You have no idea what you gave to me in making this video! Confidence that I can do some things myself. As a woman brought up to depend on men for fixing things and so having NO knowledge of cars and how they work, your video just helped me to yell out with joy as I followed your easy instructions, tested it and it works! Thank you❤️
Amy, thank you! It's for people like you that I make these videos. I am so happy to hear that this video helped you out and you were able to get this done yourself! This feedback means so much to me, and I am so happy for you.
Thank you for the quick response. I have both the CK and regular bulbs. For the fronts, I will first try with out the resistors and each bulb type. If I get hyperflash, then I will add the resistors and each bulb type. My trailblazer is a 2002. When I looked at the bulbs from the rear light assemblies, there were multiple 3157 types used. Much appreciated. Keep up the great work.
Thanks.I have an 07 trailblazer and switch my lights to LEDs and had hyper flash.Imwatched your video and purchase resistors and now they work great.Thanks for making a problem,easy to fix.Really appreciate it and will subscribe to your channel.Thanks again.
You forgot to mention that the resistors must be screwed on to the metal inside of the tail light pocket in order to dissipate the heat that the resistors have. The way you installed them in the video they will likely melt the plastic or the wiring
I didn't forget, technically. I am well aware that they should be screwed in, but that is not to dissipate heat. It is recommended to be mounted for the second point you mentioned, to prevent melting of plastic or wiring. I used to mount them, but then ran tests and found that while they do get warm, under normal use, they never got warm enough to do damage, even when testing for things like waiting in a long turn lane. Good quality ones dissipate heat well enough and as long as they are left 'air-cooled'(ie hanging), then it is fine. I have done a half dozen at least and the first dozen or so I mounted, the rest I did not. Checked and tested, and they were fine. Hence why it is not done in my video...my own bad habit, I guess. Now, that said, you are 100% correct that it should be mounted if possible for professionalism and to prevent accidental damage. It is a good point and although I know the ones I installed will be fine, it is definitely something that I should have mentioned. A good reminder for future videos!
You can replace your flasher relay with the LM487 flasher relay from Napa. Like he said they do the same thing as the load resistors. But it can cost anywhere from $50 to $75 .
Awesome, thanks for confirming the flasher relay number and average costs. It's a great alternative for those who want to pursue it. Thanks for posting
Recently I purchased a used 2008 Chevy Trailblazer and I had not made my first monthly payment and some one already hit me at the parking lot of my Mall in my city. Broke the driver side light assembly but the lights work, and pushed the bumper in, other wise nothing more. Thanks for the video, it will help me out, your other video for replacing the License plate light was easier then I thought it would have been as well.
Oh damn, not a good start to the car. That does suck. Glad to hear the video helped out though. They are pretty good cars...solid overall. Thanks for watching!
Kind of a stupid question but how come you put the resistor in when you did the brake light on the right rear it didn't look like you had hyper flash or is that just because you didn't do the front yet?
I cannot find a 3157CK bulb anywhere, is there a different bulb for it I could use? Also, if I just use the standard bulbs, not the LED, do I need the resistor?
If you're not using LEDs, then you should be able to use standard 3157 bulbs (if I remember correctly). Also, if you're not using LED, no need to use the resistors. You'll be all good
First, just to be sure, make sure to check the right fuse. Many TB and Envoy owners will check the underhood fuse, but there is one under the fuse box, #32, labelled TBC5. This is a very common failure for TBs and Envoys. Now, if that is good, there is not many other things to go wrong if both lights are out. I would check the wiring in the car leading to the rear reverse lights, as it could have become burnt or damaged. Other than that, I don't think there is much else other than the BCM. There could be an issue where the car is not sending the BCM the signal that the car is put in reverse, but you would get other errors inside the car as well. So if everything else works, but the reverse are the only ones out, then I would check fuse/wiring/bcm.
My parking lights don’t work, but everything else does including brake lights, turn signal and reverse lights. I never put in the resistor because I don’t mind the hyper flash in the turn signal for now. Could that be the problem for only the rear parking lights? I used brand new Sylvania Zevo 3157R LEDs, my truck is a 2003 Oldsmobile Bravada. Btw, the reverse lights are still incandescent bulbs. Prior to using the Sylvania, I tried using cheaper made in China Canbus T10 LEDs bulbs but they kept causing the brake light fuse to blow. 😩
Hmm, that is an interesting one. So to make sure, the reverse lights are still the regular incandescent bulb, the brake lights are the same? And the turn signal/rear taillight/parking light is the LED, is that right? And with this set up, the turn signal works, and the rear parking does not? Is that also right? The lack of resistors should have no bearing on the parking light, generally speaking. I have run other cars without the resistors just fine. But These cars, as you know, have that one rear light connector bar, and it may be possible that because it is technically all one connector, it could be affecting it? I would not be surprised, but then that would be fairly unique to these cars, and I have seen others work just fine without the resistors.
5:58 do you know what that part is called and if I can buy a replacement for it? The inner purple/pink part female ports is burned and is causing my turn signal and brake lights to not work.
It's called a 'turn signal connector'. You can buy the connector on its own and cut and splice in the new one. Rockauto.com has them, along with most local parts stores.
@@lingbingchill I looked around in both TH-cam and Google and unfortunately did not find any details on how to change the plug directly. Sorry I could not help further on getting those details.
@@NexusAuto Thank you for trying! Looks like I'll have to head in to the mechanic and get it fixed. I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to help me
Thank you for putting this together. I recently replaced my rear bulbs to LED and did not know about the 3157CK bulb requirement and the need for a resistor. I would assume picking the correct resistor is important. Would have been nice if you gave the details on the resistor you used. From your video, it appears to be a 50W6RJ. I am also looking to replace my front turn signals with LEDs. Are 3157 CK bulbs required and the same procedure for adding resistors to each side? Thank you
No problem at all! Glad the video is helpful. Sorry that I neglected to mention the resistor, an oversight, but you are absolutely correct on the resistor type. As for the front, I've heard some years have a 3157 CK, and some MYs did not. The one in this video is a 2007 and I used regular 3157 bulbs. I would advise checking in with a dealer or educated shop with your MY and double checking if you need the 3157 CK bulbs. If I remember hearing correctly, only the first few MYs trailblazers had the CK bulbs, and it was changed after, but don't quote me on that. Hope that helps a bit
To be absolutely honest, I never checked, so I am not 100% sure. However, the resistor's only function is to regulate the turn signal flash. So I don't see why you can't just hook up the reverse lights...it should work, since they do not blink.
I have a 2008 Saab 97X and the set up for the back lights is completely different than this...I am confused because when I pulled it out...the tail light is completely different from the other two...it does not jus click in and out...it does not come out..looks like I have to play with wiring jus to change that one bulb....why would they design it like this?? 🙃
Fun fact...whenever Saab got a model to use as the base for their cars, they would deliberately change everything around as much as possible to differentiate their cars from the counterparts. They used to burn through a lot of money, some of it worth it, some not (like this change lol). I checked as I was curious and it is different, but it looks like you have to twist the sockets to take them out? That looks to be the process for the 9-7x. such a weird change..why bother?
You do need separate resistors for the front and rear. As mentioned in the video, there is also resistor flashers you can buy. But I opted for the wired resistor instead. The trailblazer in this demo is a 2007
@@1964rmcc damn that sucks. I know the feeling. I have popped fuses accidentally too. And the use of this other bulb doesnt make sense to me, from an electrical perspective. Not sure why GM didn't just use the same bulb across entire housing. Either way, at least you have a project for the summer. Thanks again for watching!
Unfortunately, this is a loaded question. It can be anything from bad wiring, bad bulb harness, PCM issue, poor quality fuse, bad switch, etc. one of the most common issues though, is that bulb harness. As you can see in the video, all the bulbs fit into one rear harness, and if there is damage or corrosion inside, it can cause all the bulbs to fail or burn out fuses. You may need to get some electrical testing done.
To be honest, I don't remember at this time. It's a small one. Worth noting to check your set up. The more common screw head is Phillips, only some models came with Torx
Did you know that you don't need to the resistors? There was some of the Trailblazer based SUVs have a newer relay that does not need resistors. If you do not have the new relay, you can get the newer relay and install it.
Hello @advcomp2019. Thanks for the great tip and posting in the comments. I am aware of the newer relay, in fact, I make mention of it at the end of this video (around the 10:00 mark). But it is very helpful and a great alternative to using the resistors. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Yea, I did not hear that. It was about the time that I took off my headset for a few seconds to reply to someone in person. I was just trying to find a better bulb for my GMC Envoy since these CK socket bulbs are hard to find. That is how I know about the newer relay.
@@advcomp2019 Oh no problem at all, I dont mind you mentioning it. I only really mentioned it after the work is done, and in passing. Someone in the car community may watch the video, see the comment, and it may help them choose whichever works best for them.
@@advcomp2019 i have a 2005 trailblazer ext ls 4.2 ... i wanna upgrade my front turn signal bulbs to led... maybe switchbacks or just leds but i seen you mention about a relay can u please explain
Good question. Switchback is different. Switchback just means the LED can switch from white to amber color. CK bulbs ground differently to the standard 3157 bulbs, so they don't work the same.
If I remember correctly, it is the light green wire at the reverse light socket. If you have a voltmeter, it would be a good idea to double check and test voltage at the wire with reverse on.
My grandson has been pulled over twice. the officer told him he was going to take him to jail if you pulled him over again, and he's already replaced them twice, we need to fix this permanently instead of just changing bulbs, that keep burning out it gets expensive
That's not good at all. If your grandson has bulbs constantly burning out, then there is an electrical issue for sure...that shouldn't happen. Is this just regular bulbs, or LED bulbs?
There is lots of choices. Here's one, but like I said, lots to choose from out there www.amazon.com/4PCS-ARTR-6ohm-Load-Resistors/dp/B00UNG3EXQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=led+turn+signal+resistor&qid=1558841420&s=gateway&sprefix=led+turn+s&sr=8-3
You have no idea what you gave to me in making this video! Confidence that I can do some things myself. As a woman brought up to depend on men for fixing things and so having NO knowledge of cars and how they work, your video just helped me to yell out with joy as I followed your easy instructions, tested it and it works! Thank you❤️
Amy, thank you! It's for people like you that I make these videos. I am so happy to hear that this video helped you out and you were able to get this done yourself! This feedback means so much to me, and I am so happy for you.
@@NexusAuto thank you! Keep up the great work you do❤️
Thank you for the quick response. I have both the CK and regular bulbs. For the fronts, I will first try with out the resistors and each bulb type. If I get hyperflash, then I will add the resistors and each bulb type. My trailblazer is a 2002. When I looked at the bulbs from the rear light assemblies, there were multiple 3157 types used. Much appreciated. Keep up the great work.
Thanks a lot! Appreciate it. Good luck on the bulb upgrades!
Thanks.I have an 07 trailblazer and switch my lights to LEDs and had hyper flash.Imwatched your video and purchase resistors and now they work great.Thanks for making a problem,easy to fix.Really appreciate it and will subscribe to your channel.Thanks again.
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to comment and for the sub... appreciate it! And glad the video was helpful!
Thanks for the. Video it was good
No problem! Happy to hear it helps out.
For you
You are my hero, the only video specific for my trlblzr
Hey, I appreciate that feedback, awesome! Glad the video was helpful. Thanks for watching!
yea right lol every single one out there is trailblazer if you have literally ANY other of the twins you dont have shit
Thanks, your video was very informative and helped a lot.
No problem, glad it helped out. Thanks for watching.
See you soon.
You forgot to mention that the resistors must be screwed on to the metal inside of the tail light pocket in order to dissipate the heat that the resistors have. The way you installed them in the video they will likely melt the plastic or the wiring
I didn't forget, technically. I am well aware that they should be screwed in, but that is not to dissipate heat. It is recommended to be mounted for the second point you mentioned, to prevent melting of plastic or wiring. I used to mount them, but then ran tests and found that while they do get warm, under normal use, they never got warm enough to do damage, even when testing for things like waiting in a long turn lane. Good quality ones dissipate heat well enough and as long as they are left 'air-cooled'(ie hanging), then it is fine. I have done a half dozen at least and the first dozen or so I mounted, the rest I did not. Checked and tested, and they were fine. Hence why it is not done in my video...my own bad habit, I guess.
Now, that said, you are 100% correct that it should be mounted if possible for professionalism and to prevent accidental damage. It is a good point and although I know the ones I installed will be fine, it is definitely something that I should have mentioned. A good reminder for future videos!
And mine.
You can replace your flasher relay with the LM487 flasher relay from Napa. Like he said they do the same thing as the load resistors. But it can cost anywhere from $50 to $75 .
Awesome, thanks for confirming the flasher relay number and average costs. It's a great alternative for those who want to pursue it. Thanks for posting
Thank you so much for this video and putting a link up for the resistors
No problem at all. Glad to hear all the info helped out.
For you
Recently I purchased a used 2008 Chevy Trailblazer and I had not made my first monthly payment and some one already hit me at the parking lot of my Mall in my city. Broke the driver side light assembly but the lights work, and pushed the bumper in, other wise nothing more. Thanks for the video, it will help me out, your other video for replacing the License plate light was easier then I thought it would have been as well.
Oh damn, not a good start to the car. That does suck. Glad to hear the video helped out though. They are pretty good cars...solid overall. Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much. I will get those ck bulbs.
Awesome news. Glad the video was helpful
Do you have a video on the dim and bright lights coming on together I have a 2003 trailblazer ls?
Unfortunately, I do not. Is that something you have happening to your TB now, or do you want to mod it to allow both to run at the same time?
Kind of a stupid question but how come you put the resistor in when you did the brake light on the right rear it didn't look like you had hyper flash or is that just because you didn't do the front yet?
Are you talking about at 4:36 in the video?
I cannot find a 3157CK bulb anywhere, is there a different bulb for it I could use? Also, if I just use the standard bulbs, not the LED, do I need the resistor?
If you're not using LEDs, then you should be able to use standard 3157 bulbs (if I remember correctly). Also, if you're not using LED, no need to use the resistors. You'll be all good
Good job
Thank you!
Nice video! I have an Envoy XUV with no reverse lights. so I start at the fuse, then where do I check next? any help is appropriated
First, just to be sure, make sure to check the right fuse. Many TB and Envoy owners will check the underhood fuse, but there is one under the fuse box, #32, labelled TBC5. This is a very common failure for TBs and Envoys.
Now, if that is good, there is not many other things to go wrong if both lights are out. I would check the wiring in the car leading to the rear reverse lights, as it could have become burnt or damaged. Other than that, I don't think there is much else other than the BCM. There could be an issue where the car is not sending the BCM the signal that the car is put in reverse, but you would get other errors inside the car as well. So if everything else works, but the reverse are the only ones out, then I would check fuse/wiring/bcm.
My parking lights don’t work, but everything else does including brake lights, turn signal and reverse lights.
I never put in the resistor because I don’t mind the hyper flash in the turn signal for now.
Could that be the problem for only the rear parking lights?
I used brand new Sylvania Zevo 3157R LEDs, my truck is a 2003 Oldsmobile Bravada.
Btw, the reverse lights are still incandescent bulbs.
Prior to using the Sylvania, I tried using cheaper made in China Canbus T10 LEDs bulbs but they kept causing the brake light fuse to blow. 😩
Hmm, that is an interesting one. So to make sure, the reverse lights are still the regular incandescent bulb, the brake lights are the same? And the turn signal/rear taillight/parking light is the LED, is that right? And with this set up, the turn signal works, and the rear parking does not? Is that also right?
The lack of resistors should have no bearing on the parking light, generally speaking. I have run other cars without the resistors just fine.
But
These cars, as you know, have that one rear light connector bar, and it may be possible that because it is technically all one connector, it could be affecting it? I would not be surprised, but then that would be fairly unique to these cars, and I have seen others work just fine without the resistors.
5:58 do you know what that part is called and if I can buy a replacement for it? The inner purple/pink part female ports is burned and is causing my turn signal and brake lights to not work.
It's called a 'turn signal connector'. You can buy the connector on its own and cut and splice in the new one. Rockauto.com has them, along with most local parts stores.
@@NexusAuto thank you! Do you know of any videos that demonstrate this?
@@lingbingchill I looked around in both TH-cam and Google and unfortunately did not find any details on how to change the plug directly. Sorry I could not help further on getting those details.
@@NexusAuto Thank you for trying! Looks like I'll have to head in to the mechanic and get it fixed. I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to help me
Thank you for putting this together. I recently replaced my rear bulbs to LED and did not know about the 3157CK bulb requirement and the need for a resistor. I would assume picking the correct resistor is important. Would have been nice if you gave the details on the resistor you used. From your video, it appears to be a 50W6RJ. I am also looking to replace my front turn signals with LEDs. Are 3157 CK bulbs required and the same procedure for adding resistors to each side? Thank you
No problem at all! Glad the video is helpful. Sorry that I neglected to mention the resistor, an oversight, but you are absolutely correct on the resistor type. As for the front, I've heard some years have a 3157 CK, and some MYs did not. The one in this video is a 2007 and I used regular 3157 bulbs. I would advise checking in with a dealer or educated shop with your MY and double checking if you need the 3157 CK bulbs. If I remember hearing correctly, only the first few MYs trailblazers had the CK bulbs, and it was changed after, but don't quote me on that. Hope that helps a bit
Chevy trailblazer 07 I just want to put led on my reverse, could I just swap to led without doing the extra wire thing you did ?
To be absolutely honest, I never checked, so I am not 100% sure. However, the resistor's only function is to regulate the turn signal flash. So I don't see why you can't just hook up the reverse lights...it should work, since they do not blink.
Thanks for replying I take it you meant yes just swap to led's
@@CinematicTouchProductions For just the reverse lights only, for sure.
Would you know which of the wire is for reverse?
green
I have a 2008 Saab 97X and the set up for the back lights is completely different than this...I am confused because when I pulled it out...the tail light is completely different from the other two...it does not jus click in and out...it does not come out..looks like I have to play with wiring jus to change that one bulb....why would they design it like this?? 🙃
Fun fact...whenever Saab got a model to use as the base for their cars, they would deliberately change everything around as much as possible to differentiate their cars from the counterparts. They used to burn through a lot of money, some of it worth it, some not (like this change lol). I checked as I was curious and it is different, but it looks like you have to twist the sockets to take them out? That looks to be the process for the 9-7x. such a weird change..why bother?
Tail light is out...thank you for responding....helped me a bunch...gratitude 🙏🏼
Question - are resistors only needed for only the turn signals, or would I need to use them on the brake and reverse as well?
The resistors are only needed for the turn signals, luckily. No other LED light that you can install in the car will need them.
What year is this Trailblazer in this demo
Do i have to put resistors on front and back when switching to LEDs turn signals or will one regulate the other
You do need separate resistors for the front and rear. As mentioned in the video, there is also resistor flashers you can buy. But I opted for the wired resistor instead. The trailblazer in this demo is a 2007
Thanks this was great I just wish you would have shown the other bulb that is needed so as to not blow a fuse thanks
Very true. Unfortunately, I did not have the bulb at the time. Make sure to get the right one, as the others will blow the fuse for sure.
@@NexusAuto Thanks yhye already happened so I have up for now I'll stat that project again this summer Lol Thanks again!
@@1964rmcc damn that sucks. I know the feeling. I have popped fuses accidentally too. And the use of this other bulb doesnt make sense to me, from an electrical perspective. Not sure why GM didn't just use the same bulb across entire housing. Either way, at least you have a project for the summer. Thanks again for watching!
Hey man. So what 3157ck bulbs did you get..?
I bought some from a local selling in Canada, but you can get them for a good price off of Amazon. Just search up 3157CK LED.
I used the Sylvania 3157R with CK built in but still encountered problems, so I called them and their shipping out newer model LEDs
Can you please send me the link for the led lights?
Unfortunately, the ones I bought have since been discontinued. I did buy them from amazon, however.
how to fix fuse problem reverse & backing light pleas
Unfortunately, this is a loaded question. It can be anything from bad wiring, bad bulb harness, PCM issue, poor quality fuse, bad switch, etc. one of the most common issues though, is that bulb harness. As you can see in the video, all the bulbs fit into one rear harness, and if there is damage or corrosion inside, it can cause all the bulbs to fail or burn out fuses. You may need to get some electrical testing done.
What size torx bit do you use?
To be honest, I don't remember at this time. It's a small one. Worth noting to check your set up. The more common screw head is Phillips, only some models came with Torx
@@NexusAuto it's T20. I got one today and got it done. Thank you for your video.
I have a 2007 LS btw.
@@heavensgrace44 Awesome. Thanks for letting me know the torx bit. WIll help other viewers for sure. And glad to hear you got it done!
On your envoy or a trailblazer?
Did you know that you don't need to the resistors? There was some of the Trailblazer based SUVs have a newer relay that does not need resistors. If you do not have the new relay, you can get the newer relay and install it.
Hello @advcomp2019. Thanks for the great tip and posting in the comments. I am aware of the newer relay, in fact, I make mention of it at the end of this video (around the 10:00 mark). But it is very helpful and a great alternative to using the resistors. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Yea, I did not hear that. It was about the time that I took off my headset for a few seconds to reply to someone in person. I was just trying to find a better bulb for my GMC Envoy since these CK socket bulbs are hard to find. That is how I know about the newer relay.
@@advcomp2019 Oh no problem at all, I dont mind you mentioning it. I only really mentioned it after the work is done, and in passing. Someone in the car community may watch the video, see the comment, and it may help them choose whichever works best for them.
@@advcomp2019 i have a 2005 trailblazer ext ls 4.2 ... i wanna upgrade my front turn signal bulbs to led... maybe switchbacks or just leds but i seen you mention about a relay can u please explain
@@NORCALPYRO_ Just look up Novita LM486 that is the flasher for the Trailblazer's. Not the LM487 like some sites says.
Is switchback the same as ck?
Good question. Switchback is different. Switchback just means the LED can switch from white to amber color. CK bulbs ground differently to the standard 3157 bulbs, so they don't work the same.
Time a day.
Does anybody know which of the wire is for reverse?
If I remember correctly, it is the light green wire at the reverse light socket. If you have a voltmeter, it would be a good idea to double check and test voltage at the wire with reverse on.
@@NexusAuto yes it is the green wire for reverse and I used a very thin wire to check for power with the gear on reverse thank you.
@@nivlanamstory3981 no problem at all! Glad you got it sorted!
My grandson has been pulled over twice. the officer told him he was going to take him to jail if you pulled him over again, and he's already replaced them twice, we need to fix this permanently instead of just changing bulbs, that keep burning out it gets expensive
That's not good at all. If your grandson has bulbs constantly burning out, then there is an electrical issue for sure...that shouldn't happen. Is this just regular bulbs, or LED bulbs?
What resistor i need
There is lots of choices. Here's one, but like I said, lots to choose from out there
www.amazon.com/4PCS-ARTR-6ohm-Load-Resistors/dp/B00UNG3EXQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=led+turn+signal+resistor&qid=1558841420&s=gateway&sprefix=led+turn+s&sr=8-3
What you use in video
@@emiliorosa-gomez6538 the one I used was also bought on Amazon, but the link is dead. It's like the one I sent in the video
Graxx ya las pedi