LED question

[Jak259]

So I found a million threads on this but can't find my answer. Sorry. I want to put LEDs in my tag lights interior and reverse. My question is can I use the eBay bulbs? I'm guessing the 194 bulbs. I think that's the bulb for interior and tag. I see on eBay like 20 194 bulbs for like 10 bucks. Will these work? Thanks.


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[mjd91]

You'll get an error for the tag lights.
It flashes on the dash screen at start up and goes away.
Only time you'll see it other than that is if you scroll to messages in the EVIC

 

[Jak259]

So does that mean I would need the ones with resistors? I saw a guy on YouTube had bulbs the resistor was built in.


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[BLKMAGIC]

I dont understand why you would get an error for the tag lights (I'm assuming you mean license plate?). I run LED everything (interior, plates, reverse, brake, cargo, and turn signals). The only place you should have to do anything other than plug the bulb in would be the turn signals, which is just wiring in a set of resistors.

 

[Jak259]

I dont understand why you would get an error for the tag lights (I'm assuming you mean license plate?). I run LED everything (interior, plates, reverse, brake, cargo, and turn signals). The only place you should have to do anything other than plug the bulb in would be the turn signals, which is just wiring in a set of resistors.

What bulbs did you use?


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[mjd91]

So does that mean I would need the ones with resistors? I saw a guy on YouTube had bulbs the resistor was built in.


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Yes you need CANBUS compatible LED's to prevent warnings.

I dont understand why you would get an error for the tag lights (I'm assuming you mean license plate?). I run LED everything (interior, plates, reverse, brake, cargo, and turn signals). The only place you should have to do anything other than plug the bulb in would be the turn signals, which is just wiring in a set of resistors.

I swapped the LED's from my old truck to this one and I see the error about a license plate light out every time I get in the truck.

 

[vpalace]

I have a 2014 Express, you WON'T get an error for the tag, reverse, third brake or interior lights. I replaced them all with fleabay cheap led bulbs and get no warnings whatsoever.

You will get them with the turn signals, you would need resistors for those.

 

[WhiteExpress]

You can run any LED, as long as it's a CANBUS friendly LED.
I would NOT run a generic LED (921) in the backup lights.
Get the RetroSolutions unit that was designed and clocked specifically for the 4G Rams.
They have amazing light output!

 

[vpalace]

It doesn't have to be a CANBUS led, any will work. If you prefer to run them, that's great, they will work, but the generic leds will work just the same.

No need to go broke over the purchase of led bulbs. I more than likely will upgrade these later on, but for now, they work fine for people on a budget.

 

[SIhemi]

I just put blue LEDs in the interior and license plate lights. I got them from.

LED Lights, Bulbs & LED Lighting Accessories - SUPER BRIGHT LEDS

Will take pictures when I gets dark

 

[mjd91]

You you can run non CANBUS plate lights but you'll get an error message.
At least I do in my 2013 sport.

 

[Jak259]

Thanks for the input guys. I'll look for some canbus bulbs for the liscense plate. How bout the done lights? Same thing?


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[Jak259]

Dome lights


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[SIhemi]

The last set of LEDs I had for the dome and map lights were pilots I got from pepboys. I think they were non canbus and I didn't have a problem. I think the new ones I got are canbus. I don't think it makes a difference for the interior lights.

 

[TylerB]

I had to add resistors to my cargo LEDs otherwise they would be dimly lit when off, it's almost impossible to see in daylight, but at night you can definitely see a faint glow. For some reason there is a small amount of voltage constantly in that circuit.

 

[apepe0738]

I have a 2014 Express, you WON'T get an error for the tag, reverse, third brake or interior lights. I replaced them all with fleabay cheap led bulbs and get no warnings whatsoever.

You will get them with the turn signals, you would need resistors for those.

Unless something changed between 2013-2014, I have got messages for all my LED's, CANBUS or not. I had to run a resistor on everything including the parking lights. From what I have found it is at random. Some bulbs don't throw a code, some do. I only had to run one resistor for the license plate lights, it took care of the error for both bulbs. For all the others, I had to run 2 resistors for every corner (I got both turn signal and parking light errors). Reverse lights needed them as well. The third brake light I got came with one so I don't know if that stopped a potential error message or just helped with the dimming problem some have had. I do have the 7" display cluster in my express, that might have something to do with it. You pretty much need to just go with a bulb and trial and error it. If you don't get an error message, great. If you do, run a resistor. Just my experience with this...

 

[BlownGP]

The last set of LEDs I had for the dome and map lights were pilots I got from pepboys. I think they were non canbus and I didn't have a problem. I think the new ones I got are canbus. I don't think it makes a difference for the interior lights.

I think us 2009s- to 2012 dont have all these LED issues. I changed everything out with LEDs with no problems.

2013+ Need some canbus or resistors everywhere. At least that's what I read on here.

I had to add resistors to my cargo LEDs otherwise they would be dimly lit when off, it's almost impossible to see in daylight, but at night you can definitely see a faint glow. For some reason there is a small amount of voltage constantly in that circuit.

Now, that is the only issue I do have. If you want to call it that. It doesn't bother me and LEDs draw very little power so my battery will never run down.

 

[vpalace]

It must vary between 2013-2014 and even so, from vehicle to vehicle. I rechecked my bulbs on Sunday, and my reverse are can bus, plate, cargo and interior are NOT canbus and I get zero error messages. I even switched out some for the reverse to try and get an error and nothing happened. I put some in the rear turn signals and a message came on.

Just like Apepe said above, it's just trial and error. If you don't want to take the risk, just get the canbus leds to begin with. Adding resistors is a must for the turn signals though, I'm almost certain.

Keep us posted on what you find out.

 

[BLKMAGIC]

I have LED everything in my 2013, and have no errors or issues. The only thing canbus are my HIDs, and the only resistors I used were on the switchback turn signals.

 

[BLKMAGIC]

What bulbs did you use?


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I am not sure of the brand, I got them at The Enthusiast, which is a local custom truck shop. they are not canbus, they are generic but the highest light output I could find. The Switchbacks are from Vled's and are left over from another vehicle.