http://vehiclelight.com/clli.html (http://vehiclelight.com/clli.html)
Can anyone help with the best choice to use as a replacement for the front, rear and side marker lights? Any suggestions for the Ramko mirror turn signal light? I saved the above link from a previous post, but for the life of me I can't locate the message which likely contains the answer.
Thanks in advance.
Site search on vehiclelight turns up the following archived Yahoo posts
http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=6612.msg28290#msg28290 (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=6612.msg28290#msg28290)
and
http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=9209.msg40736#msg40736 (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=9209.msg40736#msg40736)
Do those help?
-M
Danka, Michelle...Now I gotta be carefull about choosing the right product for the ones that are turn signals as well as side markers. The marker lights up high are easy.
I called truck parts east and they sent me truck lite brand led lights it was a bit under 300 dollars to go all the way around. FYI the white and black wires are reversed.
I may be able to help a little. I am gradually replacing my coach lights with leds.
On my '99 the Ramco turn signal lights are 194 incadescent bulbs the same as the clearance/marker lights. I replaced these and all marker bulbs with WLED-6 leds from superbrightleds.com.
Although I haven't replaced tail/turn signals yet here are the ones I have identified:
My side/turn light is a 3157 dual filament wedge style incadescent. I plan on replacing with a 3157-A18-T (Amber) also from superbrightleds.
The rear tail/brake lights are also 3157 dual filament wedge style incadescents. Since these are red I will use 3157-R18-T (Red)
The rear turn signal is a 3156 single filament wedge style bulb. 3156-A18-T (Amber) leds are the replacement for these.
I haven't verified the front turn signal bulb yet. I suspect it is a 3157 dual filament but need to confirm this before ordering.
Just be sure to order red leds for the red lens applications and amber leds for the amber lenses.
Bob, I am under the assumption that the entire assembly for each of the current marker lights will need to be changed out, not just the current bulb..right?
I did not change the lenses, just the bulbs on the clearance lights. The leads on these assemblies are rather short so rather than splicing in new assemblies, I decided to try changing just the bulbs. I replaced a few and checked the apparent brightness of the leds vs incandescent. I couldn't tell them apart. The marker bulb is accessed by removing the screws that fasten the lens to the coach and then gently prying the assembly from the black gasket that remains stuck to the fiberglass. The bulb holder then twists 90 and pulls from the back of the lens assembly. I tore one of the gaskets and had to make a new one so having some thin gasket material on hand would be a good idea. The marker lights nearest the sides of the coach don't fit flush because of the curve in the fiberglass. I sealed any gap with a little silicone adhesive.
The Ramco turn light lens pops off with a little help from a flat bladed screwdriver applied gently to one end. Bulb then pulls out.
I will also just replace the tail/turn/brake bulbs. The rear turn/tail/brake bulbs are readily accessible from the back of the assembly which simply unscrews from the coach. Haven't investigated the front turn signals yet, but shouldn't be too hard.
Great info, Just one question, using a red or amber bulb behind the red or amber lens, does this work or would a clear bulb behind the red or amber lens be better. Just like the original bulbs are clear and behind the red or amber lens seem to be OK. Looking to go with a brighter and LED type, but just wondering why the colored bulbs?
Thanks,
Dave
I am guessing here, but a red lens filters all but the red wavelengths of a white incandescent bulb. To get the most out of the output available from the leds, you need to match the led color to the lens color. According to the Superbrightleds website, the light from a White LED contains very little light in the red portion of the visible spectrum so most of the light would be filtered out by a red lens. I am sure we will get more knowledgable folks to elaborate for us.
Bob, the leads are a bit longer on the marker lights than you might thing. They seem to have put extra up there but they siliconed the wire and only allow a short bit out the hole that way. You can reach in with a small knife and pull the silicone off the fiberglass and have a long enough wire to splice into. I had all but one over 6 inches. I put them back the same way I found them and then put a dab of silicone around the new led assembly on the sides.
Also if you change out the rear assemblies you need a lens that angles the light down rather than straight out like the rest of the marker lights.
John,
Thanks for the tip on the wire lengths.
Where did you find the downward vs straight requirement?
In my looking at new lenses, the only thing I found about the directional quality of the marker lenses is that some are "SAE PC rated." A PC rated light can be seen at 90 degrees off from its center in the horizontal plane as compared to 45 degrees for a standard marker light and therefore can function as a side marker light also. Can't find any discussion related to a downward angle for a marker lens.
Since, in my case, I didn't change the lenses and was careful to put them back the way I removed them (SAE lettering right side up) I shouldn't have a problem with the orientation of the lenses.
You should not ever have to replace them. Lifetime warranty! Great quality.
Someone asked me this summer about the LED side/turn/marker lites on my 95 U280 and I forget to look it up til now.
The side turn/marker lights on my 95 were replaced with those below, they are also available as clear lens. ( see Dave Head ).
http://www.bigrigchromeshop.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?page=BRCS/PROD/FEL/UP38578 (http://www.bigrigchromeshop.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?page=BRCS/PROD/FEL/UP38578)
Sorry I forgot ...
Bob, I called Truck Parts East and then talked with Ed and he had looked up the info on the LED manufacturers site. IT stated the lens needed to be focused and at a downward angle. There are different part numbers for straight and slightly angled down. IT is because our rear clearance lights are on a curve. It makes a difference. The light bulb version puts out light in a larger circle and was not an issue that way.
Hope that helps.