Exterior LED conversion, can't find lights everyone seems to have used

[cashmonkey38]

So I've been looking around for what bulbs to buy to change my tail lights, turn signals, etc to LEDs, everyone seems to recommend 3157_92 bulbs from VLED. I've looked on their site and they don't seem to carry those anymore and I'm having trouble finding a thread made after they were discontinued. Does anyone know where else I could buy these bulbs, or what a suitable replacement would be? VLEDs does have some new lights in the 3157 section but they're about 100/pair, anyone tried them? Is that a normal price for two lights? Thanks in advance, sorry if 5 other people have already asked :cool4: I just can't find anything

[ctrlraven]

The 3157_92 from VLEDs is discontinued. The V3 Triton 3157 bulbs is the ones that are $100 a pair, they have the built resistor which is needed to allow the turn signals to flash at the correct rate. The V3 Triton's do come in pairs.

Front Turn Signal (1 pair needed)
http://www.vleds.com/v3-triton/bulb-system/v3-a.html

Rear Main Brake/Hazard/Turn signal (2 pairs needed)
http://www.vleds.com/v3-triton/bulb-system/v3-r.html

[cashmonkey38]

Yeah I'm aware of the resistor issue and I noticed those come with them built in, which is convenient but that's a lot of money to switch out a few lights, is that the kind of price I should expect for this? Or is there a cheaper alternative that has been used in lieu of the lights VLEDs used to have? Not a problem if I need to buy resistors separately and add them

[Limited360]

Not gonna find much cheaper with integrated resistors

[cashmonkey38]

What about without integrated? I can just add them on, I'm just wondering if I should expect to pay $50/light even if I bought resisters/lights separately. If it would be cheaper to buy separately does anyone know of a good spot and/or part number for the light?

[ctrlraven]

VLEDS sells regular LED bulbs and the resistors as well.

Front turn signals (1 pair standard base needed)
http://www.vleds.com/bulb-type/tail-brake-turn-signal/3157-3156-led/amber-led/3157-amber.html

Rears (2 pairs standard base needed)
http://www.vleds.com/bulb-type/tail-brake-turn-signal/3157-3156-led/red-led/3157-red.html

Resistors (as far as needed a 6 or 3 ohm resistor I'm not 100% sure as I haven't done my exterior and won't use external resistors as I don't trust them)
http://www.vleds.com/resistors/turn-signal-resistors.html

[RF Overlord]

What's the big deal about LED exterior lights? I can understand HIDs and projectors as they are a safety improvement, but I don't see how having LED turn signals is an improvement. For $100/pair I can replace a LOT of regular bulbs. BTW, I haven't replaced a bulb in my car or Mary's in many years, so there's no labour savings, either.

[cashmonkey38]

"What kind of signal lights you running on that bad boy???" - first thing I ask anyone when they start telling me about their car!

Thanks for the links Chris I'll look into those

[ctrlraven]

What's the big deal about LED exterior lights? I can understand HIDs and projectors as they are a safety improvement, but I don't see how having LED turn signals is an improvement. For $100/pair I can replace a LOT of regular bulbs. BTW, I haven't replaced a bulb in my car or Mary's in many years, so there's no labour savings, either.
I've replaced ONE brake light bulb in the almost 8 years 160k + miles I've driven mine. Anything I have replaced was an upgrade not do to a replacement besides the one brake light bulb.

Most new vehicles being made today have LED exterior lighting. They will last long, brighter than incandescent bulbs and will come on/go off a lot quicker than a incandescent bulb which allow people to react quicker.

Here is a good read


I've known that LEDs are faster to come up to brightness than Incandescent bulbs, but didn't realize how much different they really were. Looking over a bunch of video, frame by frame (easiest method at hand right now), I see about 0.2 seconds faster, and really 0.3 seconds faster for the LEDs to hit full brightness. The circuit used on the LEDs takes 0.0002 seconds to hit full brightness, from when the brake pedal is touched.

So, lets say it takes 0.2 seconds. Assume you are driving 60 mph on the highway. There are 5,280 feet in a mile. 60 mph * 5,280 ft = 316,800 feet per hour.

There are 60 minutes in an hour, 316,800 feet per hour / 60 minutes = 5,280 feet per minute.

There are 60 seconds in a minute. 5280/60 = 88 feet per second.

88 * 0.2 seconds = 17.6 feet

So, an LED brake light could allow a person to stop 17.6 feet sooner than with Incandescent.

But there is more. I've noticed that folks react a lot quicker to the instant on effect of an LED vs. the slow ramp up in brightness of an incandescent. What this equates to in reaction time is unknown to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKyE6zsGCPc
wKyE6zsGCPc

[Vortech347]

Our housings are not designed to maximize Led lighting.