of you may thinking of a LED "bulb" replacment.
i actually have the new headlight housing with the led's built in.
the one from ebay i believe saber sport or something like that.

anyone got a working fix to this issue?

 

[GottaBeTRD]

ahh sorry i read it wrong, I thought you got an LED 3rd brake light too. That's really weird your getting the ABS with just the LED tails

 

[awpsome]

I got the led tails only. Only differenece I can see would be the 2000 and also it has a trailer hitch with lights that I synced up.

 

[awpsome]

tried making sure if everything was hooked up good, and it is..

 

[nissanh]

LED bulbs are NOT as bright as regular bulbs (unless it is factory LED's). After market LED's looks better but will not serve the purpose specially during noon when sun is shinning behind you!

 

[GottaBeTRD]

LED bulbs are NOT as bright as regular bulbs (unless it is factory LED's). After market LED's looks better but will not serve the purpose specially during noon when sun is shinning behind you!

lol and where did you read this?? I bet you $$$$$ my led tails are brighter than your halogen bulbs I don't know what led's you saw but the ones the OP and a few others have are way brighter and safer than halogen bulbs... and yes, even in direct sun light. I find halogen bulbs a lot harder to see in direct sunlight. Now, if your talking about the little bulbs you can buy at autozone then yes you are right, those suck.

 

[GX4SEVEND]

My abs light came on right after I installed the led tails as well. It's because LEDs draw much less power so the system thinks a light is out. My 3rd brake light is out anyway so I'm hoping when I replace that the abs light will turn off

 

[GottaBeTRD]

must be something with the 2000's? I guess resistors are really your only choice with this?

 

[awpsome]

My abs light came on right after I installed the led tails as well. It's because LEDs draw much less power so the system thinks a light is out. My 3rd brake light is out anyway so I'm hoping when I replace that the abs light will turn off

I found the fix... My third brake light was dead as well.. Read below..

must be something with the 2000's? I guess resistors are really your only choice with this?

Haha so I figured out why my ABS light was on, told my gf hold the brakes and noticed my third brake light was dead. I replaced the bulb and reset the battery and the ABS light is now OFF!

So yup the LEDs without a halogen third brake light has too little current draw.
But led tails and a halogen third is just enough to keep the ABS off.
Problem solved. Haha thanks everyone for the feedback.