250 LED tail lights

Discussion in 'Electrical & Interior - Security, ICE, Wiring Loom' started by Charlie Howard, Nov 15, 2018.

  1. Charlie Howard

    Charlie Howard RSM Club Member

    Has anyone successful fit LED bulbs as brake lights on the MK3? It's the last bulb I need to change in mine to led as many people have said my brake lights are really dim! They light up when the headlights are on but don't get brighter when you press the brakes. To me it looks like they are full brightness when the headlights are on so can't get any brighter.
     
  2. Just stick your normal bulbs in lol, not like the leds one looks any different
     
  3. Charlie Howard

    Charlie Howard RSM Club Member

    They're brighter though and people have been saying has dim dim mine are. I don't want someone rear ending mw because they can't tell I'm braking. You know how useless people are at driving, I don't want to give them any help!
     
  4. -Jamie-

    -Jamie- RSM Moderator

    If they don't get brighter when you press the pedal then there's an issue, changing bulbs won't help
     
  5. Charlie Howard

    Charlie Howard RSM Club Member

    They get brighter with halogen bulbs but they're still dim compared to other cars
     
  6. Sure this has all been covered before, by other members that have tried and failed, just stick the normal bulbs back in, don't know every is fascinated by making every bulb on their cars super bright
     
  7. Charlie Howard

    Charlie Howard RSM Club Member

    Just don't wanna be rear ended because someone can't see my brake lights
     
  8. -Jamie-

    -Jamie- RSM Moderator

    You are literally the only person I've ever heard of complain about the brightness of the rear lights. So either there is an issue with your lights, or there isn't a problem at all.
     
    197gaz likes this.
  9. Charlie Howard

    Charlie Howard RSM Club Member

    Not me but multiple friends and my girlfriend that have followed me have said it.

    I'll take a look James thanks!
     
  10. You have an amazing knack of finding problems where there isn't any, I'm sure every other mk3 on here has the same brightness rear lights, and a grand total of 0 have been rear ended, and I have been driving 20 years and never been rear ended
     
    197gaz likes this.
  11. Charlie Howard

    Charlie Howard RSM Club Member

    Maybe, but a number of people have remarked how dim they are without me asking them so there's something there.
     
  12. Then it is what Jamie said then, and you have another problem, and what's your opinion of your rear lights with oem bulbs? Would not take much notice of other people :tongueout:
     
  13. Charlie Howard

    Charlie Howard RSM Club Member

    I've never seen a Coupe with brake lights on in person so not sure. Could be that the original owner put shit bulbs in but if I'm going to replace them I might as well put LEDs in because they last longer, use less power and are brighter
     
  14. Charlie Howard

    Charlie Howard RSM Club Member

    Nope, I have tried Halfrauds though. Might try some and see if Halfrauds live up to the name!
     
  15. with rear lights a red LED gives a good rich red colour but may not be actually brighter than reg bulb, a white LED gives brighter but a pinkish colour through the red lens, might be bit trial & error
     
  16. Charlie Howard

    Charlie Howard RSM Club Member

    I can't remember what the Megane uses by default now but the Halfrauds one was white, it was brighter but like I said didn't work right.
     
  17. P21/5 same as in my bay link above (dual terminal)
     
  18. Charlie Howard

    Charlie Howard RSM Club Member

    No I mean red or white
     
  19. well factory fit is reg incandescent dual filament P21/5
     
  20. this...
     

    Attached Files:

  21. Charlie Howard

    Charlie Howard RSM Club Member

    Yeah so white
     
  22. If the oem bulbs are double filament, then maybe that's why the leds don't work as they should, because they are not designed like that
     
  23. Charlie Howard

    Charlie Howard RSM Club Member

    How do you mean? The LEDs are also designed to be dual brightness P21/5W 21W and 5W
     
  24. I changed both, front and rear bulbs . The difference is great. Forward Philips warm white - rear red osram led. Front led same color of the xenon (warm white) Back P21/5W red light bulbs. Most importantly, when pressing the brake, the inflammation is very fast, faster than ordinary bulbs. It is clearly visible when the brakes are used. When braking they have a lot more lights compared to ordinary bulbs. Light is much better scattered and looks much better
    The front philips should last for 10 years. Osram 5 or 6 . I do not know about mk 3 but on mk 2 they look a lot better and serve purpose. They are made in two colors. White and red. The trick is to buy red. The red goes much better through red glass. And it looks red .True red color
     
  25. Charlie Howard

    Charlie Howard RSM Club Member

    Don't know about MK2 but in the 3 front LEDs blind and dazzle drives so I wouldn't do that but yeah the idea behind LEDs is they light up about .1 of a second quicker. Travelling at 70mph you move 10 feet every .1 of a second so you're giving the drive behind an extra 10 feet to react.

    I've seen a lot of people put LEDs in the MK2 with no problem but still not got an answer from any MK3 owners
     
  26. matt e

    matt e South East RSM Area Rep

  27. Have they been darkened by anyone in the past, i know it was a thing a while ago, have you had it next to another one to see if there is any difference
     
  28. Charlie Howard

    Charlie Howard RSM Club Member

    I don't think so, looks standard to me
     
  29. Where did you bought the bulbs? eBay or somewhere else? Thank you


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  30. ebay
    I will verify the exact model. After a long search, I found that cheap Chinese have a serious problem. They have a very small difference between the stop signal and the base light
     
  31. d5897f116a7ea01130e14561ff6e58f3.jpg


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  32. ph1
    I bought a new one OEM 100euro
    Ph 2 are innocuous and weak. not so noticeable stop light as on ph 2

    Front warm white !
    same color as xenon
     
  33. Is there any difference with the wires? I mean with the bulb fitting? My headlights are not the best too but it’s an “old” car... [emoji1743]‍[emoji3601]


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  34. head lights for Stage 2 are cheaper . Same bulbs so no prob
     
  35. Thank you very much!


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  36. Charlie Howard

    Charlie Howard RSM Club Member

    My rear bulb went so I thought I'd give LEDs another shot, got them working. You need to solder in a resistor, like the ones you use for indicators, between the ground (black) and the tail light which is the white one on both sides.
     

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