HOW TO: Convert to Escalade LED Tail Lights

[Mike_L]

Leaving them loose would drive me crazy. It would haunt me at night.

Just like the 2 unused wires on the Escalade harness bother me. I've been searching like crazy to try to figure out what the pink/black and yellow/black wires are for.

 

[soulsea]

Leaving them loose would drive me crazy. It would haunt me at night.

You know I thought so too, and I was ready to zip tie them or 3M them to something ... but once I got them from Robbie and plugged them in, they ended up just in the right place, out of all sight and taut enough so as not to be able to touch anything, so i figured it was actually better for heat dissipation to just leave them loose to ventilate. But depending what spot on the harness one puts them on there are several places one could fasten them.

 

[Mike_L]

Found what the other 2 wires are for:
yellow/black = tail lamp outage detection signal
pink/black = Roof Beacon Lamp

Don't need the yellow/black one. Do we have a Roof Beacon Lamp? Is that the third brake light? Wonder if GM had planned on using the outer parts of the 3rd light for signals through this wire, and ended up not doing it?

 

[Mike_L]

Are the end connectors for the Yukon/Tahoe body harness and Esky taillight available from GM? Started making the harnesses and I really think it would look neater if we could just use new connectors on the Hopkins harness instead of splicing the connectors and wires from the stock harness and Hopkins harness together. No splices, no soldering. Just crimp on the metal bits and plug them into the connectors.

 

[THE YETI]

Only as an entire harness.

 

[soulsea]

Well, I'm not sure this is what you're talking about Mike, but Rockauto sells all kinds of ACDelco connectors for these vehicles ... I've bought several myself for headlamp and fog harnesses. They come with lead wires attached to them but I'm guessing you can disconnect them and attach the one's from your harness, after figuring out which pin does what. However they don't give them away for some reason, at least if I remember correctly some (but not all) are stupid expensive for a socket ... it seems that soldering and a heat shrink would be more than sufficient.

 

[Mike_L]

Yeah, thats what I'm finding from Standard Motor Products too. They all have pigtails attached.

I used to get the bare connectors from someplace when I was doing SRT8 rear fog harnesses, and I can't remember where for the life of me.

 

[THE YETI]

I don't see how even having that is going to allow for direct plugin. You are still going to have to splice in the resistors. I mean, I see where you're going with this, but to keep costs minimal for the purpose served, I wouldn't try to reinvent the wheel. If it was something you could see, I'd consider that. But aside from the Hopkins and the resistors, the entire assembly looks stock. Well, atleast the new versions I make look stock.

I'm curious to see what you come up with though.

 

[soulsea]

Indeed ... however, looking forward, using a set of ACDelco connectors and lead wires for the modified harness is probably a good idea. That way one doesn't have to butcher their original harness and have to buy a new one when they put the truck back to stock with the stock tails. Undoubtably the connectors are cheaper than a new harness.

 

[Mike_L]

I'm not really looking at it on the basis of cost. I'm just thinking that without the splices it would look cleaner and more OEM. Maybe also cut off the sides of the Hopkins harness, to get rid of part of the big rubber/plastic bump in the middle. Then its just the resistors that would stick out, which is the next thing I'm looking at hiding. I did hear back from V-Leds and they're expecting the brackets back in stock in about a week, so then I'll see what I can do with the resistors.

Is this the body end? http://www.eficonnection.com/eficonnection/ConnectorDetails.aspx?ItemId=520

Looks like it. Looking for the light end now.

This may be it. http://www.eficonnection.com/eficonnection/ConnectorDetails.aspx?ItemId=321 or it might be this one http://www.eficonnection.com/eficonnection/ConnectorDetails.aspx?ItemId=1149

Not sure which, The Esky lights haven't come yet.

 

[THE YETI]

Appears that's accurate, although hard to tell by the description. Hmm..

What light end are you looking for? The escalade end? You'll need the plug and the reverse bulb harness as well.

---------- Post added at 09:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:47 PM ----------

The second two links, it's neither. It's a female plug IIRC. Looks similar to the first, but female ended. The second one doesn't look like it at all. I wish I had a set here to take a pic for you.

I'm on my iPad, otherwise I'd check my desktop for a photo.

 

[Mike_L]

The reverse will have to be spliced. Only other way would be to get a new socket, which I don't think I've ever seen without pigtails. I'm thinking ground may have to be spliced either way, because theres the main ground, and the reverse ground.

One light is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow. I'll check it out and work from there. From what I'm seeing right now, the Esky harness may be needed. The Tahoe one isn't. The connector can replace that, if its the right one.

Someday I'll stop trying to improve on things and just leave them as is. Everytime I try to "fix" something that isn't broken, I end up with issues and half assed solutions like this.

 

[Mike_L]

Robbie, did i screw up? Finished the first harness, no resistors yet, and the yellow and blue wires (on the Tahoe harness) don't light anything up when probed. Is that supposed to happen without the resistors? I expected them to just be needed to stop hyperflash, not for the lights to work at all. The parking lights and reverse work fine. Its just the stop, running and turn that doesn't. I tested before cutting the harness and everything worked fine.

 

[THE YETI]

Robbie, did i screw up? Finished the first harness, no resistors yet, and the yellow and blue wires (on the Tahoe harness) don't light anything up when probed. Is that supposed to happen without the resistors? I expected them to just be needed to stop hyperflash, not for the lights to work at all. The parking lights and reverse work fine. Its just the stop, running and turn that doesn't. I tested before cutting the harness and everything worked fine.

Not really sure... I haven't had any issues with any of the harnesses I did.

 

[Mike_L]

Damn. I guess I'll run over to the ricer store tomorrow and see if they have the resistors so I can test. I'd never put their garbage on my truck, but for testing, they'll do.

EDIT: Just probed the wires. It works between the Hopkins and the light, but not between it and the connector. So either it needs the resistors to work, or the Hopkins I have is bad. Wish the second light would come so I could make the second harness and test it on that.

 

[Mike_L]

Confirmed thats how its supposed to be. I did the other one too and its the same way.

UPDATE: They do work with the resistors, so something about the power going through without them causes the lights to not work.

 

[05denali702]

I found three sellers on eBay that sell the "g5" but one says euro or sumn, does anyone know what is the best one I need plug m play exact escalade replica I already have the appliqués , any help appreciated thanks

 

[mrox2013]

Upgrade completed.

 

[THE YETI]

 

[Regency]

Alright Yeti, so I saw in the first post that I have to send you my harness is that still true? Or can I just buy the tails and buy the harness?