Topic: LED Bulbs (Read 4008 times)

philayl · « **on:** 20 July 2006, 19:06:23 »

Hi all, nice to be back among you, took a while to find where you were. Can anyone help with a problem I have, I would like to fit LED stop/tail bulbs, also LED indicator bulbs. The problem is they (stop/tail, not fitted indicator yet) show up on the display as failed bulbs, so I am told I need to fit a load resistor for each bulb but the bulb holder is for the stop/tail lights, indicators and reversing lights. A plug with four wires connects to the bulb holder assembly. I am now unsure if it is o.k. to connect the load resitor to a wire supplying the power to all three bulbs. Can you advise if this is alright, and can I just have one load resitor and change all three bulbs to LED?

TheBoy · « **Reply #1 on:** 20 July 2006, 19:17:53 »

Its gonna depend on the load resistor they supplied as to whether 1 per bulb or 1 per circuit. The vendor should be able to clarify.

STMO123 · « **Reply #2 on:** 20 July 2006, 19:40:14 »

Now heres a surprise...I never knew you had to fit load resistors when using LED's, and I've looked at them on ebay loads of times. Funny the sellers never mention that. I wonder how many people buy these things and then just cant be bothered with the hassle.

philayl · « **Reply #3 on:** 20 July 2006, 19:41:31 »

Hi, he says one per bulb, but this is not possible with the wiring as it is, e.g one plug for all the bulbs in the bulb holder assembly, is there another way round it?

TheBoy · « **Reply #4 on:** 20 July 2006, 19:41:59 »

Any car that has blown bulb detection, as many Omegas do, will require the load resistors so the LEDs (combined with load resistor) pull same current as traditional bulb

philayl · « **Reply #5 on:** 20 July 2006, 19:44:09 »

Hi STMO123, they do work o.k. on the stop/tail anyway, but show up on the MFD as blown bulbs, I believe the indicators flash rapidly without the load resistors.

cipher · « **Reply #6 on:** 20 July 2006, 20:21:25 »

Try this for the indicators, should sort out the flash rate:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LED-INDICATORS-Fix-Fast-Flash-Problem-Hornet-SV-Ducati_W0QQitemZ200007497803QQihZ010QQcategoryZ25643QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

philayl · « **Reply #7 on:** 20 July 2006, 20:35:17 »

Hi, these are what I have bought, but as I said before the wires to the indicators and stop/tail lights are not seperate, they run off one power supply, and you are supposed to fit one per bulb, which is not possible, so where do you fit the load resistors. p.s. I paid £5.99 for a pair of them from C.M.S. Supplies on ebay, this chap wants £9.99!

Liam · « **Reply #8 on:** 20 July 2006, 20:54:30 »

Hi there,

Dont quite get what your problem is - there are separate feeds to each different light. There has to be or they wouldn't be able to operate independantly! They will share a common ground but that wont stop you wiring resistors accross each bulb individually. If you need the wire colours i can get them off me diagrams for you (or do you have a haynes?), but it ought to be easy to see which wires feed which lights (he says without having a look at the car...).

Liam

Marks DTM Calib · « **Reply #9 on:** 20 July 2006, 21:09:53 »

Probably easier to play around with the signals to the mid....

pin17 is the head light fault input
pin18 is the brake light fault input.

By disconnecting the feed wire to the mid and connecting it to either 12V or 0V (I dont know which as I havn't tried it) you would be effectively permanently disabling the error message.

philayl · « **Reply #10 on:** 21 July 2006, 17:07:02 »

Hi Liam, have been out to have another look at the rear light clusters, I can now tell you exactly what my problem is, I am thick, stupid, married and thoroughly ashamed of myself. I stupidly thought the brown wire was the live feed, when it is the earth, something you said woke me up, "There are seperate feeds to each light....... or they would'nt work independantly", obvious when you see it written down! Anyway have fitted the load resistor to the brake light live feed and to the common groung wire(brown one, doh!) Only problem is the tail lights show as blown, so I will have to order two more load resistors and do the same with them. p.s. the brake lights no longer show as blown, at least I got something right eh! Thanks for all your help lads.

nixoro · « **Reply #11 on:** 21 July 2006, 17:09:10 »

Sounds interesting the LED conversion, is there any chance you could do a How2 guide.

Cheers
Roy

Marks DTM Calib · « **Reply #12 on:** 21 July 2006, 18:14:11 »

I think fitting load resistors is bad.....disonnect the mid signals rather than cooking a set of resistors in the light cluster area.

philayl · « **Reply #13 on:** 21 July 2006, 18:51:30 »

Quote

I think fitting load resistors is bad.....disonnect the mid signals rather than cooking a set of resistors in the light cluster area.

Hi Mark, I hear what you are saying, but I have no idea how to disconnect the MID signals, and if it means removing the MID unit I don't feel confident enough to do it. I will however keep a close eye on the arrangement for a while to see if any problems occur.

philayl · « **Reply #14 on:** 21 July 2006, 18:57:02 »

Quote

Sounds interesting the LED conversion, is there any chance you could do a How2 guide.

Cheers
Roy

Hi Roy, if this works with no problems, I would be only to happy to do a How2. I have only done the brake light side of the stop\tail at the moment. I have just ordered two more load resistors to do the tail light side. Will let you know if it works o.k. If there are no overheating problems either with the resistors or the stop/tail assembly, and the bulbs don't blow, I will report back after fitting the next two resistors.

STMO123 · « **Reply #15 on:** 21 July 2006, 19:05:00 »

Hi Phil. It may be only my opinion, but it seems like a hell of a lot of trouble to go to. What exactly are the benefits of having LED's? :-/

philayl · « **Reply #16 on:** 21 July 2006, 20:36:42 »

Quote

Hi Phil. It may be only my opinion, but it seems like a hell of a lot of trouble to go to. What exactly are the benefits of having LED's? :-/

Basically I have had to change the stop/tail bulbs four times in the 15 months I have owned the car, and I have always purchased good quality bulbs, either Osram or Philips. LED bulbs are supposed to last the lifetime of a car, so I thought I would give them a try. Also the amber coloured LED indicator bulbs are far superior to the painted ones in use at present.

TheBoy · « **Reply #17 on:** 21 July 2006, 20:42:38 »

Loose connections or bad earths are usual reason for constant blowing bulbs - although I find the Vx bulbs do see to last better in my car...

STMO123 · « **Reply #18 on:** 21 July 2006, 20:56:49 »

I can honestly say I've never paid more than 50p for a stop/tail or indicator. I've never had any trouble with them and presumed everybody used them.

Salty · « **Reply #19 on:** 21 July 2006, 21:03:03 »

I usually get a couple of years out of a bulb, generally most problems I've had have been bad coonections, poor earths etc.

philayl · « **Reply #20 on:** 21 July 2006, 21:17:01 »

Quote

Loose connections or bad earths are usual reason for constant blowing bulbs - although I find the Vx bulbs do see to last better in my car...

I have checked the above, it is always the brake light filament that blows, I even fitted a new brake light switch, and all rear bulbs have a common earth so why just that bulb, after the last one blew two weeks ago I thought why not try the LED's. It is only an experiment and if it doesn't work I will go back to the ordinary bulbs, I suppose we even learn something by failing, if thats the way it goes.

Marks DTM Calib · « **Reply #21 on:** 21 July 2006, 22:21:21 »

Watch the ratings on the non gen bulbs, the Omega tail light bulbs are not the standard wattage(and hence th false warnings!).

markrl · « **Reply #22 on:** 22 July 2006, 01:30:43 »

I have to say this does seem to be an awful lot of expense and aggravation with only marginal and somewhat dubious benefits. In the four years I have my Omega I don’t think I have had to change a single bulb. I hope you find it worthwhile in the end.

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Author Topic: LED Bulbs (Read 4008 times)

STMO123

STMO123

STMO123