LED lighting on cars

genetic

genetic

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I've seen a lot of cars now that feature LED lighting - particularly brake lights. There are numerous advantages of LED lights over standard incandescent lights which we all know, but what I'd like to know is why vehicle manufacturers only make the brake lights LED's, but leave the indicators, reverse lights etc. normal incandescent. Why not make everything LED?

The BMW 3 series has LED indicators but incandescent brake lights. The same with the Yaris and the Jazz... Why??? Surely it can't be THAT expensive considering the total cost of the car to make all the tail lights LED?

Another thing that baffles me is VW's decision to drop LED's completely on the Jetta 6. The Jetta 5 had LED tail, brake and indicators, but in the Jetta 6, these have been dropped for incandescents...
 
Maybe it is cheaper to fit incandescent lamps. The bean-counters always have the final say. I fitted LED lamps to my Honda. Very slightly more blue than white, but 1/3 the current
 
genetic said:
I've seen a lot of cars now that feature LED lighting - particularly brake lights. There are numerous advantages of LED lights over standard incandescent lights which we all know, but what I'd like to know is why vehicle manufacturers only make the brake lights LED's, but leave the indicators, reverse lights etc. normal incandescent. Why not make everything LED?
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I believe it's a cost thing. Remember that a normal brake light bulb is about the same price as two or so surface-mount LEDs, but you need quite a lot of LEDs to get the same effect as an incandescent bulb. I know the Mercedes-Benz E-Class uses LEDs for the rear indicators, position lights and brake lights.
 
genetic said:
I've seen a lot of cars now that feature LED lighting - particularly brake lights. There are numerous advantages of LED lights over standard incandescent lights which we all know, but what I'd like to know is why vehicle manufacturers only make the brake lights LED's, but leave the indicators, reverse lights etc. normal incandescent. Why not make everything LED?

The BMW 3 series has LED indicators but incandescent brake lights. The same with the Yaris and the Jazz... Why??? Surely it can't be THAT expensive considering the total cost of the car to make all the tail lights LED?

Another thing that baffles me is VW's decision to drop LED's completely on the Jetta 6. The Jetta 5 had LED tail, brake and indicators, but in the Jetta 6, these have been dropped for incandescents...
Click to expand...

good observation, one would thing that everything is going LED. I do see trucks with dead LED's.
 
LED is more expensive.

It's cheaper to mass manufacture a reflective housing and use generic sized bulb in the car than to have a complete housing with LEDs for a specific make and model.
 
spiderz said:
Replacement parts ... the make no money of the led stuff, they last too long....
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this. i got a quote from yamaha for a headlight bulb. R170.

honda quoted R80.exactly the same bulb.im sure it can be had cheaper.
 
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