#1156 replacement LED's blow fuses (?)

[Viper]

Ya one of Amazon's biggest problems is cheap private label stuff that looks like and is labeled as the real brand item. Like I mentioned earlier, the same factory manufacturing for higher quality North American brands will also produce a cheaper version of the same item that's nowhere near the same quality but satisfies the demand for a much lower price point. I've bought in bulk from overseas several times so I know a bit of what I'm talking about. If you don't keep on top of the factory to manufacture to your stringent specs, you end up with the cheap product you see all the time on line. For some things it doesn't matter much but for others especially safety related equipment, baby stuff, electrical, etc. you want to be careful. The same factory making Fisher Price stuff for your kids can put out similar products under a different brand that is no where near the same quality or have the same safety standards. Same goes for LEDs and anything else for that matter! Some things I just won't skimp on, especially if I'm putting my name on the job.

[Capt'n CRUNCH!]

Thanks everyone for the ideas, musings. I would add that the last bulb tried was from NAPA, so different bulb manufactures, same immediate fuse blowing (including in different lamp sockets) - so pretty sure it is something with respect to LED's in a fuse panel made for higher amperage incandescent's (but again this makes to sense).

Also, here is an image of one of the bulbs - you cannot install them incorrectly - there is a single 'hot' connection in the center, and even the hold down studs on the sides are in the same elevation (unlike an #1157 Stop/Turn/Tail light bulb in a automotive application).

As for replacing all the lamps with modern fixtures, I really don't want to do this, as the boat is all original, in great shape, and I appreciate the Vintage look...

'Hoping some genius has a break-through 'ah-ha' idea for us. Meanwhile, I will purchase and try a slow-burn fuse, perhaps that will make a difference(?)

[bud37]

So I have to admit that sure does look the same as the 1156......question, to be clear are you popping the breaker by itself or the breaker and the leds are being ruined? One more question, does this circuit have just the led lights on it or are there other regular lights still mixed in although I don't know how that would affect things other than the current in rush......good luck man and have a look around for something not so obvious like you disturbed some old wiring and maybe created a problem as a coincidence with your up grade.

Would you have a pic of the inside of the fixture sockets?

I have changed out lighting in a couple boats and never run into that particular issue.

[Midnightsun]

Could you post a picture of the socket with no bulb in it and a picture of the original incandescent bulb? Would really help solve the issue. If you install the original bulb, do the lights work as they did before?

[km1125]

You should also take a meter and measure voltage on one of the sockets. Is the center the +12v, or is the side connection the +12v?? THAT might be reversed. It would not matter to an incandescent bulb, but will matter to an LED. Normally, and LED will just not light until the polarity is correct, but I could see some vendors having "reverse current protection" that would act like a dead short (some older electronics worked exactly that way).

[Capt'n CRUNCH!]

Hi folks - just wanted to update all that took the time to write on this conundrum - I DID have the wrong bulbs. I just assumed they were automotive 1156's 'cause they looked like those common bulbs.

Turns out in the 1980's RV's and boats they used bulbs wherein there was ground wire ran to each light - and the bulb sockets are not the ground.

Thanks everyone,
Mark

[km1125]

Around your boat, you'll probably find two different types of bulbs used. The ones that looked like the 1156, but the bayonet base pins are not staggered like an 1156. The reason they're staggered on an 1156 is because you can only put an 1156 in one way to work correctly There are two filaments). Your bases like that have pins that are not staggered, so the bulb can go in either way. The base has the two pins (like an 1156) but those two pins go to the ONE filament and it doesn't use the shell for an electrical connection. What's nice about these sockets is that you can use an LED bulb and just be able to pull the bulb, rotate it 180 degrees and reinsert it if the polarity is wrong.

bayonet_non_staggered.jpg

Here are two different styles off bayonet base bulbs that you'll likely find on your boat. The two-pin-base version is the kind you're talking about. The single-pin-base bulb might be found in the overhead lights in your heads, or in some other task lighting like under shelves. The single-pin-base socket might have to be rewired if the polarity isn't right for an LED replacement.

bayonet_bulbs_single_filament.jpg

[KyleR]

As a side note, I was chasing down grimlins with our engineroom lighting which had the "two-pin-base" version of lighting. The problem was that the lights would sometime work, but mostly not. I'd wiggle the wires and one would come on, but then would randomly turn off. And occasionally I would wiggle the wire and the breaker would trip.

When the breaker tripping became frequent, I finally took the lights out and looked at the bulb socket. What was happening was that inside the bulb socket, the part that held the two wires that interfaced with the two pins on the bulb were held in place with a plastic disc. And over time, that plastic disc had apparently become brittle and cracked allowing the two wires to "float" inside the socket.

So sometimes the bulb pins would meet up with the wires - lights! Sometimes they wouldn't - no lights! Sometimes the wires would touch each other and short - breaker tripped!

So I ended up replacing all of them (only four) with new LED fixtures - and all is well!