leds plz help me led gurus

**b20a86lude** · 10-04-2009, 03:12 PM

ok guys i decdded that i wanted to update every single bulb in my car with leds. so i got 5mm organge bulbs for the cluster and buttons and the ac controls and everything else. so i got 100 pack.
i wanted to test them b4 i install them to see how they look. i took a 9v battry
with aligator clips and connected it straight up , it glows real bright for 2 sec and dims down and eventally dims out. now this bulb doenst work at all now so i said oh well i still got 99 more.i did it 4 more same thing happens again.
so then i said hmm it must not like me hookin it up straight . so i took aprt the old soket installed the new led 5mm bulb and it did it again.

someone plz help tell me wats going on . wat am i doing im stumped? does any one know what im doing wrong or wat im missing, ahhhhhh helllp this is so frustrating.

**A18A** · 10-04-2009, 03:19 PM

at a guess im thinking they're only like 3v leds, and you're destroying them with 9v applied to them. you will probably need a resistor or something for them to use 12v, i'm not sure, just guessing, someone more knowledgeable than me should reply soon lol

**Civic Accord Honda** · 10-04-2009, 03:28 PM

yep u will need resistors to take them from 12 volt to like 1.4volt or w/e they are

**nswst8** · 10-04-2009, 03:51 PM

You are over heating the diode. You will need a resistor to reduce the voltage so that the Diode dosen't over heat.
Use a single/double AA 1.5 volt battery to test your single LEDs

**b20a86lude** · 10-04-2009, 05:05 PM

ok that makes alot of since,
ok so has anyone ever looked at the lights for the back of the gauges they twist in with a flat head how the heck would i put a ressistor on that