Hey guys, i bought a 98 ram 2500 that had led headlight bulbs in it. They are very bright with a crisp cutoff line to them, but the brights don't work. I took them out and installed them in my 94, and the brights work, but not the dims. I've heard of needing to install a resistor to use led bulbs, but when I look it up, most places are talking about that to prevent them from flickering. Am I on the right track with thinking they need resistors?
Thanks in advance!
Courage

 

Have you checked you are getting power to the bulb socket on high? Are they the correct base? Single bulb housings?

 

yes, when I swapped them into my 94 I put the halogens from it into the 98 and they worked correctly. Yep, correct base. Single bulb housings.

 

LED bulbs are really finicky about grounding. Make sure you have a GOOD ground for the high beams. Incandescent will light up but dimly. LED just won't light up at all. Personally, I'd wire the lights to make sure both beams work. Maybe get an extra light plug and wire the bulb to a battery.

 

are they wired as 9004 vs 9007? does the bright indicator on the dash come on full power or halfish dim power

 

here is the part that confuses me, the halogens work well with brights and dims in both trucks. With the Halogens, in the 94, the high beams stay on the whole time, and in the 98, the low beams stay on the whole time.

 

Both trucks are wired for 9004 bulbs. I'll have to check the led bulbs when I get home.
on the 94, the bright indicator works full power, on the 98, it doesn't come on at all no matter what bulbs are in it...

 

does your 98 have pull style or turn style headlight switch, honestly sounds like probably a bad ground, id look up a headlight isolator harness regardless, especially on the pull style headlight switch

 

I think the '98 has the pull style like my '96. I think my old 2001 had the same switch.

 

I believe 98 was a mid year change, all my 01-02 trucks have been turn ***** like 03+, i have never owned a 2000 or 99, my 98 has pull style, the 98 dash was a one year run a 99+ bezel does not properly fit a 98 dash, one reason being the headlight switch