A lot of LED lamps are rated at 12 volts DC, intended for a regulated supply of 12.0 Volts, and not 14.4 Volts that our trucks can run on.
Domestic LED lamps are just typical, when the original lamps were 12 volt halogen, the high current lowered the supply so a nominal 12 -12.5 volts is seen at the lamp.
Fit LED's and the current drops so voltage sits higher, can be 14-15 volts, which will cut lamp life to less than 10%
For truck lights, you need some with a wide voltage input range, for example, 10-30 volts would imply that the lamps could be used as is, on 12 volt and 24 volt systems.
The design incorporates some form of voltage regulation.
To test what you have... if you have access to various supplies and a multimeter, switch the supply from say 11 volts to 15 volts if you see a step in light output, during the change, you have not got regulated supplies or components within the lamp. The life of the lamp will be greatly reduced.
Hope this helps.
After market.
Standard voltage drop type voltage regulators using say LM317 will not regulate to 12.0 unless the supply is a few volts more. so on tick over, the lamps will be considerably dimmer.
Alternative.
You could buy a 12 volt to 12 volt dc .regulator, this is a switch mode device, around 85-90% efficient, that will take an input voltage of say 10-30 volts and give out a regulated 12.0 volts. A possible solution. :thumb2
So techhy on an early Bank Holiday Monday, but I hope it might explain what might be happening.
There is of course the other answer already mentioned....
These are just cheap imported far eastern crap.
:lol:lol:lol
Uncle Rustic
