RC4G

Since I don't believe either forum sponsor sells versions of the LED 3157 bulbs there shouldn't be any issue asking for input here.

Has anyone tried using the hi-power LED 3157 bulbs that are now available (I located several variants on autoillumination.com)? These are LED 3157's that do not require external resistors to eliminate turn signal hyper-flashing because the units themselves generate a higher wattage load (27 or 20 watts depending on the model) but still less than the OEM filament bulb.

I've looked at measurements and it shouldn't be an issue and a far as heat goes the bulbs should not generate any more heat than a standard 3157 filament bulbs does.

I've tested out my relay/resistor circuit and it works great with currenlt low wattage LED 3157 bulbs but eliminating the neeed for the external resistors and relay is much ore cost/labor effective for someone who does not already own th elo-wattage bulbs.

EVRose

I got some of those for my previous car. I don't know if they were "High Power" or not but they certainly were not bright enough during the day and I had clear lenses. I took them back out before I even drove the car with them in.

RC4G

Are you sure we are discussing the same model LED's cause that vendor has like 20 different 3157 models and the vendor lists the 27watt model at 600 lumens and even the brightest x157 bulbs are 500 lumens?

EVRose

Like I said I don't know if they were high power or what the wattage was. They were the kind that plug directly into the factory socket in place of the factory bulbs. This was several years ago so maybe they have improved since then.

Vinnie T

I had not seen them advertised before (are they really new?), but did purchase an Autoillumination-recommended amber 3157 for the DRL's several months ago that ended up being too large for for the housing and had to be returned. The cluster of LED's was too wide to fit through the hole. Be careful on the measurements since those were "guaranteed to fit", and didn't.

Add:

Are you talking about the 27 watt units listed at the top of their 3157 page for $34.99 each (yikes!)? If so, the description mentions internal regulators to control voltage spikes which can burn out LED's, and heat-sinking to bleed off heat. However, I see no mention of any kind of built-in resistor to control hyperflash. They should fit OK since they are a streamlined design.

RC4G

if they genuinely pull 27 watts then no resistor should be required as they are pulling similar wattage to the stock bulbs.

speedraider

LawrenceFromTorrance

800 lumens is about a 50-60 watt bulb, doesn't seem like much for a headlight.

RC4G

Its a turn signal / DRL, not a headlight.

LawrenceFromTorrance

Duh, OK

cclive

What is the purpose of these different bulbs? Is it to get more light or change the color or what?

PacificaVette

It's to spend more money

RC4G

These higher wattage bulbs should not require external resistors to eliminate the turn signal hyperflash because they pull similar wattage as the OEM incandescent bulbs.

As for the reason of swapping LED's for the OEM yellow incadescents its sttrictly an astetics thing. I swapped mine becaise I have an Artic White vette that I had already gone to clear side marker lenses/LED's and didn't like the appearance of the stock yellow DRL's.

As for PacificVette's response "to spend more money", couldn't that that apply to ANY aftermarket accessory change on a car? No one has to change wheels, exhaust or the motor now do they?

cclive

I didn't like the "egg yolk" look of the DRLs on mine (dirty yellow with bulbs off) and so I took out the bulbs, put a light coat of silver paint on them and put them back. Now the headlight units are all the same color and the bulbs are fine after 5 years.