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why is this happening again???

H

hotdimmes

Hard-core CEG'er
Joined
Dec 26, 2003
Messages
4,112
Location
New Britain, CT
For seriously, same symptoms as last time and I really dont understand it.

http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a360/hotdimmes/?action=view&current=Movie.flv

Install superbrightleds.com festoon LED's, bulbs work for almost a month. Right one starts to flicker, eventually dies out, left one starts to flicker, eventually dies out. It's in there snug, getting the proper voltage. I don't understand!!!
 
Yeah, everyone else has had the same bulb and application in their car. I don't know what is different about mine :cry: Also this is my second set and same problem so I'm less inclined to blame the actual bulbs themselves.
 
Well after doing more research, I found that a ton of other people on other car forums who have done this swap have experienced the led strobe light effect after a month or so.

I'm curious if these bulbs are strictly 12V and my 14.2V(or is it 13.2? Can't remember) that my car is supplying when on is too much? I'm going to work out the math on it but it's a possibility. Maybe call superbrightleds.com and ask. It's just weird that they are flickering and not immediately failing.
 
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lol i think i might try those cheap azz xenon bulbs from autolumination, 1.50 each!! Also, after even more reading, I think what these led festoon bulbs need are load resistors. some guy on a benz forum said he ordered the 25 ohm 25W load resistor kit from sbleds and hasnt had any problems. 4 bucks each though and you need one for each bulb! I'm gonna try and make my own load resistor and buy another set.

edit: welp, I found out what a load resistor actually is and looks like i cant actually make one :-(
 
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I got my licence plate LED from autolumination. Work great. No problems at all and they are very quick to ship.
 
After about a month or so. I was just looking at them and I can see the base of the LED's turning a little brown. I pulled one before it started failing so I'm gonna buy those cheap xenon halogen ones and some LED festoons from autolumination and do a 3 way shootout comparison on light output/quality. I'll post pics :)
 
There will be no comparison in light output/performance w/ the autolumination LED's. Mine are very bright. They light up the road/driveway about 2 feet behind my car.

Again, these are very nice. I have a total of 4 festoon LED's from them in my car and all work perfect, no issues.

Don't waste your money on halogen bulbs.
 
at 1.50 per faux xenon bulb, I have no reason not to buy a couple. I think superbrightleds.com has a pretty solid reputation as does autolumination, that's not what im contesting. If you do a google search for "festoon LED flickering" or something along those lines, you'll see a ton of car forums from people who have bought LED festoons from various manufacturers and experienced the same problem. I dont think it's the quality, but the application. I think these bulbs are made for 12V exactly, and running them in a car which runs a higher voltage when on is causing them to die out after a while. It's not an isolated incident, it's pretty heavily documented.
 
Well its up to you. It's your $. I'm simply relaying my experience w/ them in this application in an effort to help other CEG'rs. I'm just saying I have had nothing but great experience w/ the festoon Leds from autolumination. Maybe it's how they put them together or what resistors they use who knows. But I have been running them for months and not a single problem. In fact I have other LED's from them all over my car and not 1 issue with any of them. Well actually I ordered some for my map lights and one had a slight greenish hue to it so I e-mailed them and they sent me another for free which worked perfect.

my .02
 
Well I'm ordering LED festoons from autolumination as well :cool:

these LED's are getting something closer to 40mA when the car is on...thats kind of alot.
 
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