So some dingleberry at school backed into my son's Mustang. No big deal, we worked it out without insurance or lawyers or bothering the cops.

But he decided to spend a little extra to get the super cool LED tail lights to replace his broken OEM unit.

Dad tried to help him with the install. Plugged into the harness perfectly, no sweat. Fit the holes perfect, and looked great too. Much nicer look than the stockers, but we had a problem with hyper flashing.

No big deal, right? I get how it works, the car thinks the light is out because of lower draw, so it hyper flashes. So you just install the supplied resistors into the ground and power wire. Doesn't matter which way you do it, as resistors are not directional, and you're in business.

Ok. So which wire is the power wire for the turn signal? I don't know, so I read the instructions - which were for a Ford F150. Cool. So I ask the window lickers at my local parts houses - blank stares, from cold dead eyes. So I ask the parts and service people at three local Ford dealers, who all act like I'm trying to reconfigure the fucking Delorean to go back in time off a lightening strike. Nobody has a clue. So I turn to the forums, like I would for a gun question.

Now, if it was Sigforum, I could show a picture of a recoil spring from a Sig pistol, and within the first five responses, I'd know what gun it came from, what weight the spring was, and what it's extended length be in serviceable condition. So car guys can tell you these same things, right? I mean, they can tell you how much horsepower a CAI or exhaust system will add. They can tell you which tune for your BamaTune will provide the ultimate throttle response and shift point. They can tell you what fuel to use for which compression ratios. This should be child's play.

So, what color is the power wire for the left rear turn signal for a 2010 Ford Mustang Convertible V6???

Nobody. Fucking. Knows.

Apparently when it came to electronics, Ford outsourced it to goddamn space aliens to wire the fucking tail lights on the 2010-2014 Ford Mustangs, because dopey lidded, semi-drooling, booger-eatin' smooth brain responses are all you will get.

"On a 99 it's pink with a blue lead" Says one guy.

Well thanks brainiac, that is super good information to have - if I had a 99.

"On my 2018, the wire is green with a tan lead" Says another.

Awesome.

"Buy a multi-meter and learn to use it". Says another.

Yes, perfect. Spending a bunch of money on a tool I'll likely never use again, and signing up for night classes to learn to use the fucking thing is soooo much easier than somebody with half a brain saying: "Yo, man. Blue wire."

This isn't a get out the equipment and the factory service manual kind of thing. This should be a "Yo, man. Blue wire" kind of thing. I plug in the wire connector (also supplied) and biggity-bam, we're in business. Not possible, I guess. Can't be done with this technology.

I try to log onto AFM.com (all ford mustangs). That should do it, that's all they do. Says so in the name. But that site is so shit-stuffed full of adds I can't view a damn thing. They're so busy trying to pimp stuff that their site is unusable garbage.

To summarize: the knowledge here, the unsurpassed know-how, and the thank-you-baby-Jesus add free experience is what makes this the best place on the internet. And I'm sometimes guilty of taking it for granted, and thinking the rest of the world works the same way.

Thank you admins and owners for this safe haven in the shit-storm of internet idiots out there in the rest of the world!

Hallelujah, Holy Shit, Pass the Tylenol!

What color is the wire at the tail light for the turn signal itself? You should be able to multi meter the harness pins and see what corresponding wire color it is. I don't know off hand what colors. Used to build/rebuild mustangs but 1993 was the newest. Try calling the company selling the tail lights, maybe.

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
What color is the wire at the tail light for the turn signal itself? You should be able to multi meter the harness pins and see what corresponding wire color it is. I don't know off hand what colors. Used to build/rebuild mustangs but 1993 was the newest. Try calling the company selling the tail lights, maybe.

Sorry, I was editing in the multimeter part while you were responding. Honest.

And I did call the company, but I guess the tech department all has the Wu-Han flu, because they didn't know either.

1. You should have asked here, first.
2. A cheap multimeter is $10 maybe $20. At the very least, you can use it to figure out which batteries in the junk drawer are still good.

Can’t help, but that is one awesome rant you posted.

It’s either blue or red, you decide be quick...

Blue or red? No! The correct answer is that they are all wrong.

I don't think this is an easy question as yours may be the first year they added sequential tail lamps as an option for the 'Stang. Would they want the power wire from the column or power distribution unit?

Would the turn signal module that controls the flashing require two resistors or six? The manufacturer should have included a CANBUS harness with your kit or have one available separately. You can't be the only one in the world wanting to have this kit on a 2010 Mustang. Check with the kit manufacturer to see if the Mustang specific instructions can be downloaded as a PDF. Not sure why the left rear would be effected and the right rear would not.

There is also the possibility that you could try loaded LED bulbs (they have the resistor built in to the bulb) if they are available for your specific application.

I found this on a forum...the poster purports it to be the wiring diagram for the s197 mustang (05-14). If that's accurate, it looks like your ground is the black wire. I'd still buy a mutimeter and check it, though. I don't use mine that often, but when I need it im glad I have it.

That is an excellent rant, sir.

I have no Mustang knowledge, but I do have a couple of multimeters. If it weren't so far from here to Missouri, I'd come over tomorrow and help you figure it out in exchange for you teaching me to rant so eloquently.

quote:

"Buy a multi-meter and learn to use it". Says another.

The equivalent of that here is "save the money you would've spent on accessories and take a training class..."

Wouldn't you really rather have a Buick?

Great rant, but if you can’t use a multimeter your man card is at risk.

Just sayin’...

quote:

Originally posted by 911Boss:
Great rant, but if you can’t use a multimeter your man card is at risk.

Just sayin’...

I’ll give him a pass on that. I’ve worked with a few electricians in my time that couldn’t properly use a multimeter.

quote:

Originally posted by PowerSurge:

quote:

Originally posted by 911Boss:
Great rant, but if you can’t use a multimeter your man card is at risk.

Just sayin’...

I’ll give him a pass on that. I’ve worked with a few electricians in my time that couldn’t properly use a multimeter.

Call me old fashioned, but I’d say that word they were using (electrician) doesn’t mean what they think it means....

Not saying need to be vested in every function and feature, but at least the basics of checking voltage, continuity, resistance. Heck I worked with guys that only had double digit IQs and could figure those parts out.

A lot of time you can get one free at HF, no reason not to have one, unlike TP readily available cheap to free

I'll trade you my multimeter for 1 package of 4 rolls of TP, you pay shipping both ways.

Got it working yet, bionic?

Not yet, vt.

We got smoked at the gun store yesterday, everyone buying up to guard their TP I guess, and today was working for my father-in-law. Going to give it a shot tomorrow after the boy comes home from school.

If you still want to avoid the multitester you might consider a 12V pick light. Alligator clip to ground and ice pick tip to find the positive.

I can empathize. When I first acquired my VW I joined a few FB groups related to Jettas/VWs. What a total waste of time. If you aren't looking to install a cheap chinese turbo kit, no one knows anything.

So what I did was - dust off the old multimeter and start shooting wires

^^^^

I ask my VW questions here.