Interior LED Upgrade

Danny TD4 · Jan 26, 2016

Sup guys.
Done a search and it seems like nobody is having my issue or at least not that I can find.
I bought some bright white LED's to upgrade the whole interior.
I used these bulbs in all my cars without fault.
The number plate lights are fine and the rear light is fine but the front has blown my fuse and many more after it, like an idiot I stuck a 20 in it as that's what I had spare and it's now burnt out the front panel.
My question is, can the freelander not take a full led upgrade?
I didn't just do the main light in the front I done them little spots on the sides too, do you think that was a bit overkill?
Any help appreciated.

warrior · Jan 26, 2016

LEDs draw much lower amps than bulbs / lamps do, I had a similar fault on my 90 found a live feed had rubbed through in the roof

Danny TD4 · Jan 26, 2016

So it's very unlikely to be the LED's that caused this?
The rear works great with a 5 fuse in it and the key surround is fine too.
Thing is it was fine until I changed the bulbs yesterday and now I've burnt the board out on the front light so gonna need a new one anyway, just don't wanna buy a new one change the bulbs over and blow that one as well

Nodge68 · Jan 26, 2016

What led did you fit?

Danny TD4 · Jan 26, 2016

Nodge68 said:
What led did you fit?

Halfords ones.

Nodge68 · Jan 26, 2016

I've had so called CAN bus LEDs overheat and short out. There's nothing clever about them. They just have a resistor that simulates a light bulb. This resistor gets hot and can melt the solder, causing a short circuit. I won't use them and on a Freelander, they aren't needed.
I custom make my own led lighting these days, using stuff I know will work.

Speckydude · Jan 26, 2016

Danny TD4 said:
Halfords ones.

Couldn't you find a bigger ad ?

Danny TD4 · Jan 26, 2016

Nodge68 said:
I've had so called CAN bus LEDs overheat and short out. There's nothing clever about them. They just have a resistor that simulates a light bulb. This resistor gets hot and can melt the solder, causing a short circuit. I won't use them and on a Freelander, they aren't needed.
I custom make my own led lighting these days, using stuff I know will work.

I'll go get the box in and take a pic of the ones I actually have, I'm pretty sure they aren't canbus ones that's just the only ones I could find on their website

Give me a sec and I'll take pics of the exact ones.

Danny TD4 · Jan 26, 2016

This is what I put in it.
The rear is perfect and it's the same bulb, the number plate lights are also perfect and they are the same as the map light bulbs.
They were absolutely fine last night when I done them, about 45 minutes after I went to unlock the car to show my brother and none of them worked.
Tonight I had a look after work and the fuse was blown.
I changed it with a 15 I had spare and that blew strait away, I tried with a 20 and fried the board inside the light.
They were fine before I upgraded them so it has to be these bulbs but what do I do when the new light comes in the post?

Nodge68 · Jan 26, 2016

I'd test the LEDs out of the car, using the multimeter on amps. You need to be careful fitting larger fuses into the Freelander. This is because the interior lighting is earthed via the Central Control Unit (CCU) . This is done with transistors which don't like lots of current. They don't always like LEDs either. Some work faultlessly, some throw a wobbler and keep the lighting on.

Danny TD4 · Jan 26, 2016

Nodge68 said:
I'd test the LEDs out of the car, using the multimeter on amps. You need to be careful fitting larger fuses into the Freelander. This is because the interior lighting is earthed via the Central Control Unit (CCU) . This is done with transistors which don't like lots of current. They don't always like LEDs either. Some work faultlessly, some throw a wobbler and keep the lighting on.

So should I just not bother upgrading the front to led or just do the single light and not the map lights as well as that could have overloaded it? Maybe?
I'm just clueless here but don't want to put the LED's back into the new light when I get it and blow it again.

Nodge68 · Jan 26, 2016

The map lights should be fine. Those are simple lights switched on by the switchs in the light unit. The interior lighting is slightly different. It's fed with a constant live wire from the fuse box. The CCU applies the earth to light the light when the doors are open. The centre switch on the light also applies an earth so lighting the light. To have the circuit board burn out would suggest a faulty led or with some other hardware failure on the light it's self.
Can you post a picture of the damaged board so I can take a look.

Danny TD4 · Jan 26, 2016

Nodge68 said:
The map lights should be fine. Those are simple lights switched on by the switchs in the light unit. The interior lighting is slightly different. It's fed with a constant live wire from the fuse box. The CCU applies the earth to light the light when the doors are open. The centre switch on the light also applies an earth so lighting the light. To have the circuit board burn out would suggest a faulty led or with some other hardware failure on the light it's self.
Can you post a picture of the damaged board so I can take a look.

OK this is what I have pic wise, if you need more let me know.
The board only burned out because I put a to high resistance fuse in it like a dope lol.
Pics below.

Nodge68 · Jan 27, 2016

It's worth checking that the led is working ok and not pulling to much current. I can't see another reason for the circuit to be overlooked otherwise.

Danny TD4 · Jan 27, 2016

Nodge68 said:
It's worth checking that the led is working ok and not pulling to much current. I can't see another reason for the circuit to be overlooked otherwise.

Thanks for you're help mate.
When I get home later I will check the led out and when the new light comes I'll fit it all back in with the correct 10 fuse incase it still shorts the only damage I will do is blow the fuse then.
I'll get you know how I get on.
Thanks
Dan

Nodge68 · Jan 27, 2016

Ok. If you are looking to get rid of your broken light, I could take it off your hands. Mine has been water damaged from a leaking arial and bad fitting of an aftermarket sun roof.

Danny TD4 · Jan 27, 2016

I was probably going to get a new board for it or sell as stairs on eBay as the new light cost me £35 from eBay used.
But if you want it you can do.

Danny TD4 · Jan 27, 2016

Nodge68 said:
Ok. If you are looking to get rid of your broken light, I could take it off your hands. Mine has been water damaged from a leaking arial and bad fitting of an aftermarket sun roof.

Aerial base from eBay is £22 for a genuine part, another repair I had to do as I tried to get my old aerial off for a car wash and the whole base snapped in my hand lol.
It's a much bigger base than my original and the whole outside is made of like a rubber material so you don't need your old rubber seal either.

Rimini-Scott · Jan 27, 2016

I swapped mine ok, are you sure the damage could not have been caused by something else? Mine has a big foam block behind it, I presume its to avoid contact with the aerial base.

Danny TD4 · Jan 27, 2016

I'm not 100% sure it's not something else.
Just seems strange I change my lights and then this happens.
Coincidence? Maybe.!
There is a bit of foam on the main board but the board for the switches is the bit that burnt out (obvious) the other bit seems fine (not obvious) signs of damage.
Only way to find out is when my new light comes I'll fit the bulbs and put a 10a fuse in there, the worst it will do is blow the fuse.
I'll let everyone know the outcome either way, but it could have been a disaster waiting to happen with that courtesy light as the sunroof has clearly been leaking for some time maybe into the boards and maybe it was inevitably gonna happen regardless of weather I changed the bulbs.

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