Blue LED Switch lights...

[thedriver2k6]

Hi all,

I've bought one of them kits off eBay with the blue LEDS to replace the LED's in my switchs on my MK 4 fiesta. Im trying to change the Rear Heated Window and Fog Light switchs but for some reason i keep blowing the LED...

i have installed them as (Negative -) legs of the LED going to the terminal on the left (together) and the (positive +) of the main LED going to the Right terminal and the top LED going to the Top Terminal.

I have now been through about 8 LEDs trying this and the same result...plug in..switch on lights and Spark...fizzle...dead LED....

any ideas as to what i may be doing wrong? the seller on eBay has been emailing me back with instructions but we arent really getting much further with it...

Any help would be much appreciated... :(

Thanks in advance

[smudger]

Are you sure the originals were leds? and not ordinary bulbs? It may not necessarily be a straightforward swap.

An led requires a resistor in series with it to limit the current - otherwise it will blow. Unless of course the leds you have bought have built in resistors.

As they are blowing almost instantly they are obviously shorting out.

[thedriver2k6]

Are you sure the originals were leds? and not ordinary bulbs? It may not necessarily be a straightforward swap.

An led requires a resistor in series with it to limit the current - otherwise it will blow. Unless of course the leds you have bought have built in resistors.

As they are blowing almost instantly they are obviously shorting out.

Hi thanks for this.

The originals look very much like the new ones but unsure if they are LED or not.

Just been having a play with my mulitmeter and the new LED are only 1.4v and obviously the car is 12v so this explains the reason for the blowing. Have now bought some new LEDs with built in resistors for 12v application so this should sort it out. Will let you know how i get on.

Thanks!

[thedriver2k6]

Hi thanks for this.

The originals look very much like the new ones but unsure if they are LED or not.

Just been having a play with my mulitmeter and the new LED are only 1.4v and obviously the car is 12v so this explains the reason for the blowing. Have now bought some new LEDs with built in resistors for 12v application so this should sort it out. Will let you know how i get on.

Thanks!

Has anyone else tried this? The new LED's arrived today and they have the resisitor with them (unfortunatly not built in but seperate so will have to do some soldering). I hooked them up and no light so i thought it ignore the switch and test them in the live wiring and they worked! hey presto! however when i hook them up into the switches they dont seem to work. Ive tried copying the original connections as much as possible but im obvioulsy doing something wrong. If anyone has managed to do this successfully please help! or if anyone knows where i can find some detailed instructions online that would be great!

Thanks!