LED Tailights

[cleanskin]

gday, im currently thinking about upgrading my standard toyota tailights to some ledones. I know alot of our tippers n concrete trucks have them n are very happy with them. But im wondering what your oppinions are? Worth the money? ratings?

[ricduza]

I got sick of changing blown brake bulbs in my dual cab, so bought a couple of led brake/tail light globes. After a year all is good. Some people reckon the light is only visible from directly behind the vehicle because of the design of the leds, but the ones I have seem to be very similar to normal globes and are also similar in brightness, except they don't burn out. I'm now looking on ebay for more so I can fit them to my 2 other vehicles.
Ric

[phippsy]

Depends whether they are going to cop a pounding or not. A lot of our trailers have had the led's either stolen or smashed by loading docks and were too expensive to keep replacing. The jumbo led ones were around $180 a side whereas the plain old ones with bulbs are $30...

In saying that though, I've got some of those hella thin strip style led lights I'll be putting on my tray, but I'm gonna try and keep em pretty well protected.

[nastytroll]

ledauto lights are about $30-$50 for there jumbo led tail lights exept the clear reverse lights that are about $120

[j-top paj]

a mate had the replacement globe ones and ended up taking them out becausethey could hardly be seen during the day.
not sure if they have improved them since then

[cleanskin]

k thanks for the replies so far, these are the light style im looking at but the replica version of these hellas. $100 each http://db.hella.com.au/cgi-bin/catalogu ... maint=2133

[blkmav]

Check out the 150 series, you can get these on eBay for about $50/pr
http://www.ledautolamps.com/product_combination.htm
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... :IT&ih=011

[Gwagensteve]

They'll be fine.

You just have to get around the flashing speed problem - it is an RWC issue.

I wired some bulbs in line with my LED lights on the zuk (which is dumb but works), but never bothered on the merc as I haven't had to RWC it, but there are also LED compliant flasher units available.

There used to be some LED's around that lacked ADR compliance, and I'd suggest that the replacement globe types would fall into that category.

They are much more durable than incandescent lamp units.

Steve.

[Ruffy]

They'll be fine.

You just have to get around the flashing speed problem - it is an RWC issue.

I wired some bulbs in line with my LED lights on the zuk (which is dumb but works), but never bothered on the merc as I haven't had to RWC it, but there are also LED compliant flasher units available.

There used to be some LED's around that lacked ADR compliance, and I'd suggest that the replacement globe types would fall into that category.

They are much more durable than incandescent lamp units.

Steve.

You can buy a resistor that you wire inline to rectify this problem. About 12 bucks i think!

[Gwagensteve]

Oh I know.... I got knocked for RWC by the flash speed thing and needed to fix it quick. When the bulbs go I'll put a resistor in. apparently there is no direct fit led flasher unit for sierras, the base has to be rewired.

Steve.

[zagan]

Man those ligfht are dear.

You can go into Dick Smiths and for $10 each you can get LED blubs that simply fit into the socket.

the brake/red LED blub
The indicator blub
and the reverse bulb all in LED, this one is a little cheaper $5 or something.

Buying those dear ones, they probably aren't water proof so going through a river might kill them on the spot you can get water prrof ones no idea what the price would be.

[tweak'e]

Man those ligfht are dear.

You can go into Dick Smiths and for $10 each you can get LED blubs that simply fit into the socket.

the brake/red LED blub
The indicator blub
and the reverse bulb all in LED, this one is a little cheaper $5 or something.

i've just fitted some of those red taillight ones on my vechile. it gets around the problem of faded lenses. however brightness is of concerned. in bright daylight the stop lamps don't show up very well.

[Gwagensteve]

Man those ligfht are dear.

You can go into Dick Smiths and for $10 each you can get LED blubs that simply fit into the socket.

the brake/red LED blub
The indicator blub
and the reverse bulb all in LED, this one is a little cheaper $5 or something.

Buying those dear ones, they probably aren't water proof so going through a river might kill them on the spot you can get water prrof ones no idea what the price would be.

they are dear because they have ADR compliance, and yes they are totally waterproof. I have a two different sets (one is the LED autolamps type, the other I don't recall - maybe hella) and they have both been underwater many times, in fact, that are often marketed for boat trailers for that reason. Because of the LED life, they are potted into the light and are totally sealed.

An LED that fits into a stock light isn't waterproof because the lamp holder is the problem - they corrode,fill up with mud and don't make anymore, actually an LED "bulb" in a stock holder will be worse because the lower wattage will mean a very slight increase in resistance across the terminals will mean it won't work. Best of luck with ADR compliance with an LED lamp fitted into an incandescent lamp base as the light distribution and temperature will likely be incorrect- as two other people have attested in relation to daytime visibility.


Steve.

[84ZOOKSTA]

I have the hella dura led light , they are nice and bright and the stop lights are easily seen during the day in full sunlight.

http://db.hella.com.au/cgi-bin/catalogu ... maint=2133

[nastytroll]

hella dura lights are good we have 2 each on the ute n wagon but $. the hella LED have a 3 year warrenty and a 5 year on the ledauto both are ADR and both are polycarb constuction and vibration and water proof. I only use ledauto now and not all flashers are resistant dependant, I think most vehicles post '96 will need the resistors

[hammey]

i have set of the hella's. work brilliantly.

However when i got my car engineered the guy smiled at me and said technically those lights are illegal on their own.
Apparently those lights dont have a red reflector on them so cars can see them when they're parked at night.

He then told me the red bits on the sides aren't reflectors.

He then told me to buy a round reflective disc and put that next to it and that would do.

worth a mention, as im sure the cops know this technicallity a well

[ausyota]

I had the Hella ones like above on my old Lux.

Also have the Hella strip style ones on the wifes Zook.

Both work well.
I had to add some stick on red reflectors to both vehicles though.
I put a LED flasher unit in the Lux to stop them flashing too fast and I tried the resistors on the zook but they didnt do much, they still flash quick.

[JrZook]

Oh I know.... I got knocked for RWC by the flash speed thing and needed to fix it quick. When the bulbs go I'll put a resistor in. apparently there is no direct fit led flasher unit for sierras, the base has to be rewired.

Steve.

I am currently designing a load sensitive circuit for use with rear LED tail lights. Ive modified the std electronic flasher in the zuk so far, prototype. Works well so far, just need to get my flash rates perfect. Will keep yas posted.

Dan

[tweak'e]

I put a LED flasher unit in the Lux to stop them flashing too fast and I tried the resistors on the zook but they didnt do much, they still flash quick.

proberly wrong resistor or connected wrong.

they flash to fast due to the LED not drawing enough current. you basicly have to short across the LED's with a resistor so it draws enough current. simply keep going down in resistor value untill the flashing turns normal.

[MKPatrolGuy]

/ Hijack on

Does anyone know if you can get the strip LED tail/brake lights and indicators that are clear then coloured when you apply the brakes etc?

Dave

/ Hijack off

[CWBYUP]

/ Hijack on
Does anyone know if you can get the strip LED tail/brake lights and indicators that are clear then coloured when you apply the brakes etc?
Dave
/ Hijack off

Yep

But cant find my F&%King hella book so cant give you part number's.

I'll keep looking

[MKPatrolGuy]

/ Hijack on
Does anyone know if you can get the strip LED tail/brake lights and indicators that are clear then coloured when you apply the brakes etc?
Dave
/ Hijack off

Yep

But cant find my F&%King hella book so cant give you part number's.

I'll keep looking

Thanks for looking

[zooki]

Oh I know.... I got knocked for RWC by the flash speed thing and needed to fix it quick. When the bulbs go I'll put a resistor in. apparently there is no direct fit led flasher unit for sierras, the base has to be rewired.

Steve.

Tridon make a Road train flasher that isnt load sensitive and the supply and load pins are correct for a sierra, though strictly still not legal as they wont change flash speed if a light goes out

[ausyota]

Tridon make a Road train flasher that isnt load sensitive and the supply and load pins are correct for a sierra

Do you have a part number?
I looked though all the Hella and Narva range and found nothing, didnt think to look into Tridon.

[Highway-Star]

Tridon make a Road train flasher that isnt load sensitive and the supply and load pins are correct for a sierra, though strictly still not legal as they wont change flash speed if a light goes out

I just went through this garbage with my Sierra after fitting my front bar with LED indicators. I had a Hella flasher for LEDs however it was too big and only flashed at the correct speed when a stole dads boat trailer lights, plugged them into the trailer socket and stuck them in the back (cheap temp fix).

I've now got a Narva flasher, its red and final two digits of the serial number are '45' (cant remember rest) and it is a 30W. Anyway works fine, took the trailer lights with me when i bought it, and tried with the flashers, it works fine in all combos. And its apparantly still load sensitive? I got really anoyed for a while, but this one works, so I'm not touching it. BTW this Narva one is silent, it doesn't click, rather it did but I'll have to live with it.

For all 3 LED flashers I ended up trying, the Sierra was reverse wired, so I had to swap the two wires around on the back of the fuse box. Got plugs on there now incase they ever require swapping again.

[zooki]

Tridon make a Road train flasher that isnt load sensitive and the supply and load pins are correct for a sierra

Do you have a part number?
I looked though all the Hella and Narva range and found nothing, didnt think to look into Tridon.

not anymore but in the front of their book they have pinout diagrams of them all, see which way a sierra one is and match it with the road train one (there are 2 called road train ones, pins are different on each)