Anyone try LED bulbs for front/rear lights

[sbkim]

Just looking for a simple project.

 

[trainville]

Not in the Viper, but I've tried LED's in my trucks signal lights. They weren't plug and play. I'm not an electrician, but there was some kind of relay or diode that had to be wired into the harness to make them flash. When the blinker turned on, the LED would just light up solid.....something to do with their draw/amperage/??

How about using the chrome coated amber bulbs inside clear corner lenses? They look great!

 

[InjectTheVenom]

Not seen it on a Viper, but one guy in my club did it to his car. Looks pretty darn neat :

http://img93.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img04527zm.jpg
http://img93.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img04511in.jpg
http://img93.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img04503cp.jpg
http://img93.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img04495zj.jpg
http://img93.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img04483ot.jpg

 

[Ulysses]

There are a few who have done it. The problem you usually see is hyper flashing. You need to order the in-line resistor along with the bulb. The diodes do not have the same resistance as a regular bulb.

 

[sbkim]

I presume using them for brake lights shouldn't cause the hyper blinking? I guess the bigger issue is how in the heck do you get the rear bulb replaced - remove the rear carpet?

 

[Ulysses]

I presume using them for brake lights shouldn't cause the hyper blinking? I guess the bigger issue is how in the heck do you get the rear bulb replaced - remove the rear carpet?

Correct. You can peel back the carpet to get to the brake light access.

 

[Randy]

They aren't bright enough. I bought a set, put them on one side of my Viper, compared the two, and took them back out and put the regular incandescent bulbs back in immediately. No way I'm using those dim things in my car. I want someone behind me to SEE that my brake lights are on.

 

[sbkim]

Randy - thanks for the headsup. Yes, I also heard that they were not bright even. How many LEDs were on your bulb? Obviously, more the brighter. Founda a bulb with 24 LED bulbs which should be acceptable...

 

[Randy]

Randy - thanks for the headsup. Yes, I also heard that they were not bright even. How many LEDs were on your bulb? Obviously, more the brighter. Founda a bulb with 24 LED bulbs which should be acceptable...

Hmmm... That might work. Where'd you find them? Will they actually fit into the taillights?

The LED taillight replacement "bulbs" I tried are 12 LEDs each (9 around the outside edge, 3 in the middle), with a "3157" label on it. Six bulb replacements are required for the tail/stop lights and two each for turn signals and backup lights. Likewise, the amber signal and white backup bulb assemblies are the same 12 LED configuration.

Part of the problem with the 12 LED lights I bought, I'm convinced, is that they are NOT *white* LEDs. They are red for the taillights, amber for the signals, and white only for the backup lights, along with a pair of 6 ohm (thats *six* ohm) 50 watt resistors to splice inline on the turn signals in order to slow the flashing back down to where it should be. When discussing the "bulb" color with the local club member that I bought these from and sells them on the Internet, I became convinced he didn't know what he was talking about concerning optics and intensity when it came to using red-color LED's for the tail lights, etc. In my non-expert opinion, all of the LED replacement "bulbs" should be WHITE, just like the original bulbs, or the colored lenses will attenuate the light further.

If you've got 24-LED white bulb replacements, give'em a try - put them initially into just one side and compare how they look at night (make sure you get someone to step on the brake to measure the on-brake intensity also). If they're as bright or brighter (even better), I'd say you've got a winner. Then, please let me know your results, and if favorable, where you found the 24-bulb LED replacements.

 

[vipeuup]

They aren't bright enough. I bought a set, put them on one side of my Viper, compared the two, and took them back out and put the regular incandescent bulbs back in immediately. No way I'm using those dim things in my car. I want someone behind me to SEE that my brake lights are on.

The ones you bought. What kind were they? Its a fact that LED lights are brighter than reg. bulbs. Good example the new BMWs. At night when im behind one. Man those LED brake lights are way brighter and more crisp.

 

[Randy]

The ones you bought. What kind were they?

No idea as to the brand. They were direct replacement for the push-in socket type bulbs that are used in the Viper, and had a label on the side that said "3157".

Its a fact that LED lights are brighter than reg. bulbs. Good example the new BMWs. At night when im behind one. Man those LED brake lights are way brighter and more crisp.

Eh? No, its actually *not* "a fact that LED lights are brighter than regular bulbs". However, nor is it correct for me to perhaps imply that they were always going to be dimmer - neither statement is correct, as *either* can be brighter reguardless of the construction - it all depends on the actual light output. (Duh! ). Now, whether they can fit enough LEDs and/or LEDs of enough light output exist that can fit in the same space is the question.

All of the LED "bulbs" I've seen that are meant to be direct plug-in replacements for stock incandescent Viper tail light bulbs have indeed been dimmer. YET, I've not necessarily seen *all* such bulbs that are made for that purpose. I would love to find some direct plug-in replacement LED assemblies that are actually brighter than the stock incandescents, and will fit in the same sockets without any modifications.

 

[sbkim]

Here is the link

http://www.superbrightleds.com/carbulb-notes.htm

The thing I like about these guys is that they don't seem to [******] and make their own products. Price is fairly reasonable as well.

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=CAR

The white led is a good suggestion and prob why it costs another $4, for a total of about $12 each! I belive we need a total of 4?

Randy - how did it look with headlights on and without braking? I presume it still lights up? Hope so or you'll get rear ended at night!

 

[Randy]

<links>
The white led is a good suggestion and prob why it costs another $4, for a total of about $12 each! I belive we need a total of 4?
Randy - how did it look with headlights on and without braking? I presume it still lights up? Hope so or you'll get rear ended at night!

Thanks for the links. I note that the first thing in the "notes" is that you actually *should* use the same color LEDs as the lens color. I still have extremely strong doubts that a white LED replacement would not work as well or even better than an LED assembly whose color matches the lens color. The page http://www.superbrightleds.com/carbulb-notes.htm does have some extremely good things to note about the differences - the fact that LEDs will all radiate straight instead of all directions; so your tail light will look like three "spots" of light instead of the whole taillight lens lighting up (since none of it is bouncing off of the internal reflector), as well as the comments about the bulb assemblies - all but the 30-LED will fit in a normal bulb's space, etc.

There are three tail light bulbs per side in the Gen I and Gen II taillight assemblies, as well as one turn signal and one backup light. I agree, you likely don't need the turn signal or backup light to be LEDs. In fact, if you replace the turn signal bulbs with LED assemblies, you'll have to add a resister in parallel to increase the current consumption, or the turn signals will flash much too fast.

Assuming you are only replacing tail/stop lights, then you will need six bulbs total, which, at $12 each, would imply just shy of $100 if tax/etc is included.

Both the normal tail lights and stop lights were too dim with the 12-LED "3157" replacement bulbs I have. I would hope the 24-LED bulbs are twice as bright as the 12-LED bulbs.

 

[sbkim]

Randy - thanks for the info. That's one expensive upgrade for light bulbs. Given that our lens are so opaque (not clear) I wonder if the LEDs will even make much difference??

 

[Randy]

Randy - thanks for the info. That's one expensive upgrade for light bulbs. Given that our lens are so opaque (not clear) I wonder if the LEDs will even make much difference??

The transluscent lenses aren't the issue, the difference is in the on/off time. LED lights come on pretty much *instantaneously*, and the cover doesn't affect that. You don't really notice how slow incandescent bulbs come on and go off until you see LED lights.

Other than the on/off time, there's no point. Granted, many may think there is no point to LED lights anyway - but I do believe there is a psychological difference when they come on *BAM*; immediately - just like when you see the Caddy or Beemer with LED lights, you *do* notice it, and I think it will cause people to keep a bit further back from the car, especially when stuck in traffic, etc. (Tailgaters aren't usually an issue with an open road. )

 

[Randy]

That's one expensive upgrade for light bulbs.

Actually, I looked at the link you posted, and the 25-LED replacement that are appropriate for the Viper (looks like the 3157-25 LED bulb) in red would be $7.95 each. Six of them plus $5 shipping is $52.70 (not the $12ea/~$77total originally mentioned). Not that expensive, actually...

 

[Randy]

Followup: I ordered and received a set of the 25-LED 3157 bulbs (19 facing straight out, 6 arranged pointing radially for fill light) from the web site mentioned above, and installed them on one side of the rear - three tail light bulbs and one turn signal bulb, then compared them - brakes off, brakes on, flashers on.

My verdict? I'm afraid I'm going to have to return them. I'm looking for *brighter* in addition to more instant-on times with the brakes and turn signals, yet all of the 25-LED bulbs I tried are dimmer than stock.

The tail lights (brakes off) are *almost* acceptable, although they are slightly dimmer than the normal stock incandescent bulbs. But the problem comes with the brake lights - you can barely tell the difference between off-brake and on-brake on the LED side, while the normal incandescent bulbs are easily twice as bright as the LED bulbs with the brakes on.

The single bulb amber turn signal bulb was a bit better - not quite as bright as stock and don't fill out the turn signal as well (as expdected). But, the difference in on/off times, while noticable, was not as startingly "instant" as I'm used to with the OEM LED lights. As such, I prefer the bightness and fill of the stock bulbs and don't see *any* advantage in reducing the brightness.

http://www.superbrightleds.com does have 30 LED bulbs, but they state that these 30-LED bulbs are 1 1/8" in diameter, which is larger than the standard 1" opening. I measured the Viper taillights bulb openings, and they are 1" openings, so I don't think the larger 30-LED bulbs will fit.

 

[slaughterj]

What's the point in switching to LED bulbs?

 

[sbkim]

Randy - thank you for the update! Sorry you have to go through all the trouble for us.

Obviously retro-fitting with just LED bulbs is not the answer - it will prob take new lens an alot more bigger LEDs to work.

 

[AJT]

I remember seeing on a sunday garage shop show a LED light called Spider lights. They were strips of lights that folded & you put in the lens & they onfold & look like the Lexus taillights.

\|/
-- .--
/|\ They looked kind of like this.

 

[Randy]

What's the point in switching to LED bulbs?

As already mentioned above, in order to get the "instant-on" and hopefully brighter lights, like many high-end vehicles are now equipped with. Otherwise, there's really no point, I agree. Hence, why I tried them and switched back when they didn't deliver.

 

[Randy]

Randy - thank you for the update! Sorry you have to go through all the trouble for us.

Obviously retro-fitting with just LED bulbs is not the answer - it will prob take new lens an alot more bigger LEDs to work.

Well, I had already tried LED bulbs about a year ago, and I thought you had found a better supplier than I had since they had *25* LED bulbs, which implied to me that they would be brighter than those I'd tried before. Too bad that more LED's does not necessarily mean brighter, as the 25-LED bulbs are evidently constucted of LED's that are each half as bright as the 12-LED bulbs I'd already tried before, as the 25 LED bulbs seem just as dim as the 12-LED bulbs I'd tried before.

I don't think that a new lens would be required, although it would probably help; but then it would likely have to be a clear lens. Not sure I'd want to do that to the car, even if someone actually made a replacement set of clear lenses. Instead, I'd just like to seem some really honking bright LED replacements.

 

[Saint_Spinner]

Have you tried www.clearcorners.com ? They seem to make custom LED installments....perhaps they can make one for the Viper if enough people are interested.

 

[AJT]

It was on Two Guys Garage.