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2022 and 2023 EUV Tail Light Mod

102K views 342 replies 76 participants last post by  MichBolt  
#1 ·
I mod my 2023 Bolt EUV LT tail light (on lift gate only), i follow somebody else post but instead of diodes i use:
" Diode Dynamics" Automotive PWM Dimmer With Bypass, i got from Amazon, its sold by pear and i use each dimmer for left and right tail lite on lift gate.
easy job if you have hands and eyes (not color blind).
You can access the wires by removing top plastic trim on lift gate.
The three wires you need to locate are: (i copy from someone post)
  • Instruction and connection for dimmer self explanatory ones you read instruction and see picture:
  • The brown/yellow stripe wire powering the 3rd brake light (connect 2 high power red wires)
  • The gray/brown stripe, right tail light
  • Purple/gray stripe, left tail light (it look to me purple/wight stripe), the are 2 the same color at big connector, choose the one opposite site from gray/brown wire.
  • Run small wire to ground nut, 1.5-2 feet.
  • Adjust tail light brightness (i dim to max).
  • Each tail light draw 350mA so total 750mA
I you you know haw to solder wires its 1-hour job.
I wish i can post more picture, but they allow 10 only.
I am happy with this set up, but you do at yours own risk.
I dont encourage anybody to make changes this is illustration purpose only.
Sorry for not professional post, doing first time.
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#11 ·
Am I following this correctly? Your system slightly dims the existing taillights when just the taillights are on, but then brings them to full brightness when the brakes are applied?
 
#32 ·
IMO GM isn't the bad boy here. They changed my battery pretty fast if you ask me. Maybe I am the lucky one... but I doubt. I also think the "fire hazard" problem targeted mainly the 2019 editions, that's why GM swapped them faster than any other years.
It's also true, they agreed to swap-repurchase the other cars, and they did a pretty good job for those who now have a 2022 EUV at a price that no owner would have think of. Even @RacerX00 is happy with what he has, even though he had to wait for months. In the end, he's the winner anyway, no matter how he presents it. As they say, it doesn't matter how, it matters the end result.
That's all I had to say about this subject.
You should probably read what this thread is actually about.

With all the tech they added to this car, I doubt very much that penny pinching is the reason for the lack of the tailgate lighting functioning as brake lights in addition to the lower lights. Even Ferrari did this afterthought lighting on one of their super expensive exotics. It was simply an oversight and this was the quickest fix.
No it's actually what they did. This isn't debated. This is why you have things like steel panels on the EUV and aluminum panels on the EV. They needed to cut costs because they were losing money (and may still be) on each Bolt EV they sold. That's not debated either, it was rumored at release and confirmed by Mary Barra herself in I believe 2019.

Whether or not the brake lights functioning like this as a result of wiring reduction, that's speculative. But I think decently guessed speculation.
 
#38 ·
@MichBolt @ARob @atc98092 Calling your attention to this heavy derail of a very useful, highly trafficked thread that should probably have clarity over time and not, whatever this was/is. I could not have been taken more out of context in my intentions. I made a joke about GM engineers being good at cost cutting down to technicalities of regulation at the expense of what some believe, our potential safety. I was not calling out anyone personally. Apologies again to both @LaughingSuperCruiser and @pkaso .
 
#41 ·
There really is no need for an apology. Your opinion is as good as my opinion. I think the word "shiv" is what prompted me to comment.

When I was making changes mandated by management to save costs (or more commonly to eliminate a schedule hit) I came to understand that there are tradeoffs. What good is the perfect product if nobody buys it because it costs too much? Especially in the technology area where advancements happen very quickly, being a year or more late on a product can have dire consequences on your ability to develop future products. Most engineers want to make the very best product they can design. The joke in R&D/Product Development is that if left up to engineers you would never ship a product. There are always improvements that can be made.

Anyhow, I agree with other posters. Let's get back to the discussion of this interesting modification to the lighting of the EUV. I am not planning on implementing it, but this type of discussion is exactly why I am on this forum.
 
#40 ·
Hey all, let's keep things respectful and get back to the original point, the mode this OP did to improve safety on rear tail lights.

While a little heated discussion is good, let's not forget to respect differing opinions. There probably isn't a right vs wrong in this, and really, who cares if, why, or how GM dropped the ball. All of this debating over hurt feelings just detracts from the solutions a few members have found. Maybe someone will commercialize it?
 
#44 ·
I did the diode mod on my 2022 EV. Guess I'll have to look into doing this on an EV since it is a little different than the EUV. Should be possible. Thanks for the info!

Edit: Ordered the PWM dimmer with bypass. I'll update with my progress and pics on an EV vs. an EUV.
Diodes ordered. We'll see how this goes....
I thought the OP said this mod was done without diodes.

I'm no electrician and not an EE, so I'm probably missing some critical knowledge. But I have to say that as much as this mod sounds useful and interesting, I cannot made heads or tails of the procedure to get it done. The other one showed a great video and step-by-step description of what to do. But that one still left out the possibility of showing more braking activity once the lights were activated (or so I have thought).

Perhaps someone will be able to do this mod and show a similar step-by-step video (and give a parts list). I'm sure I could engage a friend or two to help me make the modification. It seems like it would enhance safety without compromise.
 
#64 ·
@Raxstone Here. One of many places I can point to wiring being a thing of major concern these days.

Musk told analysts in May that the Model 3 will require just 5,000 feet of wiring.

By comparison, Musk said, Tesla's five-door liftback Model S -- launched in 2012 -- requires about 10,000 feet of wiring to operate.

But Musk gave analysts an even more startling product tidbit in the conversation: Tesla's next model -- the Model Y small crossover -- will require only 328 feet of wiring in construction, he said.


....
Vehicle electrical wiring is one of the most problematic issues of auto assembly, and wire harnesses themselves can be troublesome systems. Simplifying the distribution of electricity through a car can have an impact on how long it takes to produce a car in an assembly plant.
 
#69 ·
I intend to do some modification to the hatch tail lights on my new EUV delivered 2 weeks ago. I installed a hitch on it last week and have not yet put in a wiring harness for it. On previous cars I would just tap in the existing wiring with a simple 4 wire pigtail. Apparently this is not cool on cars set up for led's because the system is not sized for potential incandescent the trailer may have. To the point I am thinking of using the modual that comes for the trailer wiring to do both turn and stoplights on the tailgate. I would still need the DWM dimmer with bypass discribed in this discussion. The trailer hook up is "Tekonsha T-One Trailer Wiring Connector Assembly For 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV." It is a little pricy but may need it for the trailer anyway.
Tekonsha 118845 T-One Trailer Wiring Connector Assembly For 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV​
 
#73 ·
Can anyone point me to the LED strip option? I’m not opposed to this solution, but a more plug-n-play option has its appeal.
 
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#77 ·
I’ve done the 2nd third brake light fix mounted at the bottom of the inside hatch window and it took under one hour. The biggest challenge was taking off the top trim on the hatch without breaking anything. The second challenge was mounting the brake light high enough so that it was not obstructed by the hatch wiper.
 
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