Hey everyone,

I've been running the pulsar kit from gominigo.com for years now without problems, but somehow my 3rd brake light stopped working recently. I got a multimeter out and the wires coming from the car seem dead. There isn't a short between them, but I don't get any voltage either. Anyone know if there's a fuse for that circuit? Also, I tested the LEDs and the pulsar and they're both working well...

Not sure what happened, but I really hope there's a fuse for it. Thanks guys!

 

Fuse list is a sticky just a few threads up from you r check it out.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...not-fuses.html

 

Yup, didn't help... Nothing about signal/brake lights are listed.

 

You probably have a loose connection at a connector somewhere. I would check the WDS (wiring diagram system) to find all the possible locations of connectors.

Online WDS can be found here http://www.bmw-planet.com/diagrams/r.../r56/index.htm

But what I can tell you after looking at the diagrams there is only three connections that could be bad.

The connector at the Foot well Module (located in driver footwell side panel.) Pin 40 is the one you need to measure, just make sure when you measure it you do have a good ground point for the other end of the meter.

The connector at the light itself

or the connection at ground for that light which is also the ground point for the right tail light.

If none of those are bad then you may have a broken wire.

 

I'll measure the connector once I get out to the lab, but I don't think that's it. I think it might be a fried wire somewhere in the harness. That, or I killed the DIO somehow... The connector at the light and the ground connection both seemed okay. I'll let you know.

It's interesting that something like this may have happened...

 

Just as an FYI: The third brake light is a separate output from the FRM module and can be individually activated in DIS (as is every other exterior light on the car) for diagnostic. So it is possible you damaged the module. In that case I would probably disconnect the original signal from the FRM and hardwire a jumper from one of the other brake lights.

 

I'm thinking water got into the pulsar module and damaged it. All of my testing points to that having happened. I'm thinking it might be a good idea to have people running pulsars use an in-line 1A fuse or something in order to protect their module.

I'm going to have to remove the module and just hard wire it to one of the other brake lights like what strobeyprobey has recommended. Does anyone know if there is a wire that goes to one of the brake lights that functions as an on/off signal, rather than a dim/bright signal?

Thanks everyone!

 

The left or right tailights use dual filament bulbs for the running & brake lights meaning there is a separate 12V brake signal, so the easiest place would be to tap in at or near the bulb at one of the taillights.

 

You wouldn't happen to know which color wire is the brake signal, would you?

 

Looks like the color is GR/VI. Gray/Violet. Pin #3 at X319 at the left tailight:



Better test it with a multimeter to make sure.

 

Also, this version of the WDS works a lot better than the BMW Planet link. The links to connector location and the diagrams of the connectors actually work.

http://www.mcaw.info/wds/mini/us/r56/index.htm

 

Well, I looked into it and it turns out that my I/O is dead... I think everyone should put in a 1 A fuse in line to be safe...

 

I hope you have not connected to the other brake light yet.

I think (not sure) the blinker module is only strong enough for LEDs.

So connecting it to other stuff might ruin it.

 

That's correct, the module can only power LEDs, but I haven't done much else. The LEDs have current limiting resistors, so that's safe.