LED Lights

[BlazedUp]

I love my LED third brake light.....2008 Limited from the factory.

[dadrett]

I love my LED third brake light.....2008 Limited from the factory.

U'r just bragging. :glare: Yes I would one too, but cost of 5 LED bulbs was $11.98 as opposed to $87.73 for the real deal.

Edited April 9, 2009 by dadrett

[dadrett]

This post started by error Mar 15 & had no content, but never got taken down by moderators. So I've decided to put it to use.

4-28-09:

Ever notice how we use excuses to find bargains? (Of course not buying is even cheaper. :yup: ) Purchased ’08 LED high mount unit from Ford. Cost $44.84. Got price of $30.86 + $10.00 S&H from Tascaparts.com. Ford parts mgr. agreed to match, but had to charge CA sales tax (9.75% - thank U Aaanooold!). Saved $42.89 (almost half off.) As U might imagine, it wasn’t quite a direct swap. First off, connector is turned 180 degrees, but once U figure that out & tug out a little more wire, it plugs right in. Second, notice the “finned” locating pin. It reminds U of trim & panel fasteners, but fins are thicker & therefore stiffer. Hole that accepts this pin is back in behind light, but is not used in ’07. High mount unit for ’07 is a little difficult to grab hold of & remove. Only purpose I can think of for this finned pin is to make it even more difficult to remove & therefore a little less susceptible to theft. If anyone knows reason, please inform. I didn’t want difficulty removing in future, so I ground away fins to reduce diameter of pin. Could just as easily have drilled out hole.

(1) Stock ’07 with 5 incandescents, (2) ’07 with 5 LED bulbs (each bulb has 4 side facing, 1 forward facing LEDs), (3) ’08 LED unit in place, (4) ’08 LED unit w/finned pin.

Edited April 29, 2009 by dadrett

[Orion]

Hey, Lex - how are your LED lights working? Did you end up adding resistors to all of the interior bulbs or are you just dealing with changing them out every six months to a year? I was all gun-ho to change everything out on the interior, but now I'm a bit tentative seeing the problems you're having.

 

Thanks to all for the awesome posts! This is giving me a bunch of great ideas and saving me a ton of research time!!!!!

[Lex Talionis]

Hey, Lex - how are your LED lights working? Did you end up adding resistors to all of the interior bulbs or are you just dealing with changing them out every six months to a year? I was all gun-ho to change everything out on the interior, but now I'm a bit tentative seeing the problems you're having.

 

Thanks to all for the awesome posts! This is giving me a bunch of great ideas and saving me a ton of research time!!!!!

 

heck no. never added resistors and have no intentions to do so at this time and also plan to always have LED bulbs in my Edge. Once you have them, you could never go back to incancesdents. I am not buying into the need to have them on internal lights. for turn signals, I agree 100% and I certainly would.. personally, I am more betting that the issue is just poor quality LED bulbs from China, as I have other bulbs the same age that seem to be fine, should they all not have died? I am no bulb guru, but find it hard to believe that you need resistors for ALL internal bulbs you change to LED and that the bulbs are damaged over time if not, like the seller was telling me. I think he just wanted me to buy resistors on top of all my bulbs and it was a bamboozling, but the reality is shabby LED bulbs. He explanation was weak at best to me, something along the lines of "I do not know why, but some cars just need resistors.. so you should buy the resistors" That is why I asked here if anyone else noticed issues - but it seems not and many of us have swapped our bulbs to LED and, except for turn signals, did not do resistors.

 

long winded point? I would move forward with LED bulbs no doubt. pretty inexpensive mod with great returns, even if some go bad early given poor quality. The place I bought has like a 30 day warranty while I have seen others with 3-4 times that... but I admit his bulbs are cheaper in price and he is not far from me so I get them fast and he gives me a better deal, so maybe some bad bulbs is the cost of doing business with him.

[Orion]

Excellent, thanks for the info!

[jpeckinp]

Anyone else here having their LED bulbs start to flicker and go bad after say about a 6 months to a year? In the last month I have had 2 LED bulbs go bad and the guy is trying to tell me I need resistors.. that would be like 10 different resistors and where do you place them in dome light or map light or license plate light given spacing. I have always 100% understood you need them for turn signal applications, but not just when switching out bulbs in the car like I have..

 

anyone else had LED bulbs NOT in turn signals start to flicker after extended use?

 

I had two do this on my license plate but nowhere else.

[BlazedUp]

"you could never go back to incancesdents" originally posted by Lex. Incandescents :D

[Lex Talionis]

I had two do this on my license plate but nowhere else.

 

same here.. at the license plate. odd

 

 

"you could never go back to incancesdents" originally posted by Lex. Incandescents :D

 

you got me there

[kf678]

I was trying to install LEDs in the map lights (front), dome light (back), and rear courtesy lamp (cargo area) and when I installed all of them, they never turned off. When I would close all of the doors and lock (the doors), they would dim down but not turn all the way off. I watched them for about 5 minutes and they stayed barely lit the entire time. I purchased the correct bulbs for the areas and they all fit in perfectly so I know I have the correct bulbs. Has this happened to anyone else? Any suggestions as to what may be causing this?

[Orion]

Welp, after a night full of fun LED drama (problems with installing the resistors, dropped the bulb in the front flasher housing (that was a fun fishing trip), etc., etc.), the only friggin lights I installed were the license plate set.

 

Here's the result:

 

 

That looks like CRAP!! Both light assemblies have the light pointing to the right. The only solution I can think is to modify the plastic around the right assembly so I can install it the other way around so the LED light beams will cross each other. Did anyone else have this problem? If so, what was your solution?

[scootertoo21]

Welp, after a night full of fun LED drama (problems with installing the resistors, dropped the bulb in the front flasher housing (that was a fun fishing trip), etc., etc.), the only friggin lights I installed were the license plate set.

 

Here's the result:

 

 

That looks like CRAP!! Both light assemblies have the light pointing to the right. The only solution I can think is to modify the plastic around the right assembly so I can install it the other way around so the LED light beams will cross each other. Did anyone else have this problem? If so, what was your solution?

 

 

Yes, you'll have to cut a small indent on the opposite side of the LED that's pointing backwards so that you can flip it. Should take about 30 seconds with an Exatco. Those things a incredibly bright though! I'm not sure I like the flashlight look.

[Lex Talionis]

Both light assemblies have the light pointing to the right. The only solution I can think is to modify the plastic around the right assembly so I can install it the other way around so the LED light beams will cross each other. Did anyone else have this problem? If so, what was your solution?

 

I will concur that they did a totally whacky setup by giving us 2 assemblies that point to the right (I guess it saves money over making a left and right specific assembly that angles the light), so yes, an exacto or dremmel adjustment and you can mod the assembly to turn the passengers side to face they way it 'should'

[Orion]

Thanks, everyone...I'll do so tonight!

[dadrett]

Welp, after a night full of fun LED drama (problems with installing the resistors, dropped the bulb in the front flasher housing (that was a fun fishing trip), etc., etc.), the only friggin lights I installed were the license plate set.

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That looks like CRAP!! Both light assemblies have the light pointing to the right. The only solution I can think is to modify the plastic around the right assembly so I can install it the other way around so the LED light beams will cross each other. Did anyone else have this problem? If so, what was your solution?

 

Orion, don't be too hard on U'rself, I (& I imagine others) also "lost" a park/turn bulb as U describe. To go U one better, I "lost" a rear side marker bulb. As luck would have it, taillight unit is piece of cake to remove & shake, rattle & roll to every conceivable position ('til U find just the right combination of moves.) I didn't know I had that much patience. As to the right pointing license lamp (as Ford calls it - can we call it a bulb holder?), there appears to be no reason (all disclaimers are in effect 'cause "I haven't performed this operation Dr."**) why can't U file a notch on left side of passenger side opening to mirror driver side & accommodate the little lamp "spring latch" (one of which I broke [36K B to B covered it] 'cause they were such a tight fit. Couldn't have been my :rolleyes: technique! Some filing on notch & latch freed things up on new one.) I would make U'r new notch no longer than width (long side of) "spring latch." As a margin of safety this keeps new notch shorter (long side.) because U'll notice there's a clear tab that keeps bulb holder in place & it appears to be same length as original notch, but wider so it should extend past width (short side) of orig. notch & serve its function when bulb holder is turned 180 degrees.

As alternative to new notch, a person could use different style of bulb. I'm guessing U guys are using forward facing LEDs. The ones I have (eBay seller EnKMall - $5.98/pr or $11.98 for 5 w/no shipping charge & they arrive in 6-8 days, but it's too soon to attest to quality :unsure: ) have 4 side facing (90 degress apart) & one forward facing LED so they sorta mimic the light dispersion(?) of the standard C5W which is a little brighter than a 194. Now, on my F-150 their design gives off a "lopsided" light w/one angled down & the other angled up, similar to pic in post #111. I'm waiting on a pair of forward facing 6-LED #194s from EnKMall, as we speak (I type?), that should do the trick.*

They are not as bright as they appear here, and yes it seems there is a little right bias to the light, but I think it's no worse than w/incandescents. I think it's one of those things U don't notice until it's brought to U'r attention. Then it can drive U nuts. :blink:

 

Hey Lex - No need for Ford to make right & left license lamps. They just need to put notch on correct (left) side of passenger side opening. What should we expect? In 2nd printing of '09 OM, some bulbs listed are still incorrect.

 

*4-08-09 - Turns out they didn't do the trick; F-150 bulb points more toward rear than plate & I missed it when I looked! So...., as of now, solution is to not fully twist into place. Bulbs didn't go to waste though; put them in F-150 dome/map lights & bulbs (#906/921) that were to go there I put in cargo (bed) lights. The 921 (9-LED) bulb is specified for Edge back-up lamp, however these I have are forward firing, but need LEDs around sides to utilize reflector.

 

** 10-23-09 – I have performed this operation & it works. Below are 5-LED bulb for “stock situation” & forward facing 6-LED bulb for use after modification.

Edited October 26, 2009 by dadrett

[Orion]

Whelp, I finished the total outer LED conversion this past Saturday (except for the puddle lights...not sure I'm ready for that venture). All went well as soon as I figured out that the crappy splicers that come with the resistors from SuperbrightLED's should be tossed in the trash.

 

Here's the summary of the installation (I can post pics if anyone is interested, but seems like most are ahead of me with this mod):

 

1) The wiring on the driver's die turn signal was really tight...I couldn't even remove the bulb without grabbing the wire loom from the lower support and pulling up to relieve pressure. I purchased some 18 AWG stranded wire from Pep Boys and extended all three wires to give me some more room (I used standard butt splicers).

 

2) To splice the resistors into the OEM wiring, I used a 22 - 10 AWG pigtail splice and filled it with liquid electrical tape (because I'm paranoid...this probably isn't necessary).

 

3) I used epoxy and mounted the resistors to the side walls. Driver side = right next to the fuse box. Passenger’s side = right below the coolant reservoir.

 

4) In back, I too, lost the side marker bulb in the housing. Friggin' aye!!! Yes, much easier to get out than the front. (Side note, if anyone DOES lose a bulb in the front, you can remove the entire headlight assembly and shake the bulb out. After talking to my local dealer's service dept., turns out this would not have been that big of a deal to achieve). ... Anyway, in back, I mounted the resistors between the bumper and body. There are convenient little spaces on each side. This is really the reason for my post, as there was plenty of info regarding the rest of the install, but I had no idea where I was going to put these in the back (other than someone's comment to put them in the bumper...?).

 

Here are the pics. The passenger's side was tight enough to hold the resistor in place. The driver's side was a bit loose, so I added some epoxy to keep it in place (again, I'm paranoid).

 

 

 

And there you have it...the results are great! This was a cool mod; only spent $80 in bulbs (www.superbrightleds.com) and $5 in misc. parts.

[Lex Talionis]

(except for the puddle lights...not sure I'm ready for that venture).

 

nice write up.

 

as for the puddle lamp change, it is not as daunting as it may seem. biggest issues are (1) making a clean cut to separate the body from the lens - that is not so hard if you go slow and (2) getting the right sized LED bulbs. I found that #2 was the bigger issue as the 6 LED bulbs I got were perfect width BUT because it is more of a square LED it was a very tough fit given the lack of depth of the body/housing. anyway.. it is a pretty easy mod, i would say maybe even less effort than this one and well worth it. there is NO way you can do all of this and not do puddles.. no way

 

there are 2 threads on puddle lamp LED bulbs. my original thread and 1 newer one from that. I ended up, once the other guy confirmed the lens was removable from the body without destruction of a $60 unit, I changed mine to the latter method from my original home grown idea. both work and work awesome.

[dadrett]

Whelp, I finished the total outer LED conversion this past Saturday (except for the puddle lights...not sure I'm ready for that venture). All went well as soon as I figured out that the crappy splicers that come with the resistors from SuperbrightLED's should be tossed in the trash.

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And there you have it...the results are great! This was a cool mod; only spent $80 in bulbs (www.superbrightleds.com) and $5 in misc. parts.

 

Orian, please :read: post #94, pg 5, this thread. At risk of sounding like a wimp , I'm concerned about location of U'r resistors. Turn on hazard flashers for about 5 mins (that's easily within realm of possible use & equivalent to about 2 1/2 mins. w/foot on brake) & feel U'r resistors. Pretty hot eh?! :blink: Imagine sitting in rush hour traffic w/foot on brake for long periods in summer w/sun @ U'r back & beating down on taillights. Before U sign off on this job, I'd at least do this quick, simple test.

Edited April 17, 2009 by dadrett

[KMAN]

Lex did you buy any LEDs for the interior I was thinking of getting the bright white ones. Just not sure of the rights one to buy.

[Lex Talionis]

Lex did you buy any LEDs for the interior I was thinking of getting the bright white ones. Just not sure of the rights one to buy.

 

oh yes... but sorry, you would have to search back through this thread for specifics, and IIRC I give some pretty good specifics.. I just do not have them handy, but they are here

 

I did: front 2 map lights, middle 3 dome lights, 1 rear cargo light, license plate lights, custom puddle lamp lights + custom LED center console & glove box lights

[KMAN]

oh yes... but sorry, you would have to search back through this thread for specifics, and IIRC I give some pretty good specifics.. I just do not have them handy, but they are here

 

I did: front 2 map lights, middle 3 dome lights, 1 rear cargo light, license plate lights, custom puddle lamp lights + custom LED center console & glove box lights

I seen the one with the glove box and center console , Nice Job! My wife saw me reading some of these post and all she said " not with my new Edge" lol. I will wait till she is sleeping.

The MKS I had for a week (loaner) had nice bright white interior lights !

 

Ohh yah I showed my wife the post from jpark's detailed instruction for the vista roof switch and speedometer lights. And I can't tell you what she said to that ! :finger:

Edited April 18, 2009 by KMAN

[Orion]

Nice!!! I got the same response to the mods I made, but I did them anyway. They were worth it and she didn't kill me!!

[imafordboi69]

So i read through all the posts here on the LEDs, and it was cool to see the progression of information since 2007. I did however want to add a couple of things.

 

Our rig is a 2007 but it does have the superflux style LED 3rd brake light, it was one of the first ones i was gonna change but i looked real hard and could see the LEDs.

 

Our other car is a 1995 ford taurus which i have done the full LED upgrade to including all exterior and interior lamps and so it was only a matter of time before i got the bug to do the edge. For the tails on the taurus i bought a set of actual LED housings that they make for the taurus, so that was already done for me. I used a style 3157 for the front turns and did encounter the fast flash. After reading the various posts and seeing what other people did, i had to add my 2 bits. after looking at the ones that the LED makers sell i refused to pay their prices. What i did was went to a local electronic parts distributor and bought two 8.5ohm 5 watt "brick" style ceramic resistors. These resistors are roughly the size of a "8 bump" leggo (sorry its the only thing i could think of being close). After reading the other posts and seeing some of the pictures i became somewhat puzzled. I believe that some of you may have been lied to about the size of your resistors. One person mentioned a 50 watt resistor but i looked at those in the store and saw them to be very large, and i very much doubt that you have one of these stashed in your car. I installed my resistors from pos-neg on the front lights and it fixed the flash. They are mounted directly onto the plastic bulb socket and i have tested them with the lights flashing for very long periods of time and neither of them got hot enough to even cause me to jerk my finger away. After having them installed almost a year now they haven't even begun to melt dents in the connectors. Just as some of you have stated about the cheap LEDs that come from china i believe that some of the resistors that are being sold are also of inferior quality and might have been slightly embellished to hype them up to make them sound more substantial. Maybe the next person to have the fast flash problem could try out an actual electronics part and see if they come to the same conclusions as i have.

[dadrett]

So i read through all the posts here on the LEDs, and it was cool to see the progression of information since 2007.

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What i did was went to a local electronic parts distributor and bought two 8.5ohm 5 watt "brick" style ceramic resistors. These resistors are roughly the size of a "8 bump" leggo (sorry its the only thing i could think of being close). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I installed my resistors from pos-neg on the front lights and it fixed the flash. They are mounted directly onto the plastic bulb socket and i have tested them with the lights flashing for very long periods of time and neither of them got hot enough to even cause me to jerk my finger away. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maybe the next person to have the fast flash problem could try out an actual electronics part and see if they come to the same conclusions as i have.

Hi, fb69, I'm a Ford boy too, since '65, but won't be 69 'til next winter. Am very interested to hear/see more about U'r 8.5ohm, 5 watt "brick" resistor. I'm one who posted about using 50 watt alum. power resistors. My post #94, this thread, has pics. Yes, they really are 5/8" x 5/8" x 2" & until now, most others & I, thought they were pretty much it. :shades: Regarding U'r resistor, what type (or name), brand & part number? Where purchased & cost? Any pertinent info helps verify. No offense, but if this is for real, it might "revolutionize" resistor question. Due to heat, where to locate is key issue. FWIW, those BARs (Big Ass Resistors) are actual electronic parts :poke: even if they are a little (a lot?) clunky. :yup:

 

4-22-09 - Googled 8.5 ohm, 5 watt resistor & found NTE #5W285 (3/8" x 3/8" x 7/8") ceramic block wirewound power resistor - $.85 ea ($25.00 min order + S&H) @ one site, $.95/2, min 10 packs (14.50 + S&H) @ another site. Is this the item U'r using?

Edited April 22, 2009 by dadrett

[imafordboi69]

4-22-09 - Googled 8.5 ohm, 5 watt resistor & found NTE #5W285 (3/8" x 3/8" x 7/8") ceramic block wirewound power resistor - $.85 ea ($25.00 min order + S&H) @ one site, $.95/2, min 10 packs (14.50 + S&H) @ another site. Is this the item U'r using?

 

 

OK, the resistors that i bought came from C and G electronics in Tacoma WA (www.candgelectronics.com). On their website, it doesn't seem that you can order them, but i think if you called them they could pull them off the shelf. I don't live near them anymore, otherwise i would get some for the group.

 

My resistors are NTE5w8d2. (sorry in the dark last night i saw them as being 8.5 ohm but they are actually 8.2ohm. it was dark sorry :P) The ones on this page (http://www.sourceresearch.com/store1/quickstore.cfm?ProductID=47892&do=detail) appear to be what i have, but they don't have a picture. They seem to handle heat very well, as iv never had an issue with them.

 

My resistors do quite well under a "switching" load i.e. the blinkers. I'm not sure how they will do under a constant load i.e. the brake lights. I don't yet know how the turn signal system works in the Edge, but since i didn't encounter a fast flash until i changed the front bulbs, i put the resistors on the front bulbs. For the brake lights, a higher watt resistor -might- be needed. If cooling is needed for your application, the best way to keep these cool would be to let them dangle free in the air. On a circuit board these style resistors will stand alone about 3/4 to one inch off the board.

 

As somebody mentioned earlier you DO NOT want to cut one of the wires and install in only one wire (like cutting only the neg wire and splicing the resistor inplace). Doing this will cause the LED to run dimmer. You must cross between the two wires to mimic a load such as a light bulb would do (neg to poz). not sure if anybody has done this wrong but it was just a point i wanted to make.

 

I work ALOT with electronics and electrical things. I always do many electrical projects to any vehicle i drive. I'm happy to answer any questions.