LED interior lights
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Rookie
Joined: Mar 2010
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From: Western N.C.
LED interior lights
I installed Syvania led bulbs in my overhead console map lights and in my rear dome light. When the rear dome light is turned off it stays lit very dimly, even when the truck is off. The front map lights work perfect when the truck is on and they do stay completely unlit when off but but when the trucks off and you turn them on they flicker like strobe lights.
Champion
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 4,737
Likes: 374
From: Northwest Louisiana
It's because of the leakage in the ... CTM, I think ... that actually turns the lights on and off.
You don't notice it on incandescents because there's not enough current to light them up.
LEDs, OTOH, are a bit ... less demanding for current *grins* and so will barely strike and glow. The front map lights sound like they're striking, dropping the voltage due to the current below where they work, and going out, then repeating.
The fix is simple - a small resistor - or even using CANBUS lights! - should fix it.
By small I mean lower wattage with a resistance just low enough to cause the current to flow through it instead of the LED. I'd have to measure the voltage across the LED to figure out what value resistor you may need - but on a few other cars that had the "Brake lights barely glow due to cruise control" problem, a 5K ohm resistor of 1 watt did the job just peachy keen.
OTOH, most CANBUS lights will have enough extra resistance (to avoid the CANBUS "Light Out!" messages) to keep the lights out in a situation like this.
Or you can just leave them. They're not pulling any more current than the incandescents did with the ignition off, they're just doing more at using it *grins*
If you decide to try the CANBUS lights, SuperBrightLEDs has some ... https://www.superbrightleds.com/more...ofit-car/1127/ .
RwP
You don't notice it on incandescents because there's not enough current to light them up.
LEDs, OTOH, are a bit ... less demanding for current *grins* and so will barely strike and glow. The front map lights sound like they're striking, dropping the voltage due to the current below where they work, and going out, then repeating.
The fix is simple - a small resistor - or even using CANBUS lights! - should fix it.
By small I mean lower wattage with a resistance just low enough to cause the current to flow through it instead of the LED. I'd have to measure the voltage across the LED to figure out what value resistor you may need - but on a few other cars that had the "Brake lights barely glow due to cruise control" problem, a 5K ohm resistor of 1 watt did the job just peachy keen.
OTOH, most CANBUS lights will have enough extra resistance (to avoid the CANBUS "Light Out!" messages) to keep the lights out in a situation like this.
Or you can just leave them. They're not pulling any more current than the incandescents did with the ignition off, they're just doing more at using it *grins*
If you decide to try the CANBUS lights, SuperBrightLEDs has some ... https://www.superbrightleds.com/more...ofit-car/1127/ .
RwP
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Rookie
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 63
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From: Western N.C.
Thank you for the quick response. How would i go about installing the resistor? would that help both front and rear issues? If i leave it be it's not putting more of a drain on my battery?
Champion
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 4,737
Likes: 374
From: Northwest Louisiana
You'd have to probably put one on each side, although a single resistor MIGHT help. You'd wire it between the two wires to one of the lights. And as is, no, it's not putting any more load on the battery than the incandescents, you just get to see it whereas you didn't with the incandescents.
I'd consider trying one or so of the CANBUS lights instead - they may cost a small bit more, but they're just plug and play.
RwP
I'd consider trying one or so of the CANBUS lights instead - they may cost a small bit more, but they're just plug and play.
RwP
