[justintime]

So I followed the LED replacement guide and was very satisfied with everything until my reverse camera stopped working. I didn’t notice the reverse lights were out and I had the lights in for over 2 weeks before it happend so I brought it to the dealer to have it looked at. Hour and a half later they come back saying that the Reverse lights blew Fuse 18 which is also connected to the back up camera switch and that they recommend I put the stock bulbs back in. They said they would do it for $75 but recommended I just do it myself and were actually very kind about the whole situation and actually gave me a good fuse to throw in there. I decided I wanted to buy a 5 pack at the auto parts store to try to see if it would blow again. I threw a new one in there and put it in reverse and the camera flicked on then went right back off. I pulled the reverse lights out and I could smell that they got hot and were fried. I threw the stock bulbs back in and have not had any issues since. Think I’ll stick with them for now

 

[11bnuffy]

What brand LED did you get?

 

[Pockets]

Okay so here is the thing with LEDs. A normal bulb will take all 12v and use it up. The LED although brighter takes less then the normal 12v system to light up. So what usually ends up happening. The 12vs get sent back to the fuse or the BIU (Body Integrated Unit) which in term could fry the BIU. BIU is not cheap. I've had numerous cars come in with LEDs installed and have fried the BIU we normally charge about $175 to install it, but the part cost you close to $500+. Although I like the LED look. Until DiodeDynamics.com puts up more bulbs and stuff for our cars. I'll stick with my stock stuff. Most small websites or bulk websites like SuperBrightLED.com don't test anything. They just figure out what fits and post it up. Other places, TheRetrofitsource.com or DiodeDynamics.com will actually test the systems and do trial periods before releasing anything. It may cost a little bit more to get them. So you went from $5 a bulb to $15. It's the same process with going to a dealer. You can either pay $125 to have someone look at your car and know what's wrong with it, or pay Joe Smoe Shadetree $75 to take a guess and could possibly make the situation worse.

 

[SkierDave]

I put in Sylvania Zevo 7440 replacements and have had no problems. I have no way to measure the light output but subjectively they seem brighter. There was some discussion here about off brand LED replacements causing problems, I hope yours did no permanent damage.

 

[BruceP]

Okay so here is the thing with LEDs. A normal bulb will take all 12v and use it up. The LED although brighter takes less then the normal 12v system to light up. So what usually ends up happening. The 12vs get sent back to the fuse or the BIU (Body Integrated Unit)........

From an electronics-engineer point of view, all I can say is "Do not believe everything you read on the internet"

 

[Pockets]

From a technician's stand point I replace these all the time because of LED bulbs

 

[SkierDave]

From an electronics-engineer point of view, all I can say is "Do not believe everything you read on the internet"

What, the extra volts don't get sent back?

 

[securityguy]

I always wondered what happened to those "extra volts".....:surprise:

 

[Chitownpete]

Few things are as simple as they seem. What didn't you like about the stock bulbs? Mine are more than bright enough since I have a backup camera.

 

[s10blazed]

From an electronics-engineer point of view, all I can say is "Do not believe everything you read on the internet"

Thank you for saying what I couldn't find the words to say nicely.

 

[Su Baru]

Thank you for saying what I couldn't find the words to say nicely.

This^^^

 

[anuragbethley8]

I'm sorry to hear that. I wonder why you decided to put an LED reverse light? I mean that people usually change the simple headlights with LED ones. I know about this nightmare with LEDs since I've felt that pain in the ass on my ass, lol. I was trying to make a little interior lighting project using these led strip lights Best RGB Smart Strip Lights | Smart LED Strip | LED Strip Lights. Guess what? I've encountered your issue. I ken your situation better than you think. The reverse light isn't a crucial one that could influence your security during night drives, so don't worry about that! Cheers!

 

[Subarik]

I'm sorry to hear that. I wonder why you decided to put an LED reverse light? I mean that people usually change the simple headlights with LED ones.

Because it is bright

 

[MagikAram]

I'm sorry to hear that. I wonder why you decided to put an LED reverse light? I mean that people usually change the simple headlights with LED ones.

My Isuzu doesn't have a backup camera, and is quite larger than the Impreza. Add tint to the rear glass, and seeing how close you are to things behind you becomes more difficult. So, essentially what @Subarik

Because it is bright

says here. The brighter lights make it easier to see what's behind you, much like headlights in front of you are not only so others can see you coming, but so you can see what's in front of you at night.

I haven't personally needed a brighter reverse light since I've been able to use the camera in conjunction with the light to see distances and what's behind me quite well, but I'm not everyone, and living in an area with more ambient lights at night certainly helps.

 

[JGR]

I'm sorry to hear that. I wonder why you decided to put an LED reverse light? I mean that people usually change the simple headlights with LED ones.

It's hard to have backup lights that are too bright. I installed Diode Dynamics HP11 310 lumen bulbs shortly after buying my 2019 Sport and have no problems with them. They're a vast improvement over the OEM bulb.

Backup LEDs for 2017-2022 Subaru Impreza (pair)

Increase your nighttime visibility with plug-and-play replacement Backup/Reverse Light bulbs for your Subaru Impreza!

www.diodedynamics.com

 

[peaty]

It's hard to have backup lights that are too bright. I installed Diode Dynamics HP11 310 lumen bulbs shortly after buying my 2019 Sport and have no problems with them. They're a vast improvement over the OEM bulb.

Backup LEDs for 2017-2022 Subaru Impreza (pair)

Increase your nighttime visibility with plug-and-play replacement Backup/Reverse Light bulbs for your Subaru Impreza!

www.diodedynamics.com

I have these in both my 2019 Impreza Sport and 2015 Crosstrek premium.

7440/7443 XPR Backup LED Bulbs

I have not had an issue myself. In the wife's outback where I retrofitted a backup camera, I had to tap into the back up light too, got a different set of DD back up light bulbs and they have been working fine for a while now. Sadly there is a lot of crap bulbs out there. I know people say DD bulbs are expensive but there is a reason.

 

[Alex_Rochester]

It's hard to have backup lights that are too bright. ....

I once had a Dodge Omni Turbo S rally car, and it had a 100w Hella halogen fog light wired with a separate relay and a 2-way switch that I could have either turn on with the backup lights, or on it's own. That light often WAS "too bright" for backing up, at least in town. Great for getting tailgaters off my ass, though..

 

[Octal450]

A normal bulb will take all 12v and use it up. The LED although brighter takes less then the normal 12v system to light up. So what usually ends up happening. The 12vs get sent back to the fuse or the BIU (Body Integrated Unit) which in term could fry the BIU.

Yeah, that's not how electricity works...