[Icemanj16]

Hey guys I just bought a 2007 Carrera Camaro that has a light board in it and I want to Chip it to SSD.

The two track wires come from the pickups to the light board and have easily accesible + and - solder point for the power to tap into.

Can i just solder the the SSD Chip power (+) and (-) to those points leaving the light board in tack? ...and then just cut the motor wires and connect the SSD chip to the motor? The goal is to still use the light board in there to run the lights but use SSD chip for everything else. OR do I need to solder SSD chip directly to the pickups and eliminate the light board completely? I personally dont see why this would not work but you guys are the experts so before start hacking away i though it would ask...

Thanks!!!

 

[MrFlippant]

I've chipped a couple old Carreras with their light board. For at least one of them, I powered the SSD chip from the motor output on the light chip, and the motor from the SSD chip. Works like a charm.

 

[Keeto]

Hi there,

If you using the C7006, then that has a light board built into it already...so you don't need the Carrera one.

You can just run the light wires to the correct "pads" on the C7006 and take out the Carrera light board - instead of having 2 light boards in there; making your car slightly lighter as well.

Oh, nearly forgot you need to bridge 6 pads on the chip to get the lights to work regardless.

If you update the C7006 to MIH's code your brake lights will work as well...i.e. No throttle = Brake lights on. Any amount of throttle = lights dim.

You'll get some other benefits from updating it as well...it's in this thread.

If you're using the C7005, I can't see why your plan won't work.

 

[Icemanj16]

So I used the 7006 chip and followed your directions and everything works except the rear lights. Since I dont plan to do firmware update could i just splice into the headlight wires to get them to come on? Kinda frustating the chip is that lame and the rear lights dont work....Also any reason do not just splice into the pickup wires for all lights?

Your directions were awesome. Thanks again!

 

[Mr Modifier]

If you splice into the pickup wires the lights will be subjected to AC and not DC - this will not adversely affect lights with diodes (extra ones not the light emitting ones) but is likely to blow LEDs without diode protection. ALSO the SSD track is always live whether your car is moving or not - this means your lights will be on all the time the car is on the track not just when it is moving. You may want this of course.

I always connect the chip to the guide and the lights across the motor terminals but there are a few ways of setting things up - usually governed by the physical constraints of the car and available wire lengths.

 

[GregK]

Before I started re-flashing my chips, I would wire the lights onto the green & yellow wires and have the lights on all the time. Be careful with Carrera cars as the LED hardware is usually mounted on their lighting board. Sometimes, I have had to attach extra LEDs to the lights to stop them blowing, especially the front ones. I do keep a supply of white LEDs for Carrera cars as they can be trying.

 

[Keeto]

Hi again Iceman,

As Mr M and Greg has said, you need to protect the LED's in some way, like adding some resistance, either more LED's or actual resistors. In the past when I was using resistors I usually used a R120.
Like Greg I flash my chips so all the wiring is via the chip.

HTH.

 

[Icemanj16]

So I am now interested in a chip flasher. Which one do you recommend? I found it pretty easy to wire the lights to the ssd chip. Thanks again...loving all this modding stuff! As I understand without flashing the chip the rears won't light up?

 

[Keeto]

No probs....it really is cool!!!

The rears will only work as brake lights if you have hooked them up without flashing. If you do flash the chip, you'll have brake lights and rear lights.
So when you "brake" i.e release your throttle the brake lights will come on, but anything other than braking you'll have regular dimmed tail lights. Just like a real car. Not a real race car I know....but you get the idea.

Regarding chip flashers this is the one most people I are using.

You also need to make a cable for the flasher.

It really is worth doing the flashing, if not for the lights then for all the other benefits that come along with it. Like not having to solder in resistors and diodes to get the lights working correctly.