Glovebox LED polarity problems...

1294 Views 2 Replies 2 Participants Last post by Arvin, Sep 18, 2008

muski

Discussion Starter · Sep 17, 2008 (Edited)

With guidance from the excellent posts on this site I have been incrementally replacing various bulbs with LED ones. I replaced the license plate, interior dome and four map lights with bulbs from www.tunerdomes.com. They work well, though the pair of 2w bulbs in the dome light are perhaps a little too bright (not usually a problem for LEDs!).

Then I wanted to tackle the glovebox and trunk lights and the two courtesy lights on the bottom of the doors (the four fixtures are the same). As these lights basically shine down, I thought I had found the perfect LED replacement -- a flat festoon with six LEDS on one side:

http://www.v-leds.com/Shop/Control/Product/fp/vpid/5168709/vpcsid/0/SFV/32481

They arrived today and were a perfect fit, size-wise. However, when I installed one in the door with the LEDS facing down, it didn't work -- the wrong polarity I figured. Just for testing purposes, I flipped it over and it worked -- nice and bright, though oriented this way, they would be lighting the inside of my door panel! So, I thought, no problem, I'll just flip the connector. Only the connector is a polarized D-shape thing that only connects one way! I checked the other door and the trunk light and they all are wired with the same connector & polarity. I couldn't figure out a way to pull the metal connectors out to swap them, and I really don't want to clip & rejoin the short wires leading to the connector, so unless I am missing something really obvious, I am stuck. Funny to think that there was a 50/50 chance of this working...

I just emailed v-leds.com to see if they have double-sided ones, or some with the opposite polarity (all four of mine were the same).

muski

P.S. Thanks to Arvin for his excellent posts on how to replace these...

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muski

Discussion Starter · #2 · Sep 18, 2008

UPDATE: v-leds.com emailed me back to say that they have some that are non polarity specific, with a little black box (bridge rectifier) mounted on the PCB. Turned out two of the four bulbs I was shipped have this -- and, indeed, they worked with the correct side facing down.

So, if you order these bulbs, make sure you specify that you need the non-polarity specific ones!

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Arvin

· #3 · Sep 18, 2008

Hi there...

I don't exactly remember what I did, but I did have to finagle something to retrofit the LED's. I have also updated my light up where the visors are with 2 Watt versions from turnerdomes.com. This is certainly recommended to use the 2 watt festoons where you need a really bright light.

I didn't think of the trunk, I will have to look into that one. Anyways, the lights on the bottom of the doors I finally got installed and working. Just don't be too afraid of messing with the harness, but be cautious.

Best of luck.

Arvin

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