New LED Tail Lights

[Danny G]

I used white LED's. But I suspect that it is the orientation of the LED's that's the problem in my case. And I also suspect that since there are dozens, if not hundreds, of LED layouts we could find quite varying results by using different LED's.

So, I'm thrilled that you found some that work. That takes the hunting, and failure, out of it.

And I can see that the lens on the brake light portion would cause it to be really bright. But how bright are the taillights themselves? And how well did they fit?

Anyway, here's a link to what I think are the ones you found. Right?

Those are the right ones as well. Diving a but deeper white LEDs are blue led with a yellow phosphor coating, so when you use these in a red lens the lens is litterally filtering out the light your LEDs make. LEDs only output red, green and blue light. Everything else is simulated. This is why it's important to use the color led for your application.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Those are the right ones as well. Diving a but deeper white LEDs are blue led with a yellow phosphor coating, so when you use these in a red lens the lens is litterally filtering out the light your LEDs make. LEDs only output red, green and blue light. Everything else is simulated. This is why it's important to use the color led for your application.

LED's can also emit in the ultraviolet or infrared.

White light is the entire visible spectrum.

The point is, that they have a very specific band*width.

That's why the better ones are batched.

[Littlebeefy]

Hi guys,

Any update on what our friend Jose is up to? I'm not up on the FB thing so all I see is a cool picture but no news.

I was going to go ahead and put in an electronic flasher to replace the dented and dubious one that's in there now. I noticed that my fuse box has two flashers, one in the front and on in the rear of the fuse box. Do I need to replace both of those for LED turn signals to blink "normally"?

[kramttocs]

Hi guys,

Any update on what our friend Jose is up to? I'm not up on the FB thing so all I see is a cool picture but no news.

I was going to go ahead and put in an electronic flasher to replace the dented and dubious one that's in there now. I noticed that my fuse box has two flashers, one in the front and on in the rear of the fuse box. Do I need to replace both of those for LED turn signals to blink "normally"?

Not for the normal turn signals usage you don't.

The one on the back is the hazard flasher so it will only matter when the hazard switch is pulled.

The electronic flasher I used was too tall for the backside so I remote mounted mine.

[Bruce moose4x4]

Not for the normal turn signals usage you don't.

The one on the back is the hazard flasher so it will only matter when the hazard switch is pulled.

The electronic flasher I used was too tall for the backside so I remote mounted mine.

Its been a couple of months since I saw anything on Facebook. But he had been deployed away on a job or something like that. When he returned I saw a post that he was moving and getting a building set up to start working on them again.

[Danny G]

And, by the way, I should also say that in my experience just swapping out the incandescent bulbs in our tail lights with LED doesn't really work. At present I have a new incandescent in one side of Big Blue and an LED in the other. And at night the incandescent is brighter.

I think the reflector was designed for a point source rather than the LED's that are scattered all over. Basically what we discussed re headlights. But Jose's approach should resolve that problem by placing LED's firing directly back, although I wonder how easily they are seen from an angle.

Also, don't miss that he says "I also add a very powerful white led as a back up light to shine up the night."

Do you have white or red LED lights when you had this issue?

[Gary Lewis]

And, by the way, I should also say that in my experience just swapping out the incandescent bulbs in our tail lights with LED doesn't really work. At present I have a new incandescent in one side of Big Blue and an LED in the other. And at night the incandescent is brighter.

I think the reflector was designed for a point source rather than the LED's that are scattered all over. Basically what we discussed re headlights. But Jose's approach should resolve that problem by placing LED's firing directly back, although I wonder how easily they are seen from an angle.

Also, don't miss that he says "I also add a very powerful white led as a back up light to shine up the night."

Do you have white or red LED lights when you had this issue?

I had white LEDs. But I've read that there are better LEDs for the tail/stop light function that would be brighter than incandescent. Maybe I just had the wrong ones.

[Danny G]

I had white LEDs. But I've read that there are better LEDs for the tail/stop light function that would be brighter than incandescent. Maybe I just had the wrong ones.

yea I realized this was an older post that I commented on before. You need to match the LED to the lens color because "white" LEDs are already filtered via yellow phosphorus to simulate white. It isn't true white light that contains all wavelengths like a halogen, its a eye trick, smoke and mirrors.

Basically "white" LEDs are actually blue when they pass through the yellow phosphorus it creates that affect. BUT with that said Red, yellow and orange lenses will filter out blue light. This is why blue blocker glasses are these colors. SO you are trying to pass a natively blue light, through a blue light blocking lens.

Red LED lights put out red light and will work well like the ones I posted previously.

[Vic Roma]

yea I realized this was an older post that I commented on before. You need to match the LED to the lens color because "white" LEDs are already filtered via yellow phosphorus to simulate white. It isn't true white light that contains all wavelengths like a halogen, its a eye trick, smoke and mirrors.

Basically "white" LEDs are actually blue when they pass through the yellow phosphorus it creates that affect. BUT with that said Red, yellow and orange lenses will filter out blue light. This is why blue blocker glasses are these colors. SO you are trying to pass a natively blue light, through a blue light blocking lens.

Red LED lights put out red light and will work well like the ones I posted previously.

Do you guys have recommendations for good quality brands (including from where you bought them - local parts store or online) or are they all pretty much the same?

[kramttocs]

Do you guys have recommendations for good quality brands (including from where you bought them - local parts store or online) or are they all pretty much the same?

I bought a couple specialty bulbs from SuperBrightLeds and am very happy with them.

In general though - if JDM Astar offers what I need, I will buy those (eBay).

Early on I bought some of the "12 for $1" type bulbs and while some worked, the percentage was low. They would either flicker, burn out, dim randomly, or twist apart when installing them. Have had zero issues with JDM's.