Led Bulbs For The Tag Plate?

Heysdad · December 12, 2007

Hey guys I was wondering if any of you guys are using L.E.D. bulbs for your plate (TAG) lights on your 2007-2008 NBS 1500's?

If so, do you get a message on the info center for a bulb out? I wanted to change over to the L.E.D.'s but I don't want to get a message due to the low voltage the L.E.D. uses.

Thanks for the help...

Triki_Dick · December 12, 2007

Are you telling me that the computer tells us when we have a light out!

Heysdad · December 12, 2007

I think it does.....Our Hummer does if there's a tail light out. But then it's "LIKE NOTHING ELSE"...LOL

Our trucks even tell us if our hoods open....LOL

That's a first for me.

Bostonsfavson · December 12, 2007

My BMW has the technology to alert me of a bunk bulb, but not which one. Or even the general type. This was a problem because I kept getting a message indicating that I had a bulb out, but visual inspections revealed no problem. Not even the dealer could figure it out. This I do not understand.

Heysdad · December 13, 2007

bump

redsled2007 · December 13, 2007

I wanted to change over to the L.E.D.'s but I don't want to get a message due to the low voltage the L.E.D. uses.

I may be wrong (wouldn't be the first time), but I believe the LED's will use any volt DC that's available to them. It's the amp draw that will be lower. The panel registers a light out due to an incomplete circut. (I.E. broken wire, missing bulb, burnt out bulb or even a bad ground.)

Heysdad · December 13, 2007

I wanted to change over to the L.E.D.'s but I don't want to get a message due to the low voltage the L.E.D. uses.

I may be wrong (wouldn't be the first time), but I believe the LED's will use any volt DC that's available to them. It's the amp draw that will be lower. The panel registers a light out due to an incomplete circut. (I.E. broken wire, missing bulb, burnt out bulb or even a bad ground.)

OK...So I should be ok with the LED?

todoubled05 · December 13, 2007

I wanted to change over to the L.E.D.'s but I don't want to get a message due to the low voltage the L.E.D. uses.

I may be wrong (wouldn't be the first time), but I believe the LED's will use any volt DC that's available to them. It's the amp draw that will be lower. The panel registers a light out due to an incomplete circut. (I.E. broken wire, missing bulb, burnt out bulb or even a bad ground.)

OK...So I should be ok with the LED?

red is right, as long as the light or fixture is getting ampage the sensor won't come on.. think of it as a limit switch.... when amps are susposed to be drwn from the light or fixture and itsent, therefore the sitch is closed causeing the dash light toappear. when the fixture is drawing awps the circuit is complete opening the switch and the dash light is off. (working properly) update us on pics and model of light, may be helpful to other insrasted in this mod.

tobias · December 13, 2007

I wanted to change over to the L.E.D.'s but I don't want to get a message due to the low voltage the L.E.D. uses.

I may be wrong (wouldn't be the first time), but I believe the LED's will use any volt DC that's available to them. It's the amp draw that will be lower. The panel registers a light out due to an incomplete circut. (I.E. broken wire, missing bulb, burnt out bulb or even a bad ground.)

OK...So I should be ok with the LED?

red is right, as long as the light or fixture is getting ampage the sensor won't come on.. think of it as a limit switch.... when amps are susposed to be drwn from the light or fixture and itsent, therefore the sitch is closed causeing the dash light toappear. when the fixture is drawing awps the circuit is complete opening the switch and the dash light is off. (working properly) update us on pics and model of light, may be helpful to other insrasted in this mod.

Can't speak for the license plate bulbs, I use PIAA's all around the exterior of the truck, but I do use LED festoon bulbs in the interior and have not had a problem now for the last year they've been installed. You'll probably be fine. A lot of manufacturers place resistors in their bulbs to make them appear the same to a vehicles electrical system as an ordinary bulb. Buy one, give it a shot. If it works fine, place the order for the other, or all the others, depending on your plan.

Daddy

pwall · December 13, 2007

I replaced the tail lights a couple of years ago with LEDs. Then the cruise stopped working.

According to the dealership that I brought the truck into (as I didn't assosiate the LED tail lights with the cruise control), the cruise module was getting mixed signals from the LED's and it keep thinking the brakes were applied. Thus the cruise would never ingage.

Needless to say, I put regular bulbs back in again.

This of-course was not the license plate lights. ;)

2500HD Gasser · December 13, 2007

Wow, sure seems like a lot of theory’s/confusion on this topic.

I replaced the rear incandescent tail light bulbs on my Mercedes with LED bulbs and it caused the vehicle diagnostic computer to display that I had both rear taillight bulbs out.....oh sorry BMW owners MB does indicate which bulbs are out ........ When I went to the dealer here is what I was told. In an incandescent bulb the filament acts like a closed switch; when the filament brakes, i.e. the bulb burns out, it creates an open circuit thus triggering the computer. LED bulbs do not have a filament and thus no constant closed circuit so the computer naturally thinks that there is a bulb out.

So based on that theory any incandescent bulb monitored buy a computer would trigger an open circuit if replaced with a LED bulb. So if the Tag light is in fact monitored "yes the LED will trigger a bulb out indicator”.

Sounded good to me, hope this help.

Joe

Heysdad · December 13, 2007

Thanks guys...I'll give it a try and will update y'all on the out come.

redsled2007 · December 14, 2007

So what you are saying is the monitor measures the current draw. I.E. a regular light bulb may draw 5 amps so the monitor looks for a draw of around 5 amps. If a LED is installed and it only draws .5 amps, the monitor will think that there is no draw or a bad bulb and reflect such on the display. I wonder if that's controled by a relay and if it can be replaced by a smaller draw relay? Maybe that's why you see 15 or more LED's in a tail light?

todoubled05 · December 14, 2007

humm this is not making to much since. gm is thinking to hard when it comes to simple wireing.

2500HD Gasser · December 18, 2007

So what you are saying is the monitor measures the current draw. I.E. a regular light bulb may draw 5 amps so the monitor looks for a draw of around 5 amps. If a LED is installed and it only draws .5 amps, the monitor will think that there is no draw or a bad bulb and reflect such on the display. I wonder if that's controled by a relay and if it can be replaced by a smaller draw relay? Maybe that's why you see 15 or more LED's in a tail light?

I think it is more like a closed loop, when the filament brakes it severs the loop. So if you were to remove the bulb much the same as touching a wire to each of the two socket contacts it would complete the circuit. An LED is a diode and thus is not always closed like what the filament or the wire in the example creates. Now my MB does have LED tail lights, but I am sure they have built something, into or modified the circuitry to allow the bulb monitoring system to work.