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LED myths & FAQ w/ videos

30K views 47 replies 23 participants last post by  LereJet 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Ive been getting a lot of PMs/Emails lately about people have certain issues or wanting to know exact things about rumors theyve heard floating around, so I made a few quick videos of the most common questions I get asked. If you have an exact thing youd like answered let me know and Ill be happy to make another video and upload it.


Intro
http://youtu.be/XqHDLyAa7fo

Brake/Turn bulbs & resistors
http://youtu.be/q8v2uF_Wi1U
(and yes i realized i said HVIC instead of EVIC... its 2am leave me alone)

Blinker hyper speed
http://youtu.be/m-DWc0kBVfw

Map/Dome lights
http://youtu.be/9-UeklG8ZrE

Cargo Lights
http://youtu.be/Al3VV4k0OU8

194 and 921 interchangability


People with sharp eyes might spot a few of my unreleased LED mods, but hose will come later :gy:

How to get into the map lights
http://s153.photobucket.com/albums/s207/SS4Luck/Videos/?action=view&current=2012-02-24_11-37-00_214.mp4

How to get into the rear dome light
http://s153.photobucket.com/albums/s207/SS4Luck/Videos/?action=view&current=2012-02-24_11-37-52_715.mp4
 
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#3 ·
thanks :) Its amazing the ammount of inquiries i get about these so i figured it was about time to stop sending individual pics/vids in email and just be able to knock them all out of the way in one thread.

If there is anything i missed please let me know so i can address it (thats to anyone!)
 
#7 · (Edited)
I just watched your videos. I didn't put LED's on my break lights, but I did it on the turn signals and reverse. Besides having the hyper speed on the blinkers, I'm getting the lamp out and message by the thermometer. In the video you suggested to put resistors to avoid this, could you tell me the value of the resistors I need for the turn signals and how to install them properly? Thanks in advance
By the way I haven't see the error message for the reverse. The turn lights blinkers work normally for the first 10 blinks, after that the lamp out message shows, and they start blinking faster. After you turn off the car, the error clears and the process starts again the next time you activate the turn signals.
 
#9 ·
I just watch your videos. I didn't put LED's on my break lights, but I did on the turn signals and reverse. Besides having the hyper speed on the blinkers I'm getting the lamp out and message by the thermometer. In the video you suggested to put resistors to avoid this, could you tell me the value of the resistors I need for the turn signals and how to install them properly? Thanks in advance
By the way I haven't see the error message for the reverse. The turn lights blinkers work normally for the first 10 blinks, after that the lamp out message shows, and they start blinking faster. After you turn off the car, the error clears and the process starts again the next time you activate the turn signals.
Umm, are you talking rear turn signals? The rear brake and turn signals are the same bulb :4-dontknow:

The resistors I usually recommend to people are the ones superbrightleds.com has in their brake/turn bulb section because they are the only ones Ive seen that are a plug-n-play type of thing and not an answer 100 questions and we may have something that works for you. There was a few guys on the forum that have gotten them and said they worked perfect


very good post ss4! my maps/dome and cargo lights dim down when I am in park (normally after like 20 seconds they would go off) or driving and stay on but dim until the truck gets shut off... doesnt really bother me much as they are way more dim than your cargos are. also mine are not controlable, the one map light button is messed up anyways but none of them are self controllable but that doesnt bother me either
Ive noticed the guys with the interior light problems 99% of the time are 3rd gen guys. Idk what tey would hve changed in the circuit, but at least it doesnt bother you
 
#8 ·
very good post ss4! my maps/dome and cargo lights dim down when I am in park (normally after like 20 seconds they would go off) or driving and stay on but dim until the truck gets shut off... doesnt really bother me much as they are way more dim than your cargos are. also mine are not controlable, the one map light button is messed up anyways but none of them are self controllable but that doesnt bother me either
 
#10 ·
ss4luck video ?

Hey look I don't know if it was related, but I just wanted to let you know. I don't believe I was logged in at the time, but I clicked on the link for the "turn signal and resistors" video. I started watching the video and then boom, within five seconds of playing, youtube.com window closed out as did all the other ones, and next thing I know I got the "vista antispyware 2012 virus". It looks like legit Vista software, but It's fake. I just kept exiting out, however my computer still has the virus on it and is in-operable. Either way no worries on my end I got a computer genius at work who can fix it, but I just wanted to let you know. I don't even know if it came from that link or youtube, or this site.

Now my other question was, I've been reading that this resistors get hot, and there appears to be a site that offers a flash relay just for led's any info would be great?

heres a link on the flash relay and resistors
http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-...html#flasher&gclid=CPyRudOijq0CFQpV7Aod6hijoA
 
#11 ·
I worked with SBLED and tried the new flash relay and because our (and i mean 4th gens by this) rear bulbs are brake and turn signal bulbs they didnt do anything and you have to use the resistor to get them to work right :(

The relays are for vehicles that have a dedicated turn signal bulb. Although they may work in the front turn signlas??
 
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#13 ·
I picked mine up at Radio Shack.

Me...
 
#15 ·
SS4, so for all the LED's on/in your truck, you had to solder resistors on each of them? I am just trying to get clarification. Not trying to go through any extra work/$$ if I incidently screw up any bulbs. Thanks for the info as well.
 
#20 ·
no. not if you buy them from superbrightleds.com because those bulbs have the resistors inside of them. now if you were going to buy a box of single leds and find places to put them in your truck, you would need to wire a resistor to each individual led that you used.

also you would need an additional load resistor for your blinkers if you replaced them with leds, because your truck might give you a hyperflash/bulb out signal.
 
#16 ·
Naaaa, not all the lights. on the 4th Gen you need resistors on the bed lights. Outside that I have no resistors on any other bulbs.

me...
 
#17 ·
X2 ^^^^^ Bed lights only so far for me. but i have worked personally with trucks that have needed them in the map lights as well. EVery truck is different
 
#23 ·
I tried to install my LED turn/brake bulbs today. The brakes work, the turn signals work (hyper flash of course), but my problem is that the running lights don't come one. Are these bulbs directional, or is there something else I need to do in order to make them work properly? I bought the 3157-R45-T from SuperBrightLEDs:

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-...tion=DispPage&Page2Disp=/specs/315x-x45-T.htm
 
#30 ·
I tried to install my LED turn/brake bulbs today. The brakes work, the turn signals work (hyper flash of course), but my problem is that the running lights don't come one. Are these bulbs directional, or is there something else I need to do in order to make them work properly? I bought the 3157-R45-T from SuperBrightLEDs:
I have the same problem.. installed different a make of leds than XC450, (im sure thats not the issue) and the running lights do not come on! Every other function works and are really bright, not sure what is causing this??

I wired the resistor to the outer two wires of the bulb harness, which i metered out as the turn signal..

Any info apprecieated!
 
#25 ·
Couple things.....whats wrong with the quick flash of the turn signals? It is much faster, but still very noticable to those around you. And as for the resistor, I have had them burn up, melt stuff and be just a general pain. On one truck, I just wired in another socket for the original bulb, put shrink tubing over the bulb to block the light and stuck the bulb/tubing in behind the light fixture. Worked great, cost almost nothing and should last long time. Doesn't get hot enuff to melt anything. Quick flash? replace bulb/tubing.
 
#27 ·
I put the original incandescent bulb BEHIND each light fixture, the plastic tail light, whre the bulb plugs into. The LED is in the original socket, plugged into the fixture. the "extra" bulb, with black shrink tubing over it, goes between the plastic light fixture and the metal body of the truck. There is a depression in the pastic that the bulb fits in nicely, and when the fixture is reinstalled, the blacked out bulb is trapped between the plastic fixture and the body of the truck. A long brake will probably get everything pretty warm, but not like a resister. If nee3d be, I can get a picture.
 
#31 ·
got tired of the rear lights

I got tired of the cheap rear light fixtures on my truck and got whole new LED fixtures. Much brighter, and hopefully will last a long time, as they are not easily repairable, if one or more leds go out. The price was pretty good, compared to some other web sellers of the same tail lights. What was said about the resistors neede by just changing bulbs is true, a bigger resistor doesn't get as hot. Superbright will sell you a 6Ohm, 50 watt for about 5 bucks, I think. (that may be for two). I'll guarantee, if you are stopped for any period of time, with the brakes on ( as the brake/turn is the same filament) and you grab that resistor, it'll say 50 watt on your finger for awhile.
I have put LEDs almost everywhere in y 2012 Ram and have no problem at all. Even added a stip of 17 on each side, in the back under the lip of the covers over the storage and amplifier, under the back seat.
 

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#33 ·
i guess i fat-fingured the post i made about the resistors. It is a 6 Ohm, 50 watt. Not 60. I've done this in the past four or five years on several vehicles and never had a problem, but I make sure the resistor is away from plastic and, if i can, even mounted to some metal, to act as a heat sink.
 
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