Does anyone on the board know anything about automotive lighting?


 
LMichaels

LMichaels

TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
So am having an issue, not sure how to deal with. In an effort to improve (not blind oncoming drivers), I am attempting to improve the forward lighting on my vehicle. I have found a very suitable low beam replacement LED set that does a really great job, is very well controlled and does not leave people coming at me with fried eyeballs. I can't do the high beams as Toyota uses pulse width modulation to control the high beams as DRL. I know there are kits to bypass that but one they're not legal as it leaves the high beam lamps on full at all times. Also I don't want retribution. So for time being, highs will stay as they are.
I installed a set of ALLA PSX26W lamps with "switchback" capability (meaning I can use them in white or amber). But, the quality of the lamps is awful. One died, after just a few weeks of very little use (maybe drove with them twice), and they sent me a replacement. When I pulled out the bad one, the level of corrosion was incredible. But I cannot find them from a higher quality company. So wondering if there is something I can sub in place of PSX25W?
I know there is a wide range of knowledge here, so just throwing the question out.
I am being very deliberate and careful with this as I don't want to cause problems for others, or run afoul of the law
 
Fogs. The sad part is the ALLA lights were wonderful in terms of quality of the light. We had a couple occasions with really bad weather and VERY heavy fog. And with the LED low beams and little to no light scattering, and the fog lamps switched to amber I have never had an easier time driving in bad stuff.
 
Well, since they sent you a replacement bulb I think I would just chalk it up to a fluke bad bulb and keep running them for now. If a pattern of failure develops that's another story obviously.
 
Hey Larry, what was corroded? Was it the heatsink mesh material or the contacts? If enough of the heatsink corroded away maybe the lamp overheated and burned out?
 
Here are some photos. All things considered not confidence inspiring. But as you say maybe a fluke? I would hope so. They did work really well in terms of output and pattern.
20230308_160158 1.jpg20230308_160208 1.jpg20230308_160216 1.jpg
 
Buddy there’s a very simple solution… Stay home!😉
It has become my “default” especially when weather starts getting snowy. Too many people with too many distractions that Should stay home, feel that since they don’t remember how to drive on crappy roads feel like they are entitled to relearn how to drive every bloody week. Sorry for the rant.
 
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I've replaced the lamps in both my truck & car with Sealight Scoparc lamps. They're only on par with the original incandescents in the car, in the truck, I'm quite happy.
 
Those don't have the mesh type heatsink so that's not the problem. The one LED chip I can see there seems to look fine, not overheated. Are these out of warranty? If so, maybe take the cover off and see what's under there? I would hope it's potted but maybe not and maybe water got in. I see they used a "tamper proof" screw - to me, that's an open invitation for dissection.
 
Well I did find out with some slight base mod if need be I can use P13W bulbs and there seems to be much better availability. I am going to take it apart and see whats what
 
So look at how poorly made this is. No sealing for the circuit board so mud, salt, water, what have you get right in there.
 

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Yeah, Larry, that looks pretty bad in there. They should have at least conformal coated the electronics. If you really like the lights and want to run them you could get new ones and paint the circuit board with Glyptal or Humiseal. You'd have to paint all around the edge of the board and get a glob in the center where the feed goes out to the LED chips. The edge will probably end up being the weak point if water gets under the board.

Then, in the truck, maybe make a little mud flap or shield to help keep the spray off the lamp. A piece of an old inner tube or rubber roof material and some tie wraps might work - don't know what kind of room you have to work under there.

I don't remember what Humiseal has for a temperature rating (and it may be hard to buy) but Glyptal is used inside electric motors and generators to coat and bond the windings. Here's a little circuit board I coated to protect from the weather.
 

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Yeah, I do like them (except for the stupid blue setting). Maybe come spring/summer, I will crawl under it again, pull the lights out, clean the boards off and coat them with silicone. Though the weird thing is when you look at the back cover, it almost looks like they intentionally did it for cooling
 
I saw the little holes and slots in the cover. Don't know what they were thinking - "let's see... We'll let the air and salt water circulate through here". Hopefully the thin conductors there haven't dissolved away.
 
And Toyota does not make it exactly easy to get into those lights. I think once we have a nice stretch of weather, I may get under there and if working well, pull both lamps clean them really well and coat the circuit boards with silicone or glyptol though I have no idea where to get glyptol
 
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