New LED bulb with resistor
 

Looking over a couple more bulb swaps, I came across this new one for replacing the dual intensity front signal/running bulbs on my Civic. This bulb would not require a separate resistor? I could just install it on its own? Or is it intended for a light of a different design than a 1998 Civic?

I believe any voltage control is already built into the package. It should be plug and play.

Expensive for a bulb, with minimal gains, but I might just do it myself when my bulbs go out for the "wow factor". Replacing the headlights would be a better return.

If it is with a resistor, wouldn't it use the same amount of power as a normal bulb? I'm looking into LED's myself, but i can't find any H4 LEDs that are good enough (or legal, for that matter). I have found lots of P21 LEDs, but the powersaving over the standard 5w bulb is minimal, and not really worth the extra cost.
I did find these though : LED autoprer - LED H7 Nr/Fjern lys 5500K (the website is in danish, but the H7 LEDs are korean made, but i haven't found them anywhere else on the web)
24W vs 55-60W for the normal bulbs and 1650 Lumen is a lot!

Edit: Just found them on a US site here http://hidconcept.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=119

I have already replaced the headlights with a HID kit that reduces watts by about 40%, and I have maybe 5-7 other LEDs in the external light fixtures. This among the last big changes I want to make. When I calculate the wattage using their mAmp ratings and 12.5 volts I get 1.125-2.875 watts, which is far less than the 20+ watts per bulb currently. Would a resistor draw more power than they are reporting? (Shows you what a noob I am on this.) It needs the resistor to work as a directional apparently.

I have seen LED balist resistor kits at auto zone to make blinkers work with LEDs.
I figured the easiest cheapest simplest solution was just to leave amber filiment bulbs up front.

L.E.D conversion - EcoModder

Did you just put HID blbs into the halogen lamps.....or did you actually install HID projectors?

The automotive bulbs online are made for 12 and in many cases 24 volt operation. The only time you need a resistor is in place of an electronic blinker relay sway so they do not blink fast. Of course like noted, putting the resistor in uses the same amount of power as the original bulb. :eek:

I got some replacement halogen led bulbs for a h3 and used them in a setof fog lights to drive around with on. :thumbup: It didnt really help much other than to illuminate anything reflective down the road, no real useful light.

The hid bulbs fit into the stock fixtures, and the kit came with a way to connect into the existing connectors and the battery, with an inline fuse to protect the bulbs. The work well, I think, though I messed up part of the install and subsequently have not gotten the aiming I wanted. A more experienced hand would have had better results, but I live and learn.

I think I know where mcrews is heading with his question... and I have to agree!

The factory headlamp was designed to throw light in the correct directions and angles with minimal light spilling based on the EXACT location of the light source in the fixture,which is the filament in the bulb that it was designed with.

If we change this location within the fixture,(different bulb or incorrectly installed bulb)the mirrors behind the bulb will throw the light in all kinds of directions except where it needs to go.

I am talking about low beam that needs to concentrate the available light down onto the road ahead and not spill much light above a certain line that would blind oncoming traffic.

If this replacement kit HID bulb has it's light source in a different location from the original bulbs filament (highly likely) then the light will be more like the pattern of a high beam instead of a low beam.

This might answer the aiming problem you seem to have.

Where a fatory projector lamp as it was designed will throw a beautiful low beam light with a distinct separation of light and darkness separated by a horizontal line that is most visible when shined on a wall. Still has to be aimed correctly though!

Not trying to bust your chops just saying if this is the case then that would be the reason for it!

And by the way yes those LED replacement bulbs are suposed to work like they are without having to add resistors. (although as turn signal bulbs,I'm not sure)

Thx!

I'd ask the retailer. They have a good reputation. The DODGE I own has a rep for being picky about electrical loads the CAN BUS system cannot read well. But it may be different than the Euro models cited in ad copy. Etc.

I went to the link for the LED 1157 bulbs in the first post here. The seller - and I consider SuperBrightLEDs.com one of the leading sources in that field - says:

"The load resistor built into CAN bus bulbs are not intended to fix turn signal related issues, such as hyperflashing."

Sorry to say, I think that tells us right there - this bulb does not solve that problem. But take heart, LED replacement of the turn signals could be worthwhile. Read on.

The bulbs are designed to work with the European CAN system, whatever that system may require of the bulbs. I did some quick googling and didn't yet find an explanation of what that is.

We owned 1980's and early '90's Volvos for many years, that had a bulb failure detection circuit. I'm sure it was not the modern CAN system, however it was so sensitive that it would indicate a bulb failure if you had two bulbs of different ages (which I've seen can cause maybe a 10% resistance change) or even from different batches. It looked for differences in the current flowing in the left vs right side circuits.

Anyway - - -
I understand a bit about the blinker's need for resistance in the bulb. Here's my take, especially with regard to our interest I reducing power demands.

An LED version of the 1157 bulb - or for similar dual filament bulbs made to serve as brake and running lights - needs a resistor added to the blinker circuit, so the LED bulb will appear as a regular one to the flasher relay. You wire the resistor in parallel with the bulb, so the resistance of the combination is reduced. And it's power consumption (watts) is now essentially equal to a standard bulb. If it were not nearly identical to a standard bulb, the flasher would be too fast or too slow.

Get their approx $25 bulb. Thats what i got for my brake lights (but they were the other base connector type, you need 1157 for fronts). You will only be wiring the resistor for the turn signal. Not for the running light circuit.

So the running light will give you all the power savings you should get by using an LED bulb. In my view that's what counts, because they stay on when you drive with headlights. The flashing part will consume power like a regular bulb but its not such a big problem. It's only on for a short time, and even then is off half of that time.

That's why I'd consider doing the swap if cost and time availability aren't an issue.

Somewhere (on the SuperBrightLEDs site?) I saw a writeup of what resistor to use. You would need one for left side and one for right. It mght benefit from a soldered connection because the whole reason for the resistor is to control (reduce) resistance. You don't want corrosion in a crimp connector or some such issue to mess it up later.

3dplane is exactly right on this. The headlight has a carefully designed reflector that's based on the glowing filament being in exactly the right spot. Unfortunately an HID glow spot has a different shape and size from the halogen's so the systems focus is not the same. They might get some of the glowing field in the pinpoint where the halogen had it, but the rest of he HID's glowing field is in some other place where it's not supposed to be.

The low beam concentrates light on the nearby road surface and spares oncoming drivers from glare. The high beam is close to a pencil beam so it is effective at a distance, with relatively little spreading. Both need aiming but in practicality, if you aim the low beam right the high will be ok (assuming one bulb is doing both jobs like in our Civics).

Some cars measure the resistance of the bulb and gives you a reading of its lifespan. This way you see if your bulb is new, worn or needs replacing before it burns out. A friend of mines with an AMG Benz has this. He also have push buttons to raise and lower the car. :eek: