LED Tail Lights - Diode Dynamics or VLED?

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BHopkins

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My wife told me the driver side brake light is burned out on the Outback. I'm going to replace them with some good quality LED lights. I've heard good things about both VLED and Diode Dynamics. Any advantage, one over the other? Any other sources for upper quality LED lighting?

I'm looking at the Diode Dynamics HP11, which has a claimed light output of 310 Lumen. In the same price range, VLED had the Platinum with a claimed output of 170 Lumen. Doe either of these tend to overstate or understate the output?

I'm going to order something today, so I really appreciate any experience you can share.
 
Superbright Led.com. Well worth looking at. There will be issues with your light out moniter and trun signal flashers, the thermal flasher unit "thinks" a low draw LED is a burned out bulb and leaves you with that baffed out "hot rod" Civic fasty flashie look. A solid state unit fizxes that, but foooling the light out moniter is more difficult. Some bulbs in some cars, like side markers, are not on the light out circuit, and can be replaced with LEDs no problem. I've done them all on a Camry and "fixed" the light out moniter with a square of black tape. But, I do a walk around the car to check once and a while. LEDs produce a nice rich color through a lens of the same color but as far as white lamps you have to choose with care or you end up with ricer blue instead of warm white... Superbright gives you a color chart to show the actual color of the lamps they sell. Superbright will tell you which lamp to buy to have output as good or better than the filament bulb you replace. The really bright ones are not cheap.
 
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Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Superbright Led.com. Well worth looking at. There will be issues with your light out moniter and trun signal flashers, the thermal flasher unit "thinks" a low draw LED is a burned out bulb and leaves you with that baffed out "hot rod" Civic fasty flashie look. A solid state unit fizxes that, but foooling the light out moniter is more difficult. Some bulbs in some cars, like side markers, are not on the light out circuit, and can be replaced with LEDs no problem. I've done them all on a Camry and "fixed" the light out moniter with a square of black tape. But, I do a walk around the car to check once and a while. LEDs produce a nice rich color through a lens of the same color but as far as white lamps you have to choose with care or you end up with ricer blue instead of warm white... Superbright gives you a color chart to show the actual color of the lamps they sell.


Thanks for the quick reply. I looked at SuperBrightLEDs, and wasn't too impressed with their offerings, at least for red output in the 7440 size. The best they offer appears to compare to the entry level options from VLED or Diode Dynamics.

For now, I'm only going to replace the brake lights, so I shouldn't have to worry about hyperflashing and such. From what other's have said on an Outback website I visit, I think my Outback will do OK with them. I am planning on going with red light output, so I'll get that real red output.
 
The best info often comes from those who have already done it such as that Subie site. Superbright and others will sell you a solid state plug in flasher for a very modest price. COmmercial vehicles use them OEM because of all the lamps on, say, a semi.
 
Please note that only Phillips makes a few LED replacement bulbs which are actually certified and Legal to install in SOME vehicle's Signal lights.

One of the biggest faults of LED's in place of incandescent is the intensity differences between running lights and brake lights. Often there is very little difference and the person behind you who was dazzled by the overbright running lights, was not able to discern any change in intensity when you slammed on your brakes.

Also some LEDs, even the radially firing ones, do not fill the reflector or lens properly at off angles.

If you do go LED, I urge you to stand behind the vehicle and at off angles to the rear of the vehicle and see that there is enough intensity difference between brake and running lights, and that it can properly be seen from the next lane over.

Automotive lighting is a safety device and you are taking a chance by throwing in bulbs whose reflectors and lens were not optimized around the light pattern of an aftermarket LED bulb.

If there is an accident, and it becomes known you used an aftermarket bulb, it becomes your fault, and insurance companies will do all they can to not pay out.

Those Incandescent bulbs are looking better and better when one considers the possible consequences of aftermarket LED "Upgrades"

Heck of a lot cheaper too.
 
Completely different when the housing is designed around LED's as the light source.

Putting LED's into a incandescent housing is a [censored] shoot, and even when unsafe, the purchaser refuses to believe the upgrade is not safe and uses the logic of the post above to justify their purchase and opinion.

I see far too many LEDs in brake lights designed for incandescent bulbs. A few are okay. Many are too bright from directly behind and practically invisible off to the sides.

Many think that too bright makes them safer, as if a following driver who is dazzled by a too bright red light source is going to respond quicker.
 
Listen to him. I tried LED replacement for 7440 backup bulb. Pretty much useless; it was dimmer and splotchy even though it had projector lens in the back and along with side firing SMD chip.

I turned it on side by side and it was obvious that the OEM incandescent was brighter and provided even light.

I also did comparison in the basement and in the the overall lumen output, incandescent won again.

Mine were cheap though. Your experience might be different if you are willing to shell out $50 for a pair.
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
Listen to him. I tried LED replacement for 7440 backup bulb. Pretty much useless; it was dimmer and splotchy even though it had projector lens in the back and along with side firing SMD chip.

I turned it on side by side and it was obvious that the OEM incandescent was brighter and provided even light.

I also did comparison in the basement and in the the overall lumen output, incandescent won again.

Mine were cheap though. Your experience might be different if you are willing to shell out $50 for a pair.


It doesn't take too much research to find that there is a world of difference in automotive LED lights. Everything from super cheap to super extreme. That's why I have found my search narrowed down to VLED and Diode dynamics. There may be a few other vendors who supply quality LED lighting, but these two are the best I have found.

I strongly agree that some LED lighting can be too bright, to the point that they are not safe. But that's not what I am going for. Diode Dynamics offers three versions of a red 7440. One that they state is slightly less bright that stock incadescent, one that is slightly brighter, and one they state is much brighter. I want the middle. It will be slightly brighter. The red will be much more intense, life will be much longer than incadescent, and the response time is much quicker.

Honestly though, this is all off topic. Is there anyone here that has any input on my original question?
 
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One of my first LED purchases, for interior Map lighting, was a t10 cob style Vled.

Many failed individual LED in a short period of time. Very Blue. It would not dim with a pwm dimmer, and it caused a lot of radio interference.

This was several year ago though. Hope they stepped up their game.

Please test whatever you purchase before assuming they are an upgrade.

Lots of regulated LEDs cause radio interference.
 
I found the Philips DOT approved LED lights. They had a set the right size and color, so I ordered them off Amazon. I'm anxious to see how they look. Judging from the example shown on their website, of a 7443 lamp (mine is a 7440), the intensity and beam pattern should be very close to an incandescent. I'm good with that. Philips also gives a 12 year warranty. That's super cool.
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
Listen to him. I tried LED replacement for 7440 backup bulb. Pretty much useless; it was dimmer and splotchy even though it had projector lens in the back and along with side firing SMD chip.

I turned it on side by side and it was obvious that the OEM incandescent was brighter and provided even light.

I also did comparison in the basement and in the the overall lumen output, incandescent won again.

Mine were cheap though. Your experience might be different if you are willing to shell out $50 for a pair.
I had the same experience with LED reverse bulbs. OEMs gave more light on the road.
 
Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
One of my first LED purchases, for interior Map lighting, was a t10 cob style Vled.

Many failed individual LED in a short period of time. Very Blue. It would not dim with a pwm dimmer, and it caused a lot of radio interference.

This was several year ago though. Hope they stepped up their game.

Please test whatever you purchase before assuming they are an upgrade.

Lots of regulated LEDs cause radio interference.
I've got them in every exterior position in my Camry and they don't bother my HF transceiver installation a bit.
 
I remember the hand wringing about permitting the use of E Code halogen headlights here some years ago, even though the rest of the known wporld had already adopted them. There's always someone with a axe to grind.
 
Originally Posted By: BHopkins
My wife told me the driver side brake light is burned out on the Outback. I'm going to replace them with some good quality LED lights.


Why not just stick with what the car calls for??


Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
Please note that only Phillips makes a few LED replacement bulbs which are actually certified and Legal to install in SOME vehicle's Signal lights.

One of the biggest faults of LED's in place of incandescent is the intensity differences between running lights and brake lights. Often there is very little difference and the person behind you who was dazzled by the overbright running lights, was not able to discern any change in intensity when you slammed on your brakes.

Also some LEDs, even the radially firing ones, do not fill the reflector or lens properly at off angles.

If you do go LED, I urge you to stand behind the vehicle and at off angles to the rear of the vehicle and see that there is enough intensity difference between brake and running lights, and that it can properly be seen from the next lane over.

Automotive lighting is a safety device and you are taking a chance by throwing in bulbs whose reflectors and lens were not optimized around the light pattern of an aftermarket LED bulb.

If there is an accident, and it becomes known you used an aftermarket bulb, it becomes your fault, and insurance companies will do all they can to not pay out.

Those Incandescent bulbs are looking better and better when one considers the possible consequences of aftermarket LED "Upgrades"

Heck of a lot cheaper too.


A+++



The worst thing I have seen was some dirtbag in a ford f250 (early 2000ish) that had those uber generic led bulbs in the stock taillights. All you could see when he pushed the brakes was a spot about the size of a quarter with light in the entire housing.
 
At least check the lumen ratings or better verify it. Go to basement or laundry where you can make the room dark. Use 12V jumpstarter or a spare 12V battery. Grab a newspaper and put it on the floor. Put both the bulbs next to each other and then use one at a time to light up the ceiling.

Find which one makes reading the newspaper easy. In almost all the aftermarket LED bulb, you will realize that it does not come close to the original incandescent bulb when you do the newspaper test.
 
Originally Posted By: BHopkins
My wife told me the driver side brake light is burned out on the Outback. I'm going to replace them with some good quality LED lights. I've heard good things about both VLED and Diode Dynamics. Any advantage, one over the other? Any other sources for upper quality LED lighting?

I'm looking at the Diode Dynamics HP11, which has a claimed light output of 310 Lumen. In the same price range, VLED had the Platinum with a claimed output of 170 Lumen. Doe either of these tend to overstate or understate the output?

I'm going to order something today, so I really appreciate any experience you can share.


I don't like any of those. There is one LED taillamp bulb that I've found that works as advertized:

http://www.amazon.com/3157-P21-Philips-Replacement-Bulbs/dp/B00O2FHCKA

The backward-firing bar of LEDs lights up the whole reflector surface the same way a filament does, so you get very nearly the same light distribution as a filament bulb.
 
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
I remember the hand wringing about permitting the use of E Code halogen headlights here some years ago, even though the rest of the known wporld had already adopted them. There's always someone with a axe to grind.


And there's always somebody who believes rules and regulations are to be flaunted because they know better, and their unsafe purchase and installation is already in place.

But I agree about the E Codes. Lots of stuff in the FMVSS 108 is outdated.

FMVSS 108

BUt too many of these LEDS which fit in taillamps are extremely poor and a huge downgrade in visibility, and safety, and those who refuse to believe it, are simply delusional.
 
I've noticed that the factory LED taillights (brake lights) on some new cars are so bright they actually hurt my eyes when I'm behind them at red lights. My eyes aren't that "old" yet. Why the heck did they have to make them so bright? It is almost as annoying as those new center brake lights that flash.
 
Originally Posted By: DBMaster
I've noticed that the factory LED taillights (brake lights) on some new cars are so bright they actually hurt my eyes when I'm behind them at red lights. My eyes aren't that "old" yet. Why the heck did they have to make them so bright? It is almost as annoying as those new center brake lights that flash.
Might just be a new "gubberment" requirement on brightness. Easier to blame the LED I suppose. Are the LED traffic signal lamps "too bright" as well?
 
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