1157 red "spider" LEDs that I ordered came in the mail.
This has five spring loaded arms. Each arm has six LEDs facing the rear (lens) and two LEDs facing to the front toward the tail lamp housing/mirror.
This is how it arrives:
Attachment 413
When the tie wire is removed it springs open:
Attachment 414
Attachment 415
I removed both tail lamps from the Mirage to try the LEDs.
First I replace the left factory bulb with the LED, (leaving incandescent in right side)parking lights on....bummer. LED does not come on and within a second I smell "Amps" and see the magic smoke leaving the LED. Remove ASAP!
WTF? I go test the LED by hooking it to a 12V battery and it works fine! Both tabs running lights (reduced intensity) and brake lights mode ok.
Back to the car and try again,same thing. Does not work installed in the car. Check car's socket with a fluke meter everything corresponds to the contacts on the LED! Try other LED...same thing.Stink,smoke,no go!
At this point letting out tarzan sounds and getting a beer...
Got the idea to try both LEDs installed in the tail lamps at the same time.(why not smoke both of them simultaniously?)...TADAA running lights and brake lights working fine...except PROBLEM!
Now the factory LED high mounted (3rd) brake lamp comes on with the running lamps! (some more tarzan sounds emitted).
Been through this with my old car when converted to LEDs...need diodes installed but can't remember where exactly.
Next beer and logic says put diode in each bake lamp circuit (2) to prevent backfeed up to the 3rd brake lamp!
I hate to do it to the new car but here it goes:
Silver band toward tail lamps!!!
Attachment 416
Heat shrink:
Attachment 417
That fixed it. 3rd brake lamp stays off with running lights and comes on with brake lamps.Tail lamps work fine too!
However....now every time the brakes are applied the FRONT parking lamps come on with it(which had been converted to LEDs previously)...forget tarzan,I'm laughing now.
Dig up two more diodes,go back to the tail lamps,cut the running light circuit (green with white stripe wire)and install diodes inline the same way as to the brake lamp circuits(green wire)!
Freaking tadaa all systems good,no weird stuff going on with the lights.
So if you decide to DIY your LEDtail lamps,be prepared with 4 diodes,soldering equipment,heatshrink tubing and willpower to cut wires on a new car.
DO NOT try the LED bulb one at a time! Install both at the same time! I have no clue why the car wants to smoke a single LED bulb in the tail!
Now that it works,here is how it inserts in the bulb hole:
Attachment 418
Sitting in the tail lamp turned off:
Attachment 419
Oh the glory:
Attachment 420
Brakes on:
Attachment 421
That factory 3rd brake lamp is nuts!
In all this excitement I forgot to measure current draw and I am not pulling the LED through the hole again to do the test. The little spring loaded arms are very fragile.
The closest specs I found on the page I bought them from was that the power consumption is about 30% of the incandescent that it replaces. Which sounds about right but darn I would like milliamp numbers.