This aftermarket LED brake light kit destroys Tacoma fuse block

[Ed_Flecko]

I like "The Car Care Nut" videos. I think they're usually very informative.

I know lots of people swap out the OEM lights, bulbs, etc., but *I* personally think it's pretty risky given the complexity of modern car electrical systems.

This 2023 Tacoma owner learned an expensive lesson.

"AVOID Cheap Aftermarket Car Accessories and Here's Why! A $750 Lesson" -

Ed

 

[Kira]

*I* personally think it's pretty risky

You're not alone.

 

[supton]

Scanned through it quickly. Lifted trace. Hard to say if that's 1oz or 2oz copper, given its usage and eyeballing, am thinking (hoping?) it's 2oz. 2mm wide 2oz? fine at 6A, like 10C rise predicted. 10A would get warm, like 45C temp rise, not good but tolerable I think. Methinks something hefty was used here, but apparently just below fuse blow (or someone "fixed" a fuse that kept tripping?). That or Toyota went cheap with thin copper.

Looks like a Panasonic CT series relay (auto, rated for 20A, and quiet switching). Doubt it was damaged by this escapade.

Regardless, been long a staple to add a relay and run dedicated wiring whenever adding something with any high draw! that trace is like 25g wire, I'm estimating (12,000mils long divided by 80mils wide, times 0.25mΩ per square for 2oz copper, gives 37.5mΩ, or 37.5Ω per 1000', at room temp, wire table).

You can see the trace got fatter near the left side, and that heatsinking is what kept it from damaging that end--it's the longer side that couldn't get the heat out, that's what lifted.

 

[JavierH19]

Never liked aftermarket lights, at best they flicker and stop working soon which is a waste of time and money and at worst cause big electrical damage and really waste a lot of time and money.

 

[Owen Lucas]

Never liked aftermarket lights, at best they flicker and stop working soon which is a waste of time and money and at worst cause big electrical damage and really waste a lot of time and money.

Yep. I bought a full length LED (OE is only lighted in the middle) 3rd brake light for the tC and after 3 years the light died. I figured 3 years was pretty good for an aftermarket and just put the OEM back in.

I presume the standards, QC, and parts used in these aftermarket systems are far inferior to an OE assembly from Slyvania.

 

[Thermo1223]

Well you get what you pay for, I spent $100 on Sylvania brand LED Bulbs because I wanted them to work and they have a 5 year warranty.

If you think buying some $50 LED taillight on eBay is good idea, well you might as well add a Turbonater to your cart as well.

 

[dnewton3]

I like the CCN videos also. I don't always agree with 100% of what he says, but I certainly have learned much from his videos.

This one in particular just reinforces how electronics are too integrated for the common guy to mess around with. A simple intended "upgrade" ended up right where he started, minus $750 ... that's an expensive lesson to learn.

Too few people don't understand what LEDs are; they think they are just "bulbs" (which obviously they are not) which can be easily swapped. To be fair to the consumer, most people who retail these LED conversions do a crappy job of explaining the requirements, most probably because they, themselves, don't understand electronics either. So it's the blind leading the blind.

LED lights are awesome when they are OEM factory designed and installed. If not, I'd steer clear of them.


Also, as noted in the CCN video, it's suspected that the customer had replaced a fuse possibly with an overrated fuse. There's no ability to confirm/deny that claim, but it's a cautionary tale for sure. Even if an overrated fuse had not been installed, the work of adding resistors in the proper sized and protected is WAY past what your buddy "Bubba" can safely do in your garage to your car.

 

[normal username]

Yeah, I've come to learn (and appreciate) that the lighting that comes OEM from factory on any car, are the superior option. Even if you install something that's brighter and looks "cooler", there are trade offs that OEM doesn't make in terms of reliability or from keeping them from soaking up water.

And with newer cars, the electronics are another new layer on top of it.