drh64

OK I really need some help on this one. I can't keep blowing all my money on different bulbs to see which ones work.

I had your regular stock bulbs that come with a 2005 CLK for the license plates in the back. I changed out all the bulbs on my car to LED outside where possible and inside where possible.

Everything is still working everywhere. EXCEPT the license plate. I had two LED bulbs with the resistors and both worked fine for about a year.

Now I am driving around with one stock and one LED...looks really stupid and I want to fix it asap.

So it started with one bulb starting to flicker which made me think it came loose or something. That was the bulb on the right side. So then I switched it to the left and put the left side one on the right side.

So the right was now working normally again with the LED and the left side was not. That indicated to me that the bulb that was on the right side was probably just going or just died at that point.

I checked using a regular bulb (non-LED) in the left and it came on...so I thought, "OK the LED bulb is broke" because the regular kind works and stays on without flashing.

So I ordered what seemed to be the same looking LED bulb off ebay with the resistor as before. I put it in the right side first since I knew that side was working and it did work just fine. Then on the left side I took the regular bulb out and tried it over there. It worked....but it flashed continuously.

So on the right side it works and does not flash...but on the left side it works but flashes only. So there is power getting to the bulbs so what is the problem?? A regular bulb works and doesn't flash at all..but the LED bulb flashes. Yet that same bulb works fine if put on the right side.

I had two LED bulbs show up in the mail so I tried both of them. Same thing either way. What is the problem?? Anyone?? Doesn't make any sense to me at all.

There's just gotta be someone who is like super smart out there and has the answer. Would really be great to know. Anyone else with this problem?

Could it be that the socket on the left is somehow damaged from the LED bulb resistor or something? But remember a regular bulb works just fine so there is power there.

I mean originally they both worked...for about a year. Now it doesn't on the left side but the right side is just fine?? Really weird!

HELP!!

Louie D

The only LED i could get to work correctly where the ones located here. I had a similar problem. make sure you get the right size and you have the positive and negitive correct.

http://aznoptics.com/index.php?main_...ndex&cPath=1_5

Jamesbbh

It sounds like the socket may be frying the resistor. Resistors get pretty hot and especially the ones that are attached to the bulb like you are stating. I ordered these two from superbrightleds.com and installed them inline with the socket, notice they have aluminum heat sink casings around them? I found this little plate that comes off of the inside of the trunk lid to hide them under. This way if a bulb wears out I can replace it with whatever bulb I choose without having to worry about if they have resistors or not. These are 25w resistors and they have worked flawlessly for about a year. I think you should:
A- disconnect the neg. lead on the battery
B- clean the bulb sockets with a Q-tip and rubbing alcohol
C- get some /install the resistors like I use
D- get whatever bulbs you choose that fit
E- Ball out of control

bheng

do you happen to know the right size LEDs from azn optics. i misplaced my caliper so i cant measure to get the right size bulb -__-

Louie D

I can check when I get home. I just used a MM ruler forget right now what it was.

bheng

i dopretty sure its the smallest one @ 31mm. but thats just eyballing.


EDIT: thanks louie!

Kevin9664

Any updates with this? I'm having the same problem with the right side flickering.

Did the aznoptics bulbs fix the problem?

AMG_Adon

i ordered mine from AZN no complaints its 36mm .... i was having the same problems with other leds with flickering and etc.

Kevin9664

Cool. Just ordered a pair. Hopefully these new LEDs fix the flickering.

megacrazy

A lot of these LEDs have heat sinks on the back that will touch the socket essentially shorting it out. I went through quite a few LEDs before I realized what was happening. Get some LEDs without heatsinks...I've been running a set for about 8 months with no issues. You can also get the entire module on ebay with LEDs already installed:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251361381085?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Also, I suggest you stay away from aznoptics LEDs. Every single LED that stays on that I got from them (parking, license plate etc) failed after a very short time. They're pretty much cheap eBay LEDs.

AZN Optics

We're sorry about the issue you had with our products, but I guarantee you they are not cheap units and have a high amount of engineering behind them. The issue with a lot of canbus LED units with integrated resistors is heat. Under normal conditions, the heat is acceptable, but some vehicles have power surging issues that cause heat spikes. These spikes can either damage the components or cause the solder to reach melting point in which gravity and natural vehicular vibrations causes components to separate from the unit. We've been staying with new technology and even doing some industry first (which I'll get into later) to help address these issues. Although the only true way to resolve this is to shield the socket by splicing in pulse resistors to act a surge protector (same concept as putting a surge protector between your wall socket and your tv/computer), we've tried different methods of handling small to mid level surging. Our latest version of the festoons does away with the heat sinks which help to quickly bleed away the heat in favor of utilizing capacitors to help regulate power. We've also implemented this same capacitor method on our V4 wedge bulbs as well. Last year, we played around on a limited batch with our high temp non-conductive gel substrate on our V3 wedge units to help with the solder issue. We're not set to take that one step further by fully encapsulating our LEDs in the same gel substrate (industry first). The substrate has a higher melting point than solder so during heat spikes, if the solder melts, the substrate will hold the components down in place until the spike subsides and the solder re-solidifies. Additionally, this will encapsulate the heat at the resistor level and prevent heat bleed off to some of the other more delicate components.

Understand that we're always on the lookout to provide the best product possible given current technology and always watching trends. We're not just simple distributors, but active participants with our manufacturers to help with the design and innovation work.

That said, we do offer an unquestioned easy 1 year warranty on all our LEDs so for your investment, you will for sure get at the very least 1 year usage. However, vast majority of our customers enjoy multi year usage from these.

megacrazy

Yeah, not bashing your product just posting my experience. Every single one first started flashing and then eventually went out altogether. The ones that don't get much use (dome, glove box, door etc) are still working fine.

Heat is definitely an issue and I doubt anyone will get years out of any pair of LEDs...maybe if they use them very sparingly. I drive with my parking lights on most of the time so that's probably why I only get months instead of years.

It seems like most LEDs are hit and miss...I've tried expensive ones (50$ a pair) and they definitely lasted longer than some of the mid-price ones....However, the ones that have lasted the longest were also the cheapest:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1039-6418-Error-Free-LED-License-Plate-Lights-Bulbs-NEW-/380350023175?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item588ea0c607

betrezra

Same exp as mega. I'm back to stock bulbs. Too much of a pain for gain.

Rudeney

I haven't tried LEDs for the tag lights, but I have SMD LEDs for my city lights and I have yet to find any that last I've gone through three suppliers and they are all crap. I get flickering, but it's not due to the CAN bus issues - the individual LEDs start flickering and eventually go out. I haven't bother to disassemble the lights to see if its simple issue with crappy soldering or a problem with heat dissipation. Regardless, it's disappointing that someone can't make quality LED replacement bulbs.

waveterrorist

I replaced every bulb I could with LED's and I have not had any issues with any in well over a year. My .02 is that it comes down to quality of construction as the ones that failed on me in the past were literally coming apart. I went with big heatsinks which I think promotes longevity as these suckers get really hot...

megacrazy

Yeah you would think that expensive LEDs with heat sinks would do the trick...Unfortunately from MY experience the only ones that have lasted the longest (and still are) were the cheapest I bought with no heat sinks....so yeah

W209renntech

Hey mate, the link you recomended, will these work on my 7 clk550? Im not the stock ones cause led one i got from oriellys flicker..