Amber Drl

chuck16 · February 25, 2009

Hey Guys,

So About 2 years ago I switched out my DRL's for Amber ones.

I was all happy with the look of all amber in the bottom row of my lights then about a year later I noticed them getting brighter and brighter and eventually returning to white. After closer inspection it would appear that the Orange paint on the bulb simply flaked off. Most likely due to heat. So now I'm torn. Do i try painting the lights myself and see how long that lasts or do I convert to LEDs. I want to at some point convert them to LED anyways but, I can't justify replacing bulbs that aren't burnt out.

Anybody have any suggestions???

-Evan

DofD · February 25, 2009

Hey there Evan. I'd probably just upgrade to LED's then you won't have to worry about the paint flaking off again. You could try painting them, but how well they'd turn out and how well the paint would last is an unknown.

Gryphon · February 26, 2009

FWIW the stock DRL bulb is the 4114 which is a very long life 3156 meant to be constantly on all the time. If you were driving both filaments in the amber bulb all the time then heat definitely flaked off the coating, as the primary filament is designed for occasional flashing use only.

Painting the bulb would be difficult because you need to find a translucent/transparent amber paint that will withstand the heat generated by the bulb. I suspect you'll have a much easier time finding LED replacements and with far less hassle. The LEDs will also likely outlast any paint you put on there, and you don't need to worry about flakes building up in your housing.

To make a long story longer, +1 for LED.

BuckFeverZ · February 26, 2009

You could get Amber Silverstars. They aren't coated in the orange, so you wouldn't have to worry about the coating flaking off.

bossier62guy · February 26, 2009

Hey Guys,

So About 2 years ago I switched out my DRL's for Amber ones.

I was all happy with the look of all amber in the bottom row of my lights then about a year later I noticed them getting brighter and brighter and eventually returning to white. After closer inspection it would appear that the Orange paint on the bulb simply flaked off. Most likely due to heat. So now I'm torn. Do i try painting the lights myself and see how long that lasts or do I convert to LEDs. I want to at some point convert them to LED anyways but, I can't justify replacing bulbs that aren't burnt out.

Anybody have any suggestions???

-Evan

Get the ones that are actually amber glass and not coated.....problem solved. Same thing happened to my turn signal lights, that's what I replaced them with.

chuck16 · February 26, 2009

Anybody got any part numbers? Or suggestions on online stores???? How do I tell if it's Amber Glass or not???

Raymond Lowe · February 27, 2009

See if you can get Sylvania 3157KNA bulbs, the "K" being Krypton filled, the "NA" being natural amber. Just an "A" in the p/n suffix indicates a coated amber bulb, which you found doesn't work so well.

The picture you posted indicates a dual-filament bulb. The 3156 mentioned in another post is a single filament so don't get the two mixed up.

chuck16 · February 27, 2009

See if you can get Sylvania 3157KNA bulbs, the "K" being Krypton filled, the "NA" being natural amber. Just an "A" in the p/n suffix indicates a coated amber bulb, which you found doesn't work so well.

The picture you posted indicates a dual-filament bulb. The 3156 mentioned in another post is a single filament so don't get the two mixed up.

Cool good to know thanks guys...

Maybe I'll just do it this weekend. There is a few other things I want to get done on the truck this weekend too but, we'll have to see what time permits!!!

-Evan