Toad lights - wire length - Problem solved

Good for YOU!

And thanks for your Problem Solved update. SOOO many forget.

Cut 22' of extra wire from the Hopkins adapter today. Problem solved. Lights are as bright when hooked to tow vehicle as they are with out being hooked up. Thanks again for the responses.

Thanks for all of the responses. I will eliminate the extra wire and see what that does. Thanks again.

Better to look back at your question, and to that I'd offer that IF you want to use the HHR's lights, YES you need to eliminate that extra 20-feet of wire. When you say it's 2006, I doubt the HHR uses its "body control module' (BCM, a computer) to flash the turn signals. So the diode kit is probably an OK approach.

I wonder, and cannot answer, what might happen if you replaced the HHR's stop/tail bulbs with LED. It's possible the HHR's flasher won't "see" enough load to actually flash turn signals if one incandescent lamp is replaced with LED. That happened to me. When I replaced the rear lights on the RV with LED, they flashed way too fast. There's a resistor sold to add enough resistance, but what I did was add the mirror-mounted turn signals I wanted anyway as incandescent vs LED as I first planned.

Sounds counter-intuitive to add resistance artificially, but it actually works out. But try cleaning up the wiring first. Forty-Feet is too much.

I wasn't willing to wire into the wiring on our 2006 Corolla and 2009 Frontier, so I added those Maxxima lights. On the Frontier, I made little aluminum brackets for the lights. They could be removed without leaving a trace. On the Corolla, coming up on 10-years 100,000-miles, we were willing to drill little holes for the stainless screws. I don't know how you feel about the HHR.

Here's the Amazon Link for that M42206R Red LED Stop/Tail/Turn Light photo'd above. It's a small surface mount light with three short pigtail wires coming out from under. Furnished with a foam rubber gasket and two stainless steel screws. That's important, because many "truck" versions of this type of light are meant to mount in a cutout in the vehicle, using a grommet-type gasket. They also have a socket for a plug (not included) that keeps the light from mounting flat. They come in Oval and Round.
Or... Boat Trailer Option They mount with 1/4" bolts with nuts. This set is interesting because you can use different bolts and go back or side.

Our first coach was an old 24-ft Class C with double lamp rear lights. I also added mirror-mounted turn signals. All incandescent. I spliced towing wiring into the toads' harnesses, no diodes. Good idea, no, but these were all older vehicles with no body control electronics. When I put the lights on in the coach, the whole toad lit up, front and rear. Same with turn signals and brake. Always bright.
Now we have a 31-ft Class C, again double rear lights. I wanted to use temporary incandescent lights on the toads. Could NOT get any light back there! Wire gauges must be too small. I'd had trouble with bulbs as well as sockets in the RV lights, so I replaced them with hardwired LED lights. Bargman brand, same screw holes and all. That brightened the lights on the coach so I got these LED Maxxima lights for the toad.
Now, all the lights work and they're bright.
So... Heavier wire might be an option, wiring in a relay device is another. For me, replacing incandescent with LED was the least invasive fix and it worked out well.

FIRE UP wrote:
Well Sir,
Personally, I wouldn't have done it the way you did. And, you see why. It's a known fact that, the longer a wire, the more of a voltage drop there is in any electrical operation. That's why they put out electrical wiring charts to show you what's lost, in a given amount feet vs the size of wire etc.

Where this situation is really going to matter is, when you're towing your toad and, the sun is at your back. If your in a traffic situation like freeway traveling or, crowded streets/roadways etc. and the sun is blaring onto those toad tail lights, a dimmer light will not show your intentions for turn, a lane change, STOPPING, and any other combo of intentions, to a following driver as a good set of BRIGHT, nice working tail lights will show.

This to me, is a safety thing. I want following drivers to really see what I'm intending or, asking to do, so they get a CLEAR message of my intentions. Your choice.
Scott

That's why I posted the question so I could get opinions and correct the situation.

Well Sir,
Personally, I wouldn't have done it the way you did. And, you see why. It's a known fact that, the longer a wire, the more of a voltage drop there is in any electrical operation. That's why they put out electrical wiring charts to show you what's lost, in a given amount feet vs the size of wire etc.

Where this situation is really going to matter is, when you're towing your toad and, the sun is at your back. If your in a traffic situation like freeway traveling or, crowded streets/roadways etc. and the sun is blaring onto those toad tail lights, a dimmer light will not show your intentions for turn, a lane change, STOPPING, and any other combo of intentions, to a following driver as a good set of BRIGHT, nice working tail lights will show.

This to me, is a safety thing. I want following drivers to really see what I'm intending or, asking to do, so they get a CLEAR message of my intentions. Your choice.
Scott

All of these adapters that plug into your existing wiring need to isolate existing wiring from their wiring. They do this with diodes. Silicone diodes have a voltage drop of .6 volts, maybe slightly more, so I woupd assume the bulbs may ge slightly dimmer. Doubt it matters much.

I would suggest connecting the ground in the front of the HHR to factory ground, then attach ground in the rear of the HHR to the HHR factory ground. This should reduce the resistance of the system and lower the voltage drop.
look at item 11 in the installation instructions.