Got the socket for the incandescent 1157 ballast light wired today; despite trouble-shooting, I couldn't isolate a cause for the need of the ballast. The operation required removal of the rear taillight bezel (16 3/16" rivets). Refasten the bezel and mount the ballast bulb tomorrow.

Anyway, with the new 1157 bulb wired into the upper right taillight, things work as they should.

Hmm.. curiouser and curiouser. I've been trying to figure out why the ballast is needed. Had no trouble with the Superbright 90 degree taillights on my coach. Interesting. At least you got them to work!

I still have some more experimenting to do (I exercised connectors and ran some tests today with no change). Without the ballast, all the taillights go bright, and the rear boundary lights turn off.

The symptoms are classic "bad ground"; that doesn't seem to be the case here, but I still have some things to test.

I moved the ground wires on the other side and now have a good ground on both sides.
It did not seem to help so I went to the main electric box and found that I had repaced the left flasher and the right flasher units to electronic ones, however failed to replace the 4-way flasher one, so I replaced that one and it did seem to help some but still not right.
I tried a 1157 bulb on the right side and found it became twice as bright as it should but did not try it with the led lights in place.
I still have the old 1157 bulbs in front and on the side turn signal lights located under the mirrors. I am wondering if I have to all leds front and rear to have them work right.
I'm going to hold off doing anything further awaiting what you may find.

Everything's back together, and I was unable to find the source of the oddity. I now think there's another relay (for the brake, maybe?) and the bulb is necessary ballast for the coil. In any event it doesn't appear to be a ground issue.

As a reward for finishing, I replaced the fresh water pump.

quote:

The Bargman Series 58, 55-8377 LED Red and 55-8386 LED Amber boundary lights from PPL Motor Homes...
Are a disappointment, mainly because the only way to attach them is to rivet from the back. The LED board mount is flush with the hole edges, leaving no room for a screw head. And the LED board mount sticks up so a pop riveter can't get a grip.

While the right rear boundary light can be riveted from the back, the left rear can't due to a compartment in the way.

So I got some plastic push rivets - not long enough. I eventually secured the rear lights with plastic screw anchors and 6x1¼ FH screws after shortening the bosses on the lights for clearance. So now all the LEDs are in place and working properly.

The oddity continues on mine, however I am still working on it.
Today I replaced the front 1157 turn/parking light bulbs with LED bulbs. Turned on the 4-ways and walked to the front a they are bright and flashing at a good rate.
I noticed the side turn signal lights(with 1157 bulbs) also flashing very bright (never been this bright before). I checked the rear LED turn/tail light and they are flashing very bright & quickly.
I then turn on the tail/parking lights and check the rear LEDS. Tail light on and flashers working bright & quickly.
The side lights(while it is a 1157 light and has a 1157 bulb in it, has never had parking lights ,only the turn light)are flashing very brightly & quickly.
Checked the front lights and they are on, but unable to tell if they are flashing.
My next step will be to try LEDS in the side turn lights and see what happens. I found out one thing about the LEDS I put in front, I will have to replace them with amber. I used clear LEDS and when they flash the lights show through the amber lenses as clear.
I think at this stage of trying to find a solution I am more comfortable with the rear lights of the Barth working correctly. At least for the front I have the two side lights working as turn signals.
If this keeps up maybe I can find out why the front side lights don't work as parking lights.
Glad to see you have yours working correctly, any thoughts or suggestions from you?

I think there's a relay I haven't yet discovered, probably associated with the brake lights.

When I hit the brakes with the lights on, the rear boundary lights go out. With the hazard flashers on, all the boundary lights flash, but alternate with the brake lights and parking lights.

I just went outside and tried the right and then the left turn signals with the taillights on.
I wanted to do this in the dark.
All seemed to work fine except for the front turn signals.
I then turned off the taillights and tried the left and the right turn signals, I found when I checked the rear turn signals I could see a very dim glow in three of the LEDS (in the shape of a triangle) in the bottom lights which are the brake lights.
Somehow there is a feed back or like you said, maybe I have to put an extra 1157 socket in the back? I don't know yet until I try all LEDS in all the lights.
Each step ,in trying to correct this, seems to cause another oddity.

My issue seems to have been the converse of yours. Lights on without the ballast 1157, all the taillights were bright with or without the brake engaged. The turn signals worked. but only by flashing the correct taillight, which did go to dim between flashes. The hazard lights worked normally. Inserting the ballast caused normal operation.

I intend to explore for a third relay somewhere in the dash tomorrow.

I don't know if this has anything to do with this problem. On our coach the lower rear clearance light is connected to turn off when brake/turn signal is on and tail lights are on. If tail lights are off it turns on with brake/ turn signal. I have not checked how this is wired. My guess is the ground for this clearance light is connected to the brake/turn light circuit.

Maybe--- When I replaced the Bendix Cruise Control I had to replace a connection from the Bendix Unit to the brake light switch located behind the driver side headlight unit. It is connected to the same switch that activates the rear brake lights. When the brake is applied it sends 12v to the Cruise Control to release the cruise. You might be getting some feedback from the cruise control that screws up the LED. They will illuminate with very little amperage. On mine the switch is air activated. Like a trailer you could install a diode to prevent feedback.

This is getting crazy..... the mystery contiues.
I decided to hook up my Jeep to the Barth and check out all my lights for the up coming trip.

I now have found there is feed back going from the taillights to the side lights and they are very dim. Turned off the light lights and it's the only way the brake lights are bright.

It is a good thing we will be driving in the daylight and I won't be needing tailights on the Jeep.

I am not going to pursue this any further until we are back as I'll have more time then.