Why do LED lights blink in the car?

Car owners in Ukraine are very active in using LED autolamps; replacing halogen lamps with LEDs is difficult to surprise anyone.

There are several reasons for the growing popularity of light bulbs of this type:

• bright glow, and in high-quality lamps, the intensity and brightness of the beam do not depend on the mains voltage;
• economy, since they consume several times less energy, about 8-10 times, compared with halogens, at the same brightness;
• vibration resistance, these lamps better shake;
• instant turn on, they do not have any delay, which is typical for all incandescent lamps when they turn on;
• a large resource and a long service life, of course, with proper operation.

But, despite all their advantages, sometimes the LEDs start blinking. Why is this happening?

Why are the LED auto lamps blinking?

A LED is a semiconductor element with a pn junction. If you understand the mechanical causes of blinking, then everything is pretty simple. If the current passes through the junction above the permissible level, this will lead to overheating, which in turn can cause instability in the junction area, which will begin to pass current not continuously, but with a certain period. This will be the period of the LED blinking.

Now we need to find the reasons why overcurrent may occur. Let's take a closer look at this issue.

The majority of LED automotive bulbs on the market indicate a working voltage of 12 V. At first glance, that's right, modern cars are equipped with 12-volt electrical equipment. But any vehicle is not a constant voltage power supply. In reality, the voltage in the on-board network changes during the operation of the generator, the fluctuations can be quite significant-from 8.0 to 14.8 volts. And then the LEDs, which are designed to ensure stable operation and proper brightness at a voltage of 12 V, can already experience problems at 14 V-the fast degradation of the p-n junction begins. And the LED lamp starts flashing.

The cheapest lamps fail most quickly, they do not have a current stabilizer, and they use a simple current-limiting resistor, which is selected so that the lamps shine brighter than competitors. Also, in such LED lamps there is no heat removal system, which also negatively affects their operation. Lamps that are more expensive are usually equipped with a stabilizer, which makes their use longer and their operation reliable.

Another cause may be overheating of the lamp due to external heat sources. Moreover, it should be borne in mind that even expensive branded LED lamps, when installed in the headlight at the same time as the incandescent lamp, which is responsible for the dipped beam, may begin to blink after a while. This is due to the fact that halogen lamps become very hot and heat is transferred to LEDs, which from such a temperature increase begin to experience increased load. The bulb of the incandescent lamp may heat up to a temperature of 100 degrees. And in the summer, in the heat, the heating will be much greater. And the design of the LEDs is not designed for such working conditions, for them the temperature of 70 degrees is already critical, if this indicator is exceeded, then the crystal begins to collapse. Naturally, in winter, overheating is less common, since the street is not very hot. If you notice that the LED began to blink in the heat, then most likely you will have to solve the problem with the connection diagram of the lamps in the headlight of the car.

How to choose the right and reliable LED lamp?

If you want to buy a good LED lamp that will last a long time, we recommend that you follow the following principles:

• The easiest option is to purchase a branded LED lamp from 100th manufacturer with official warranty. The most reliable lamps are brands such as: Osram, Philips, OLLO and others.
• When choosing a car LED lamp, pay attention to what material their radiator is made of. It is best to take models with a metal radiator, they work longer and more stable. The best option if the manufacturer indicates the operating voltage range from 8.0 to 14.5 V.
• Give preference to lamps that have an operating voltage in the range from 12 to 24V. These are universal LED lamps that are designed for installation in passenger cars and trucks. They are not afraid of increasing the voltage in the network to 14.8 V.

If you are looking for high-quality and reliable lamps for a car, then the 130.com.ua online store always has a large selection of car lights from the best manufacturers. With us you can buy LED lamps in the headlights in Kiev, Odessa or Kharkov at a bargain price with a guarantee.

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