electrical: bumper signal can cause DTRL blink

[Neejay]

Ok, for anyone without JDM bumper signal experience, the clear part stays lit and the orange blinks for flashers. For some reason on mine, the clear part stays lit and blinks when I turn on my signal (amber doesn't cut on, even with a new bulb in)

If I piggyback Canadian daytime running lights on the bumper signal's power wire, before the harness plug on the signal light itself, would that cause the daytime running light to blink/flash too?

[g6civcx]

Ok, for anyone without JDM bumper signal experience, the clear part stays lit and the orange blinks for flashers.

The clear portion is your parking light, and turns on whenever the light switch is turned to 1 or 2. The amber portion is your turn signal, and flashes with your turn signal.

For some reason on mine, the clear part stays lit and blinks when I turn on my signal (amber doesn't cut on, even with a new bulb in)

It sounds like you have 2 separate but related problems.

First, I don't think your turn signal bulb is even wired up at all. Second, I think you may have put both the parking light wire and the turn signal wire to the parking bulb.

If I piggyback Canadian daytime running lights on the bumper signal's power wire, before the harness plug on the signal light itself, would that cause the daytime running light to blink/flash too?

Never ever do this without diodes and thick wires. You never want to connect two hot pins together like this. You'll get current collision, and when one pin isn't power you'll get current backwash into the other circuit. If you don't design your circuit with a diode (search Google), don't connect wires that carry power like this.

The DRL is always on. When the turn signal sends current, it'll collide with the DRL current and cause unpredictable behaviour. The end result may be flashing of the DRL, but it could overload your circuit.

Note that the DRL circuit cannot handle over 10A. If you add more current via the turn signal it may overload.

My recommendation is to wire your bulbs correctly. Parking light wire to bulb in white lens. Turn signal wire to bulb in amber lens. DRL wire to DRL. No piggybacking!

[Neejay]

Just to make sure you understand my question: I don't want the DRL to act as a turn signal, but since Im having that issue with mine, would my DRL flash too? It's only the passenger side one. The JDM signals I have came with the harness and plug (brand new), so I didn't have to do any splicing/soldering. Plug and play.

On the JDM signals, theres 3 wires. I was going to piggyback the DRLs to the clear part's wire, so they would come on when I turned my parking lights on. BUT since one side's clear part flashes as a turn signal, would the piggyback cause the DRL to flash too.

Or are you saying not to piggyback regardless?

Thanks for the reply/help.

[g6civcx]

Just to make sure you understand my question: I don't want the DRL to act as a turn signal, but since Im having that issue with mine, would my DRL flash too?

That's what I would suspect. You probably have the turn signal wire connected to the DRL wire. Every time the signal flashes current collides with the DRL signal and causes the DRL to short, i.e. turn off.

It's only the passenger side one. The JDM signals I have came with the harness and plug (brand new), so I didn't have to do any splicing/soldering. Plug and play.

I understand. The problem may be in your body harness or a short on the fender harness. Check both the area where the DRL harness is and under the front left fender.

On the JDM signals, theres 3 wires. I was going to piggyback the DRLs to the clear part's wire, so they would come on when I turned my parking lights on.

No, don't do this. The DRL circuitry is only designed to support enough current for the DRL bulb. If you add another bulb to it you may overload the circuit.

Connect the clear lens bulb to the parking light circuit. This circuit has ample capacity to support the parking bulb.


BUT since one side's clear part flashes as a turn signal, would the piggyback cause the DRL to flash too.

Yes. You have current running opposite in the same direction. What you're doing is in effect shorting out the DRL bulb via the turn signal current.

Or are you saying not to piggyback regardless?

Never ever piggyback if you can help it. Like I said above. DRL bulb to DRL signal and bulb. Amber lens bulb to turn signal power and ground. Clear lens bulb to parking signal and ground.

Everything is available so there is no reason to piggyback the DRL circuit.

Let me demonstrate for you. You probably have your circuit like this.

turn signal power---------(DRL bulb)
DRL power----------------()--------------ground

When only the DRL power wire is hot, current travels through the DRL bulb and to ground; however, current also travels backward through the turn signal circuitry all the way back to the turn signal switch and the hazard switch.

When both the DRL power wire and the turn signal power wire are hot, you have current colliding. This produces unpredictable behaviour. It may cause the DRL to go off.

turn signal power---------(DRL bulb)
ground--------------------( )--------------DRL power

If you have it like this, the turn signal can also cause the DRL to go off, i.e. flash. What's more important is you have current collision between the turn signal and the DRL = unpredictable.

Either way, don't piggyback.

[Neejay]

Forgot to mention that I haven't installed the DRLs yet. I was asking the question hoping that the DRL won't flash too. Right now its the OEM setup (harness, plugs) + JDM signals. I understand what you mean though. I guess I'll have to come up with an alternate method. Thanks.

Prior to you telling me not to piggyback, I was asking if I hooked the DRLs to the clear lens of the JDM signals, given my current problem of the clear acting as a flasher, would that make the DRL flash too.

Everything is available so there is no reason to piggyback the DRL circuit.
I didn't know that. I thought only the CAD s13's had the wiring available.

[g6civcx]

Forgot to mention that I haven't installed the DRLs yet. I was asking the question hoping that the DRL won't flash too. Right now its the OEM setup (harness, plugs) + JDM signals. I understand what you mean though. I guess I'll have to come up with an alternate method. Thanks.

Prior to you telling me not to piggyback, I was asking if I hooked the DRLs to the clear lens of the JDM signals, given my current problem of the clear acting as a flasher, would that make the DRL flash too.


I didn't know that. I thought only the CAD s13's had the wiring available.

My fault. I thought you car was Canadian.

I think for now the best way is to try to fix the bumper lights first. After they work the way you want then we can talk about wiring up DRL.

Generally I would recommend using the parking light wire (or whatever wire you want the DRL to come on with) to trigger a 30A relay that pulls current from the battery because you don't want to overload the parking light circuit, but we'll talk about that when you're ready.