Questions about LED Turn Signal Bulbs
07-16-2019, 10:05 PM
#31
I took a good, hard look at access to the bulbs, and I can certainly do it from above... without having to remove a wheel and peel back the liner. However, I will have to remove the R2C air intakes. Not just the filters, but the shields too, which essentially means the entire intake. And since the only way to do that is to remove the engine cover, which means removing the tower brace... well, not tonight, LOL. Maybe not even tomorrow. Not exactly in the mood to be tearing things down, however simple the task.
The headlight bulbs I had to install from the wheel wells. But for anyone who's messed around with their turn signals, which is easiest, from the top, or from the wheel-well?
And I haven't figured out where or how to mount the load resistors. I'm thinking a thick strip of 3M indoor/outdoor mounting tape should do the trick, wherever I put it.
The headlight bulbs I had to install from the wheel wells. But for anyone who's messed around with their turn signals, which is easiest, from the top, or from the wheel-well?
And I haven't figured out where or how to mount the load resistors. I'm thinking a thick strip of 3M indoor/outdoor mounting tape should do the trick, wherever I put it.
Free tips:
Put some silicone paste in 7440/7443 socket (contacts like to rust).
Led Driver should be placed in dry place, it is waterproofed with potting compound, but usually not good enough. End caps of enclosure is a week spot, some liquid tape on the end caps, should help a lot.
Good luck.
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Rochester (07-17-2019)
07-16-2019, 10:13 PM
#32
DIY Cheapskate/Mod
I took a good, hard look at access to the bulbs, and I can certainly do it from above... without having to remove a wheel and peel back the liner. However, I will have to remove the R2C air intakes. Not just the filters, but the shields too, which essentially means the entire intake. And since the only way to do that is to remove the engine cover, which means removing the tower brace... well, not tonight, LOL. Maybe not even tomorrow. Not exactly in the mood to be tearing things down, however simple the task.
The headlight bulbs I had to install from the wheel wells. But for anyone who's messed around with their turn signals, which is easiest, from the top, or from the wheel-well?
And I haven't figured out where or how to mount the load resistors. I'm thinking a thick strip of 3M indoor/outdoor mounting tape should do the trick, wherever I put it.
The headlight bulbs I had to install from the wheel wells. But for anyone who's messed around with their turn signals, which is easiest, from the top, or from the wheel-well?
And I haven't figured out where or how to mount the load resistors. I'm thinking a thick strip of 3M indoor/outdoor mounting tape should do the trick, wherever I put it.
I used the 3M tape you're referring to for my resistors, but with the constant heat cycling and exposure to the elements, it held for about 8 months. I ended up mounting them with thin galvanized steel wire. Underneath the metal frame that's right above the headlight. Wish I had a photo. There are enough factory holes there to mount them securely.
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Rochester (07-17-2019)
07-22-2019, 09:03 AM
#33
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The driver's side is actually accessible from up top, to test out one of these bulbs without the hassle of removing the intake, or going in from the wheel-well. Just a test, though, because there isn't enough accessibility to figure out how & where to mount the aluminum brick. So I was with some car friends in Canada this weekend, and we experimented with the driver's side.
Installation is obviously plug & play (except for mounting the load resistor, which wasn't part of the plan.) Twist off the harness, pop out the dual-filament bulb, plug in the new device and slip it back in the housing. Easy peasy. The "universal fit" at the bulb worked just fine, was easy enough to both install and remove. The connector end, however, that needed a little coaxing because it was really tight. But not a hard-stop, and once connected, the bulb totally worked in both "on" and "blinking" modes.
We had three people inside a garage comparing the OEM bulb to the LED, and all three of us came away with the same opinion: we prefer the OEM bulb.
When blinking, the LED is clearly brighter, like 2x brighter, which is a nice safety consideration. Also it has that nice instant on/off behavior which is more appealing than the quick fade on/off of incandescent bulbs. So that was a plus. However, there was no denying the LED leaned more towards yellow than amber. Or better said, all three of us preferred the amber color of the OEM bulb to the LED. Also, there was no getting around the fact that the LED had pin-***** lighting, and by that I mean certain perspectives of the lens had blotches of bright light, whereas the entire OEM glowed with uniform light.
Understand, the LED isn't "bad", and our decisions weren't made right away, we all really had to think about it and discuss things. But in the end, this is what I'm doing, which is nothing. No swap.
Anyone want to try for themselves? I bought them $32 shipped from Amazon, and will pass them on to you for $20 shipped.
Installation is obviously plug & play (except for mounting the load resistor, which wasn't part of the plan.) Twist off the harness, pop out the dual-filament bulb, plug in the new device and slip it back in the housing. Easy peasy. The "universal fit" at the bulb worked just fine, was easy enough to both install and remove. The connector end, however, that needed a little coaxing because it was really tight. But not a hard-stop, and once connected, the bulb totally worked in both "on" and "blinking" modes.
We had three people inside a garage comparing the OEM bulb to the LED, and all three of us came away with the same opinion: we prefer the OEM bulb.
When blinking, the LED is clearly brighter, like 2x brighter, which is a nice safety consideration. Also it has that nice instant on/off behavior which is more appealing than the quick fade on/off of incandescent bulbs. So that was a plus. However, there was no denying the LED leaned more towards yellow than amber. Or better said, all three of us preferred the amber color of the OEM bulb to the LED. Also, there was no getting around the fact that the LED had pin-***** lighting, and by that I mean certain perspectives of the lens had blotches of bright light, whereas the entire OEM glowed with uniform light.
Understand, the LED isn't "bad", and our decisions weren't made right away, we all really had to think about it and discuss things. But in the end, this is what I'm doing, which is nothing. No swap.
Anyone want to try for themselves? I bought them $32 shipped from Amazon, and will pass them on to you for $20 shipped.
07-22-2019, 10:12 AM
#34
I think the best test of alternate light sources (considering difference in light generation, reflectors, etc) is to compare outside in sunlight. I've had several LED amber turn bulbs in other cars that were fine at night, but during the day they were just washed out in a way that the incandescents weren't.
If I had time I would swap the amazon-purchased ones (linked upthread) to the front and compare. They work very well in the tails even though they do not shine through as amber - noticeably brighter than the standard 7440s they replaced. No noticeable hotspots in the reflector like described above. I do not know if they will burn dim/bright blink but they should. They should need external resistors - but on my car they do not.
If I had time I would swap the amazon-purchased ones (linked upthread) to the front and compare. They work very well in the tails even though they do not shine through as amber - noticeably brighter than the standard 7440s they replaced. No noticeable hotspots in the reflector like described above. I do not know if they will burn dim/bright blink but they should. They should need external resistors - but on my car they do not.
07-22-2019, 10:21 AM
#35
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iTrader: (8)
We were in a large, fully lit garage, comparing in bright light and in the dark. The bulbs were absolutely fine, just not amber/orange enough, or diffuse enough, for my taste.
The load resistor gets hot, BTW. Too hot to hold in your hand. So certainly it would have to be mounted against metal, preferably screwed in or strapped down with wire cables.
The load resistor gets hot, BTW. Too hot to hold in your hand. So certainly it would have to be mounted against metal, preferably screwed in or strapped down with wire cables.
07-31-2019, 08:34 AM
#37
DIY Cheapskate/Mod
Are they 10 ohm resistors or 25? I had the crappy little 10 ohm ones and then swapped to the bulky 25 ohm ones. The heat was crazy. A lot less heat (and I am strapped to the metal frame with galvanized wire.
07-31-2019, 08:39 AM
#38
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Thread Starter
iTrader: (8)
There are no markings on the unit itself, but if you look at the pic, it's quite large.Debating whether to start a FS thread for $20 shipped, or just write off the $32 spent as an experiment. There's nothing at all wrong with them, I just prefer the looks of the OEM bulb when lit.
07-31-2019, 11:52 AM
#39
Registered Member
These are expensive but i've had good luck with these. I have the older v3 versions and been running them for 5 years now.
https://www.vleds.com/shop-products/...ton-kit-a.html
I have the switchback versions though.
https://www.vleds.com/shop-products/...ton-kit-a.html
I have the switchback versions though.
07-31-2019, 04:24 PM
#40
Moderador
The driver's side is actually accessible from up top, to test out one of these bulbs without the hassle of removing the intake, or going in from the wheel-well. Just a test, though, because there isn't enough accessibility to figure out how & where to mount the aluminum brick. So I was with some car friends in Canada this weekend, and we experimented with the driver's side.
Installation is obviously plug & play (except for mounting the load resistor, which wasn't part of the plan.) Twist off the harness, pop out the dual-filament bulb, plug in the new device and slip it back in the housing. Easy peasy. The "universal fit" at the bulb worked just fine, was easy enough to both install and remove. The connector end, however, that needed a little coaxing because it was really tight. But not a hard-stop, and once connected, the bulb totally worked in both "on" and "blinking" modes.
We had three people inside a garage comparing the OEM bulb to the LED, and all three of us came away with the same opinion: we prefer the OEM bulb.
When blinking, the LED is clearly brighter, like 2x brighter, which is a nice safety consideration. Also it has that nice instant on/off behavior which is more appealing than the quick fade on/off of incandescent bulbs. So that was a plus. However, there was no denying the LED leaned more towards yellow than amber. Or better said, all three of us preferred the amber color of the OEM bulb to the LED. Also, there was no getting around the fact that the LED had pin-***** lighting, and by that I mean certain perspectives of the lens had blotches of bright light, whereas the entire OEM glowed with uniform light.
Understand, the LED isn't "bad", and our decisions weren't made right away, we all really had to think about it and discuss things. But in the end, this is what I'm doing, which is nothing. No swap.
Anyone want to try for themselves? I bought them $32 shipped from Amazon, and will pass them on to you for $20 shipped.
Installation is obviously plug & play (except for mounting the load resistor, which wasn't part of the plan.) Twist off the harness, pop out the dual-filament bulb, plug in the new device and slip it back in the housing. Easy peasy. The "universal fit" at the bulb worked just fine, was easy enough to both install and remove. The connector end, however, that needed a little coaxing because it was really tight. But not a hard-stop, and once connected, the bulb totally worked in both "on" and "blinking" modes.
We had three people inside a garage comparing the OEM bulb to the LED, and all three of us came away with the same opinion: we prefer the OEM bulb.
When blinking, the LED is clearly brighter, like 2x brighter, which is a nice safety consideration. Also it has that nice instant on/off behavior which is more appealing than the quick fade on/off of incandescent bulbs. So that was a plus. However, there was no denying the LED leaned more towards yellow than amber. Or better said, all three of us preferred the amber color of the OEM bulb to the LED. Also, there was no getting around the fact that the LED had pin-***** lighting, and by that I mean certain perspectives of the lens had blotches of bright light, whereas the entire OEM glowed with uniform light.
Understand, the LED isn't "bad", and our decisions weren't made right away, we all really had to think about it and discuss things. But in the end, this is what I'm doing, which is nothing. No swap.
Anyone want to try for themselves? I bought them $32 shipped from Amazon, and will pass them on to you for $20 shipped.
There are no markings on the unit itself, but if you look at the pic, it's quite large.Debating whether to start a FS thread for $20 shipped, or just write off the $32 spent as an experiment. There's nothing at all wrong with them, I just prefer the looks of the OEM bulb when lit.
Do you have any pics of them in action?
07-31-2019, 05:15 PM
#41
Administrator
Thread Starter
iTrader: (8)
These are expensive but i've had good luck with these. I have the older v3 versions and been running them for 5 years now.
https://www.vleds.com/shop-products/...ton-kit-a.html
I have the switchback versions though.
https://www.vleds.com/shop-products/...ton-kit-a.html
I have the switchback versions though.
I do not. Sorry. To recap: super bright when blinking, with instant on/off blinking behavior... both which are really nice. Too yellow for what I personally want. And not enough "glow" in the reflector compared to the filament bulb.
BULL, if you want to experiment with them yourself, $20 shipped and have at it.
Last edited by Rochester; 07-31-2019 at 05:23 PM.
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