LED Tail light bulb issue

[slowbird]

My brother sells LED bulbs and such and he's been trying to get me to put LED's in my car for awhile now. I've been kinda hesitant cause my car is fairly new and I don't know what may happen.

http://www.cdnautoworks.com/led/prodpgs/img_lg/3157_20ltdc_3.jpg

He got me 4 dual filiment bulbs like above in red and told me to try them in my brake lights. I popped out my driverside brakelight housing...took out the top 2 bulbs(brake)...installed the 2 LED "light towers" and re-installed everything.

I lost all my headlights and my parkinglights, and threw a SVS light. I eventually found a popped Parking light fuse. I returned everything to the way it was.

Is there a reason why this happened? Is there something special about the 99+ GA's that won't allow the LED brake bulbs?
Why'd the fuse pop?

[TA^Guy]

YEah they are the wrong bulbs. There are bulbs that look simular, the 1157 and 3057 IIRC. I know alot of people purchase LEDs and get the wrong ones and have problems. If your ever at a autoparts store they have some that will be marked GM and Ford.

[Matt95GT]

Originally posted by TA^Guy
If your ever at a autoparts store they have some that will be marked GM and Ford.

Yup... different polarity for each. (regular bulbs don't matter) If you put the wrong one in, the polarity is reversed = blown fuses.

[slowbird]

So out of the 2 brake light bulbs in one housing 1 will be with the normal polarity and one will be reverse?

So all together for all 4 brake light bulbs I'd need 2 regular polarity LED's and 2 reverse polarity LED's in order to make them work?

[Matt95GT]

No, you need all of them to be the proper polarity for the car. For example... in the very brief time I used LED tails, all 4 LED bulbs were "GM polarity." One of the 99+ peeps will have jump in to confirm if the "GM polarity" LED bulbs work. I know people have used Jamstraight bulbs before.

[slowbird]

According to this Schematic only one brake lights has the reversed polarity.
http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/3672/tailhousingff9.jpg

So the top Left would be of one Polarity and the top right would be of the other polarity?

[slowbird]

Soooooooo

The Brake socket in the below diagram with the #1 would be the regular polarity bulb and the socket with #2 would be the opposite polarity?
http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/997/tailhousingyx1.jpg

Or would both brake bulbs need to be opposite polarity?

[sunrunner_pei]

I split out my idiocy to clear any confusion. :)

[RickHigginsHtbr]

your right, either one needs to be normal polarity and the other reverse, or both reverse. find the jamstraits that are for GM, they'll work with either normal or reverse polarity. Don't know why it popped a fuse, for a while my driving lights were the 1's in your diagram, and then all 4 went on for brakes.

[GaSe05]

Can someone simplify this for me i am really confused. I bought LED lights for my taillights offline, when we put them in we kept blowing fuses. When buying them what should I ask?and what should i get. thanks dave

[RickHigginsHtbr]

actual led tails or led bulbs? maybe something was changed in 05 wiring wise?

[slowbird]

If you are installing LED Tail Light Bulbs then this is what you need to do.

You need 4 LED bulbs all together. 2 LED Bulbs per Taillight.

1 Will be a regular LED and one will need to be a reverse Polarity LED made specifically for GM/Ford applications.

If you put in the LED that isn't reverse polarity in that one socket. *POP* goes your fuse.

http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/1861/ledexplanns1.jpg

I wrote it in quickly on a pic of the rear of my car. 1 LED Normal is the regular LED Bulbs...and the 1 LED Reverse is the odd GM ones you need to get...hope it helps.

[GaSe05]

ok thank u cus i got them to work by turing them around but when i hit the brake it went pop agen so i bought fues so i can play around with it so u know witch one is wrong. thanks that makes it a little esyaer

[GaSe05]

ok thank u cus i got them to work by turing them around but when i hit the brake it went pop agen so i bought fues so i can play around with it so u know witch one is wrong. thanks that makes it a little easyer oh i see your pick i get it no thanks

[GaSe05]

ok thank u cus i got them to work by turing them around but when i hit the brake it went pop agen so i bought fues so i can play around with it thanks that makes it a little easyer oh i see your pick i get it now thanks so much

[GaSe05]

sorry computer froze my typing skills stink at times sorry

[slowbird]

It's all good. :cool:


Good luck.

[GaSe05]

thnaks so much i wrote an email to the guy i got them from this noring asking him if hes got the revese ones but if he dont do u know any good wed sights to get 1157 led blulbs from........i got mine from ebay thanks dave

[slowbird]

superbrightleds.com

cdnautoworks.com

[RickHigginsHtbr]

Originally posted by GaSe05
thnaks so much i wrote an email to the guy i got them from this noring asking him if hes got the revese ones but if he dont do u know any good wed sights to get 1157 led blulbs from........i got mine from ebay thanks dave

1157? you mean 3157, right?

[GaSe05]

ok u guys have bin a ton of help ok i ask two led companys if i could get 2 reg 3157 and 2 revrse 3157 .....i am wateing to here back thats what i should be asking right...... thanks dave

[matts]

i couldn't keep the moddified jamstraits in my SE, got tired of replacing the bulbs at $10 a piece. so i took the GT lights out and put the old SE one's back in. dont know if the "GM" lights will last or not, never did find a set to try.

[GaSe05]

thanks matt cus thats what i am going to do ..................i am wating for my gt tail lights from ebay........

[pyro]

dont waste your time...the output will suck regardless...leds arent meant to be behind textured lenses so the output will always be bad. either swap in actual clusters or dont do it at all...trust me i did it once too. its not worth the money to put 3157's in.

[slowbird]

Originally posted by pyro
dont waste your time...the output will suck regardless...leds arent meant to be behind textured lenses so the output will always be bad. either swap in actual clusters or dont do it at all...trust me i did it once too. its not worth the money to put 3157's in.

I use these for my rear Brake lights and Signals and they look great.

http://www.cdnautoworks.com/led/prodpgs/img_lg/3157_20ltdc_3.jpg

[pyro]

ahh, gotcha...thought you were talking about regular clusters. never used those before. uber overpriced. hows the output? im guessing the side-angles take care of the relfection

[slowbird]

My brother has this LED company that him and his buddy started...they sell them to all the local car clubs...he get's me these at his cost....about $10 per light tower....so the entire rear brake and signals is $100.

The light output itself is less than a regular bulb...the lights are NOt as bright but they are more intense...and are a deeper more rich color of red....also the brake light flick on quicker when you press the brakes and the signals look like Cadillac signals now that they are LED's.

Though they are not as bright they are still very noticeable in the day time and at night it's not an issue whatsoever.

[pyro]

they are more red because they are red LED's behind a red filter...and yes theres nothing like LED signals.

[GaSe05]

iia m still going to do the the mod and hope it goes well i am still trying to find the right 3157s but i got led 1156 for the turns signals and back up lights it looks realy good.

[slowbird]

If you aren't getting Towers like the ones I posted than I wouldn't do LED's....they aren't very bright during the day and may be a hazard.

The towers i posted above are Just bright enough...but with 20-25 LED's it damn well shoudl be.

[RickHigginsHtbr]

Originally posted by slowbird
If you aren't getting Towers like the ones I posted than I wouldn't do LED's....they aren't very bright during the day and may be a hazard.

The towers i posted above are Just bright enough...but with 20-25 LED's it damn well shoudl be.

i was fine for a year and 1/2 runnin jamstraits with tinted lenses.... and i'm fine now with my led tails with the same tinted lenses.

[GaSe05]

yea i have 18 led light towers and they look good i just need to find the rigth 2 for the insiade rev polarty. this is what happen i put them in and turn them on and blu the park fuse put the fuse back in and fliped the light then the runing lights worked but as son as i hit the brakes it blu agen so i just put it back the way it was but i just got tsome fues so when i have time i am going try it agen on the top out side bulb i think its the brake the one u say is normal and make sure it works nowi am a little confused on the other one i get it sapose to be a light tower its just the termnals are fliped around... i am having troble buying them i asked the guy if he ahde some 3157 that wher revesed for a gm but he is havning troble anwsering me so when i have time i will go play with it. and try to get alest two working . i still have time my gt tail lights havnt came from ebay yet .............

these are the ligths i have

[slowbird]

Those are like Mine....you'll be happy with the Output.

[RickHigginsHtbr]

Originally posted by GaSe05
yea i have 18 led light towers and they look good i just need to find the rigth 2 for the insiade rev polarty. this is what happen i put them in and turn them on and blu the park fuse put the fuse back in and fliped the light then the runing lights worked but as son as i hit the brakes it blu agen so i just put it back the way it was but i just got tsome fues so when i have time i am going try it agen on the top out side bulb i think its the brake the one u say is normal and make sure it works nowi am a little confused on the other one i get it sapose to be a light tower its just the termnals are fliped around... i am having troble buying them i asked the guy if he ahde some 3157 that wher revesed for a gm but he is havning troble anwsering me so when i have time i will go play with it. and try to get alest two working . i still have time my gt tail lights havnt came from ebay yet .............

these are the ligths i have

Just thought of something.... is there even 18 spots to put an led tower like that in???

[slowbird]

Originally posted by RickHigginsHtbr
Just thought of something.... is there even 18 spots to put an led tower like that in???

What?!?!

Are you serious?! :lol:

[RickHigginsHtbr]

Originally posted by slowbird
What?!?!

Are you serious?! :lol:

12 in the back, if you can fit them into the bottom reverse lense... 4 up in the front, cause it wont fit behind the reflector... i'm missing 2? or is there some going in the 3rd brake light?

Edit: Or did I mis-read it and there's 18-led's per tower?

[slowbird]

Originally posted by RickHigginsHtbr

Edit: Or did I mis-read it and there's 18-led's per tower?

Yessim....there are 18 LED's per tower...The lights that GASE05 posted have 18 individual LED's per tower...the one I posted have 20 per tower.

[RickHigginsHtbr]

Originally posted by slowbird
Yessim....there are 18 LED's per tower...The lights that GASE05 posted have 18 individual LED's per tower...the one I posted have 20 per tower.

lol, i just kept thinking to myself, 18 of those towers... well there's your problem, lol.

[GaSe05]

yes 18 in each 3157 bulb and 12 in each of my 1156 i am trying to do all led lights on my car so far it looks realy good i just need to fix the hyper flash .....

[GaSe05]

hey rick what headlights u have...........

[GaSe05]

oh and u can get 194 leds in the bottom back up light .and i change the upper back up light too.........

[slowbird]

To stop your Signals from flashing quickly after installing the LED signals you need to splice in Load Equalizers into your Tail light wiring harness.

[RickHigginsHtbr]

i have the auto dynasty black / clear corner set, dont know if you can still get them or not, but dont, they're horrible. Over time my lenses are spider cracking...

ebay item # 5863016782 for the correct Load Equalizers, a lot cheaper than any website. You'll need a total of 4 if your completely converting to LED like I did :)

[slowbird]

Really?!? The black headlights with the clear corners?

Hmmm....I was just gonna buy a set off someone on another board....thanks for the warning.

[RickHigginsHtbr]

whenever i get around to snagging a set of projectors, i'm going to attempt the clear corner transplant from the black to stock lenses. If I do it right, no one will notice.... anyway, back on topic.