2002 Lower market lights. ( the ones that look like fog lights)

[CoachCornell]

Hi.
I just replaced the bulbs on my 02 with LED bulbs.
Well they are much brighter and look great.
BUT
They don't completely go off when I turn off the car and shut off the car.
Has anyone experienced this?
If so, now what.
Thanks Lee

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[U5512]

The reason why they don't go out is because there is no resistor built in. You need to buy CANBUS ERROR FREE bult which has resistor built in and it will go out when the power is off. For the Thunderbird supplemental parking lights (look like fog light like you said), I bought and used these:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2X-RED-T10-Canbus-Error-Free-194-W5W-LED-3014-57-SMD-Car-LED-Side-Light-Bulb-12V/173379875272?hash=item285e3ef1c8:g:~ywAAOSwIetbMLNx&_sop=15&_sacat=0&_nkw=2x+CANBUS+ERROR+FREE+White+Light+T10+W5W+57smd+3014+Side+Led+Bulb+Parking+Light&_from=R40&rt=nc

If you don't want to wait a month for them to arrive from China, then you can buy from a US seller and receive them in a few days (the cost is more almost doubled but still CHEAP!!!):

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2x-CANBUS-...king+Light&_from=R40&rt=nc&_trksid=m570.l1313

 

[CoachCornell]

The reason why they don't go out is because there is no resistor built in. You need to buy CANBUS ERROR FREE bult which has resistor built in and it will go out when the power is off. For the Thunderbird supplemental parking lights (look like fog light like you said), I bought and used these:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2X-RED-T10-Canbus-Error-Free-194-W5W-LED-3014-57-SMD-Car-LED-Side-Light-Bulb-12V/173379875272?hash=item285e3ef1c8:g:~ywAAOSwIetbMLNx&_sop=15&_sacat=0&_nkw=2x+CANBUS+ERROR+FREE+White+Light+T10+W5W+57smd+3014+Side+Led+Bulb+Parking+Light&_from=R40&rt=nc

If you don't want to wait a month for them to arrive from China, then you can buy from a US seller and receive them in a few days (the cost is more almost doubled but still CHEAP!!!):

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2x-CANBUS-ERROR-FREE-White-Light-T10-W5W-57smd-3014-Side-Led-Bulb-Parking-Light/192109481952?hash=item2cba9e0fe0:g:TIcAAOSwmHdbTpud:sc:USPSFirstClass!92844!US!-1&_sacat=0&_nkw=2x+CANBUS+ERROR+FREE+White+Light+T10+W5W+57smd+3014+Side+Led+Bulb+Parking+Light&_from=R40&rt=nc&_trksid=m570.l1313

Ok thank you.
I'll order these and now I know for future purchases.

 

[JW in Dixie]

04 Bird; checked em out = This part is not compatible with 2004 Ford Thunderbird Base Convertible 2-Door 3.9L 242Cu. In. V8 GAS DOHC Naturally Aspirated.

 

[U5512]

04 Bird; checked em out = This part is not compatible with 2004 Ford Thunderbird Base Convertible 2-Door 3.9L 242Cu. In. V8 GAS DOHC Naturally Aspirated.

It said the same thing for my 2002 Thunderbird: "
This part is not compatible with 2002 Ford Thunderbird Base Convertible 2-Door 3.9L 242Cu. In. V8 GAS DOHC Naturally Aspirated."

It's a T10 type base so it will work fine for the front Thunderbird supplemental parking lights. For the record, the front supplemental parking lights use light bulb number 912.

http://www.led-nova.com/t10-194-912-921-type-bulbs.html

Love the look of it on my 2002 Thunderbird:




With LED headlights:

 

[edward301]

The circuit always has some residual voltage because of the resistive bulb out feature
and the transistor switch that controls it. A filament bulb will not glow because there
is not enough voltage or amps. However led bulbs use so little amps, and it takes so
little voltage that they will glow some, a built in resistor will absorbe this voltage and
keep the led bulb from glowing some. Doubt it will run your battery down, any more than the filament bulb did.

 

[Tboy]

The footwell courtesy lights on my 2005 T'bird won't turn off after door is closed. Solutios?

 

[Hemi Bob]

I've had aproblem with some LED bulbs staying on even when power is off. This was with the fog and marker lamps. I do have blue LEDs in the footwells and courtesy light. Only the courtesy light remains dimly lit sometimes.

 

[biddle]

I've had aproblem with some LED bulbs staying on even when power is off. This was with the fog and marker lamps. I do have blue LEDs in the footwells and courtesy light. Only the courtesy light remains dimly lit sometimes.

LED bulbs must be CANBUS ERROR FREE which has resistor built in.

 

[mfharper]

The footwell courtesy lights on my 2005 T'bird won't turn off after door is closed. Solutios?

Make sure the instrument light dimmer switch is not in the full up position. My foot well lights stay on if it is clicked all the way up. One notch down and they work normally.

 

[A Sourdough]

I just replaced the side marker lamps on my 2003, and decided to use 5 Watt equivalent LEDs rather than tungsten. Funny thing, the two front side markers stay on in very dim mode for some time after the lights are turned off. The rear markers immdeately go dark. It appears the original bulbs were getting this low power because those two bulbs were blackened inside but the rear marker bulbs were not. The original bulbs did not glow at all after shutdown, and I was concerned until reading some posts on the board about trouble shooting battery drain. It looks as though it is related to the gradual shutdown of the Front Electronic Module. Does that sound acceptable, or might it be an early indication the FEM is dying?

I'll try to attach a couple of images showing an LED at full intensity, and in the "Dim Mode". The dim picture shows that I shivered while the shutter was open. Sorry 'bout that!

 

[doug7740]

Before you go down the defective Front Electronic Module rabbit hole, other than the front side marker lamps being burned out, were you having any other issues that would make you think that you have a defective FEM? Did you try replacing the 5 watt LED equivalent bulbs that you installed with the correct 194 bulbs to see if that corrects you problem?

The reason I ask this is because according to the service manual other than verifying the concern, the next step is to perform a visual inspection of the bulbs. Since the FEM and the REM not only control the exterior lights and they also monitor the lighting system for a lamp outage function, it might be possible that the 5 watt LED equivalent bulbs are confusing the module and are causing your new problem.

I might be totally wrong, but it can’t hurt to try.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue

 

[A Sourdough]

It appears the condition is the residual power bleed down as some suggested. Several minutes after the car is shut down the LEDs go out. I did not know these might benefit from CANBUS lamps. Interesting the rear markers do not show the same condition, and it was true of the incandescent bulbs. The front ones were blackened inside but not the rears, so it appears the front bulbs received power longer than the rear ones.

 

[A Sourdough]

Say, the headlight switch appears to have a pull-out auxiliary light position but the aux. parking lights are not controlled by it. Is there a harness for real fog lights, or for driving lights up front? If so, does anyone have a picture of such lights installed on the car?

 

[Retro Bob]

There were 2 front bumper harnesses, one with the auxiliary parking lamps and one without (happened to have the one with handy) Although the lugs are on the back of the light switch for the pull-out position there are no wires attached so you would need to run the entire circuit from the switch

 

[Retro Bob]

Before you go down the defective Front Electronic Module rabbit hole, other than the front side marker lamps being burned out, were you having any other issues that would make you think that you have a defective FEM? Did you try replacing the 5 watt LED equivalent bulbs that you installed with the correct 194 bulbs to see if that corrects you problem?

The reason I ask this is because according to the service manual other than verifying the concern, the next step is to perform a visual inspection of the bulbs. Since the FEM and the REM not only control the exterior lights and they also monitor the lighting system for a lamp outage function, it might be possible that the 5 watt LED equivalent bulbs are confusing the module and are causing your new problem.

I might be totally wrong, but it can’t hurt to try.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue

View attachment 20625

View attachment 20626

The FEM and REM normally power down after 3 minutes. Mechanics often misdiagnose the FEM as the cause of a power drain because they see the amperage moving through it. If an accessory has access to non-keyed power, the FEM will provide it whether a switch was turned on OR if a defective cluster (or other accessory) is requesting power. The FEM can't tell the difference.

 

[Frankie the Fink]

Say, the headlight switch appears to have a pull-out auxiliary light position but the aux. parking lights are not controlled by it. Is there a harness for real fog lights, or for driving lights up front? If so, does anyone have a picture of such lights installed on the car?

I think that feature of the headlight switch is because its used in several other models where there may be actual fog lights.

 

[Frankie the Fink]

The FEM and REM normally power down after 3 minutes. Mechanics often misdiagnose the FEM as the cause of a power drain because they see the amperage moving through it. If an accessory has access to non-keyed power, the FEM will provide it whether a switch was turned on OR if a defective cluster (or other accessory) is requesting power. The FEM can't tell the difference.

I did not know that, on my 2002, if it sits in the garage a while, just reaching through the window and turning the headlight switch on does nothing. If I then open the door or use the remote fob, things "wake up:" and the headlights come on with the switch. I assume now this is due to the FEM....being in "sleep mode"..