Help with LED lights!?

[viczeva]

Hi all,

I recently bought the following LED lights to replace the brake lights in my 1980 911SC.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07W3ZVRRZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For whatever reason, the lights don't go from soft to high when the brake is engaged. They stay on high mode (as if the brake was engaged) at all time. I know that you need a relay or resistor when using LED blinkers, is it the same for the brake light? I thought they were just plug and play.


The lights functioned properly before upgrading to LED.

Thanks all!

Victor

[spoke]

You shouldn't need a resistor and not sure where you would connect on anyway. The only reason turnsignals need them is to fool the OEM flasher relay when changing to low power LEDs.

So there's no difference at all between running light and brake light?

[skinnerd]

You should have gone this way.... I've got a set for both my 911 and 914.
They are incredible.

https://www.spokeworksled.com/product-page/911-brake-board-square-led-pattern-pair

[Ctopher]

Originally Posted by skinnerd

You should have gone this way.... I've got a set for both my 911 and 914.
They are incredible.

https://www.spokeworksled.com/product-page/911-brake-board-square-led-pattern-pair

Agreed, I have all the lights on the rear of my 911. They look amazing, bright, add more light to the rear by combining the side/brake lights together and the backup lights are super bright.

CTopher

[Satanas]

Not sure it's a good idea to use these LED lights.
Have you done a comparative test of brightness between your LED and conventional filament light?

I have made this comparison test and I was very disappointed with the result of the LED lights so I stayed on traditional filament lights.
On the picture below the LED light (very similar to your model) is on the left. Has you can see the brightness is much less powerfull.



You'll need to change to a full LED system like spoke if you want more brightness.

[Teutonics]

Make sure you've inserted them with the posts properly aligned. It sounds like they may be out of rotation by 180deg.

I used these, and am very pleased with performance and output. I found them to be brighter than incandescent, and come on much faster. I don't have pics but a comparison (L/R at the same time) there was a notable difference: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074GPX2Q8/

They are cheap enough to test and can be easily returned if you don't like the results. I also used the 1156 version for the 3rd brake light and am also pleased with performance.

[Ginger77]

Originally Posted by skinnerd

You should have gone this way.... I've got a set for both my 911 and 914.
They are incredible.

https://www.spokeworksled.com/product-page/911-brake-board-square-led-pattern-pair

I think I saw someone ran those RS ones and they looked really cool.
But I can't seem to find the photo anymore. Must've been in another (possibly build) topic.

[Arne2]

Re: LEDs being less bright than incandescent, make sure the LED bulb are the same color as the lens. Never try to use a white LED behind a red lens, for example. LED lights emit a much purer wavelength, and the red lens will act as a filter and dim any color bulb other than red.

Re: Spoke's LEDS - I've got those RS brake lights in my car, and I love them. The have 48 LEDs packed densely enough that they don't look like LEDs through the lens. Very bright, great fit, fantastic customer support.

Can't provide a picture now, my car is disassembled for paint.

[acme911]

Like others have mentioned. Spoke LED lights are the best. Really worth the money. I have the fronts as well.

[7783911]

spoke LEDs make ahuge difference, I also found LED reverse lamps that really did the trick on amzon

[Ctopher]

Originally Posted by 7783911

spoke LEDs make ahuge difference, I also found LED reverse lamps that really did the trick on amzon

I had Philips leds in my car before but they don’t compare to Spoke’s setup....even his reverse leds. People always mention his leds because they truly are bright!


CTopher

[DNickel]

I changed every bulb in my car (all the dash/interior too) over the LED and they are much brighter. I got a lot of them from SuperBrightLED so maybe you just got ones that have low lumens or the wrong colour (as pointed out earlier)
The only thing not done is the fogs as I'm patiently waiting for @spokes to figure that one out and the resistor to fix my cruise control.

[darrin]

Originally Posted by viczeva

Hi all,

I recently bought the following LED lights to replace the brake lights in my 1980 911SC.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07W3ZVRRZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For whatever reason, the lights don't go from soft to high when the brake is engaged. They stay on high mode (as if the brake was engaged) at all time. I know that you need a relay or resistor when using LED blinkers, is it the same for the brake light? I thought they were just plug and play.


The lights functioned properly before upgrading to LED.

Thanks all!

Victor

Victor -- our 911s use a 2 filament brake light with two connectors (silver "warts") on the bottom of the socket that each feed one of the filaments. So, when running lights are on but no brakes, one filament is illuminated for "soft" light and when the brakes are engaged, both filaments illuminate for the high light.

the led light you link to looks to only have a single connector/silver wart on the bottom of its socket -- sounds like that connector is hitting both of the pins in the brake light socket and illuminating bright -- you need to (at a minimum) get a led bulb that has 2 connectors and both dim and bright settings. Or, as others have recommended, go with spoke's solution -- I'm another VERY happy customer. hope this helps

[viczeva]

Originally Posted by skinnerd

You should have gone this way.... I've got a set for both my 911 and 914.
They are incredible.

https://www.spokeworksled.com/product-page/911-brake-board-square-led-pattern-pair

I really thought about it, but its like 6-6 times the price. Are they 6X better than the amazon ones?

[viczeva]

Originally Posted by darrin

the led light you link to looks to only have a single connector/silver wart on the bottom of its socket -- sounds like that connector is hitting both of the pins in the brake light socket and illuminating bright -- you need to (at a minimum) get a led bulb that has 2 connectors and both dim and bright settings. Or, as others have recommended, go with spoke's solution -- I'm another VERY happy customer. hope this helps

The LED lights i purchased have both connectors on the bottom. I removed one the LED lights and put back the original bulb, and for whatever reason, the LED light started to function properly - providing both low and high once the brake was engaged.

Could it be an electrical issue? Very odd that the LED works properly only when one of the sockets has an original bulb in it.

[spoke]

Originally Posted by acme911

Like others have mentioned. Spoke LED lights are the best. Really worth the money. I have the fronts as well.

Nice pictures and nice looking car. Looking at the nice rear bumper makes me hate the bulbous tits on my '86 even more.

Would you mind if I used your pictures on my website? I'd blank out your license plate.

[acme911]

Originally Posted by spoke

Nice pictures and nice looking car. Looking at the nice rear bumper makes me hate the bulbous tits on my '86 even more.

Would you mind if I used your pictures on my website? I'd blank out your license plate.

Hi, Yes, please use them.

Here are some shots of your front and your side marker.
*note: Headlights are my own design.

[Teutonics]

Originally Posted by viczeva

Could it be an electrical issue? Very odd that the LED works properly only when one of the sockets has an original bulb in it.

Now that I think about it, I DID have to install a resistor on mine to get them to work properly.

[Satanas]

Originally Posted by viczeva

I removed one the LED lights and put back the original bulb, and for whatever reason, the LED light started to function properly - providing both low and high once the brake was engaged.
.

And what about the brightness difference between LED and original bulb? Have you compared?

[viczeva]

Originally Posted by Satanas

And what about the brightness difference between LED and original bulb? Have you compared?

Yes, big difference. The LED is much brighter, specially when you hit the brakes.