akasnajo

I've put together about 30 interior LED sets for WJs and need some help finding solutions to common problems.

1. Some people report no problems with LEDs. Possibilities:

• They really don't have problems.
• They don't consider the issues below to be problems.
• They reported back before noticing the issues below.

2. Common problem #1: lights stay dimly lit when they should be off. This is generally when the ignition is on and engine is running, but lamps are switched off.

3. Common problem #2: light not fully illuminating when ignition off, main lamp switch off, individual light switched on

What I know:
1. These LEDs will glow dimly starting between 7v and 8v with less than 10mA of current.
2. These LEDs have a usable amount of light at 10V and 30mA. With less than this power, they don't work well.

What I assume:
1. These problems were not present with stock bulbs.\

2. For Common Problem #1 (dimly lit LED when ignition is on & lamps off)
Assumption: A relay or switch somewhere is passing a small amount of current that wasn't noticed before the LEDs were installed.
Reasoning: Stock bulbs require around 300mA at 3V to glow very softly. At 400mA at 4v, they project a noticeable amount of light, but not enough to useful. The LED requires less than 10mA to glow, as long as it's at 7V or more.

3. For Common Problem #2 (ignition off, main lamp switch off, individual lamp switch on)
Assumption: There is enough resistance in the electrical system that the individual lamp isn't getting at least 10V.
Reasoning: LED doesn't work well with less than 10V in bench testing.
Conflicting Evidence (?): Stock bulbs should also not work well, unless they are able to draw enough current (roughly 800mA at less than 10V) to light sufficiently.

Questions/Possibilities:
1. Has anyone experienced these issues and found a solution to one or either?

2. Does anyone have an electrical background that can evaluate my reasoning and suggest alternatives?

3. For problem number one, something that blocks power under a certain voltage (say 10v) should solve the problem. If so, I've got to figure out how to design such a system to be easily implemented, reliable, and easily manufactured.

4. For problem number two, I suspect an inefficiency in the electrical system that permits current to pass, but restricts voltage. Possibly battery cable and/or body ground corrosion? It is telling that it is only a problem when the main lamp switch is off.

Conclusion:
If anyone has a suggestion, experience, or a desire to do some testing, please reply.

Thanks!

My background: I have experience repairing electronics by comparing actual measurements to functional requirements and then making adjustments or replacing components or more-often, cards or units. I'm going back to school to be an electrical engineer, but until spring of 17, my coursework is in math, physics, programing, with my first electronics course this fall. So, I still don't know much.