TOPIC:

I understand that the 2357 bulb will burn brighter when the brakes are on, as compaired to the old standby 1157 (and that the running light part of both bulbs burns about the same brightness). Sounds good for brighter brake lights.

But is there any disadvantage to using them? Too much amp draw? Too hot for the lenses? Anybody here switched to them?

probably wont last as long as 1157

polkat wrote:

I understand that the 2357 bulb will burn brighter when the brakes are on, as compaired to the old standby 1157 (and that the running light part of both bulbs burns about the same brightness). Sounds good for brighter brake lights.

But is there any disadvantage to using them? Too much amp draw? Too hot for the lenses? Anybody here switched to them?

The 1157 is an 18W light on the brighter filament. That's already pretty hot. If you want brighter with LESS power, the Luxeon 3W LED bulbs fit the socket and are brighter than stock (also last longer). Get them at superbrightleds.com.

i tried using an led lamp in my rear light/brake light but the kz sensing picks it up as a blown lamp-(not enough resistance) and keeps the brake light indicator on the idiot panel flashing

I went ahead with the 2357's and they work fine, but they don't seem all that much brighter with the brakes on. Of course, I'm observing this in daylight, so I'll take a look tonight after darek.

maestro wrote:

i tried using an led lamp in my rear light/brake light but the kz sensing picks it up as a blown lamp-(not enough resistance) and keeps the brake light indicator on the idiot panel flashing

True, you either have to install a smarter sensor like I did or add an external resistor across the LED to provide a low enough resistance to make the sensor happy.

Go LED indeed....

Think about just this little change and what it accomplishes...

18w/12 = 1.5amp draw.
3w/12 = .25amp draw.

That's HUGE and this was just for one little bulb!

Think of this in another way, you accomplish two turn signals where one turn signal is 23watts x 2 46watts to turn left or right...

23w/12 = 3.83amps versus LED's at .5 amps!!!!!

OEM Tail light is 8w for tail light and 23w for stop light.

8w/12 = .66amps
23w/12 = 1.92 amps.

Simple math here...For turn signals, tail/stop lights...

3.83amps + .66 + 1.92amps at any given time = 6.41 amps!
Whoa... When this all could be accomplished for under 2 amps!

That's a huge decrease in load demand of a 30 year old electrical system. Plus this additional current can now be delivered where it's truly needed, that's right boys & girls to your coils and ignition system!

Not to mention your battery charging system....

Here's the relay I used where no resistors were required thus saving all the current for where I really want it!

Hope this helps out....

This is a $12 LED load auto sensing relay I got at Auto-Zone...