I took the car out last evening and noticed the left turn signal was just solid on the dash. I'm guessing this means I have bulb out on the left side somewhere. No big deal to replace, but I see you can now get LED replacement bulbs that snap right into the stock sockets. Anyone ever tried these? Just curious because they may brighter and run cooler than the old fillement style. Then again, they may suck. If you have any experience with them, please share.

I haven't done any on my Camaro but I've bought some from LUYED to replace the halos in my z4 and the headlights on my riding lawnmower. I've also got some unknown brand LEDs for reverse and side lights on my LR3. A friend of mine has replaced basically every bulb in his LR Defender with LEDs, I think he mostly bought from AUXBEAM. So far they all work well, LEDs have a harder time throwing light so I'd be cautious about headlights but anything that's meant to be an indicator or flood lamp is great. The only real problem with replacing incandescent with LEDs is on newer cars that have light-controlling computers instead of simple circuits so they might throw an error due to the low power use. Since the turn signals repeat using a very analog electrical circuit, it's hard to say how the blinking rate might change. You could try to counter that with resistors though.

This post has been edited by Mastawyrm: Apr 17 2018, 11:10 PM

I've heard you can get a different flasher unit to fix the fast flashlight LED. Since this is for my '00 Camaro SS, I doubt I'd have any computer issues to worry about. Looks like I need to begin Amazon and see what's available.

You’ll need a digital flasher. Find out WTF (where...) your flasher unit is located FIRST. I did LEDs on our ‘02 GMC. Then, found out the freaking dash has to come apart to replace the stupid flasher. Even then, you have to reach up, back, and around the dash frame (back of the fuse panel) to R&R the flasher unit.

I’ll remember that move to rip the nards off the GM engineer, yes, lower-case-e, who thought that was a wonderful place to put a flasher. I mean, c’mon’, you’re that hard up for billable repair jobs in the shop to have to do stupid crap like that?!?

Not that I’m bitter, or anything.

But the LEDs are awesome. I need more backup lighting, but all else is great. Highly-recommended for the DRLs, since they tend to burn up the light socket. Do them first.

This post has been edited by CrashTestDummy: Apr 18 2018, 02:22 AM

Usually if you only replace front OR rear turn signals with LED's then you shouldnt need any other change. The fronts are the best to use LED since they are cooler and daytime running makes them melt with incandecent. I replaced all of mine just for quicket lighting for brakes and whatnot so I wired in the resistors to the rear. They can get hot so I mounted mine to aluminum plates and put them under the rear hatch mechanism.

I tried the hazards last night and found that it's the passenger side front that's out. The low for drl works, but the high for the flasher is out. I think for now, I'll just do the fronts. I put LED high beams in my '00 Sierra. They are very bright and white, but they don't seem to throw the light quite as far. Maybe it's just an optical illusion because it's so much brighter close up?

Yes you'll need an electronically controlled flasher. I've had one for over 14 years, when I added "side marker lights" in my side (fake) vents. It is under the dash but not too far up there IIRC. I also tried an LED in the front turn signals and found it was close to being as bright as incandescent, but not quite. Look at the lumen quantity. I also tried LUYED. I think they blinked if I inserted them one direction, but no the other, so direction matters.

Oh yeah,I didn't think of that since all the ones I've dealt with had a connector style of one through the middle and one on the side so direction was impossible to change. If you're replacing a two post style that can be reversed, gotta pay attention to electron flow direction. Basic function of a diode is to allow one direction and not the other, LEDs may be for producing light but they ARE still diodes afterall.

This post has been edited by Mastawyrm: Apr 18 2018, 07:49 PM

Nah you noticed correctly. That's a function of light output direction, they are very bright but much more directional so the old incandescent housings can't help much in the same way they direct an omni directional source.

Was that with the electronic flasher or without? I tried the LED bulbs last night, the drl worked, but not the flashers or turn signals. I may have had the both in backwards, who knows. I had a new pair of 3157s in the tool box, so I just popped those in and called it done for now. I'll have to get an electronic flasher and try again.

If they didn't come on at all, yes, you got the bulbs in 100% backwards. What are the odds?!? Without the electronic flasher, the bulbs will flash at a very high rate, but they should still light.