Oh dear, the post I didn't want to make.

One of the LED sidelights has blown, will email the seller and try to get a replacement. Will keep you posted.

Mike

Mike

If this is from the ebay seller, then I contacted them as one of mine was flickering, and for a small postage charge (fair enough as postage was included in original purchase price) they are sending me another.

Guys

LED lights are unreliable period. The crux of the issue is that LED's require a nice constant voltage and current to operate and this is not something supplied by vehicle electrics. What you have to remember is that very few of them are designed correctly and even the "Canbus" ones have rudimentary stabilisation. Incandescent bulbs handle variations much better hence they tend to last longer. It's still early days for aftermarket LED lighting technology and given that the majority of this type of unit comes from the far east, quality is questionable; not a recipe for reliability!

The replacements will work for a while and I guarantee you'll be changing them again before long.

For what its worth been running LED side lights for 15 months. Bought from Alltronix via ebay. Look good and match Xenons BUT flicker when engine is idling.

Alltronix very chatty when I emailed to enquire about other bulb options at the time but suddenly never repied when I asked about the flickering.

Doesn't bother me, guess its just the sensitivity of LED's and the rough DC output os automotive alternators.

Oh dear, the post I didn't want to make.

One of the LED sidelights has blown, will email the seller and try to get a replacement. Will keep you posted.

Mike

Had a problem with my driver’s side led, it wasn’t lit and i had no dashboard warning light either, which i thought was very strange...so i took the bulb out and it has a very loose connection and it looks like it will eventually snap in two! Have managed to get it to work {for how long, who knows!} so will be ringing the seller tomorrow to tell him of the problem.

At least it’s a physical problem as opposed to a electrical one, so should be easier to remedy....

This is the third set of led’s i have tried, so hopefully 4th time lucky! :S

Guys

LED lights are unreliable period. The crux of the issue is that LED's require a nice constant voltage and current to operate and this is not something supplied by vehicle electrics. What you have to remember is that very few of them are designed correctly and even the "Canbus" ones have rudimentary stabilisation. Incandescent bulbs handle variations much better hence they tend to last longer. It's still early days for aftermarket LED lighting technology and given that the majority of this type of unit comes from the far east, quality is questionable; not a recipe for reliability!

The replacements will work for a while and I guarantee you'll be changing them again before long.

Can i just echo these comments

I bought a set from a user on here who was doing a group buy, Friday one of them blew oddly i bought a set from Germany which lasted around 7-8 months before blowing.

Although my LED reg bulbs have been great for over 3 years lol.

Back to normal sidelights for me the risk of them blowing isnt worth the hassle pulling the headlight in and out.

Had a problem with my driver’s side led, it wasn’t lit and i had no dashboard warning light either, which i thought was very strange...so i took the bulb out and it has a very loose connection and it looks like it will eventually snap in two! Have managed to get it to work {for how long, who knows!} so will be ringing the seller tomorrow to tell him of the problem.

At least it’s a physical problem as opposed to a electrical one, so should be easier to remedy....

This is the third set of led’s i have tried, so hopefully 4th time lucky! :S

Was that from Hauptmann? I've been running these for a while with no problems, there is a little more blue tint than I'd like but they work fine.

I got a bulb warning up once when I started the car with the lights on but it may have been the HIDs, the warning light went off after a bit.

Was that from Hauptmann? I've been running these for a while with no problems, there is a little more blue tint than I'd like but they work fine.

I got a bulb warning up once when I started the car with the lights on but it may have been the HIDs, the warning light went off after a bit.

yes the first set was from Hauptmann, they were going on and off very erratically, the second set, i bought off ebay, were staying on but were flickering on and off all the time they were on, the set i have in at the moment, seem to be very electrically reliable i.e. no flickering or bulb warning errors, the only problem/ weak spot with these is, the bulb is made up of two parts and the solder can begin to fail because of the heat generated, so i really don’t know what to do now....can either get a replacement from the seller, but he seems to think i will always have a heat problem as i have replacement hids and everything gets hotter, or i can get my money back and give up on the whole idea of led sidelights and the hassle, as i have had my headlight units out so many times, I’ve lost count.....

Edited 18 October, 201114 yr by studmuffin

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140564343534?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

I've tried 3 different sets of LED sidelight bulbs, and these are what I'm using now. No errors whatsoever from these, and next day delivery.

I've been so impressed with them that I bought another set, and fitted them into the puddle lights in the mirrors.

Can thoroughly recommend these.

Mike

Thanks, Just fitted a set to mine, look good, not chavy but now need to up grade on the bogo dipped, they now look a bit pants compared!

Wouldn't say it was the easiest change of a lamp in the world. Getting the head light out is a doddle but getting the plug un attached was hard as they is no length to work with and then getting the sidelight holder out was a royal pain in the arse. If you have anything other than girls hands, you need pliers and it was fiddly as hell.

Good tip, give your self a bit more light by removing the indicator holder and lamp!

Lets see how long they last. Pics to follw!

Edited 17 December, 201114 yr by silver_mase

I would strongly recommend PIAA sidelights if you want a close match to HIDs. A friend of mine has them on his Mini and the colour match is spot on and as they are regular bulbs rather than LEDs you don't have any reliability issues to worry about. Plus if you can see the bulbs in the lenses they don't look odd like the multi LED ones do.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140564343534?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

I've tried 3 different sets of LED sidelight bulbs, and these are what I'm using now. No errors whatsoever from these, and next day delivery.

I've been so impressed with them that I bought another set, and fitted them into the puddle lights in the mirrors.

Can thoroughly recommend these.

Mike

Digging up an old topic here, how are we getting on with these LEDs from mikes post?

Just about to upgrade my sidelights, puddle lights & inside of my boot lights, the rest of the car has LEDs that I've had sitting spare for years.

G

Digging up an old topic here, how are we getting on with these LEDs from mikes post?

Just about to upgrade my sidelights, puddle lights & inside of my boot lights, the rest of the car has LEDs that I've had sitting spare for years.

G

I've gone back to the old sidelights - the LED ones looked nice, but one went after a couple of weeks - lots of flickering. I got another replacement one from the seller, but with the other one now almost gone I've switched back. Look nice, not worth the cost or the hassle though IMHO.

Digging up an old topic here, how are we getting on with these LEDs from mikes post?

Just about to upgrade my sidelights, puddle lights & inside of my boot lights, the rest of the car has LEDs that I've had sitting spare for years.

G

Not used those ones but I have these in my Superb (boot x2, puddle lights x2 and footwell x4) and they are perfect, they also only shine the light in the direction you need it (no good for front sidelights though)

Digging up an old topic here, how are we getting on with these LEDs from mikes post?

Just about to upgrade my sidelights, puddle lights & inside of my boot lights, the rest of the car has LEDs that I've had sitting spare for years.

G

I've scrapped the idea of led sidelights after trying 3 different makes, they never work right and its just too much hassle taking the lightunit out every time they go wrong. I've currently got the Phillips sidelights in that Mike recommend.

Just to add to this. I also bought side lights from eBay link on this page. And I'm getting lots of flickering from side lights.

how do the crazy led ones fair up I.e any issues with them or shall I just go back to normal bulbs?

I have to get a pair like mine and send them to someone to test it out.

1 1/2 years I have the car and only one led bulb that had changed, it was a plate light led because it started to give error message.(defect known to seller who gladly changed the one bulb )

Edited 23 January, 201214 yr by alberg

I got number plate & sidelights LED bulbs in early November on http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/

239LED2CAN-2 239 CAN Bus LED Festoon Bulb 36mm - White

£13.57

501CAN5-2 501 Can-bus Super Bright 360 Degree 5 LED bulbs

£19.99

The numbers aren't showing now, but there are different, probably newer options

No issues so far.

I've had these for ages now. The best I have EVER had, period.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LED-PHILIPS-T10-W5W-4000K-R501-TYPT-FRONT-SIDE-LIGHT-WHITE-LIGHT-4000K-/130610432273?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item1e68fd0911#ht_717wt_1139

They should be at £20. I have decided to go down the philips blue coated bulbs instead of leds. But i will keep those philips leds in mind.

Well took the leds out today and fitted the philips xenon effect bulb. To be honest there not very blue and look yellow to me.

I have leds in my interior lights and number plate lights and have no issue.

Only had issue with the side lights.

Anyways word of caution on removing i could smell what can only be described as a very faint burning smell from both light housing. It looks as if the LEDs(ones on the ebay link NOT PHILIPS) have heated up a bit to much as the white electrical board they came on is brown.