LED Tailights

Until the price on the C5 LED taillights gets into the realm of reality, I
thought I'd try some of these cluster led bulb replacment units, and I must
say, they work quite well, their response time is WAY qicker than the stock
filament lamp, and they are plenty bright. The problem is that they don't
provide enough load on the flasher module, so the system blinks too fast,
like when a lamp is blown. I guess I have to add a resistor to the works.
Anybody done this who can make some recommendations ?

Kevin
Black 2000 Coupe

Corvette wrote:
> Until the price on the C5 LED taillights gets into the realm of reality, I
> thought I'd try some of these cluster led bulb replacment units, and I must
> say, they work quite well, their response time is WAY qicker than the stock
> filament lamp, and they are plenty bright. The problem is that they don't
> provide enough load on the flasher module, so the system blinks too fast,
> like when a lamp is blown. I guess I have to add a resistor to the works.
> Anybody done this who can make some recommendations ?
>
> Kevin
> Black 2000 Coupe
>
>
Helped a neighbor kid with same problem on an Eclipse. Just paralleled a
regular lamp across each side of turn signal wiring. Hid the lamps in
the trunk. Not pretty but it worked--flashed a bit slow with the total
load of the lamp and the LED unit. One lamp plus the two led units in
the 'vette should work OK. HTH....Mike

Corvette wrote:
> Until the price on the C5 LED taillights gets into the realm of reality, I
> thought I'd try some of these cluster led bulb replacment units, and I must
> say, they work quite well, their response time is WAY qicker than the stock
> filament lamp, and they are plenty bright. The problem is that they don't
> provide enough load on the flasher module, so the system blinks too fast,
> like when a lamp is blown. I guess I have to add a resistor to the works.
> Anybody done this who can make some recommendations ?
>
> Kevin
> Black 2000 Coupe
>
>
Helped a neighbor kid with same problem on an Eclipse. Just paralleled a
regular lamp across each side of turn signal wiring. Hid the lamps in
the trunk. Not pretty but it worked--flashed a bit slow with the total
load of the lamp and the LED unit. One lamp plus the two led units in
the 'vette should work OK. HTH....Mike

I tried using one LED lamp and one filament lamp per side, but it still
flashed too fast.

Thanks for the response regardless.

Considering the safety beffefits, I just don't understand why everybody
isn't switching to them.

Kevin

"Mike Ellison" > wrote in message
...
> Corvette wrote:
>> Until the price on the C5 LED taillights gets into the realm of reality,
>> I thought I'd try some of these cluster led bulb replacment units, and I
>> must say, they work quite well, their response time is WAY qicker than
>> the stock filament lamp, and they are plenty bright. The problem is that
>> they don't provide enough load on the flasher module, so the system
>> blinks too fast, like when a lamp is blown. I guess I have to add a
>> resistor to the works. Anybody done this who can make some
>> recommendations ?
>>
>> Kevin
>> Black 2000 Coupe
> Helped a neighbor kid with same problem on an Eclipse. Just paralleled a
> regular lamp across each side of turn signal wiring. Hid the lamps in the
> trunk. Not pretty but it worked--flashed a bit slow with the total load
> of the lamp and the LED unit. One lamp plus the two led units in the
> 'vette should work OK. HTH....Mike
>

I tried using one LED lamp and one filament lamp per side, but it still
flashed too fast.

Thanks for the response regardless.

Considering the safety beffefits, I just don't understand why everybody
isn't switching to them.

Kevin

"Mike Ellison" > wrote in message
...
> Corvette wrote:
>> Until the price on the C5 LED taillights gets into the realm of reality,
>> I thought I'd try some of these cluster led bulb replacment units, and I
>> must say, they work quite well, their response time is WAY qicker than
>> the stock filament lamp, and they are plenty bright. The problem is that
>> they don't provide enough load on the flasher module, so the system
>> blinks too fast, like when a lamp is blown. I guess I have to add a
>> resistor to the works. Anybody done this who can make some
>> recommendations ?
>>
>> Kevin
>> Black 2000 Coupe
> Helped a neighbor kid with same problem on an Eclipse. Just paralleled a
> regular lamp across each side of turn signal wiring. Hid the lamps in the
> trunk. Not pretty but it worked--flashed a bit slow with the total load
> of the lamp and the LED unit. One lamp plus the two led units in the
> 'vette should work OK. HTH....Mike
>

"Corvette" > wrote in message
...
>I tried using one LED lamp and one filament lamp per side, but it still
>flashed too fast.
>
> Thanks for the response regardless.
>
> Considering the safety beffefits, I just don't understand why everybody
> isn't switching to them.
>
> Kevin

a couple of years ago i drove behind a c5 that had these. in bright
daylight, i had a hard time seeing them as they weren't as bright as the
standard ones.

i don't know why gm doesn't make the export yellow/red be the standard ones.
those, to me, are much brighter and also the yellow is easier to pick out
someone turning ahead. it would be cheaper i would expect to not have to
stock 2 different parts too.

regards,
charlie
cave creek, az

> "Mike Ellison" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Corvette wrote:
>>> Until the price on the C5 LED taillights gets into the realm of reality,
>>> I thought I'd try some of these cluster led bulb replacment units, and I
>>> must say, they work quite well, their response time is WAY qicker than
>>> the stock filament lamp, and they are plenty bright. The problem is that
>>> they don't provide enough load on the flasher module, so the system
>>> blinks too fast, like when a lamp is blown. I guess I have to add a
>>> resistor to the works. Anybody done this who can make some
>>> recommendations ?
>>>
>>> Kevin
>>> Black 2000 Coupe
>> Helped a neighbor kid with same problem on an Eclipse. Just paralleled a
>> regular lamp across each side of turn signal wiring. Hid the lamps in
>> the trunk. Not pretty but it worked--flashed a bit slow with the total
>> load of the lamp and the LED unit. One lamp plus the two led units in
>> the 'vette should work OK. HTH....Mike
>>
>
>

"Corvette" > wrote in message
...
>I tried using one LED lamp and one filament lamp per side, but it still
>flashed too fast.
>
> Thanks for the response regardless.
>
> Considering the safety beffefits, I just don't understand why everybody
> isn't switching to them.
>
> Kevin

a couple of years ago i drove behind a c5 that had these. in bright
daylight, i had a hard time seeing them as they weren't as bright as the
standard ones.

i don't know why gm doesn't make the export yellow/red be the standard ones.
those, to me, are much brighter and also the yellow is easier to pick out
someone turning ahead. it would be cheaper i would expect to not have to
stock 2 different parts too.

regards,
charlie
cave creek, az

> "Mike Ellison" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Corvette wrote:
>>> Until the price on the C5 LED taillights gets into the realm of reality,
>>> I thought I'd try some of these cluster led bulb replacment units, and I
>>> must say, they work quite well, their response time is WAY qicker than
>>> the stock filament lamp, and they are plenty bright. The problem is that
>>> they don't provide enough load on the flasher module, so the system
>>> blinks too fast, like when a lamp is blown. I guess I have to add a
>>> resistor to the works. Anybody done this who can make some
>>> recommendations ?
>>>
>>> Kevin
>>> Black 2000 Coupe
>> Helped a neighbor kid with same problem on an Eclipse. Just paralleled a
>> regular lamp across each side of turn signal wiring. Hid the lamps in
>> the trunk. Not pretty but it worked--flashed a bit slow with the total
>> load of the lamp and the LED unit. One lamp plus the two led units in
>> the 'vette should work OK. HTH....Mike
>>
>
>

Flashing TOO fast means there is TOO much current. Heavy duty flasher
should slow it down.

Corvette wrote:
> I tried using one LED lamp and one filament lamp per side, but it still
> flashed too fast.
>
> Thanks for the response regardless.
>
> Considering the safety beffefits, I just don't understand why everybody
> isn't switching to them.
>
> Kevin
>
> "Mike Ellison" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Corvette wrote:
>>
>>>Until the price on the C5 LED taillights gets into the realm of reality,
>>>I thought I'd try some of these cluster led bulb replacment units, and I
>>>must say, they work quite well, their response time is WAY qicker than
>>>the stock filament lamp, and they are plenty bright. The problem is that
>>>they don't provide enough load on the flasher module, so the system
>>>blinks too fast, like when a lamp is blown. I guess I have to add a
>>>resistor to the works. Anybody done this who can make some
>>>recommendations ?
>>>
>>>Kevin
>>>Black 2000 Coupe
>>
>>Helped a neighbor kid with same problem on an Eclipse. Just paralleled a
>>regular lamp across each side of turn signal wiring. Hid the lamps in the
>>trunk. Not pretty but it worked--flashed a bit slow with the total load
>>of the lamp and the LED unit. One lamp plus the two led units in the
>>'vette should work OK. HTH....Mike
>>
>
>
>

Flashing TOO fast means there is TOO much current. Heavy duty flasher
should slow it down.

Corvette wrote:
> I tried using one LED lamp and one filament lamp per side, but it still
> flashed too fast.
>
> Thanks for the response regardless.
>
> Considering the safety beffefits, I just don't understand why everybody
> isn't switching to them.
>
> Kevin
>
> "Mike Ellison" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Corvette wrote:
>>
>>>Until the price on the C5 LED taillights gets into the realm of reality,
>>>I thought I'd try some of these cluster led bulb replacment units, and I
>>>must say, they work quite well, their response time is WAY qicker than
>>>the stock filament lamp, and they are plenty bright. The problem is that
>>>they don't provide enough load on the flasher module, so the system
>>>blinks too fast, like when a lamp is blown. I guess I have to add a
>>>resistor to the works. Anybody done this who can make some
>>>recommendations ?
>>>
>>>Kevin
>>>Black 2000 Coupe
>>
>>Helped a neighbor kid with same problem on an Eclipse. Just paralleled a
>>regular lamp across each side of turn signal wiring. Hid the lamps in the
>>trunk. Not pretty but it worked--flashed a bit slow with the total load
>>of the lamp and the LED unit. One lamp plus the two led units in the
>>'vette should work OK. HTH....Mike
>>
>
>
>

Not necessarily. On an older thermal flasher you are correct. The
newer electronic ones blink fast under too little load. I guess they
designed them that way because it's less confusing to other drivers than
a light that doesn't blink at all.

That all said, there is one drawback to the LEDs, they are very
directional in their light, so they tend not to work well in lights that
rely on the reflector for their optical qualities. If you have a black
or other color light housing, the LEDs might work OK (Fresnel or other
type lens) if you have a shiny reflector for the back of the light
housing I'd check out the view of the lights before committing to LEDs,
what can happen is the LEDs will be real bright when viewed from
straight on but outside of a narrow viewing angle they will be all but
invisible.

nate

Bob I wrote:

> Flashing TOO fast means there is TOO much current. Heavy duty flasher
> should slow it down.
>
> Corvette wrote:
>
>> I tried using one LED lamp and one filament lamp per side, but it
>> still flashed too fast.
>>
>> Thanks for the response regardless.
>>
>> Considering the safety beffefits, I just don't understand why
>> everybody isn't switching to them.
>>
>> Kevin
>>
>> "Mike Ellison" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>
>>> Corvette wrote:
>>>
>>>> Until the price on the C5 LED taillights gets into the realm of
>>>> reality, I thought I'd try some of these cluster led bulb replacment
>>>> units, and I must say, they work quite well, their response time is
>>>> WAY qicker than the stock filament lamp, and they are plenty bright.
>>>> The problem is that they don't provide enough load on the flasher
>>>> module, so the system blinks too fast, like when a lamp is blown. I
>>>> guess I have to add a resistor to the works. Anybody done this who
>>>> can make some recommendations ?
>>>>
>>>> Kevin
>>>> Black 2000 Coupe
>>>
>>>
>>> Helped a neighbor kid with same problem on an Eclipse. Just
>>> paralleled a regular lamp across each side of turn signal wiring.
>>> Hid the lamps in the trunk. Not pretty but it worked--flashed a bit
>>> slow with the total load of the lamp and the LED unit. One lamp plus
>>> the two led units in the 'vette should work OK. HTH....Mike
>>>
>>
>>
>>


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