led lights flickering?

Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Lights, Neon, LEDs, HIDs
Forum Discription: Under Car Lighting, Strobe Lights, Fog Lights, Headlights, HIDs, DRL, Tail Lights, Brake Lights, Dashboard Lights, WigWag, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=109914
Printed Date: July 18, 2025 at 8:19 AM

Topic: led lights flickering?

Posted By: jmat1980
Subject: led lights flickering?
Date Posted: December 20, 2008 at 10:20 PM

I installed some white LED Lights on my dash. These lights are just individual LED's with red and black wire, I have 4 of them. The lights are wired to a switch and then connect into the power wire for the climate control lighting so that they are dimmable. The black wires are all grounded. The lights work for a few days, but then one of them starts flickering, then another might start a couple days later...I replaced 2 of them, but it continues to happen randomly...

Anyone have any ideas why?

Replies:

Posted By: i am an idiot
Date Posted: December 21, 2008 at 1:31 AM

Are you using 12 volt LEDs? If not, do you have a resistor in series with each LED or is there a single resistor for all 4? What is the value of the resistor(s)?

Posted By: jmat1980
Date Posted: December 21, 2008 at 8:00 AM

The LEDs came in a package with the wires already soldered up with the resistors...it says just to connect them to a 12 volt source. I have all of the LED pos wires connected to eachother and a 12v hot wire, and all the neg LED wires grounded...

To clarify, there are for separate LEDs, each has two wires with a resistor already soldered into the hot wire...I dont know what type of resistor because there is heat shrink over it.

The LEDs are ok for a few days but eventually start to flicker.

Any ideas?

Posted By: i am an idiot
Date Posted: December 21, 2008 at 8:25 AM

I would connect a resistor in series with their resistor. Since we have no idea what value resistor they used, try somewhere around 300 ohms to start. If the Leds are bright enough and last, leave that one there. If not bright enough, try around 200 ohms. Connect one resistor per module.