I was thinking of improving the visiblity of my brakes and am considering using LED bulbs as replacements. Places like Super Bright Leds offer replacement LED bulbs. They seem like a good idea with features like instant on/off, low heat generation, shock & vibration resistant and will practically last the life of the car.

Anyone tried these?

 

yeah, I tried them made by LedTronics and I believe Perry951 also tried some higher quality ones. They don't work in our lenses worth crap, so save your time and money. Our plastic frenzeling is designed for a glass bulb that emits light at nearly all angles, including off the rear reflector. The LEDs are no where near as bright compared to a 21 watt filament bulb (unless you crammed a bunch of them in there) and their angle of light transmission is very narrow, like a maximum of 25*. Some LEDs are narrower.

All the items you mention as positives are true for LEDs, but you will be nowhere as bright and unless the following driver is dead center behind you they will be even less visable. Truckers and buses that retrofit get a whole new intergrated LED lens, they don't save the old unit and stick in one of those bulbs.

If you really want brighter get some of the 35 watt halogens I was selling. They really light up like crazy over 100% brighter. Only problem is they get start getting hot after burning over about 6 minutes and I wouldn't want them on continuously for over 10 minutes in our plastic lenses. I heat tested them for 6 minutes straight and the lens cells were approximately the same as the stock 21 watters. After 6min, the halogens were 10*F higher in interior lens temperature. So, if you don't stand on your brakes for a long time they would work. Also would work in backup lights and the turnsignals. They are $6.75 each.

 

Thanks Dan...I'll email you tomorrow as I'm off to work now.

 

Mike, also for an improved rear visibility you should try utilizing the deadcells. I've done it and it greatly improves rear visibility.

Iceshark, while on the subject what do you think of the 'twisting' LED brake lights. I've got a fear of my wife and kids being rear ended in the Odyssey. These seem to be real attention getters and fairly bright. They also look like they would correctly fit the Minivan. Some may say "rice" but I'm thinking safety.

 

I have red ones for my driving light's, had them for about year now and no problems, alot brighter and they look cooler also, rather then the entire lens being lit, you see more of a red circle...Worth it though, I paid like 15$ for the pair at AutoZone..

Lead Foot 944
84 944...

 

Scott, yeah, Mike didn't get in on the dead light cell project. He should probably considering doing that and turing it into either a brake light or running light. It does make a big difference.

I've never actually seen those twister LEDs in person but know what you are talking about if you are talking about the ones that individulal LEDs flash on and off in a pattern. Get a pair and try them out. The only thing I would be worried about is that they are unusual enough to cause some confusion in other drivers and they may delay braking a bit before they figured out that they must be brake lights. I'm also not sure if they are legal so you definately want to check that out, no need to get stopped and ticketed.

 

you know what would be really cool is if you could make the brake lights work in such a way that the Harder you brake, the brighter the lights get.

That would be a worthwhile project.

 

Interesting topic, the attention getting brake lights. I read an artical somewhere years ago about a test done in some big city with either city vechicles or cabs. They put a flashing middle brake light one the cars that was controlled by a "G" sensor. The harder one braked the faster the light would flash, once came to a stop it would just be on normally. Test concluded with alot less rear end accidents. Wonder why it never cought on? Anybody ever hear of this?
Bill

 

Citroen C5 have a function which turns on your hazard flashers when you brake hard. People turn automatically hazard flasher on in those German Autobahns when traffic stops. i suppose this is because someone might come 300km/h behind you.....

 

with a 951..
but really, I've been several times in Germany with my previous cars, and when there is "STAU", that means major traffic jam, the system that they have really works. Because if you really are pushing it, you do need surprisingly long braking distance from lets say 250 km/h, so when you see hazard lights flashing far in front of you, you know just what to do. BRAKE!

 

on the highway, if i run into an extreme slow-down i ALWAYS turn on my flashers - at least until i'm sure that the guy behind me sees the situation...and the first thing i look at when i have to brake hard is my rear-view mirror - you'd be that way after getting rear-ended in your previous 951!! i want to know if i am going to get slammed and if i need to make an evasive maneuver!!!

 

i know when a STOP situation happens to me i always turn on my flashers if im worried about getting rear ended and consider all my out possibilities....

 

RE my previous post. Tonight coming home from work I saw a tractor-trailer oil tanker with a rapid blinking center brake light on the tank trailer. Funny as I was just mentioning that. It was a new BP tanker trailer. First one of those I have ever seen.

 

Funny you should bring that up. I'm looking at the same thing for the "third eye" brake light after all this discussion. When I sort it out I'll let everyone know.

 

There is one available for the C5 Corvette, a plug and play adjustable flasher module for the 3rd lamp, adjust from all flash to flash-flash-solid, with adjustable flash number and duration - I assume it could be used with our cars too.

Sam