LED Tail lights and Blinker questions

[icey756]

Alrighty. So i want to get LED for my Blinkers and tail lights. There are red ones available but im not sure if i should just get all white ones. The reason for second guessing is because the lenses of the car itself are red (for brakes) and orange (for turn signals). So im not sure if regular ones will do it for the turning or braking. Any guidance is appreciated.

[btwilson86]

I haven't gone outside and removed my lamps in a while, but I'm pretty sure they are all regular clear bulbs. So you should be able to use the same for LED's.

If you get LED bulbs, make sure they have a resistor built in (or you wire one in). Otherwise your turn signals will flash rapidly, and I'm pretty sure the brake lamp failure light on the dash will always be on once you hit the brakes.

[icey756]

ok thank you

[cre]

Yes, you'll need to add resistors to the turn signal circuit to maintain a normal duty cycle... or convert to a digital flasher control instead of the stock flasher relay.

The tail lamp failure module will complain. You have three options here: Add a resistor and hope you can get the load just right to please it; Take the module apart and retune it for the much smaller load values (I've posted info on this here or on SM); Delete the module altogether.

You may fine the LEDs are dimmer. Omni directional LED clusters don't reall project a whole lot of light in any one given direction and they don't point it all where you want it. My suggestion fore the best possible visibility and best looking lighting is to buy some of the rectangular LED lights used in commercial vehicles (delivery trucks, semi's, ambulances). They come large enough to fill up each section of the MKIII's tail lamp housing, are very bright, really are DOT approved and some even come with a pulse circuit. Just remove the housing they come in and put the circuit in your housing... secure with hot glue or whatever and wire it up.

[SilverMK3]

I'm pretty sure that the LEDs are supposed to be the same color as the lens.
This is from superbrightleds.com


If you do this I would like to see what the lights look like with LEDs in them.
Good Luck

[cre]

That's not entirely accurate regarding visual filters... there's a significant level of attenuation but how much depends on the construction of the lens and the effectiveness of the dyes used. Think about it, the incandescent lamps you're using presently emit an even broader range of color yet your lamps still look nice and red. Looking at their example I'd say they were running some very blue white LEDs in there. White LEDs do not emit all colors and as such their performance will vary. Running red LEDs you do still face a real concern of attenuation and a resulting dim appearance.