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On my car:
Side Markers (which don't flash): LED
Front DRL/Turn Signals: LED
CHMSL: LED
Tail Parking Lamps: LED
Tail Stop/Turn Lamps: 2 LED, 2 Incandescent
(Gives an almost sequential look to the brake lights although I will eventually swap out the two remaining bulbs to be LED)
Which flasher are you using? Interesting setup with the tail lights too. And what's CHMSL?
CHMSL = Center High Mounted Stop Lamp (the third brake light).
I remember the first time I wrote "CHMSL out. Rec replace." on a work order at our shop. The service manager asked me what that was. When I explained it, he told me not to "make stuff up."
I was testing out different LED bulbs and didn't have enough of the ones I ended up liking. So two stayed incandescent. I'll post a video of it soon. The quasi-sequential effect wasn't intentional but I'm tempted to leave it. However, there are some new styles out now that I may try.
Originally Posted by Joeyofblades
And what's CHMSL?
Center High Mount Stop Lamp
It's the official name for the "third brake light".
Alright guys, just wanted to give an update. I used the "Keep It Clean FF552NLF No Load Fixed Flasher" that VIP1 posted in the post above this one, and it works. LED taillights, LED switchback front DRLs in my 1998 trans am and turn signals work beautifully. Thanks for your help everyone.
Quick question....when you complete the override and the DRLs are white even in run mode, will the switchbacks still turn amber/white when using the turn signal or will it just be blinking white/off/white?
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
There are two separate circuits to the front lamps. One is the parking lights (normally dim amber) which are on with the headlights. The other is the DRL and turn signals (normally bright amber). With switchback bulbs and no wiring modification, your parking lights will be bright white and your DRLs and turn signals will be bright amber.
The modification mentioned above (connect the parking light circuit to an ignition switched source and bypass the DRL module) will give you bright white parking lights and DRLs and bright amber turn signals. Whether the turn signals flash amber-off-amber or amber-white-amber depends on the type of switchback bulbs you get.
Now is this with putting switchback bulbs only in the turn signal or trying to put them in the parking light too I am just trying to find how to make the parking light always white and the turn signal switchback white when running just like parking light but when turn signal on they switch to amber for turn signal, Thanks!
Ummm... the turn signals, DRLs, and parking lights are all the same bulb. It's one bulb with two filaments in it.
What you are looking for can't be done without rewiring as described earlier.
I think I get it now but on the 93-02 Camaros it uses a 194 bulb for parking light and a separate one for the turn signal you guys were talking for the trans-am but is the drl harness behind the radio all the same for the camaro and trans-am
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
Not exactly... the 194 bulbs are in your side marker lights. They do not flash and are incapable of being switchback or changing color - they go on along with the parking lights and will always be amber in the front and red in the back (required by law since 1968).
The front parking/running lights are the forward facing amber lights which serve as parking lights, turn signals, and daytime running lights. Each of those is a single bulb with two filaments - a dim filament for the parking/running lights and a bright filament for the turn signals and DRLs. On f-bodies, the dim (parking) filament is used only when the headlights are on.
Switchback bulbs are designed to replace the dim filament with white LEDs and the bright filament with amber LEDs. Most people want to use switchbacks to make their DRLs white while retaining amber turn signals but this is not possible without rewiring because the factory configuration has the signals and DRLs sharing the same circuit.
If all you want is to have white parking/running lights but keep the DRLs and turn signals amber then switchback bulbs will do the job. But I'm sure you will be disappointed with the look because the only time they will be white is when you have your headlights on.
It can be done. Basically, you will wire the parking light circuit (the brown wire) to an ignition-switched source to have the white light on. This will work because the internal circuitry of the switchback has the amber (turn signal) circuit override the parking (white) circuit when both are active. But it means that you will have to bypass the factory DRL module because otherwise it will still be powering the amber circuit most of the time. You do that by disconnecting the four blue wires at the DRL module (light blue, light blue with white, dark blue and dark blue with white) and connecting the matching blue wires together - light blue to light blue with white and dark blue to dark blue with white. That will bypass the DRL module but still leave the front turn signals working.
Alright so doing this modification to the wiring will keep the other parking light the same well white when i change the bulb and inner should be white at all times with headlights on or off and amber turn signal with switchback also will this mess with the auto headlights
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
If by "other parking light" you mean the side marker light then yes, you can change the bulb to whatever color you want and it will never flash or change color. It didn't from the factory and merely changing the bulb won't change that. It will, however, be illegal unless it's amber. It's up to you if you want to take the risk of getting pulled over or perhaps having another violation tacked on to some other ticket... it's your time and money. I've seen lots of young people get pulled over on flimsy excuses so it's usually best not to tempt them with essentially meaningless modifications.
The front parking/running lights, after making the wiring changes described, will run the dim filament at all times when the turn signal is not in use. That would be the white LEDs on a switchback bulb. The bright filament will no longer be connected to the factory DRL circuit (the modification substitutes an ignition controlled power source to simulate DRLs on the parking/running light circuit) so only the turn signals will be amber.
If by "other parking light" you mean the side marker light then yes, you can change the bulb to whatever color you want and it will never flash or change color. It didn't from the factory and merely changing the bulb won't change that. It will, however, be illegal unless it's amber. It's up to you if you want to take the risk of getting pulled over or perhaps having another violation tacked on to some other ticket... it's your time and money. I've seen lots of young people get pulled over on flimsy excuses so it's usually best not to tempt them with essentially meaningless modifications.
The front parking/running lights, after making the wiring changes described, will run the dim filament at all times when the turn signal is not in use. That would be the white LEDs on a switchback bulb. The bright filament will no longer be connected to the factory DRL circuit (the modification substitutes an ignition controlled power source to simulate DRLs on the parking/running light circuit) so only the turn signals will be amber.
New member long time owner of a 2001 Pontiac Trans Am with 12,000 miles. I just put LED switchback blinker lights in the front that I am baffled with. First, I have not replaced the flasher yet with the no load flasher so my lights do not blink.
My current delima is when I turn my parking lights on the lights come on as white as it should. As soon as I turn the ignition on to activate the DRL function and parking lights off the lights come on as amber as it should. When I lower the parking brake so that the DRL is activated with the lights in the off position the lights are still amber. Now with the ignition on and the parking brake off so that the DRL is activated and I turn on the parking lights the lights remain amber. Anybody know why this is happening? Any help would be appreciated, thank you!
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
When you turn on the headlights they will go back to white. The parking light option on the switch (the P position) continues to use the bright filament (the amber LEDs on a switchback bulb)... only when the headlights are fully on will the dim filament (the white LEDs on a switchback) be in use.
On my 76 Trans Am I got lucky with the flasher and just purchased a new flasher and it ended up working with those switchback LEDs. I hope I can do the same with the 01 and just purchase a new flasher at my local auto parts store and have it work.
Hey so yesterday night I finished putting in my new front turn signals with switchback leds cut the 4 drl module wires and put dark blue with dark blue with white, light blue and light blue with light I also wired the passenger brown wire coming off the light to my fuse box under the hood used an add a fuse with a 10 amp and used the one of the trans am’s headlight fuses that were not in use for the camaro car works fine at night but during the day I must turn my headlights on or the turn signal lights won’t light up white and I get this on the dash it’s just solid green lights for turn signals they are not on outside but just the 2 solid blinker lights
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