LED License plate lights.

[Gus_Mahn]

I just installed this set of LED license plate lights. I like the look when the lights are on, but even with the lights off, the LED's light up just a little. Is this normal? I assume there was a small draw before, but the regular bulbs didn't light up. Will I need to add a small resister to stop this?

 

[LongIslandLSE]

I just installed this set of LED license plate lights. I like the look when the lights are on, but even with the lights off, the LED's light up just a little. Is this normal? I assume there was a small draw before, but the regular bulbs didn't light up. Will I need to add a small resister to stop this?

was it an easy install, one of my license plate bulbs just went out and i was thinking led's. Anything special you have to do to put these in.

 

[Gus_Mahn]

was it an easy install, one of my license plate bulbs just went out and i was thinking led's. Anything special you have to do to put these in.

It was more of a pain then it should have been, but it was pretty easy. I need to pull 4-5 push pins holding the liner to the bottom of the trunk, and I pulled the lenses. They are held in with push pins with a phillips screw in the center. The bulbs are just a standard style 194 push in bulb. Push 'em in and reassemble. Took me about 15 minutes.

 

[JWerner2]

The light staying on is normal. Its been covered plenty.


If it bothers you which some people it don't and some it does you could add the resistors or Polarg 194 Hyper whites FTW!

 

[1LoudLS]

the extra dim light will shut off after about 30-45 mins, i just deal with it, except for my turn signals, i did put a load resistor on them

 

[NYC LS8]

Mine do that as well. Don't bother me since like 1Loud said, they eventually go off and I've not had any battery issues since they went in.

 

[Gus_Mahn]

Good to know. I wonder whats going on even though I know it's not an issue. Thanks for your replies.

 

[1LoudLS]

Good to know. I wonder whats going on even though I know it's not an issue. Thanks for your replies.

all the small lights in the car are negetive trigger (their is always +12V at the bulb, and when the computer wants to turn a bulb the other wire switches to ground) when the ground wire is not "triggered" their is a high resistance to ground. with that high resistance, a very small amount of power is able to flow through the bulb. with the standard type of bulb, that small amount of power is not enough to make the filiment hot enough to glow. LED's dont use anywhere near as much current, so that very small amount of power is enough to make them light up a very small amount.

 

[Lucky_Ls]

I got my LED license plate lights on the way. Can’t wait to experience all the joys of complaining about them staying on for a little bit after the lights are off!

 

[JWerner2]

My complaint about them staying on is that I switched all 194's out to led and at random any would stay lit and some not. But, some of mine stayed on. Again at random and not specifically the same bulb.

 

[1LoudLS]

My complaint about them staying on is that I switched all 194's out to led and at random any would stay lit and some not. But, some of mine stayed on. Again at random and not specifically the same bulb.

that is the craziest thing i have heard of yet, oh wait, i forgot we were driving LS's.

 

[1LoudLS]

I got my LED license plate lights on the way. Can’t wait to experience all the joys of complaining about them staying on for a little bit after the lights are off!

i kinda like it, it lights up my sweet a$$ plate for a while after i shut it off.

 

[05ls]

Hi i ordered the led for the license plate for my ls. i just wanted to ask you if its hard to install the lights. also what do i have to remove. i would really apreciated it if you could help me out

 

[Bullschmidt]

Hi i ordered the led for the license plate for my ls. i just wanted to ask you if its hard to install the lights. also what do i have to remove. i would really apreciated it if you could help me out

Simple install. Shouldn't take more than 10 minutes. Remove the rubber screw that holds in the outer housing and then just replace the bulb and put it back in.

 

[Andrizzle]

Yea takes no time. However some of the LEDs that fit the socket, don't actually fit the housing too well, but they still fit (if that makes sense).

Mine were too big to sit in the housing the same manner as the stock bulbs, but they were big enough to be sitting in there @ an angle so it worked out anyways.

Good luck!

 

[StinkyLinky8]

yea i had just ordered/installed LEDs for every interior light and the license plate. i too have noticed that all the LEDs i installed (except the 3 dome lights, 2 in front 1 in back) stay dimly lit. it doesn't bother me to much but i was wondering what type of resistor i would need and where i could possibly get them so that they go off when switched off.

also, as far as installing the license plate lights, i thought i would need to take out and take apart the housing, but this is unnecessary because i simply took off the trunk liner behind the housing and unplugged/twisted out the socket then replaced the light, took about 5 min including reassembly. in all it took me about 30min to complete all the lights.

btw, does anyone know of a website that sells clear side-markers? i see them on LSK but it looks like they are just the lenses, i am looking for the whole assembly.

 

[1LoudLS]

the 2nd gen are even easier as bullschmidt said

as far as the interior lights you can just put one small resistor (i think i used something around 1000-1500 ohms) on the light over the passanger foot area as it is probably the easiest to get to and they are all on the same circuit. i left the plate lights alone because it lights up the plate for a while before the computer shuts off
and you can get the resistors at any place like radio shack

i have also noticed that my interior lights (dome lights) are the opisite as the plate lights, as in they(dome) shut off right away but then after a while when the plate lights shut off then the dome lights come on just a little and stay on until the car is unlocked the next day

 

[StinkyLinky8]

hmmm i haven't noticed the domes coming on after the plate lights shut off but then again i haven't checked after i lock the car and walk away. i usually unlock the car from about 20 feet away and always forget to check but now that i think about it it makes sense.
im going to head to radio shack sometime this week and look into some resistors.
about how many do you think are required for all the lights?
the only lights i can actually see on when driving at night are the courtesy door lights, i know the floors are on too but they aren't noticeable, i usually just throw a sweatshirt on the passenger seat so i cant see the light haha.

thanks for your input!

 

[Lincoln Jealous]

hmmm i haven't noticed the domes coming on after the plate lights shut off but then again i haven't checked after i lock the car and walk away. i usually unlock the car from about 20 feet away and always forget to check but now that i think about it it makes sense.
im going to head to radio shack sometime this week and look into some resistors.
about how many do you think are required for all the lights?
the only lights i can actually see on when driving at night are the courtesy door lights, i know the floors are on too but they aren't noticeable, i usually just throw a sweatshirt on the passenger seat so i cant see the light haha.

thanks for your input!

let me know what you do, when my leds used to stay on, i just switched back to the others, ive had battery problems a few times so i didnt want to risk it

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

Will be doing this over the weekend :

 

[Alax7]

Whobedaplaya, where did you order your leds from? Pics of the hoens when installed, I was looking at those after i ordered the nokya bulbs

 

[StinkyLinky8]

still not sure about what resistors i will need or how to install them, im sorta noob when it come to electronics. no issues with the battery tho and i dont anticipate on having any.

will be putting this lighting project on hold until my car comes back from the shop.. Tranny took a dump, only has 71,800 miles on it?!?!? might be covered under my warrenty tho... still waiting to hear.

any info on lighting tho is still appreiciated

 

[Alax7]

as far as the interior lights you can just put one small resistor (i think i used something around 1000-1500 ohms) on the light over the passanger foot area as it is probably the easiest to get to and they are all on the same circuit. i left the plate lights alone because it lights up the plate for a while before the computer shuts off
and you can get the resistors at any place like radio shack

I ordered some leds too on the weekend. If they arrive by this week I'll have them on this weekend and can varify if that resistor works.

 

[Alax7]

I installed the leds a few days ago. Looks so much better than stock!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm in love with my ls all over again. The thing with the leds staying on a little, I bougt i resistor and I tries it on one of the back passenger lights to see if I got a good size but nothing. I got a 1000 ohm resistor. Went back to radio shack and bought a 4700 ohm resistor. Nothing. A little help please. I'm not a electrical genius but the more ohms the more resistance right? 1LoudLS said he used a 1000 to 1500 ohm resistor but it didnt wotk for me.

 

[joegr]

I installed the leds a few days ago. Looks so much better than stock!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm in love with my ls all over again. The thing with the leds staying on a little, I bougt i resistor and I tries it on one of the back passenger lights to see if I got a good size but nothing. I got a 1000 ohm resistor. Went back to radio shack and bought a 4700 ohm resistor. Nothing. A little help please. I'm not a electrical genius but the more ohms the more resistance right? 1LoudLS said he used a 1000 to 1500 ohm resistor but it didnt wotk for me.

You're going in the wrong direction, you need a lower resistance to keep the light off. The lower the resistance, the more current flows in the resistor. The more current flowing in the resistor leaves less current to flow in the LED. Of course, if the LEDs staying on doesn't bother you, then there is no reason to add the resistor. You won't reduce battery drain (which is too little to be a problem anyway), you would actually increase it slightly by adding the resistor. (The drain current is there either way, it will either flow in the LED and light it up, or flow in the resistor and heat it up.)