LED bulbs in the FC3S
#1
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LED bulbs in the FC3S
Has anybody tried any of these in their car? I thought that they would be a good visual safety upgrade for cars.
I saw some very well made ones at Auto Zone made by a company called Jam Strait.
They list bulbs of varying brightnesses for use behind clear and tinted lenses.
The only 2 problems that I have come across is that:
1) Auto Zone does not carry all of the types available
2) there may be a probelm with the flasher working properly due to the reduce current load.
Real (from those that have actually tried them) experiances and findings are welcome!
Mark any comments, you seem to working with a lot of LED's of late?
I saw some very well made ones at Auto Zone made by a company called Jam Strait.
They list bulbs of varying brightnesses for use behind clear and tinted lenses.
The only 2 problems that I have come across is that:
1) Auto Zone does not carry all of the types available
2) there may be a probelm with the flasher working properly due to the reduce current load.
Real (from those that have actually tried them) experiances and findings are welcome!
Mark any comments, you seem to working with a lot of LED's of late?
#6
Originally posted by gergrx7
86GXL where did you get those LED lights?
86GXL where did you get those LED lights?
#7
Originally posted by xfeastonarsex
Are they more expensive also?
Are they more expensive also?
Also i plan on putting LED's in EVERYTHING except the brake lights untill i can find somthing that is bright enough... This includes dash lights, side markers, Door lights, Dome light, hatch light, Everything...
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i was reading a site that said "These installations will require an electronic flasher unit available at your auto parts store." What does that mean and why is it needed/what does it do? Can you just replace normal bulbs with them without any other things, cuz i remember reading somewhere you need some regulators or something for every LED bulb
#9
Originally posted by dDuB
i was reading a site that said "These installations will require an electronic flasher unit available at your auto parts store." What does that mean and why is it needed/what does it do? Can you just replace normal bulbs with them without any other things, cuz i remember reading somewhere you need some regulators or something for every LED bulb
i was reading a site that said "These installations will require an electronic flasher unit available at your auto parts store." What does that mean and why is it needed/what does it do? Can you just replace normal bulbs with them without any other things, cuz i remember reading somewhere you need some regulators or something for every LED bulb
So you dont HAVE to get anything to correct it as long as you dont mind your "STOP" light coming on and your blinkers flashing faster.
#10
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naww.. just hookup something that uses lots of extra power when braking! Like an airhorn, lol.
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Last edited by Aaron Cake; 05-19-04 at 03:42 PM.
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Originally posted by 86GXL
When you use them for blinkers they will flash faster because of the low power draw... it makes the car think that a bulb is out so it makes it flash faster so you know... also when you put them in the brake lights your "STOP" light will come on telling you one of you bulbs is burnt out... also due to low power draw.
So you dont HAVE to get anything to correct it as long as you dont mind your "STOP" light coming on and your blinkers flashing faster.
When you use them for blinkers they will flash faster because of the low power draw... it makes the car think that a bulb is out so it makes it flash faster so you know... also when you put them in the brake lights your "STOP" light will come on telling you one of you bulbs is burnt out... also due to low power draw.
So you dont HAVE to get anything to correct it as long as you dont mind your "STOP" light coming on and your blinkers flashing faster.
hmm interesting, so how do you hook up the flasher unit to the LEDs? how does that all work?
#12
Originally posted by dDuB
hmm interesting, so how do you hook up the flasher unit to the LEDs? how does that all work?
hmm interesting, so how do you hook up the flasher unit to the LEDs? how does that all work?
One resistor is required for each turn signal bulb. Includes gel filled moisture resistant splice taps.
Connect one wire to ground and the other wire to the turn/brake wire. You do not have to cut your car's wires. Squeeze splice taps with pliers. One Load Resistor required for each turn signal bulb.
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Originally posted by 86GXL
it makes the car think that a bulb is out so it makes it flash faster so you know...
it makes the car think that a bulb is out so it makes it flash faster so you know...
I dunno about the indicators, but getting the brake light warning system to work propery is a lot of hassle. A recent AutoSpeed article covered building a high-stop light from high-intensity 10mm LED's, and a subsequent article covered a system to stop the warning light from coming on unless a bulb actually blew. A large ceramic dropping resistor did the job but it got too hot with sustained use (i.e. sitting at traffic lights). The resistor ended up with a cooling fan that switched on with the brake lights!
#14
Originally posted by NZConvertible
That's not quite right. The flash rate of flasher units is a product of the current draw, because it works by heating a bi-metallic strip that opens and closes the contacts. Changing the current draw changes the flash rate. It's not a deliberate warning feature as such, it's just the way they work.
That's not quite right. The flash rate of flasher units is a product of the current draw, because it works by heating a bi-metallic strip that opens and closes the contacts. Changing the current draw changes the flash rate. It's not a deliberate warning feature as such, it's just the way they work.
#15
I wish I was driving!
Originally posted by Kenteth
naww.. just hookup something that uses lots of extra power when braking! Like an airhorn, lol.
naww.. just hookup something that uses lots of extra power when braking! Like an airhorn, lol.
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86GXL, thanks for the pictures! That was what I was afraid of, not bright enough!
The bulbs I found are supposedly much brighter, they even recommend that if you have clear style lenses that you don't use their brightest bulbs - the Hyper-Bright series, they are reserved for tinted lenses and are listed as "blinding"
For clear lenses they have regular "bright" led bulbs
Here is the link: www.jamstrait.com
Even the bulb construction looks better the the site that you mention (I've been there before, some good stuff), check it out and tell me what you think...
The bulbs I found are supposedly much brighter, they even recommend that if you have clear style lenses that you don't use their brightest bulbs - the Hyper-Bright series, they are reserved for tinted lenses and are listed as "blinding"
For clear lenses they have regular "bright" led bulbs
Here is the link: www.jamstrait.com
Even the bulb construction looks better the the site that you mention (I've been there before, some good stuff), check it out and tell me what you think...
#19
They just used plastic enstead of metel for the construction of the bulb. Its not that that counts its the LED's. Your not supposed to run a red LED bulb in a red lense because the red lense will defuse the light making it dimmer. Hence why we have white bulbs and colored lenses. Plus White LED's have a higher MCD than red and will be brighter. Kinda wierd that they say that red is brighter behind a lense than white.... but whatever
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86GXL, I hear what you are saying about the white versus red, BUT, depends on how more light each outputs. Red or white, won't really matter if the red ones are bright enough.
This bulb is not made with standard single LED's, they are bright chip-style units:
1157-HR Hyper-Bright Red
7 cd HP chip LEDs 630nm 15 LED
Visual Test Results: BLINDING
Recommended for: All Red Lenses
May be too bright for clears lenses
The regular bulbs use the usual style LED's:
1157-SR Super-Bright Red
30º Viewing Angle 15 LED
Visual Test Results: Very Bright
Recommended for: All Clear Lenses and Newer Red Lenses
Notice the rating on the hyper units...7 cd not 'mcd'
This bulb is not made with standard single LED's, they are bright chip-style units:
1157-HR Hyper-Bright Red
7 cd HP chip LEDs 630nm 15 LED
Visual Test Results: BLINDING
Recommended for: All Red Lenses
May be too bright for clears lenses
The regular bulbs use the usual style LED's:
1157-SR Super-Bright Red
30º Viewing Angle 15 LED
Visual Test Results: Very Bright
Recommended for: All Clear Lenses and Newer Red Lenses
Notice the rating on the hyper units...7 cd not 'mcd'
#21
I wish I was driving!
Originally posted by Bebesito21
wouldve been funnier if you had wired her horn to her brake so that everytime she breaked, the horn would go off......
wouldve been funnier if you had wired her horn to her brake so that everytime she breaked, the horn would go off......
Not much on wiring?
Although, I dunno, I would have felt pretty bad if it caused her to break.... shouldn't that have been broke?
#22
Originally posted by asherwood
86GXL, I hear what you are saying about the white versus red, BUT, depends on how more light each outputs. Red or white, won't really matter if the red ones are bright enough.
This bulb is not made with standard single LED's, they are bright chip-style units:
1157-HR Hyper-Bright Red
7 cd HP chip LEDs 630nm 15 LED
Visual Test Results: BLINDING
Recommended for: All Red Lenses
May be too bright for clears lenses
The regular bulbs use the usual style LED's:
1157-SR Super-Bright Red
30º Viewing Angle 15 LED
Visual Test Results: Very Bright
Recommended for: All Clear Lenses and Newer Red Lenses
Notice the rating on the hyper units...7 cd not 'mcd'
86GXL, I hear what you are saying about the white versus red, BUT, depends on how more light each outputs. Red or white, won't really matter if the red ones are bright enough.
This bulb is not made with standard single LED's, they are bright chip-style units:
1157-HR Hyper-Bright Red
7 cd HP chip LEDs 630nm 15 LED
Visual Test Results: BLINDING
Recommended for: All Red Lenses
May be too bright for clears lenses
The regular bulbs use the usual style LED's:
1157-SR Super-Bright Red
30º Viewing Angle 15 LED
Visual Test Results: Very Bright
Recommended for: All Clear Lenses and Newer Red Lenses
Notice the rating on the hyper units...7 cd not 'mcd'
#23
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Originally posted by NZConvertible
That's not quite right. The flash rate of flasher units is a product of the current draw, because it works by heating a bi-metallic strip that opens and closes the contacts. Changing the current draw changes the flash rate. It's not a deliberate warning feature as such, it's just the way they work.
I dunno about the indicators, but getting the brake light warning system to work propery is a lot of hassle. A recent AutoSpeed article covered building a high-stop light from high-intensity 10mm LED's, and a subsequent article covered a system to stop the warning light from coming on unless a bulb actually blew. A large ceramic dropping resistor did the job but it got too hot with sustained use (i.e. sitting at traffic lights). The resistor ended up with a cooling fan that switched on with the brake lights!
That's not quite right. The flash rate of flasher units is a product of the current draw, because it works by heating a bi-metallic strip that opens and closes the contacts. Changing the current draw changes the flash rate. It's not a deliberate warning feature as such, it's just the way they work.
I dunno about the indicators, but getting the brake light warning system to work propery is a lot of hassle. A recent AutoSpeed article covered building a high-stop light from high-intensity 10mm LED's, and a subsequent article covered a system to stop the warning light from coming on unless a bulb actually blew. A large ceramic dropping resistor did the job but it got too hot with sustained use (i.e. sitting at traffic lights). The resistor ended up with a cooling fan that switched on with the brake lights!
#24
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I have some that I bought some time ago (at least 1 year ago).
I got them at
http://www.superbrightleds.com/other_bulbs.htm
but I am sure the cheap ones are all the same construction.
I think it was around $6 per bulb, and let me tell you, they are not bright enough. You don't want to use them as brake lights.
At the time (again, that was at least one year ago), it seemed you had to shell about $40 to get a bright enough led bulb. Maybe good ones can be had for far cheaper now, but I dunno.
Hugues -
I got them at
http://www.superbrightleds.com/other_bulbs.htm
but I am sure the cheap ones are all the same construction.
I think it was around $6 per bulb, and let me tell you, they are not bright enough. You don't want to use them as brake lights.
At the time (again, that was at least one year ago), it seemed you had to shell about $40 to get a bright enough led bulb. Maybe good ones can be had for far cheaper now, but I dunno.
Hugues -
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Well, one advantage of the LED light is that it draws much less current (than an incandescent), so having to put a resistance in the mix to avoid the 'brake warning light' to come on or the flashers to blink too fast is a little bit of a pain.
Hugues -
Hugues -