[rlogan]

I know I have seen people using the U-haul tail light converter to combine turn signal and brake lights. Has anyone used the Hoppy 48845(Hopkins manufacturing) switch from Autozone. It's very simple to wire up and I have tried two switches with no success. I even had an E.E. from work test it and it simply doesn't work as expected.

It has 4 wires in(left,right,brake,tail) and 3 out(left,right,tail). The tail simply runs straight through(unswitched). I can run 12Vs through any of the three other wires and I get nothing from the two on the output side???? Any ideas....I would say bad switch, but two in a row?

What does the U-haul switch run...I guess I'll try one of those next. BTW, Does Russ's turn signal switch assembly provide integrated signal action?

 

[OhBuoy]

What is the function of the tail light converter? My wiring harness has left and right turn and tail lights. I do not have a seperate brake. I want to run the Lucas individual lights. Will the converter help me or do I already have it? Someone mentioned that I would somehow be able to get my setup so that if I were braking and turning, I would have 3 constant bright lights and 1 flashing signal.

 

[Gatorac]

I don't think the switch will work unless you have bulbs to complete the circuit. The power goes through the box then to the bulb then to ground. It kinda of steals power to make it work. It would seem odd that two in a row are bad.

I used one from K-mart. I don't remember the manufacturer.

 

[rlogan]

Jim,
It's grounded through a multimeter(to test for cutrrent) back to the powersupply. I had the first one wired into my system and it didn't work. It's impossible to screw up the wiring...I even wired the park through the switch(that's the only thing that did work).

 

[oldguy668]

Integrated turn/stop lights is a function of the turn signal switch design. Painless provides individual left and right turn and brake light wires in the event that the correct turn signal switch is available. In the event that it is not, they recommend the use of the third brake light wire to power both brake lights. Russ's switch does not provide the correct functionality for integrated lights, hence the need for the trailer converter.

Happy motoring

 

[OhBuoy]

Ah, that third brake light wire that I cut out of the harness thinking "I don't need no stinking third brake light". Looks like I will be finding and extending that one.

BTW, what is the proper configuration for the 4 light scenario. I think someone indicated tops = taillight (second element) and brakes all the time, bottoms brake/turn signal connection. Is this correct?

Tom

 

[paul burchett]

I have the Hoppy converter from Auto Zone hooked into my Mustang harness. Worked as designed from day one. Bottom bulbs are alway brake. Tops are brake or turn. All are parking lights. Requires an emergency hazard flasher (not current dependent) in place of the normal Mustang turn signal flasher ($3).

 

[rlogan]

Originally posted by PAB:
I have the Hoppy converter from Auto Zone hooked into my Mustang harness. Worked as designed from day one. Bottom bulbs are alway brake. Tops are brake or turn. All are parking lights. Requires an emergency hazard flasher (not current dependent) in place of the normal Mustang turn signal flasher ($3).

Did it flash too fast with the stock flasher...or was there some other problem? I guess I will try it again...

 

[paul burchett]

The turn signals by themselves worked fine. The problem arose when the turn signals and the brake lights were activated at the same time. The brake pedal is depressed. The brake lights are illuminated. The turn signal is then also turned on. When the converter senses voltage at the turn signal input, the converter turns the power that was flowing out to the brake light off. Due to this design, when the brake and turn signal are both on, the front and rear turn signal lights blink out of phase with each other; when the front is lit the rear is off and vice versa. With only one bulb lit at any one time the current draw is not enough to operate the standard Mustang turn signal flasher. I hope that explaination makes some sense. I used two diodes at my turn signal indicator light instead of using the FFR suppied flasher set-up. So I don't know if the FFR flasher works with the converter.

 

[rlogan]

Makes sense....thanks for the info Paul!

 

[BigDee]

I used the Hoppy Power Converter part# is 47255 or something like that but I know the last three digits are right! It gives me 4-brakelights and both lights on the same side are turnsignals. At first I bought the converter for independent turn signals to dual purpose turnsignal/brakelights. It wasn't enough to pull the 4-ways on though! I called Hoppy about the problem and they recommended the power converter. Everything works great!

 

[JerryH]

Same exact thing as Darrell. 4 brakes or 2 Brakes/ 2 Turns. Front turns would work but not the rears with a standard converter. Powered converter fixed everything.