Has anyone done the tail/stop lights with LED. Reason for asking is that I have just done them and have noticed that when I put my foot on the brake when the lights are off, it lights up the instrumentation and dims the readout on the screen in the centre console. Weird huh? I know that they draw less current than incandescent and that this can stuff up your blinkers unless you put inline resistors in or have a relay that is specifically for them, but this one is a bit more interesting. When I get a spare couple of minutes I will drop them out and replace them with the old ones to prove the issue. In the mean time has anyone else done this and noticed a problem?

Might have a short between parkers and stop brake thus causing your fault :) Make sure the bulb is a dual type LED type and not a single LED type :)

Sounds like you used the ground/positive of the parkers for your brakes or something like that.

Might have a short between parkers and stop brake thus causing your fault :) Make sure the bulb is a dual type LED type and not a single LED type :)

+1 on this

If it is a short then it must be in the led itself as nothing else has changed. Sparky these are the ones I bought http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250725568849&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT
Nothing happens when the parkers or the headlights are on and if there was a short it should manifest in the light itself as well, which it isnt. Both in parker and stop config they work as expected. Mmmm.....

Yeah it would be the led itself (wasn't say your electrical system have a short lol), yeah they might have some sort of leakage or short that causing your problem. When your lights are on and then press the brake on yeah would ack normal, but when the lights are off and you hit the brake pedal your problem would show. Could be one faulty led lamp, take out one led lamp at a time and see if the fault still there :) Yeah some led bulb can be cheaply made and not work right :)

Yeah I will try that too. I may replace one led with an incandescent light one at a time to see if it makes a difference.

Yes, swap one of them and see what happens. TBH, those ones you have won't be bright enough. You need ones with M-SMD LEDs like the ones I have. These are very bright and require fewer LEDs. Mine has 6 front facing SMD LEDs and 21 side facing 0.5W M-SMD LEDs. Mine was direct from a US seller but they sell Ebay as well but are not cheap (pair for $90 delivered). Have had plenty of cops follow me during the day and night with no problems. Do a search for my threads on this to find the exact seller.

Yes, swap one of them and see what happens. TBH, those ones you have won't be bright enough. You need ones with M-SMD LEDs like the ones I have. These are very bright and require fewer LEDs. Mine has 6 front facing SMD LEDs and 21 side facing 0.5W M-SMD LEDs. Mine was direct from a US seller but they sell Ebay as well but are not cheap (pair for $90 delivered). Have had plenty of cops follow me during the day and night with no problems. Do a search for my threads on this to find the exact seller.
Do you have a link to the ones that you got?

Do you have a link to the ones that you got?

I had these (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2-RED-3157-V-LEDS-HIGH-POWER-20-LED-BRAKE-BULBS-VS-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3362b0bfdbQQitemZ22069 9082715QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccesso ries).
Do you require 3157 wedge type or normal bayonet (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2-RED-1156-V-LEDS-7W-HIGH-POWER-20-LED-LIGHT-BULBS-VS-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem35ae3505ccQQitemZ23055 5977164QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccesso ries) type?
This is their ebay store (http://stores.ebay.com.au/V-LEDS/Red-LED-/_i.html?_fsub=18511975&_sid=37115287&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322).

Either way, you need the 7W high powered ones which are the ones I linked above.

P.S. My bad, mine had 14 side firing and 6 front firing LEDs.

Bayonet. I have also tried a few things. I took out one lamp and replaced it with an incandescent. It worked fine. I reversed that and did the same with the other side and it worked fine. I took one out and it still worked fine. I put both back in and the "anomoly" was there again. Weird eh? It is def not a short in one light then. Scratch your head on that one sparky, I am!

To me sounds like the LED bulbs have a problem and should be chuck in the bin lol As they are causing an issues with your electrical system lol But that how some times you repair a fault or the other solution is to pull them apart and to try and mod/fix :) Yeah stick with the incandescent lamps for now lol

it definitely sounds like a lack of current draw issue. the high powered 7w m-smd ones should work.

Why the heck would current draw be an issues that only for indicators lamp lol As I said if you short out a two filament lamp it will do the exacted fault lol Meh each to there own I suppose lol

I would be more inclined to think it is an issue with impedance. I am thinking about a resistor. I will have a google and see what I can find.

Well I should have done that first I guess. I found this site that basically stated what I finally got around to thinking.
http://www.plasmaled.com/tail_light_led_bulb_fix.htm
There may be some credence to what Vlad was saying there sparky.

Yeah ok vlad might be right but still not sold on the idea. You can buy cheap resistor from jaycar, give a shot and see what happens :)

From what they say you have to have something a bit more robust so it doesn't burn out. Will sniff around a bit more. Thanks heaps sparky and vlad for your input. It is always good to bounce things around here, even if you get conflicting answers sometimes. It churns the grey matter into action.

Interestingly the front parkers also come on when you hit the brakes with no lights on. It seems it is loading the circuit to what it thinks it needs.

That because the led are dogy there a short in them. If you short brake and parker circuit all the light will come on, so therefore all the park light will come this includes dash light, front parkers and rear parkers and of course the brake lights lol Current draw has nothing to do with it lol Just look at a typical wiring diagram and you see what I mean, current draw issues for indicators and ECU that warn your when a lamp fails lol

lol I have put some led lights in my rear 380 lights ,and apart from not being as bright as the stockies,thought every thing was okay,till i watched my wife drive away last night and noticed that the third brake light in the spoiler was dimly lit like a parker,and when she hit the brakes,it lit up like normal...:nuts:

That a current draw issues Maggie :)

lol I have put some led lights in my rear 380 lights ,and apart from not being as bright as the stockies,thought every thing was okay,till i watched my wife drive away last night and noticed that the third brake light in the spoiler was dimly lit like a parker,and when she hit the brakes,it lit up like normal...:nuts:

yeah i get that if i use LED's in my dome light...ahah

Just return those you bought as faulty and get the V-LED ones I mentioned before. You wont have problems with them. I have tried ones from Ebay and the OZ LED online shop. Returned all theirs due to problems with brightness and other issues. I've have the V-LEDS for over a year now. Will take some day-time and night-time pics and post on this thread.

That would be good. I also noted that my front parkers come on when I brake. I am thinking of overcoming this by putting an additional parcel shelf stop light in. Cant have enough stop lights in my books

Vlad, would these LED's you mention above fit a Falcon (BA) too? They don't say what type of bulb they replace, so I'm guessing all brake lights are the same?

If your rear lights are a double bulb fillament they will fit :)

Matey just piss em off and get the phillips globes I got last year heap better and no issues

Vlad, would these LED's you mention above fit a Falcon (BA) too? They don't say what type of bulb they replace, so I'm guessing all brake lights are the same?

Depends. What socket type are the ones on the BA? bayonet, wedge etc. Which ever type, you'll need the dual filament type. So for wedges like the ones I use, its 3157. There is a larger wedge type as well. I think even with the bayonet type, there are two sizes.

Matey just piss em off and get the phillips globes I got last year heap better and no issues

which ones?

which ones?


http://cgi.ebay.com.au/PHILIPS-P21-5W-380-FAST-REACT-BRAKE-LIGHT-BULBS_W0QQitemZ310187608347QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_C arsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item48389f491b

Damn cheap too!

well I aint had any more rear enders since I put them in

Perhaps you drive too slow he he he lol

No way I have better brakes now and I like to use em

OK. Have taken some day-time photos with the sun shining on the back of the car.

As you can see, the V-LEDS are brighter and don't get washed out. The difference is much more noticalble with the naked eye. Will take some night shots of my car tonight.

Pic 1: My car with V-LEDS standing at drivers eye level at 3 metres behind the car:
http://i856.photobucket.com/albums/ab124/vbednikov/Rear%20Lights/my-rear-lights-1.jpg

Pic 2: My car with V-LEDS close up:
http://i856.photobucket.com/albums/ab124/vbednikov/Rear%20Lights/my-rear-lights-2.jpg

Pic 3: Mates Ralliart with standard bulbs at drivers eye level at 3 metres behind the car:
http://i856.photobucket.com/albums/ab124/vbednikov/Rear%20Lights/ralliart-rear-lights-1.jpg

Pic 4: Mates Ralliart with standard bylbs close up:
http://i856.photobucket.com/albums/ab124/vbednikov/Rear%20Lights/ralliart-rear-lights-2.jpg

Pic 5: Both cars together (was actually standing closer towards the Ralliart):
http://i856.photobucket.com/albums/ab124/vbednikov/Rear%20Lights/together-rear-lights.jpg

looks good...now have you got a link to these u-beaut-bulbs ?

looks good...now have you got a link to these u-beaut-bulbs ?

Page 1 post #10.

Here are two night shots. Had to use flash otherwise it washes out the pic.
pic1 - close up:
http://i856.photobucket.com/albums/ab124/vbednikov/Rear%20Lights/night-lights-1.jpg

pic2 - further away:
http://i856.photobucket.com/albums/ab124/vbednikov/Rear%20Lights/night-lights-2.jpg

Still alot of $$ for 2 globes though isn't it?

Yes but you won't have to change them for the life of the car. Plus they are faster reacting and brighter and do not fade under direct sunlight (which prevents rear enders in morning and afternoon peak hour traffic). Good insurance. Hence in Adelaide, most if not all east/west facing traffic lights have been changed to LED type.

fair comment and cheap insurance under the circumstance. I am thinking about a parcel shelf additional LED brake light to give more oomph in both light and current. It may make the difference. I will advise what I do.

I want LED's in both of my cars. Need to change the bulb in the spoiler at the same time. Paying for the good stuff is no problem, no use buying cheap LED's which cause problems and you have to replace them anyhow.

I would have thought the ones that I bought would have been ok. It is a PITA to be stuffed around like this. I wouldn't have thought that power usage would have been that big an issue on these.