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Message started by rogers40 on 05/18/12 at 14:55:48

Title: LED brake light
Post by rogers40 on 05/18/12 at 14:55:48

Hey guys,
Has anyone tried replacing the 1157 rear bulb with an SMD LED? I'm trying to find options for a brighter brake light.

I found this bulb that emits light all around, which should make it brighter than a standard LED that only produces light in one direction.

http://www.ddmtuning.com/images/datapage/1157-18xPiranha_dp.jpg
http://www.ddmtuning.com/Products/1157-18xPiranha

Has anyone tried this or something similar?

Thanks!

Title: Re: LED brake light
Post by Serowbot on 05/18/12 at 15:20:23

I've tried three kinds of 1157 LED's... none are as bright as stock...

Title: Re: LED brake light
Post by Jacob on 05/18/12 at 15:46:25

I've also tried an LED brake light. Stock had a big difference being brighter!

Title: Re: LED brake light
Post by Cavie on 05/18/12 at 19:27:28

This is strange. I just came in from the garage trying the LED 1157. Not as bright as standard. Led going back.

Title: Re: LED brake light
Post by thumperclone on 05/18/12 at 23:27:39

smd leds will out shine the incandescent 1157s
pricey but theyll outlive you

Title: Re: LED brake light
Post by Dave on 05/19/12 at 04:03:44

It seems that the LED lights that are made as a unit - where you buy the entire turn signal or brake light as a replacement unit seem to be very bright. However the replacement LED brake lights are not as bright as stock.

Title: Re: LED brake light
Post by ralfyguy on 05/19/12 at 06:42:20

Just a question on the side. What is the power draw between normal 1157 bulb and the LED?

Title: Re: LED brake light
Post by 360k+ on 05/19/12 at 10:51:02

The stock brake/tail lamp spec is 21watt and 5 watt respectively, but the LED version is only 0.1 amp or 1.15 watts. Keep in mind tho, that you can't directly equate incandescent wattage to LED wattage because LEDs are more efficient light producers. One significant clue about the LED version is the spec says it's not for daytime use. This means it could be hard to distinguish in the daytime against ambient daylight depending on sun angle, glare, etc. Incandescent lamps produce light as a result of filament heat vs LEDs that do so as a by product of their chemistry. I'm not sure how the LEDs are arranged inside inside this lamp in terms of parallel and serial current paths or how powerful they are individually, but they do make LEDs that are EXTREMELY bright; so much so that you can't look directly at them up close.

Title: Re: LED brake light
Post by Serowbot on 05/19/12 at 11:40:27

6D716C74697C6B7A7576777C190 wrote:

smd leds will out shine the incandescent 1157s
pricey but theyll outlive you

I'm using a pair of SMD's now... but they're still not as bright as stock...

I'm thinking of going to incandescent... just hope it don't melt my lenses... :-?...

Title: Re: LED brake light
Post by clearush on 05/19/12 at 11:49:17

I bought one of the $10 ebay SMD style bulb, standard brightness was brighter but when you hit the brake it barely brightened at all. Drivers wouldn't really be able to tell when you were braking since there would be no significant brightness change. I was disappointed with the bulb swap and left my incandescent in.

Title: Re: LED brake light
Post by rogers40 on 05/19/12 at 12:07:43

Thanks for the suggestions!

I had also come across these, that could be mounted above the license plate. But, is it legal to have flashing red lights when you're riding?

http://images.motorcycle-superstore.com/ProductImages/OG/0000-Custom-Dynamics-Knight-Riderz-Light-Bars-Red.jpg?01AD=360ftRuVbjkarNCPv988WLzUQyhFbSgTsNNzuFJkagyURv9NDlzuGyg&01RI=3E69220A3FED514&01NA=na

Here is a video, that explains what I'm talking about

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/3/13/123/42651/ITEM/Custom-Dynamics-Knight-Riderz-Light-Bars.aspx?SiteID=SLI%7CLed%20Brake%20Light&WT.MC_ID=10010

Title: Re: LED brake light
Post by 360k+ on 05/19/12 at 12:46:45

I don't think continuous flashing is legal, or even desireable, but I think a few flashes before full-on is OK. In fact, I have done this manually when I think a tailgater may not be able to stop in time. On my BMW I built a triple-flash-then full-on circuit, and mounted ultra brite LEDs in my trunk to utilize it. I had cops and hwy patrol follow me many times thru town and they never said anything.

Title: Re: LED brake light
Post by CaptialThumper on 05/19/12 at 19:52:19

Best to look up the regs for your area, as regulations differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.