[Donddragon]

Does anyone here know how to get access to the tail light assemblies? I would like to replace many of my bulbs with LED bulbs and the manual is clear as mud. Also does any one know if the stock turn signal flashers will work with LED bulbs or will they require a resistor? You would think by now cars would have electronic flashers...

Thanks for any help!

 

[erogers10287]

I actually just did mine...very easy to do. Yes, you do need resistors to avoid hyper flash. In the hatch area, look right behind the taillight and you will see a small hole and a wingnut inside...and theres is a little square that pops off below it that it cut into the padding material. There are two nuts total to remove and then the traillight pops right out.

 

[AjRowan]

Where do you find the LEDs all the auto stores here do not carry anything for my car yet

 

[dianebrat]

Where do you find the LEDs all the auto stores here do not carry anything for my car yet

There's nothing car specific about LED lamp assemblies, just get them for the correct replacement bulb spec.

 

[erogers10287]

Where do you find the LEDs all the auto stores here do not carry anything for my car yet

superbrightleds.com

 

[brazwewn]

I beleive the owners manual has a list of lamp replacment numbers. For those confused, the manual is that paper thingy stuffed in your hard to use glovebox.

P.S. Like many electricians have told me. A bulb is what you plant in the ground, not what you screw in an electrical socket.

 

[AjRowan]

I beleive the owners manual has a list of lamp replacment numbers. For those confused, the manual is that paper thingy stuffed in your hard to use glovebox.

P.S. Like many electricians have told me. A bulb is what you plant in the ground, not what you screw in an electrical socket.

Ok yeah I've read the Manual it's just been a month or so and I can't remember if I can go from what it comes stock with to led

 

[Donddragon]

They have them at AutoZone in my area (Texas) but there are several places online that have them as well. Try here: LED Lights for Cars | 12v | Super Bright LEDs

 

[Donddragon]

Thank you for the response! I found one wingnut on each side, didn't even notice the covers over the other two. Those plastic wingnuts won't turn for squat with fingers or pliers. I think I'm gonna see if I can buy a couple spares before I get the experience of breaking them. Hmmmm...thinking maybe slotting a piece of thick PVC tubing will make a good tool for removing those.

 

[ugly duck]

I used needlenose pliers, they were TIGHT! IIRC there are two nuts per and a snap-fit stud on the leading edge.

(Trying to attach a pictute on Tapatalk and it keeps crashing)

 

[TheiSwan]

Which bulbs did you go with for the tails?

 

[dianebrat]

I used needlenose pliers, they were TIGHT! IIRC there are two nuts per and a snap-fit stud on the leading edge.

(Trying to attach a pictute on Tapatalk and it keeps crashing)

I tell ya duck, I've looked at that weird picture several times, I have absolutely no idea what it's supposed to be of

 

[ugly duck]

Backside of the taillight. Near the leading edge. It's a little stud that pops into a plastic retainer in the body.

 

[brazwewn]

Pictures of the tail light at night would be great if there are any out there. Trying to figure out if this is for me.

Wes

 

[dianebrat]

Backside of the taillight. Near the leading edge. It's a little stud that pops into a plastic retainer in the body.

View attachment 5485

wow.. yes, now it makes sense!

 

[Zackattack784]

Are the LEDs brighter, the same, or less bright? I'd consider going to LED if they are the same brightness or better simply for the piece of mind of not having to worry about changing bulbs, but I don't want to sacrifice performance to do it.

 

[kflaig]

...I'd consider going to LED if they are the same brightness or better simply for the piece of mind of not having to worry about changing bulbs...

In my experience LED tailight bulbs typically last less than a year. The wires in their bases have been the weak spot on the ones I've bought.

That said, I just replaced them again. Maybe this batch will hold up better.

Why do I keep replacing them with LEDs when I've had such poor luck? LEDs light up a split second before incandescent brake light bulbs do. When you see that split second difference in real life you'll see how significant it is. Even at 30mph you go over 4 feet in less than a 10th of a second.

"“Our research shows that
between 37% and 74% of rear-end
collisions are preventable by early
warning systems.... Just 0.5
seconds [500 ms] in early warning
would reduce rear-end collisions
by 60%.” Two UMTRI studies
conclude that LED signals provide
a braking response time
advantage between 170 and 200
ms under favorable lighting
conditions and up to 300 ms
under adverse lighting conditions
(e.g., viewing at a distance with
high-intensity illumination on the
lamp surface). Note that a 200 ms
improvement in braking response
time is equivalent to a 19.1 feet
reduction in stopping distance at
a speed of 65 MPH."

http://chemistry.beloit.edu/BlueLight/pages/hp/an1155-3.pdf

 

[Irb Digital]

Pics of installed LED replacements will be greatly appreciated


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[carl125]

I’ve had very limited success with this, the only LED lights still on my car are the liscence plate lights and the dome light (I got mine from lightingnext). I thought there would be no issues with the brake lights being LED, as there is no bulb failure warning system and they don’t blink. I was wrong. At first it appeared to work, I was happy, and the LEDs were almost as bright as the incans. Then a week or two later I follow my wife home from the beach, (it’s her car) and I see a stuck on turn signal light. I didn’t touch the turn signals! After fiddling with it, I confirmed it was glitchy, so out came the LEDs.

 

[dianebrat]

the only LED lights still on my car are the liscence plate lights and the dome light (I got mine from lightingnext)

umm, those are stock LED from Ford, why replace them?