LED 1157 and 1156 bulbs

[DubyaO]

Hey guys...I searched the threads...and didn't see anything but maybe I just didn't find a thread out there.

Anywho... Has anyone put LED replacment bulbs in place of the standard bulbs? If someone has some pics of what they look like I'd like to see. I was considering ordering some of these and wondered how they would look/work.

Here is the store I was looking at...seems to have ok prices:
http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=CAR

Thoughts?

[Josh K]

You would most likely need to install a load equalizer so that you don't get the bulb out fast flash.

[Atomic]

My set should be here anyday now(like today would be nice), so I'll let you know. I'm replacing my brake lights and turns in the rear. I'll let you know if we'll need the stabalizer to make them work, but I like mine to blink fast if that's the only problem. I'll have to use my camera phone and try to get a picture, since I'm currently without a digicam, but it takes horrible pictures. I'll refer you to the eBay guy I ordered them from, if you'd like. I got the 24 LED radial firing clear housing for both brake and turns, $38.05 shipped.

[DubyaO]

Cool...thanks Atomic. Plz share. Pics would also be cool

[Jlivan]

I did have LEDs but I took them out. Mainly b/c of the fast flash that JoshK was talking about and b/c the superwhite bulbs looked really blue against my regular headlights. I just thought it look tacky. What color were u going to get?

[kylemorg]

I tried the 1157 and 1158 LED taillights from Superbright LED's about two years ago -- they sucked. They may have been the 12 LED ones.

The brightness was sub-par; I wouldn't trust them as tail lights. With both filaments of the LED taillight bulb shorted (stepping on the brake pedal) they still weren't even quite as bright as the normal bulbs in driving-light mode!

I also put the yellow ones in as rear turn signals; I don't remember if they blinked right (I think they did 'cause I still had regular turn signal bulbs in the front), but I do remember that they were very dim and didn't have good angled visibility 'cause the reflector wasn't being used.

That's another thing you have to consider -- the viewing angle of the lights is much more limited because most designs of the LED-bulbs don't allow light to be cast backward onto the reflector. A radial design might work better.

Also I believe none of them are DOT approved. You may say "who cares?", but here's a scenario for you:

You get rear-ended and the person who hit you says that they couldn't see your brake lights. Your car is at the dealer's so you can't get to it. The insurance investigator checks your taillights and sees that you have non-DOT brake lights -- they don't have to cover the damage to your car, and you might have to pay for the damage to the car that hit you, too!!!
If you'd like to try the older turn-signal ones, I think I still have them. I'll give them to you -- just pay for shipping. I think I know where they are; let me know if you're interested.

[DubyaO]

I'm either going to make or find one made...but what I want is to have the LED look of some of the modern cars. Example: I saw an Infiniti FX45 with this type of tail light...looked very cool. Very modern and not tacky like some of the aftermarket lights/lenses we've seen on this forum.

I wonder if we could get an FX45 taillight assembly (from salvage) then hack it up to work in our lights? It would take some serious customizing...but I know it could be done.

Anyone know of a good online salvage yard??

[Atomic]

Ok, got the new LED bulbs in.

The brake lights are at best half as bright as the originals, but that instant on matches the 3rd brake light LED, so I'm gonna keep it. I'll just make sure to flash my brakes a few times to make sure the guy behind me see's me.

The turn signals do blink fast, but that's what I wanted, 3-4 times a second. With the radial firing it does help with the reflective light, enough light for me.

If I were still looking to buy some still I'd try something brighter, maybe those super LEDs like in the 3rd brake light. For now I gotta chill on the spending.

[DubyaO]

Ok, I'm gonna buy the "super" leds and make my own. First I have to get a couple rear break lights, ebay maybe or a junk yard. Don't wanna hack up my good ones.

If I have success I'll post w/ a DIY.

[mrhoaf]

do you mean making your own "bulbs" or modifying the whole tail light assembly....

[DubyaO]

modifying the assembly.

[mrhoaf]

nice.... if that works out it will look sweet!!!

at least the GT lights are smaller, so it should that as many as a GLS would....

[DubyaO]

I agree. This will take some creative engineering and lots of epoxy and dremel work...but I think i can do it. My only concern is with the LED brightness. Wonder how the Infiniti's are getting such a bright light? Maybe it's best to get 2 of the Infininti tail assemblies and hack it up to work in our tail assembly.

[kylemorg]

There are some extremely bright LEDs available on the market today. Check around on the web.

If you can get away with using red LEDs they'll be a lot cheaper than the gallium white ones for the same brightness.

[DubyaO]

Ok...found some that are 20k and 30k in brightness. I also found an LED calculator that (after you put in the values) will give you a diagram complete with resistors. That'll make this job much easier.

The hard part will be fabricating the lense mods. But with the tips from Sed and others, I'm confident I can do it. I've done other fabricated light jobs and they always came out looking good. This will be the first LED conversion though.

Anybody out there have good leads on a very cheap pair of rear tail light assemblys for an 02' GT??? Found a pair on Ebay for 90+ shipping. Hoping for cheaper.

[mrhoaf]

try to find 04-05 lights... they're the same shape and don't have the orange in them....

[kylemorg]

For super-brightness LEDs, check out http://www.luxeon.com/

I got some of their "emitters" about two years ago, and man are they bright! They say that their LEDs are now many times brighter than they were.

You can get a "Luxeon Star" emitter from them, which is a ring of 5 or 6 very bright LEDs; but I don't know if they'd have the wide viewing angle necessary for use as tail lights.

[alienman]

okay here is the low down on the led replacement bulbs... i just installed1157 amber led's in my front turn signals... they are not as bright as the 1157 reg but are close enough. They are a 9 led bulb from Princess Auto...cheap too...here are some pics of them:

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c371/paalienman/bulb1.jpg

here is a regular bulb during the day:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c371/paalienman/1157reg.jpg


Here is the LED during the day...its actually brighter than my camera shows..:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c371/paalienman/1157led.jpg

Here is the front during the day with the LED's installed:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c371/paalienman/frontlights.jpg

Here is the front at night with LED's:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c371/paalienman/lednight.jpg

Now i also tried the 9 LED bulb in clear for the brake/tail light. The LED was so dim that you could not even see it at all... I definitely wouldn't use it in my tail lights.

Here are some daytime pics of the LED's vs reg bulbs...

LED
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c371/paalienman/tailled.jpg

REGULAR
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c371/paalienman/tailreg.jpg

REGULAR on right, LED on left
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c371/paalienman/regvsled.jpg

[menallychllngd]

yeah i tried the same thing a while back with the same or similar results. its like communism, it only looks good on paper.

[cclngthr]

I tried an 18 led bulb in the tail/brake light and found that the ETACS system flashes the center brakelight in my spoiler (it is a LED array) when the 4 ways are on. I found when I put a regular bulb in 1 side, it did not do that. I'm thinking a resister block would have to be used for the brake light circuit, plus 2 others for the tail light (separate circuits).