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LED tail lamps?

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Old Dec 10, 2012 | 09:12 PM
  #1  
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LED tail lamps?

do you guys know if there is a mod out there that lets you have 100% led tail lamps?

i was just wondering since i would prefer to have an actual flashing light rather than a pulsing glow from a lightbulb
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Old Dec 10, 2012 | 09:48 PM
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Originally Posted by Jeff77789
i was just wondering since i would prefer to have an actual flashing light rather than a pulsing glow from a lightbulb
wut
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Old Dec 10, 2012 | 09:57 PM
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Originally Posted by paimon.soror
wut
an LED flash seems instantaneous

a light bulb takes an instant to heat up and to cool off and you can see it "pulsing" or glowing



compare:

mustang
Mustang One-Touch Turn Signal Kit (10-13 All) Review - YouTube

mercedes s-class
Mercedes Benz S-Class W221 Facelift Headlight Retrofit - YouTube


i think LED's give a much cleaner look

Last edited by Jeff77789; Dec 10, 2012 at 10:00 PM.
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Old Dec 10, 2012 | 10:23 PM
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I think LED tail lights will look cool! Not sure if there is LED tail lights for the rx8...
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Old Dec 10, 2012 | 11:54 PM
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04-11 Mazda SE RX-8 Products


Is this the one your talking about?
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Old Dec 10, 2012 | 11:57 PM
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Charles Bundy
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Originally Posted by monchie
Not sure if there is LED tail lights for the rx8...
A quick search would show you that the Series II does
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Old Dec 11, 2012 | 12:21 AM
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Originally Posted by Grace_Excel
A quick search would show you that the Series II does

Did you see my second post?
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Old Dec 11, 2012 | 12:22 AM
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Originally Posted by monchie
04-11 Mazda SE RX-8 Products


Is this the one your talking about?
those are some expensive lights..
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Old Dec 11, 2012 | 08:24 AM
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Originally Posted by Jeff77789
do you guys know if there is a mod out there that lets you have 100% led tail lamps?

i was just wondering since i would prefer to have an actual flashing light rather than a pulsing glow from a lightbulb
Originally Posted by Jeff77789
an LED flash seems instantaneous

a light bulb takes an instant to heat up and to cool off and you can see it "pulsing" or glowing
You're doing something seriously wrong if you can see your tail lights while you're driving.

I have a mental image of you getting out of your car at every stop sign and red light, and asking your passenger to hit your brake pedal with a broom handle, while you feel queasy at the bulb filament slowly heating up, and then slowly cooling off after he releases the brake pedal. Every time the turn signal flashes, you dry heave.

Such a strange thing to be concerned about in life.

BC.
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Old Dec 11, 2012 | 09:44 AM
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on the S2 the 3rd brake light is incandescent and I can tell it lights up slower than the LED ones if theres a big truck behind me with big chrome grill.
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Old Dec 11, 2012 | 09:59 AM
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Yea the LED tail lights on S2's do light up quicker. Even the 2011 RX-8 brochure has a snippet about it:

"The RX-8's LED taillights light up quicker than incandescent bulbs to provide added visibility and safety."

I don't think S2 tail lights fit the S1 though...correct me if I'm wrong.
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Old Dec 11, 2012 | 10:39 AM
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Originally Posted by jasonrxeight
on the S2 the 3rd brake light is incandescent and I can tell it lights up slower than the LED ones if theres a big truck behind me with big chrome grill.
Originally Posted by scorcherjf
Yea the LED tail lights on S2's do light up quicker. Even the 2011 RX-8 brochure has a snippet about it:

"The RX-8's LED taillights light up quicker than incandescent bulbs to provide added visibility and safety."

I don't think S2 tail lights fit the S1 though...correct me if I'm wrong.

Source: http://www.designingwithleds.com/201...g-performance/

just gunna leave this here....
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Old Dec 11, 2012 | 10:54 AM
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Originally Posted by monchie
Did you see my second post?
Yeah, if you're dumb enough, you'll buy into the two grand taillights. Which one did you miss when I mentioned the Series II?
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Old Dec 11, 2012 | 10:56 AM
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That may be true for household lighting or a controlled test environment but for automotive lighting it's easily verifiable even by the naked eye that LED tail lights light up quicker. I can record a video of the S2 RX8 later (since the middle light is incandescent versus the two main tail lights which are LED). But in the meantime, this thread has a video illustrating similar effects (in this case the two main tail lights are incandescent and the middle upper light is LED).

LED vs. Incandescent tail lights

Also note page 3 of this paper: http://chemistry.beloit.edu/BlueLigh...p/an1155-3.pdf
Originally Posted by paimon.soror

Last edited by scorcherjf; Dec 11, 2012 at 11:00 AM.
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Old Dec 11, 2012 | 11:03 AM
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oh dont get me wrong, there is no denying that an LED's turnon is quicker than a more resistive filament bulb, but surely not enough to warrant investing in a (more than likely) costly solution to remedy something that only is recognized by people behind you that are driving around and looking to see who's taillights turn on in symmetry
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Old Dec 11, 2012 | 04:38 PM
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totally worth the trouble of installing if it only cost $40

not $2000...
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Old Dec 12, 2012 | 08:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Grace_Excel
Yeah, if you're dumb enough, you'll buy into the two grand taillights. Which one did you miss when I mentioned the Series II?

Don't worry about it, and i will just stick with regular oem taillights.
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Old Dec 12, 2012 | 09:34 PM
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Charles Bundy
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Yeah, I thought so.
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Old Dec 12, 2012 | 09:53 PM
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From: Between Cones
...
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Old Dec 12, 2012 | 11:02 PM
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Originally Posted by Grace_Excel
Yeah, I thought so.

Same to you...
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Old Dec 12, 2012 | 11:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Jeff77789
totally worth the trouble of installing if it only cost $40

not $2000...
really? I'll take your 40 bucks.
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Old Dec 15, 2012 | 07:13 AM
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Follow the DIY I made for LED tail lights similar to the S2.
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Old Feb 3, 2013 | 11:12 AM
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this might help u...
go with ...Mercedes Benz S-Class W221 Facelift Headlight Retrofit - YouTube
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Old Feb 3, 2013 | 10:54 PM
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Originally Posted by markcanderwich
what? isn't that the video i posted as an example?
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Old Feb 5, 2013 | 04:06 PM
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I remember Car & Driver doing a technical article on LED brake lights. They came to the conclusion that at higher speeds, at least, the difference in light-up speed can be significant in an emergency braking scenario (probably only if the driver behind isn't keeping adequate distance, but most drivers don't). Now, having said that, I wouldn't spend a ton of money converting my car to them if it didn't already have them, either.
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