Issue with LED dome light

Happy New Year everyone! Got a question about my dome light. I put a 9 LED dome light in and when I have the switch in the normal position (light comes on when opening doors) when i close the door, the light doesn't turn completely off (LEDs are on but dim). I contacted the guy who I bought the LED "bulb" from and he suggested to check any mods or anything that may be causing it, problem is, I don't have any mods to cause this. Any suggestions on why it would be doing this?

Thanks in advance!

 

Do you have a volt meter? Take out the bulb and see if you are still getting current. You should be if the LED is on. I'd then start to work backwards on trying to figure out where electricity is coming from.

 

Thanks, I'll give that a try!

 

It's not a perfect answer, but it's a start.

It might be in the switch up at the light? Bad switch might be allowing current to flow. Check before and after the switch for juice.

 

I didn't even think of the switch...

 

The dome light turn completely on in the "On" and completely off in the "Off" positions, right? It's only in the "Door" position that it operates weird. The light in that position is controlled by the body ECU and probably either doesn't know it's on or off or can't fully turn on the transistor switch. I think the good LED bulbs have a parallel resistor built in so that they work properly when replacing incandescent bulbs like this. Perhaps searching here or the Interwebz, I'm sure it's come up before.

 

Yes, thats correct.

Okay, thanks for the advice!

 

BTW, that bulb is called a festoon bulb, which might help with getting the right search terms. It's a common issue, not just Toyotas.

 

Thank you, thats a huge help!

 

I had the exact same problem when I replaced my dome light with LED. They don't light much, but at night it is enough to bother you. There was just enough voltage leaking through to cause the LEDs to light. I soldered a resistor in parallel with the LED "bulb" and all was well. You don't need much.... I think I used a 4.7K Ohm resistor. As long as you use a value 1K Ohms or higher, a standard 1/4W resistor (the standard through hole resistor size) will work.

 

Do you have a picture of it by any chance?

 

Or just buy some LEDs than are known to work.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/interior-dome-led-light-kits.347450/

 

Well I bought from Jumpers LEDs (csjumper2003).. seems the majority that buy from him are happy. He does have a 6 month warranty that I just remembered so maybe I'll try to replace it and see if that solves it first.

 

LEDs are a pain in the ass. Use regular bulbs and you will be much happier.

 

Take a look at the picture below. My setup is almost the same as the picture. I just soldered a resistor across the festoon piece. If you have 9 LEDs on yours, your LEDs are probably on the festoon piece itself, but the same idea would apply.
I like the LEDs in the dome light a lot. They are brighter, whiter, and if I leave my door open over night I don't have to worry about a weak battery or melted plastic cover.

 

Thanks!

 

Can't beat LED's. My first was the front turn signals/DRL's to keep the housing from melting.

Having a dimly lit LED is a very common issue when there are other power electronics used to control the light. The light in this case has controls that dim the dome light when you close the door. A small resistor is the way to go.

If you need resistors go to Amazon.

My 3rd brake light/cargo light on my Ram was one of the worst I've had. I had to use a lower resistance than typical (like the 4700 ohm that was recommended for you) to keep them from lighting dimly. I went with 100 ohm 3 watt to take care of it and soldered them onto the bulb fitting.

 

Thanks for the help!