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C4 - DS4 Owners :: Forums :: Styling Performance and Upgrading :: Interior and lights

LED Reverse & Indicator Bulbs [problem with Indicator ones]

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JonM   
Sun Mar 18 2012, 03:30pm
Member No: #211
Joined: Apr 06 2007
Location: Redditch, Worcestershire
Hi
Today I got around to fitting some LED bulbs I bought ages ago for my C4 [Unsure why I’ve not fitted them before]

Bulbs fitted…
Reverse Bulbs - 24 LED 12V Super white reverse light Bulbs x 2 - 382 1156 BA15S
Each bulb contains 24 LEDS - 18 on top / 6 around sides to give all round illumination
Bulb Dimensions: Cluster Diameter 25mm / Overall Length 39mm / Bayonet Base Width 16mm
Bayonet Base Length 19mm - These Bulbs run off less than 1W

24 LED Amber Indication Bulbs x 2 - 581 1156 PY21W BAU15S Fitting
Each bulb contains 24 LEDS - 18 on top / 6 around sides to give all round illumination
Bulb Dimensions: Cluster Diameter 25mm / Overall Length 39mm / Bayonet Base Width 16mm Bayonet Base Length 19mm - These Bulbs run off less than 1W


Anyways…
The LED reverse bulbs look & work fine.
The LED indicator bulbs look fine too & flash ok, but… there is a problem…
when I indicate the indicator noise / clicker type sound / indicator lights on the dash clicks & flashes faster than normal, as if when a bulb has gone. Has anyone else had this problem? or is there something I need to do that can make them as per the standard bulbs.
Is it the fitment? seemed to be only one way they’d fit / insert into socket on bulb board, but maybe I have put them in wrong.

I’ll be resorting back to the original standard bulbs if I can’t sort this as its annoying me.
Otherwise I’m happy with them

Took some pics of them but the pics don’t really show these too well
But if you want to look – follow link to my website: - Click Here -

Jon
CamM   
Mon Mar 19 2012, 03:17am

Member No: #19249
Joined: Apr 13 2011
Location: Sydney
Out of interest, do the LEDs in the reverse lights throw any errors and is there any residual glow when they're not in use?
Jimux   
Mon Mar 19 2012, 05:44am

Member No: #8137
Joined: Mar 08 2009
Location: Kent, UK
The changed flash rate is a result of the lower current drawn. So you need to either increase the current drawn (ballast resistor, extra lamps, etc) or find a flasher unit designed for LED lamps.
C4Darren   
Mon Mar 19 2012, 09:04am
Member No: #13754
Joined: May 18 2010
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
Yea, to keep on Jimux's answer (and my standard grade level of Physics) the indicators are ran off a capacitor system, similar to if you filled a bucket with water and tipped it out.

Using LED's will have the same effect as having a blown bulb which is essentially lowering the total current required (using a smaller bucket, same speed of water) so it'll flash (fill the bucket) faster.

My god I'm a euphanism genius.
routemaster1   
Mon Mar 19 2012, 01:19pm
Member No: #574
Joined: Jul 08 2007
Location: Dorset
Jimux wrote ...

The changed flash rate is a result of the lower current drawn. So you need to either increase the current drawn (ballast resistor, extra lamps, etc) or find a flasher unit designed for LED lamps.


This may have been true in the old days with bi-metallic strip flasher units, but in the days of microprocessors, is this now the case?
JonM   
Mon Mar 19 2012, 02:53pm
Member No: #211
Joined: Apr 06 2007
Location: Redditch, Worcestershire
CamM wrote ...

Out of interest, do the LEDs in the reverse lights throw any errors and is there any residual glow when they're not in use?


No - well not yet
Jon
JonM   
Mon Mar 19 2012, 03:04pm
Member No: #211
Joined: Apr 06 2007
Location: Redditch, Worcestershire
Jimux wrote ...

The changed flash rate is a result of the lower current drawn. So you need to either increase the current drawn (ballast resistor, extra lamps, etc) or find a flasher unit designed for LED lamps.


C4Darren wrote ...

Yea, to keep on Jimux's answer (and my standard grade level of Physics) the indicators are ran off a capacitor system, similar to if you filled a bucket with water and tipped it out.
Using LED's will have the same effect as having a blown bulb which is essentially lowering the total current required (using a smaller bucket, same speed of water) so it'll flash (fill the bucket) faster.
My god I'm a euphanism genius.


Thanks
I presumed this was the case
Best go back to standard bulbs
Jon
C4Darren   
Mon Mar 19 2012, 03:15pm
Member No: #13754
Joined: May 18 2010
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
JonM wrote ...

Best go back to standard bulbs
Jon


Oh no need to go that far, just use a voltmeter and find out the bulb's resistance then go to Maplin or something and solder an in-line resister to match them, sounds easy I know but just spend a day and it'll be fixed.


CamM wrote ...

Out of interest, do the LEDs in the reverse lights throw any errors and is there any residual glow when they're not in use?

If they do throw any errors at all for reverse lights, then I'd assume like the sidelight LED's I've got in that the warning only comes up when you actually go into the menu and check the warning log. It's not jumping up at you 'fix me now fix me now' if you get me. Not intrusive at all.
pclark   
Tue Mar 20 2012, 04:00am
Member No: #12537
Joined: Feb 18 2010
Location: North Yorkshire
Cars do nowadays have electronic flashers rather than ones with bi-metallic strips as said by routemaster1. I understand that car engineers now deliberately design in the rapid flashing to warn drivers that an indicator bulb has failed in a way that drivers have become familiar with. if adding a resistor to simulate the resistance of a bulb it needs to be in parallel with the led bulb, not in series.
CamM   
Tue Mar 20 2012, 09:37am

Member No: #19249
Joined: Apr 13 2011
Location: Sydney
C4Darren wrote ...

If they do throw any errors at all for reverse lights, then I'd assume like the sidelight LED's I've got in that the warning only comes up when you actually go into the menu and check the warning log. It's not jumping up at you 'fix me now fix me now' if you get me. Not intrusive at all.

Thanks Darren - figured as much, but I've got the error-free LED sidelights and was curious to know if these ones Jon was using were also error-free. If so, I may consider them for my car.
Sonny   
Fri Mar 23 2012, 04:11pm
They look great Jon.. dunno if i can be bothered with soldering the indicator bulbs though
JonM   
Fri Mar 23 2012, 04:22pm
Member No: #211
Joined: Apr 06 2007
Location: Redditch, Worcestershire
Sonny wrote ...

They look great Jon.. dunno if i can be bothered with soldering the indicator bulbs though


Nor can I Matt - so originals are back in tomorrow
Jon
 

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