Sorry chaps! A quick one, I hope.

I bought a bag of canbus 501 LEDs and set about changing various lamps on the car. Sidelights - all fine (although they're a little more blue than I wanted, but that's a separate issue). Map Reading and Roof Courtesy lights - all fine.

Then I changed the door approach (in mirror) bulbs. First one - fine. But when I put the second one in, instead of staying on, both sides flash (when they should come on) for about a second then go off. If I put a normal bulb back in one side, both the normal bulb and the LED bulb work fine.

So it's obviously a resistance issue. But seeing as the same bulbs work fine in the sidelights, with no errors on the dash, why would the approach lights need something different? Are there "more resistive" LEDs that I can buy? Or am I faced with either connecting separate resistors in, or using ordinary bulbs?

TIA.

did you turn the bulb around in the socket, it night be a polarity problem.. ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
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Yes Stan, tried that. The approach lamps do illuminate (so must be the right way round) but only for about a second or less, then the go out. About the same length of time as an indicator flash when you lock it.

faulty bulb maybe [just guessing now] ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
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There is a full thread on this and iirc a solution has yet to be found in terms of an LED bulb.
Most have resorted to ordering 501 halogen bulbs with a sort of Blue glass or coating that looks like the colour light you get from an LED. If you find the thread I'm sure there's an eBay link to the bulbs I mean. 
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Tried that too And both sides are the same.

I'm pretty sure it's a resistance thing, I just don't know why. I see there are some pre-wired 501 configuration resistors on you-know-where so I might get some of those and see whether I can hide it in the mirror housing.

I'l check tonight when it's dark with one LED in and make sure it's worth the hassle!

Um, try fitting a resistor (or one to each side) ? .
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@Dave - sorry, my "tried that" was in response to Stan!

@Joe - yes, that's the plan, I will try one of these pre-wired 501-config jobs and see. Given that the LED works on one side if there is an ordinary bulb in the other, I think one resistor will be enough to being them on.

Still not convinced I've bought the brightest bulbs possible; these are quite blue. They're all cheap enough now though so I might get some more to try.

Cappo send me a pm if you would like some that work and are very bright,

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