Hi guys I don't post here too often (as I drive a Mazda6) but my girlfriend has an 08 Superwhite tC that I've been slighly modifying since she got it new in July of 2007.

I recently replaced her map lights with the 6-led bulbs from superbrightleds.com. The color and output is perfect, but when they are in the "DOOR" mode, they still emit a really feint glow at all times even after the intensity has dimmed from closing the doors. This caused them to burn out in 3 days. I replaced them with new ones and we are still having the same problem.

Do you guys know if this is common or know of a way to fix it? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

I noticed the same thing when I had LED bulbs, but never had them go out on me.

Even if you were to leave them on, LED's should last for 10 years on average. I think you just got a bad bulb.

 

Maybe. It was the rear festoon that went out. It's such a weird issue. When both are set to "DOOR" only the rear has the feint glow, but when I turn the rear to "OFF", the front emits the feint glow. I'm pretty electrically savvy and this is just bizarre. I was thinking to put a less powerful fuse in for the courtesy lights and see how that would work, since the LED's draw less voltage than than incandescent bulbs.

 

^yep

 

Fuse will make no difference, the dimmer circuit is doing somthing funky as it is not seeing the resistance of a standard bulb. I personally have not heard of your issue before, but it is an odd one. Feel free to buzz down and I will take a look at it.

 

I don't think that would help the issue because it doesn't limit the current in that sense, know what I mean? It will still emit the glow, just blow the fuse at a lower current... The issue may be with the dimming circuit and not completely going to 0v... Since LED's run on low voltage, and say for instance that the dimming circuit drops from 12v->1v that 1v of power is enough to create the faint glow you're seeing...

 

Also, since the "Door Mode" is the only time you see the faint glow makes sense because that's the only mode that has the dimming feature... All other states (or modes) are either 100% on, or 100% off...

 

I had a set of the 6-LED modules from superbrightleds for the front light cluster, and a festoon bulb from them in the rear. I got red for the rear light and the front center light (the one switched by the door sensor and/or slider switch), and white for the map lights (the ones switched by the toggle pushbuttons). I also had a faint glow, but they held up for about 6 months or so, when I had one of the white lights in the passenger side map light burn out. At that point, I replaced all of them with Oznium square LED modules, and it's been running great ever since. The Oznium modules in the door-triggered spots also faintly glow when I leave them on DOOR, but they've been working fine.

 

Thanks guys. I've been reading up more on this and it seems like it happens mostly with the 6LED bulbs, so I'm replacing them with some different ones hoping to fix the issue.

 

i think i have the superbrightleds 25 led panels in the maplights and the front and some really overpriced made-to-fit led panel in the rear. I noticed the glow a few weeks ago too.... hmmm. i don't know how the 25 led panel rates to the 6 led bulb in voltage/gigawatts. but i think its pretty neat and never had problems starting the engine. sometimes my car sits for 7-14 days between drives....

 

The new bulbs came in yesterday, just waiting until I see her tomorrow to install and hopefully say goodbye to the problem.

 

Did the swap. No more constant on problem. I put amber 9-led festoon in the rear, and a high power amber led in the front. The front is brighter than the rear, but overall it's a great look.

 

I have the same problem too, It isnt necessarily the bulb's problem, because the same led bulb may be slightly lit on our cars, but will fully turn off on others.

I do not have the 6led from superbright led's. I have a different type of bulb that is aluminum ringed, it dims when i set it to "door" but it will fully turn off on my friends RSX when he sets it to "door" it has to do with the dimming circuit and the type of led bulb.

And for those of you that have bulbs that dont fully turn off, you just leave it on "door"? I mean i know it doesnt take up alot of battery but you guys dont care?

Drizz-OH what type of bulb are you using now, that doesnt stay partially lit?