Just installed HIDs, but now the BRAKE action turns off interior lights?

[machx]

Ok, so I finally got all my HIDs in my car.

HID on Fogs with a harness
HID on Hi-Beams with harness
HID on Low-Beams with harness and capacitor to enable DRL

Now, this ALL works fine. No issues...

The issue now is that when I press my brake pedal here is what happens:

When lights are on or on on Auto - The cluster guage and interior red lights turn off
When lights are OFF - Nothing happens
When brake is pressed, the brightness is not noticable from my taillights
When car is off, without key in the ignition, lights are on off position and door open. When I press the brake pedal the cars makes the "dingy" noise as if you have forgotten to turn your lights off...
If I put my car in the garage in the dark so the AUTO puts the lights on, it seems to do nothing and work fine, but the brake lights are still very dim when pedal is pressed.

I noticed it driving home in the daylight with AUTO activated. Cluster guage where the red lights are on for the tach and speedometer turn off completly when ever I slowed down for stoplights and used the brake.

So essentially... pressing my brake pedal is engaging a signal to turn something on and it's not my brake lights. It's almost like pressing the brake engages something that would be switched on or off from my lighting control arm.

Any ideas?

I'm at work now, but when I get home going to try pulling the fuses one by one for fogs, highs and lows to see if that stops the problem and maybe isolate the issue.

Just looking for suggestions now...

I had all the install done by a local guy who deals HIDs and installs them, but of course he claims he did nothing wrong or touched anything and the headlights work so that's all he was supposed to do. He's throwing stuff around like it's my lighting control is messed up, or to take it to the dealer for a computer test.

Any help would be awesome! I can't be driving around at night time without brake lights lol! :bang

Thanks, you've all so far been a great help with a newbie Mazda owner! :D

[JaYson]

that is indeed very weird

edit: i was going to say that maybe its because you've got 3 sets of HIDs that its soaking up too much of the power...and when you try to engage the brake lights that just pushes it over the edge and you're losing even more power thus making everything half lit.

but.....i dont know if that really is a factor b/c the Hi-beams aren't on anyways (so it shoudlnt be using too much power) and normal power is being used through the fogs and low-beams...

soo...that's basically why all i had to say was "that is indeed very weird"

[machx]

Could it be a ground issue? I think it's just a bad ground... I had a car back in high school that when you hit the brake the dome light woudl come on lol, turned out it was just a bad ground.

Ground is just bad resistance so maybe that's why the lights are dim as well.

Only other thing I can think of is maybe the capacitor was wired in reverse, but then it wouldn't work and my DRL would flicker, which they don't.

What's the best way to test for bad grounds?

[machx]

Also, how did you edit your post? I looked everywhere but couldn't find the edit feature?

[Default User]

Need 100 posts to be able to edit

I think you're running too many harnesses.

The only harness and cap you need is for the Low-beam/DRL's
Everything else should be plug and play

[machx]

Hmmm, I was under the impression that harneses is a good thing, even if plug in play?

[JaYson]

with any luck, someone like mcguyver will chime in here and have an answer for you....i...have no idea... i've got HID lows and LED fogs...

[machx]

Ok, I fixed it! What I neglected to mention in my initial post was that I also replaced the front/left turn signals at the same time. Which apparently messed up my multifunction light control or something. Where my turns, signals, brake etc are all located. Put back the OEM factory bulbs, and it works! :)

Now, off to start a thread about why the LED replacements didn't work! :(

[JaYson]

one step at a time lol

[JaYson]

I'd like to see some pics of your turn signal LEDs

[Strongjag]

He took them out

[JaYson]

i guess that means, he never solved the LED problem.

[machx]

I'd like to see some pics of your turn signal LEDs

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?54566-Front-Turn-Signal-LED-Replacement&highlight=

Just waiting on this other pair I ordered, hopefully they are the ones I need. Prob won't get them for a few weeks, and I'm leaving for Europe for 4 weeks this weekend.

So it's all gotta wait till I get back!

[McGuyver_3]

you need what are called switcher bulbs
http://cgi.ebay.ca/1157-2357-7528-Switchback-LED-Turn-Signal-Light-Bulbs-/380334047213?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item588dacffed

you will also need this to cancel out the hyper flash because the resistances will be different
http://cgi.ebay.ca/4-PC-LED-Bulbs-Load-Resistor-Turn-Signal-Fix-6-ohm-50W-/200583041737?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2eb3ae52c9