LEDs for DRL?

[heavychevy383]

. . . What I've assumed through my research is that you could not replace the DRL's with LED's due to some kind of pulse technology GM uses to save power... where extremely fast pulses of power are sent to the DRL's instead of just constant power... with a regular incandescent bulb... you aren't able to see these pulses but with an LED you are... and it also decreases the lifetime of the LED... if you found a way around the pulse technology then I'll probably buy that kit...

I was thinking about swapping over to LED Bulbs in the front of my '98 camaro, the parking,day time running lights, i believe the regular bulb is a 3157, the socket is looking burnt & everytime i put a new bulb in it explodes(?!?!) so i know i need to wire in a new recepticle, but was thinking the leds would "burn cooler?" ...until i saw this thread about the signal flashing/pulsing...my question is; is that the case for the "FRONT" daytime running/blinker lights? cause the website (http://ledvault.armorysound.com/sale...sambrakes.html) was only showing the product(EL12 flasher unit) to be apblicable for the "REAR" lights on a transam? -thanks for the help

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: LEDs for DRL?

It's a 3-year-old thread and the OP hasn't been online in almost 2 years, and almost none of the other posters are active, so let's start a new thread.

The guy never really seemed to know what he was talking about, and I see no reason a flasher unit would affect in any way the functionality of the DRL modules. The purpose of electronic flasher units (which is all that was) is to correct a timing issue that may arise when installing LEDs in a car not originally equipped with them. (too slow or too fast). You're correct in assuming LEDs will put out less heat, but I'm not sure that that is your problem. Do a search for the burn out sockets, I know I've heard of this problem before and I'm not positive that replacing the socket was the answer (could be wrong).

I do believe there are currently plug and play LED bulbs that work with the DRL modules, they have an internal chip that allows this. I'll check in to it a little more, in the meantime, someone else may be able to answer your other questions.

[heavychevy383]

Re: LEDs for DRL?

It's a 3-year-old thread and the OP hasn't been online in almost 2 years, and almost none of the other posters are active, so let's start a new thread.

The guy never really seemed to know what he was talking about, and I see no reason a flasher unit would affect in any way the functionality of the DRL modules. The purpose of electronic flasher units (which is all that was) is to correct a timing issue that may arise when installing LEDs in a car not originally equipped with them. (too slow or too fast). You're correct in assuming LEDs will put out less heat, but I'm not sure that that is your problem. Do a search for the burn out sockets, I know I've heard of this problem before and I'm not positive that replacing the socket was the answer (could be wrong).

I do believe there are currently plug and play LED bulbs that work with the DRL modules, they have an internal chip that allows this. I'll check in to it a little more, in the meantime, someone else may be able to answer your other questions.

thanks man...i'll keep diggin a bit on my end here as well, i appriciate the help! ...dont wanna get ran over by not being able to put on my blinker, cause apparently the back blinker refuses to work since the front one is burnt up/or out? & i wouldnt count on anyone even knowing what a "handsignal" is anymore?! (lol!)

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: LEDs for DRL?

I looked around a bit more and the LEDs I was thinking of are specifically for toyota DRLs. While I don't know what the difference is between the two, I saw that your problem may be caused by the same thing that causes problems with the leds, and that would be gm's voltage pulsing.. What I read was that the voltage can vary quite a bit and put too much power to the LED bulbs which can cause the burnout. Pulsing signal shouldn't have a negative affect on the LEDs, but voltage would. I'd still search around the board for people that had similar burn-out problems, but so far as I can tell, there aren't any LEDs that will work unless you delete the DRLs.

[heavychevy383]

Re: LEDs for DRL?

ok, thanks for going to all that trouble man, priciate that, i may just change the recepticle out ($7.99 @ o'rieleys) & see how long it last-thanks again

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: LEDs for DRL?

No problem; good luck!

[heavychevy383]

Re: LEDs for DRL?

ahhh...well...after a phone call to my best friend, from whom i bought the car last year, & he reminded me, seeing as how its pouring down rain at the moment, to check for standing water in the housing &...yep, shure nuff, standing water, sooo...guess i had better figure out how to fix that part of the equation first-my bad-lol! thanks again for the help, you all are always first class--priciate it

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: LEDs for DRL?

Drill a couple small holes in the bottom of the housing--problem solved.

Also check the foam washer between the housing and the socket, it might be damaged or missing.