Flashing LED Taillights? Causes & Fix.

My friend gave me a set of LED taillights for my 206 for my birthday. I thought that was great and installed them. They are parts from the importer "FK" and each one is equipped with 12 Superflux LEDs. These LEDs provide the "taillight" and "brake light" functions. The turn signals and reverse lights are still implemented using conventional light bulbs.

I've noticed a slight flickering in the taillight when it's on, and very noticeable flickering when the brake light is activated. This occurs regardless of whether the engine is running or not, and whether the brake light is connected to the taillight. Additionally, the taillight appears slightly reddish-orange, while the brake light is clearly red.

Am I imagining the flickering or the different light colors between the taillight and the brake light, or is it an optical illusion?

Yesterday, I was driving behind a man in a current-model Passat who kindly stopped at an intersection with his foot on the brake pedal, and whose LED lights were shining incredibly brightly in my direction. That's when I noticed the flickering!

Here is the explanation.

http://www.adac.de/Auto_Motorrad/Technik_Zubehoer/leuchtdioden/default.asp

Please provide the text you would like me to translate from German to English.

Huh?
The Passat only flickers when you don't brake.

The flickering can be made visible by using a digital camera with a short enough exposure time. With exposure times of 1/250 of a second or shorter, only parts of the lamp will appear to be lit.

I'll have to try that next time when I'm braking.

I especially notice this with the brake lights on, as the differences between bright and dark are particularly pronounced. Fortunately, I rarely drive behind other cars!

Martin, do you have any explanation for the almost orange-colored rear light? Or is it just an optical illusion?

It's highly likely that the Passat's lights will flicker even when braking, but you might not notice it.
According to Elektor, high-performance LEDs are almost always pulsed because this is beneficial for light output and lifespan.

Okay. Then let's just let it flicker. If I were standing behind my vehicle at a traffic light, it would certainly annoy me. But...

As described in the article:
Staring intently helps.

The flickering is usually only noticed when you happen to look at it.

Or your aftermarket lights have a frequency of 25 Hz .

m;

I'm taking my EOS out this weekend, and then I'll take some brake fade photos of the Passat.

That also interests me now.

m;

Was muss ich bei der Digitalkamera einstellen?

Right now, I'm also interested in using LED clusters in flashing lights. There are ready-made clusters with the correct sockets available. However, they are not approved.

To make it perfect, LED license plate lights would also be needed.

Quote:

What settings do I need to adjust on my digital camera?

a short exposure time.

Compact cameras usually can't do that. So, a digital single-lens reflex camera, with pre-set exposure time and shutter release.

With 10% PWM, there's a good chance you won't see anything, as it usually results in all LEDs being off.

When PWM is close to 100%, it becomes statistically more challenging, so simply reduce the duration.

m;

Quote:

To make it perfect, LED license plate lights would also need to be added.

Do you look at the BMW parts shelf...?

Are these the same modules for all models, or do you happen to have the part number and approximate price available?

http://www.passat3b.de/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=75000

I can't say for sure whether they will fit your car (approximately). For VWs, it's usually possible with a little adjustment.

My scooter wouldn't have any problem with that, actually. However, the ideal solution would be to only adjust the mounting bracket for the light (which is a bumper on my scooter) – not the light itself.

I measured it once, and the installation cutout (width) isn't large enough, and it's also not adjustable enough. Still, thank you for the link; the information there was very informative.