# Automotive replacement LED bulbs



## cobb (Mar 25, 2007)

Are the led bulbs for automotive fixtures on par with regular bulbs? I just got a new car and would like to switch some over to LED. Ive read that one site sold 3w modules, but I think I read somewhere that they do not have enough metal around them in general use to disapate enough heat for a long life and use about the same power draw. My use of led was to save power. 

Its for a scion xa. Although the stop and parking rear lights use a deep dish multi facited reflector, I am pretty sure the turn signal, front parking lights and 3rd brake light can use them. Heck, maybe I can get white ones for the reverse, license plate light, 2 dome lights and the front clear projector lamps. 

Seems when my parking lights are on, there are two dim white lights that come on in my head light area. Maybe the brightness of a 2 cell mag light. THey turn off with my head lights are on, but turn off when my parking lights are off. I think a white led light would make a good improvement.


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## benighted (Mar 25, 2007)

autolumination.com has some good 3watt LED replacements, heatsinked and everything. I have a pair of the 3 watt amber LED modules for my rear turn signals. All of my running lights and front turn-signals have the multi 5mm modules (replaced 5-watt 194 wedge bulbs). Reverse lights need to remain incandescent if you want them to be of any real use.

For dome lights I use one the dome light modules available from taskled.com for the main dome and RED (passengers can use red light without annoying the driver[me]) and multi 5mm LED conversions for the map lights.


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## cobb (Mar 27, 2007)

Wow, soo many to choose from. Where do I start? The flashing brke bulbs seem neat. Then maybe some of those 3 1 watt or 1 3 watt led end mount bulbs to put in the 3rd brake light. White for the front white markers to make them bluer and maybe the ten watt bulb for the reverse lights. 

So, are they brighter than the stock bulbs, led vs the filiment ones?


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## Diesel_Bomber (Mar 28, 2007)

Benighted-

Thanks for the Autolumination site, may be ordering some of their stuff myself. 

:buddies:


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## MikeSalt (Mar 29, 2007)

I read somewhere, I think it was the LumiLeds site, that LEDs improve safety. An LED brake light activates almost instantly, whereas an incandescent takes time to warm up. I believe that they quoted, at highway speeds, reaction to braking distances was improved by 7.6 metres. That's about two car lengths! More than enough to prevent most whiplash incidents!


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## Alin10123 (Mar 29, 2007)

MikeSalt said:


> I read somewhere, I think it was the LumiLeds site, that LEDs improve safety. An LED brake light activates almost instantly, whereas an incandescent takes time to warm up. I believe that they quoted, at highway speeds, reaction to braking distances was improved by 7.6 metres. That's about two car lengths! More than enough to prevent most whiplash incidents!



huh? seriously? hmm... interesting if it's true... i have no idea. I figure there might be some truth to that. but i cant see how huge of a difference it would make. Although... i could be wrong.


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## 2xTrinity (Mar 29, 2007)

Alin10123 said:


> huh? seriously? hmm... interesting if it's true... i have no idea. I figure there might be some truth to that. but i cant see how huge of a difference it would make. Although... i could be wrong.


7.6 meters is probably based on something like 35 meters per second driving speed, and 0.2 seconds improved reaction time. That would matter most if they brake lights you see are from a completely stopped car. If you're just trying to keep from hitting somoene that has simply slowed down to have the speed, then the relevant figure will be the _difference_ in speed. 

Either way though, I think the biggest problem isn't that people don't react quickly enough initially, but that most people apply the brakes too gradually at first in an emergency situation, then only once they realize the severity, brake harder. Some sort of feedback, such as variable intensity brake lights based on the deceleration rate -- ie, they get brighter in a panic braking situation, might be helpful.


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## Alin10123 (Mar 29, 2007)

2xTrinity said:


> 7.6 meters is probably based on something like 35 meters per second driving speed, and 0.2 seconds improved reaction time. That would matter most if they brake lights you see are from a completely stopped car. If you're just trying to keep from hitting somoene that has simply slowed down to have the speed, then the relevant figure will be the _difference_ in speed.
> 
> Either way though, I think the biggest problem isn't that people don't react quickly enough initially, but that most people apply the brakes too gradually at first in an emergency situation, then only once they realize the severity, brake harder. Some sort of feedback, such as variable intensity brake lights based on the deceleration rate -- ie, they get brighter in a panic braking situation, might be helpful.



Well that's what i'm saying. For most humans when they are in a relaxed state and unready to just slam on their brakes... i doubt the 0.2 would make a difference. But who knows which scientific claim they used to come up with that. Maybe they just did it based off pure calculation.


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## cobb (Mar 29, 2007)

I am all for led bulbs, I just am trying to figure out before ordering, are they as bright as regular bulbs and which one to order as seems they make quite a few styles. Like for one kind they have 3 1 watt emitters and another 1 3 watt emitter with no specs regards to light output. Then they have those with the single leds and surface mount, etc.


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## Diesel_Bomber (Mar 29, 2007)

Here is another option for LED brake lights. There are customer testimonies with pictures listed as well.

LEDtronics base site. LED bulbs for EVERYTHING.


:buddies:


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## Opto-King (Mar 30, 2007)

Hello guys,
I'm sorry to burst your bubble but I hope that you do know that you might have some problems when you are changing from light bulbs to LED bulbs due to that the car manufacturers have an internal safety system. This system functions as follows; the cars "computer" sends out an pulse and if the lamp bulb is working the Vf goes thru and the system says OK. But, when changing to an LED lamp bulb the Vf is changed and this makes the internal system go crazy.

Me my self is 100% for LEDs but this is the information that I have received from a friend of mine that is working at GM.

If any one of you guys do make any prototypes please post some pictures of it.

Regards,
Opto-king


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## cobb (Mar 30, 2007)

You are right. The trucking company I work for if you change the lighting system by going led vs regular bulbs without the resistor load, it will cause a fault thinking a short exists somewhere. Of course I hope everyone knows if you switch out your turn signal bulbs for regular ones they will blink rapidly if electronic or not at all if bimetallic.


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## Eugene (Apr 4, 2007)

Actually the reason LEDs don't work is the other way around, they don't draw enough current so the computer thinks they are open not shorted.
As far as LED brightness compared to incan, it all depends on the LED bulb you buy, some are brighter, some of the cheap ones are not.
Don't get the blinking ones for brake lights, in the US red turn signals are allowed and used a lot so your blinking brake light could get mistaken for a turn signal.


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## cobb (Apr 4, 2007)

I see what you mean, many cars still uses blinking red turn signals that double as stop/parking lights. 

Looks like I need to find some output ratings before replacing every bulb with them.


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## Eugene (Apr 5, 2007)

yea, the output rating you will need.
I bought some automotive LEDs and they were very dim some compare to what your replacing and even then since they may not reflect the same they still might not be as bright.


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## moeman (Apr 6, 2007)

http://www.superbrightleds.com

is another source.I have used and they make a good product and are based in STL, too.


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## peachfuzz163 (May 7, 2007)

Has anyone used the IPCW tail lights (or 3rd brake light)? I was looking at http://www.inprocarwear.com for at least a new 3rd brake light for my pickup. They seem to have some pretty cool products.


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## riffraff (May 10, 2007)

2xTrinity said:


> [...]Either way though, I think the biggest problem isn't that people don't react quickly enough initially, but that most people apply the brakes too gradually at first in an emergency situation, then only once they realize the severity, brake harder. Some sort of feedback, such as variable intensity brake lights based on the deceleration rate -- ie, they get brighter in a panic braking situation, might be helpful.


Years ago, before the advent of electronic accelerometers, a company made an inertia-sensing device that was connected to a car's stoplights. It was about the size of a license plate, and maybe an inch thick. It had an array of mercury switches, all arranged at slightly different angles from it's neighbor. If you just touched the brakes, the light would begin flashing at a fairly low rate. The harder you pressed on the brakes, the more the front end would dive, and the more the angle of the device tipped forward. It follows that more and more mercury switches would conduct, and the device would increase its flash in both brightness and rate. I recall that they equipped some major cab service in New York with a bunch of the devices for a year. Comparisons showed that cabs with the devices had a fifty percent lower rate of rear-end collisions. They sold the devices to motorcyclists for a while. I don't know what ever happened to the company. :thinking: 

Nowadays, with solid-state accelerometers the size of your fingernail, this system could be brought back really inexpensively, I would think. I already have a poor-man's version, sans accelerometer...my CHMSL flashes at about a 3 Hertz rate, for about 2 seconds, when I first press on the brakes. Then it goes steady, and starts counting down internally for 8 seconds before resetting (so it doesn't flash annoyingly in stop-and-go traffic).


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