New LED tail light bulbs won't work right

[brycebba]

Just a thought, make sure you try spinning the bulb 180 degrees first. I recall some leds don't have the pins at the right height so they can be installed both directions

 

[someotherguy]

Just a thought, make sure you try spinning the bulb 180 degrees first. I recall some leds don't have the pins at the right height so they can be installed both directions

He's already down the correct path. The middle bulb position on GMT400 trucks absolutely must use the SRCK style LED bulbs. Regular 3157 style LED bulbs will not work correctly in that position. They're fine for the top and bottom (tail, reverse), but the tail/brake/turn middle bulb requires the SRCK special bulb.

Richard

 

[brycebba]

He's already down the correct path. The middle bulb position on GMT400 trucks absolutely must use the SRCK style LED bulbs. Regular 3157 style LED bulbs will not work correctly in that position. They're fine for the top and bottom (tail, reverse), but the tail/brake/turn middle bulb requires the SRCK special bulb.

Richard

Oh I must have missed that, good information to know

 

[1sickcrewcab]

My dads using led bulbs from autozone in his clear lights with no problems. He has 2 leds on each side and regular reverse bulbs. And there just off the shelf 3157 leds from autozone. Not a single problem. Never heard of that srck bulbs. Do they look different or something??

 

[df2x4]

My dads using led bulbs from autozone in his clear lights with no problems. He has 2 leds on each side and regular reverse bulbs. And there just off the shelf 3157 leds from autozone. Not a single problem. Never heard of that srck bulbs. Do they look different or something??

http://store.ijdmtoy.com/LED-Turn-Signal-Reverse-Backup-Tail-Light-Bulbs-FAQ-a/487.htm#10

I'm not sure if you need them with aftermarket light assemblies or not. Think it's something to do with the circuit boards in the factory tails.

 

[1sickcrewcab]

Cool link. Learned something new. Thanks. I don't know what circuit boards my dad has on his Tahoe but everything worked great with auto zone bulbs

 

[someotherguy]

Depends on what kind of clear lights he has. If you mean the ones that look exactly like OEM and use OEM type circuit boards, gotta use SRCK's for the middle position as described. A lot of the aftermarket lenses use regular style sockets though instead of the OEM circuit boards.

Like these for example, have their own standard-style sockets, use regular bulbs:

You must be registered for see images attach

Richard

 

[df2x4]

Thanks for clearing that up, Richard. My tails are like the ones you posted, nice to know if I ever do decide to go LED I can use regular bulbs.

 

[1sickcrewcab]

Yeah richard he has the oem all clear tail lights with oem circuit boards. And he does not have those srck bulbs. He has reg led auto zone bulbs. Those lights used to be mine and if i remember correctly the circuit boards were white not black. Idk if that makes a difference.

 

[someotherguy]

Something definitely odd then because the OEM circuit boards are very dark gray, almost black. Never seen white. The Dorman replacement boards are nearly identical to OEM. There's another aftermarket replacement, TMC Glo-Brite, which are shiny black plastic; can't remember if I ever tried LED's in them but I think their circuit diagram is identical to OEM. I just remember not liking them because the sockets on them seem loose.

I can vouch firsthand about needing the SRCK bulbs, "way back" in 1999 I tried some of the very first 3157-style LED bulb replacements and they went up in smoke immediately. Conversation with the guy that made them (Hz Engineering) about the layout of the circuit board and he came up with "CK" style and they worked fine.

So maybe there's some non-standard circuit boards in your dad's truck, or maybe those particular LED's in there are wired in a way that got around the problem, by coincidence. Not sure without more info.

Richard