Replacing Bulbs: LEDs?

[telwyn]

I recently ordered a red tail light LED from www.superbrightleds.com and tried it in all of my rear lights on my Lightweight. Worked well in each socket. Turn signal (to my surprise) flashed properly.

I just ordered additional LEDs in red, clear and amber for all of my front and tail lights. Cost a small fortune, but I figure I can amortize it over my lifetime and the Lightweight's. Running Hella Vision on my front headlamps.

Here's a picture of how bright the red LED brake light is. Looks like an afterburner.

[crankin]

Hi Telwyn,
I saw a post of yours on another forum a while ago... If I am not mistaken you got the 5W ones, right? Did you go with the 5W on the rest of the lights or go down to the 3W? I am wondering if the 3W ones are less bright...

Plus, you have a light weight, correct? I wonder if the 24V system is a reason for you not getting the spastic flasher?

[Tim Smith]

I recently ordered a red tail light LED from www.superbrightleds.com and tried it in all of my rear lights on my Lightweight. Worked well in each socket. Turn signal (to my surprise) flashed properly.

I just ordered additional LEDs in red, clear and amber for all of my front and tail lights. Cost a small fortune, but I figure I can amortize it over my lifetime and the Lightweight's. Running Hella Vision on my front headlamps.

Here's a picture of how bright the red LED brake light is. Looks like an afterburner.

That is bright!

Do you know how many LEDs were in the bulbs? Were they the 12, 24 or 32 LED bulbs?

[telwyn]

Here's the ones I bought - High Power 5 Watt 1156/1157 bulb: www.superbrightleds.com/specs/115x-xLX3.htm

I'm using them in a Lightweight, but it was converted to 12v a while back.

[NelsAnderson]

Wow, $30 for one bulb...

What would be really interesting is a photo of your taillights with the LED on one side and the original bulb on the other...

[Tim Smith]

Looks like you opted for the high intensity low spread LEDs. I'd be interested in how visible they are from the sides.

[telwyn]

I'll see if I can snap a shot of both brake lights on at the same time (wouldn't you know the regular bulb burnt out) and also a side shot.

$30 a bulb is definitely a killer, but I'm a young guy and plan on keeping the Lightweight in the family for generations. Trying to rationalize the cost a bit of course.

[crankin]

Well tell me, overall are you happy with the ones that you got or do you wish that you would have gotten ones that were not as bright?

[telwyn]

So far I'm happy. I went from no one knowing I'm stopping to the whole world knowing. May be blinding but no one will ever rear end me.

Perhaps order a lower watt bulb and try it out. They seem to have a good return policy so perhaps you could try one of each.

[luckyjoe]

Here's the ones I bought - High Power 5 Watt 1156/1157 bulb: www.superbrightleds.com/specs/115x-xLX3.htm

From that page the 3V appear to be single LED units, and the 5V have five LED's. Is that what you received?

Also, the 5V version has this disclaimer:
"**These bulbs were designed for and can only be used as vehicle brake/turn signal bulb replacements. To prevent over heating, they will automatically dim if turned on for long periods of time."

So maybe go 5V for brake, 3V everywere else?

Looking forward to the additonal pics...

Regards,

[telwyn]

No new pictures (sorry), but I've learned a couple of things in installing these bulbs that I thought I'd pass along now that I've replaced them all with LED.

1) They are fragile. They fit the bulb sockets nicely, but then you have to press and twist. I broke one LED bulb while twisting to lock it in place and the wire stripped off inside. The other bulbs twisted in place ok, but it took some work.

2) I discovered that the flasher and brakes work perfectly on the left side (front and rear) but that the right side doesn't blink. The good news (I think) is they don't blink with an LED or regular bulb. Any ideas how to fix? Is there a separate flasher for each side? They illuminate when the right turn signal is on, but don't flash. Strange one side works but not the other.

[jgkmmoore]

hey Redmond

I'm in Blvu, and share your thoughts on lighting. Would you email me how yours works out? I have a Ser II 109 that needs the same treatment.
Thanks. jgkmmoore@yahoo.com
Jeff

[Tim Smith]

...
2) I discovered that the flasher and brakes work perfectly on the left side (front and rear) but that the right side doesn't blink. The good news (I think) is they don't blink with an LED or regular bulb. Any ideas how to fix? Is there a separate flasher for each side? They illuminate when the right turn signal is on, but don't flash. Strange one side works but not the other.

The fact that your left indicator is working and your right indicator is not is a sign that the circuit is broken on the right side. Usually a sign that a bulb burnt out or something. Since you switched over to LED's, I'm not sure if that could be related as in not enough current passing through to make the flasher unit work.

I'd try swapping back to regular bulbs on the right and testing the LED's one at a time to see if you can identify the problem. Hopefully the wiring didn't decide to start giving you trouble all of a sudden.

[gudjeon]

I bought 1156 based bulbs in LED for a low draw remote lighting where only battery power is available. It is no where as bright (it was a $10.00 jobbie) and it is somewhat directional. I don't know if it may help in the above case but I do know the ones I have are polarity sensitive. They will not work at all if hooked up in reverse.

[redmondrover]

Slacker

Well I never got around to installing the interior LEDs I described in my post so long ago.

However, I did come across something this weekend that some of you might be interested in. Ikea has two sets of LED lights under the "Dioder" name. One model is a set of four foot long (approx) strips each with several white LEDs. These strips would work as indirect lighting mounted in the inner lip of the roof, shining up on the headliner. The second model includes four flat, coin-shaped lights each with a fairly long lead on it. These would work in the footwells and, in our 109, mounted under the middle row of seats to light the middle floorboard. Both sets seem bright enough to work well as interior lighting. Both are 12V with transformers to take 120V wall power.

Either way, I am installing LED lights before the end of the year!