The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

Ed Nisley's Blog: Shop notes, electronics, firmware, machinery, 3D printing, laser cuttery, and curiosities. Contents: 100% human thinking, 0% AI slop.

The New Hotness

  • Auto Parking Light LED Bulbs: FAIL

    After about eight years and a similar failure last year, this came as no surprise:

    White W5W Parking Light - failed chips
    White W5W Parking Light – failed chips

    It’s a W5W “parking light” in the same fixture as the melty halogen high-beam bulbs (used as daytime running lights at half power), so it gets toasted on those occasions when we drive somewhere.

    The adhesive holding the LED strip to the aluminum shell fossilized and came loose:

    White W5W Parking Light - failed adhesive
    White W5W Parking Light – failed adhesive

    Now that I know what to look for, I’d get LED bulbs with chips soldered directly to the PCB, although it’s not obvious what holds the PCB to the aluminum frame.

    I reinstalled the original incandescent bulbs.