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ken56's avatar
ken56
Explorer
Dec 21, 2017

Another LED light issue.

Why would one of my 3 position lights across the top of the back of the trailer be dim? Bad light? If they are all connected to the same supply wire then it can't be a low voltage to it could it? Loose connection? It works but its just dimmer than the other 2.
  • ken56 wrote:
    Thanks for the replies. They are the sealed type so I guess I will just replace it. Not a big deal, just one other thing to do.


    Might as well buy a couple of extra to keep on hand, they sometimes are much less reliable than the old incandescents with bad sockets.. :M
  • Thanks for the replies. They are the sealed type so I guess I will just replace it. Not a big deal, just one other thing to do.
  • One of the "strings" of LEDs has died.

    LEDs are wired in "series" sort of like a string of Christmas tree lights, one fails and they all go out in that string.

    Often in marker lights the manufacturer will use two series strings, when one "string" goes the light will be half as bright.

    Generally nothing you can do to fix these as the fixtures are typically sealed and or the circuit board has been sealed in a water resistant coating.

    Yeah, these LEDs are supposed to have 50K-100K hrs of "life", PROVIDED they are not overdriven. Sadly, most manufacturers are cheap and tend to overdrive the LEDs to maximize the brightness instead of life, so far half of mine have died.

    Fortunately when I bought my LED fixtures they were exact fit for the older incadescent lights that they replaced..

    And my good fortune was they didn't seal the lens to the fixture which allows me to replace the offending dead LEDs with BETTER designed LEDs which most likely will outlast me.



    FOUND HERE

    Those LEDs are designed for industrial outdoor signage and rated 3/4W at 12V which is pretty bright so I added in an additional resistor which cut the current and brightness in half. They just barely fit my oval fixtures..

    The "fix" for yours is to replace said bad fixture..
  • Bad connection, either to power or ground or internally to the light. If it's one with a replaceable bulb, it could very well be corrosion or dirt in/at the socket. (It could also be something as simple as a dirty lens or reflector.)
  • What Jim wrote!
    And if the voltage is good, the light itself is bad.

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