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LED Tail Light bulb

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 10:30 am
by flavioguy
My apologies if this has already been discussed. Searching didn't find any topics.

I'd like to replace the dual intensity tail light / brake light (PCX 150) with an LED bulb for higher visibility. My research shows the existing bulb to be a 7528. I went to Superbrightleds.com and found a 1157 replacement (see link below). Has anyone used this bulb??
http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo ... ower-/814/

Thanks

Re: LED Tail Light bulb

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 11:28 am
by Mel46
If you get one let us know. When I had to Change the tail light bulb on ours it was a tight squeeze. That might have been because I have big hands, but there didn't seem to be much room back there.

Re: LED Tail Light bulb

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 12:13 pm
by flavioguy
Shall do....I'm lucky that I have thin fingers.

Of course, now I just need to figure out how to get INTO the tail light area! :-) All that tupperware!

Re: LED Tail Light bulb

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 12:30 pm
by iceman
Wonder if it works - the link you gave mentions the flasher unit needs to be led compatible as they are very light load compared to filament bulbs.

Re: LED Tail Light bulb

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 12:35 pm
by flavioguy
I saw that too but not sure how that's related. I wasn't planning on "flashing" anyone anyway! :lol:

Re: LED Tail Light bulb

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 2:28 pm
by iceman
Ah, missed the tail/light brake/light bit and went with the compatibility warning :)

Re: LED Tail Light bulb

Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 12:40 pm
by WhiteNoise
These svc. manual pics should help ya. Just go slowly removing the grabrail cover...Do as shown. You kin doit! Cheers!
(Be back with one more)

Re: LED Tail Light bulb

Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 1:07 pm
by WhiteNoise
Two more. Sorry they are out of order.

Re: LED Tail Light bulb

Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2014 2:52 pm
by mikelx5
i have actually it works well and no need for a flasher unless you go led turns completely different circuit. it works very well and its plug and play. i used this one though http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo ... 1644/3767/

Re: LED Tail Light bulb

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 2:36 pm
by flavioguy
Update-I installed the 1157 bulb yesterday. Works perfectly. Thanks all for the input.

And whitenoise - thanks for the manual pics.

Flavio

Re: LED Tail Light bulb

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 6:14 pm
by WhiteNoise
Sure, no prob, glad it helped. I changed mine already too. Check/Done.

Re: LED Tail Light bulb

Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 3:43 pm
by dog64bull
flavioguy wrote:Update-I installed the 1157 bulb yesterday. Works perfectly. Thanks all for the input.
Hey how is that LED bulb holding up? Do you mind posting a pic of it? I looking at getting a LED bulb also

Re: LED Tail Light bulb

Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 4:47 pm
by Mel46
I have installed a lot of additional led lights on my bike since the last time i posted on this thread. Recently i purchased an led version of the 1157 and installed it. The light worked well but all of the other led lights remained on all the time from that point on, instead of only coming on when i grabbed the brake. The additional lights were in low voltage mode until I grabbed the brake, and then went to high voltage mode after I grabbed the brake. This would have been fine if that had been my intention in the first place, which it was not. When I replaced the led 1157 with a standard 1157, everything worked great. I am guessing that the led 1157 does not have enough resistance to prevent current from seeping through. That is why many places that sell led replacement tail lights also sell a special resistor to add inline. Something to think about.

Re: LED Tail Light bulb

Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 5:28 pm
by you you
Mel46 wrote:I have installed a lot of additional led lights on my bike since the last time i posted on this thread. Recently i purchased an led version of the 1157 and installed it. The light worked well but all of the other led lights remained on all the time from that point on, instead of only coming on when i grabbed the brake. The additional lights were in low voltage mode until I grabbed the brake, and then went to high voltage mode after I grabbed the brake. This would have been fine if that had been my intention in the first place, which it was not. When I replaced the led 1157 with a standard 1157, everything worked great. I am guessing that the led 1157 does not have enough resistance to prevent current from seeping through. That is why many places that sell led replacement tail lights also sell a special resistor to add inline. Something to think about.
Useful advice as I've got a shed full of lights. Now I just need a scooter, maybe...

Re: LED Tail Light bulb

Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2016 1:13 pm
by Sh3p
Interesting read.

I just replaced the standard tungsten bulb with this 1157
https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinf ... b/Overview

And it is in fact at "full" power when idle and no brake. When brake is actuated the light intensity does not change, seems to be "full" power all the time.

So i added this in-line resistor from the "flasher" wire (solid green on the PCX) and then into the negative per the instructions. No change. The resistor is heating up so i assume it is dissapating all that current away, but the light still does not modulate or change intensity when brake is actuated. I'm a bit stumped, it could be the bulb. Although someone claimed that it worked for them "plug&play"

Re: LED Tail Light bulb

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 8:49 am
by Ishkabibble
Did anyone figure out why the lights still stayed on instead of being low intensity before the brakes were applied, and then going to high intensity on brake application?

I'm wanting to increase/improve my lighting, but I don't want to create more problems.

Any suggestions?

Re: LED Tail Light bulb

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 9:46 am
by Jge64
you need a resistor on just one wire of the brake light to eliminate current bleed ....done many cars this way...

resistors on amazon

Re: LED Tail Light bulb

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 10:01 am
by Ishkabibble
Jge64 wrote:you need a resistor on just one wire of the brake light to eliminate current bleed ....done many cars this way...

resistors on amazon
Really?
Sh3p wrote: I just replaced the standard tungsten bulb with this 1157
https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinf ... b/Overview

And it is in fact at "full" power when idle and no brake. When brake is actuated the light intensity does not change, seems to be "full" power all the time.

So i added this in-line resistor from the "flasher" wire (solid green on the PCX) and then into the negative per the instructions. No change. The resistor is heating up so i assume it is dissapating all that current away, but the light still does not modulate or change intensity when brake is actuated.
How can I be sure that a resistor will work, when it didn't for Sh3p?

Re: LED Tail Light bulb

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 10:49 am
by iceman
Spec's for that say it operates from 9-14V's so it self-regulates and stays the same brightness, assuming the resistor is not large enough to limit the volts to the led unit below it's operating voltage (which is turn will limit the current passing too).

Re: LED Tail Light bulb

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 12:54 pm
by Ishkabibble
iceman wrote:Spec's for that say it operates from 9-14V's so it self-regulates and stays the same brightness, assuming the resistor is not large enough to limit the volts to the led unit below it's operating voltage (which is turn will limit the current passing too).
Which means not much to me.

All I understand is that Sh3p put a bulb in, and it stayed bright, even after he installed a resistor.

So what do you do to get it to work properly?

And to complicate matters, how do you add two LED strips to the rear and have them stay bright, on a separate circuit from the brake light?