Replace Taillight Bulbs With Led Bulbs?

[glowstang93]

Has anyone replaced their stock taillight bulbs ( brake light bulb and turn signal bulbs) with led bulbs? I was thinking about doing this so they would be brighter and more instant on and off than regular bulbs. Maybe this is just a silly idea, but please sound off what you think.

Also thinking about changing flasher to something else, seems like the turn signals flash kind of slow, could be just the 10 yr old flasher

Thanks

 

[GTPhreak]

someone made/is making a led panel for his car. right now its a one off but you can check it out and maybe make one. i dont think the drop in replacements would be all that great since they would probably just show up as dots instead of illuminating the whole lens

 

[glowstang93]

I'm just wanting to replace the 3157 bulb only in tailight/brake light. One place that sells them, suggests I use red ones since there is a red lens on the taillights. I think I'm going to go buy a pair from Autozone tomorrow. They have them for $17.00. If it doesn't work out right, then I guess I'll know then. Anyone else done this????

 

[93GreenLX]

I have smoked taillights so I had to put LED's for my brake lights because they don't make a regular red bulb

 

[glowstang93]

The Answer

Well, I went to Autozone, bought the 3157 LED's. Put them in and they didn't look very bright. So I put one of the old bulbs back in and looked at both sides while my son tapped the brake pedal. The regular bulbs lit up the whole lens, while the LED's only lit up a small quarter size spot. Looks or not, my tail is worth more than this. I put them back in the package and returned them. Now you know the rest of the story.

 

[redlined50]

thanks for getting back to us

 

[GTPhreak]

yup like i said the only way i would do leds in the taillights is if they were panels to light up the whole lens

 

[glowstang93]

Totally man. Its not worth making a whole panel. I would go APC or euro tails before I spend all that time making one and then destroying my taillights to put them in. I'm not saying they wouldn't be neat, but it's not for me.

You can't tell in the pic, but the headlights and side marker light have green strobe lights blinking alternately.

 

[93GreenLX]

I have smoked taillights and have to have the LEDs and you are right they do not look that bight but at night is when they really shine

 

[merc123]

You could always fabricate a "mirror" like in a flashlight. It would illuminate the lens then.