1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

License Plate Lights (LED)

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by dgarcia001, Aug 29, 2020.

  1. dgarcia001

    dgarcia001 New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 29, 2020
    6
    1
    0
    Location:
    Miami, FL
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Hey everyone, I recently got pulled over for my license plate lights being out. I had no idea. The next day, I went to my usual auto parts store and kindly asked for the best bulb they had, minutes later they returned with a Sylvania 2825 ZEVO LED pack.

    I was excited that they had LED lights, more powerful, longer lasting, and more efficient. Once i got home I swapped both those pups out and to my surprised, neither bulb turned on... I checked the fuses, the internet, and the manual to no avail. Finally, I decided to look at those awesome LED lights and I realized, the LED's voltage was different from the stores average rated bulb, the Sylvania 2825LL.

    The 2825ZEVOLED needs 12.8V where the OEM ones need 12V. So I went back and swapped them out, and vualá, worked like a charm. But now I have those yellow lights, where I would've preferred the much cleaner looking white LED lights.

    And I'm also left wondering, why?. What's more confusing is that I checked online and the LED's the stores show are 0.5W and the ones I they physically gave me were 1W. o_O

    The Halogens need 12V x 0.417A = 5W
    The LEDs need 12.8V x 0.078A = 1W

    So... I'm not an electrician but, if the LEDs need less Wattage than the Halogens, why is it that the LEDs don't work??

    Thanks
     

    Attached Files:

    #1 dgarcia001, Aug 29, 2020
  2. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2017
    6,139
    4,053
    1
    Location:
    Wilkes Land
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    :ROFLMAO:
     
    #2 Grit, Aug 29, 2020
  3. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2013
    16,474
    8,393
    0
    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Your original bulbs lasted you 8 years, so the replacements should be very similar. These lights are not for your benefit, they are used to identify you. No need to make it easier with brighter LEDs
     
    #3 JC91006, Aug 29, 2020
  4. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,302
    10,150
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    When you tested the LEDs, did you have the car's ignition turned on and READY? Or was the car turned off, or in an accessory mode, with just the lights turned on?

    When the ignition is on and READY, the lights should be fed with 13.5V or more. But when not in READY, the lights will get only the battery voltage, somewhere between the mid-12Vs to high 11Vs.

    So if your original test wasn't in READY mode, consider putting those LEDs back in for another test in READY. If they light up, then good, as all your driving out on the public roads will be in this mode.
     
    #4 fuzzy1, Aug 29, 2020
  5. Vman455

    Vman455 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 8, 2014
    534
    551
    13
    Location:
    The Middle
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    The LED bulbs you used are polarity-sensitive; pull them out of their sockets, rotate them 180 degrees and stick them back in.
     
    #5 Vman455, Aug 29, 2020
    Attila Fekete, fuzzy1 and Grit like this.
  6. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,302
    10,150
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I'm seeing conflicting claims on that, on the same product page, as if the design changed sometime along the way and both versions are still present in the marketplace with the same product name and numbers.

    So do try both orientations.

    Capture.jpg

    Capture2.JPG
     
    #6 fuzzy1, Aug 29, 2020
  7. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2018
    3,148
    2,202
    0
    Location:
    Taylors, SC
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    These are cheap and work everywhere, Replaced nearly all of the "push in" that take this type. All have worked for more than 4 years and are still working.

     
    #7 Georgina Rudkus, Aug 29, 2020
    dgarcia001 likes this.
  8. dgarcia001

    dgarcia001 New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 29, 2020
    6
    1
    0
    Location:
    Miami, FL
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Good point... :confused:

    Yeah, I tried everything and nothing worked. =(

    Yep, I flipped them when I had them and nothing.

    I'll try these out! Thanks for the recommendation!
     
    #8 dgarcia001, Aug 31, 2020
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)