Stereo & Electronics - LED install and out

I just finished installing all my Blue LED lights in my gauges. On my way out of the drive way this morning (Gravel if this helps at all) ALL my LED's went out at exactly the same time!! I still have my tip/odometer and my SES of course. But no gauges...what gives? :confused:

TTT....also, if this helps out at all I found that once i intalled all the LED's it blew my 5amp fuse?? replaced it ...blew again. Took out 1 LED (gas gauge) and installed a new 5amp fuse and Wala...works? Why am i pop'n fuses, I thought LED's use LESS energy than the factory bulbs???

Yeah they use less energy but they draw more current. If that make's any since. I would try putting in a bigger fuse.

work your way up to a 7.5 amp fuse and if that blows goto a 10amp fuse. also check your connections on each led make sure nothing is shorting out.

That led is probably shorted internally since it will hold a fuse with that led out of the circuit. You do not want to go much larger than a couple of amps over the factory fuse. If that led is shorted and you leave it in the circuit then keep putting bigger fuses, you can melt wiring in the harness and then you have real trouble.

also make sure u have 12volt LED's

Don't try the bigger fuse idea. You will be able to start a fire, the wires are rated for a specific amount of current / amp and if you go with a bigger fuse the wire can become the fuse. Do you have a resistor in front of every LED ?? Depending on color you need different resistors. Or are several LED in series or parallel (sp) ?? All of that will make a difference in if you need to put a resistor before the LED or not.
For example:
A blue LED needs 3 volt
4 LED in a row no resitor needed
1 LED per bulb connection plus a 470 ohm / 1/2 watt resistor
other colors need other resistors
current for a blue LED is about 20 milliAmp / thats way less then the bulb you used before
Hope this helps

That led is probably shorted internally since it will hold a fuse with that led out of the circuit. You do not want to go much larger than a couple of amps over the factory fuse. If that led is shorted and you leave it in the circuit then keep putting bigger fuses, you can melt wiring in the harness and then you have real trouble.


Probably right. If it works with a different set of LED's than that one is Suspect Right!!??

Also, Don't do the Bigger fuse thing. The fuses in the Cars are meant to protect the Wiring, not the Device. You can useually go abut 150% larger, but that is usually it. So from 5A to 7.5A is the Maximum you can get away with, but it still might not be safely.

Umm yeah tried a bigger fuse and smoke came out of my dash :bang: turned the lights off REAL quick and found the circut board was burnt a little on this little spot...i clean it up and installed with the right size fuse and just left another LED out... so i guess i just have to leave it that way. Luckly, i didn't F anything up...got lucky!! :eek2:

Don't try the bigger fuse idea. You will be able to start a fire, the wires are rated for a specific amount of current / amp and if you go with a bigger fuse the wire can become the fuse. Do you have a resistor in front of every LED ?? Depending on color you need different resistors. Or are several LED in series or parallel (sp) ?? All of that will make a difference in if you need to put a resistor before the LED or not.
For example:
A blue LED needs 3 volt
4 LED in a row no resitor needed
1 LED per bulb connection plus a 470 ohm / 1/2 watt resistor
other colors need other resistors
current for a blue LED is about 20 milliAmp / thats way less then the bulb you used before
Hope this helps

The LED's color has nothing to do with its power requirement.
The LEDs should have come with a card stating their power requirements (it may be written on the packaging or in the instructions -- if any).

1. check to make sure that the LED +/- are on the right sides.
2. check your resistors.
3. MAKE sure that there is no metal from the LED or resistors that is touching other metal.
4. DO NOT change to a higher fuse rating unless you want to replace all the wiring.

is your radio plugged in? I had a set in and had my radio unplugged and I kept blowing fuses, don't know what they have to do with each other but it kept blowing them until I plugged the radio back in.

VIP sorry for the correction but this is the setup
The power (amp) stays nearly the same at 20 milli amp (the only odd ball is red with 30) but the voltage will change.
orange --- 1.7 volt
amber --- 2.1 volt
red --- 2.1 volt
green --- 2.3 volt
white --- 3.5 volt
blue --- 2.8 volt
UV --- 3.8 volt
run the voltage too high and the LED pops after a short time, voltage too low and the LED is dim or does not come on at all. Thats why there is a different resistor value needed for different colors. A good source to check is http://www.metku.net/index.html?sect=view&n=1&path=mods/ledcalc/index_eng
Hope this will help

The color has nothing to do with power requirements.
At most there is a slight corelation between color and power requirements that allows for generalizations such as a 5mm Red LED usually requires between 1.5 and 2.5 volts. The best bet is not to assume the power requirements but to read the packaging and or any instructions that came with the LED.

For Example:
I'm looking at a 4.5V Blue LED right now which is different than the 2.8V Blue LED in your example.

:eek2: :lurk: