LED brake lites?

I noticed that Pep Boys has some LED lights configured as the 1156 and 1157
bulbs my '89 240 wagon uses. While I have no doubt they would work, what
effect would they have on the CHECK BULB warning system, since I'm sure they
draw differently than filament bulbs do.... Alternatively, how about
replacing only the center bulb with an LED-type? Since LEDs light up
slightly faster than filament bulbs, I'd be interested in having at least
one in the brake light system to give drivers behind me a little extra
warning time!....

m98767c at yahoo dot com

 

If you put them in both sides they shouldn't effect the bulb failure sensor.
I've seen these LED retrofits before though, they don't utilize the
reflector so they appear as rather dim spots of light, I doubt they're legal
and the visibility certainly is lacking, I wouldn't use them.

 

thanks for the feedback! Guess I'll save my money and stay with the stock
bulbs, didn't realize the LED replacements would be less visible, but it
makes sense.....

 

I bought a set of LED 1156's for my 760 wagon as a test set, to see how
they would perform. Without the proper reflector, they offer truly weak
performance. I couldn't in clear conscience drive around like that...And the
relays don't like the low voltage either...the flash cycle is triple time,
and then there's the bulb failure light on all the time...get the black
tape.

Nah. Want bright? Get new lamps and new matching bulbs. As good as anything
out there.

RS

 

what you have to do is get the correct LED lights.

Most of the LEDs available as taillight replacements are weak older
generation LEDS - this is why they look bad after installation.

Go to an electronics shop for newest generation 12-volt LEDs - maximum
number of microfarads [mfd] you can get. The fun part is wiring them in so
they stay stable on the road. They dont burn out and they dont produce heat,
and they use 1/10th of the juice of regular bulbs to power them.

Look at the latest ones on Public Works vehicles and emergency vehicles like
fire trucks and ambulances. While they may cost more initially, you will
save much money over time, since there are no bulbs to replace.

Any doubts? Bench test with a 12v power supply before installing - if youre
not happy, return them.

cheers!
steve

 

But is it worth it? I've had cars go six years before needing a bulb
replacement. I've had bulbs on those same cars that never went out.
If you are blowing through bulbs so fast that cost savings is an issue,
then I suggest you have other problems in your car's electrical ssytem...


Cheers,
-+JLS

 

Microfarads? That's a measurement of capacitance, what does it have to do
with LED's?

 

They reach full brightness almost instantly and don't get dimmer with age.

I've seen LED replacements for all standard bulb types recently, so if you
re-did your entire car with them, other than the headlights, you could
leave your door open or have a short somewhere and it would take a couple
of days to drain your battery. I've heard of LED headlight replacements,
but they would require special lenses/reflectors. If someone cold make
a viable halogen replacement, they'd make a fortune.

 

It should be mcd [millicandela] the unit of measure for the overall
brightness [luminous intensity] of an LED.
The brightest sold [in the UK] at the moment I believe is around 14000 mcd

 

there is a viable halogen replacement - Xenon. But it requires special bulb
'elements' and a power pack. And they are very expensive - thats why they
are a target of car thieves. But if youve ever driven with them, you say to
yourself, wow what a difference......

cheers!
steve

 

thank you for correcting me - MCD is correct.

again, if in doubt, test on the bench before installing.

cheers!
steve

 

You need a special reflector and lense too unless you wanna blind people.
LED's aren't much of a replacement for halogen, the efficiency is similar,
their only advantage would be lifetime. LED's are very efficient for
generating colored light because rather than generate white and throw away
all the light in other colors with a filter you just generate only the color
you need, but when you want white light they're not particularly efficient.