Wildman's TJ is getting a face lift

[Wildman]

LED's are always polarity dependent. I had a couple loose connections in my gage cluster...The little connector sockets have bumps that smear off...take a look at those. I think when I fixed mine I spread the contacts open further to make them touch "harder"

I'll give it a try. I ordered some new sockets too just in case. I could always go back to the old bulbs but I like the look of these LED's better. But I did find out I need a new headlight switch. Mine no longer has a rheostat that will dim the lights. I think if I remember correctly that I'd replaced it when I first bought the Jeep too.
The plug going into the headlight switch was melted a little back then too. Since mine is a "old" style it doesn't have the full multifunction switch like the newer ones. Me being old too I like having the headlight switch on the dash.

 

[Wildman]

I had to go back and look at these bulbs & the plug since I was pretty sure that they weren't polarity dependent.

Here are the LED bulbs. You can see they have 2 strips on either side of the bulb. How it does it I can't tell you but it picks up the + off one side & the - off the other.

The socket has 4 contact strips in each socket with one being + & one - on each side.

The incandescent bulbs has a wire on each side. One picks up the + on the contact strip & the wire on the other picks up the - on the other side.

The contact strips in the sockets could be why a bulb wouldn't work or? but just to test my theory I installed a bulb one way & then the other way to see if they would work & they did either way they were installed.

 

[reddvltj]

I had to go back and look at these bulbs & the plug since I was pretty sure that they weren't polarity dependent.

Here are the LED bulbs. You can see they have 2 strips on either side of the bulb. How it does it I can't tell you but it picks up the + off one side & the - off the other.

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The socket has 4 contact strips in each socket with one being + & one - on each side.

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The incandescent bulbs has a wire on each side. One picks up the + on the contact strip & the wire on the other picks up the - on the other side.

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The contact strips in the sockets could be why a bulb wouldn't work or? but just to test my theory I installed a bulb one way & then the other way to see if they would work & they did either way they were installed.

If I am remembering my electronics 101 when you hook a diode up backwards it's as if the circuit is open. So either way you plug it into the socket the positive of the led is hitting the positive of the socket and the negative hits the negative the other 2 terminals on the led are reversed so they don't complete the circuit...

Clear as mud?

 

[Mike_H]

Your last paragraph is confusing, Rick. When you say you install a bulb…what that an original bulb, or an LED?

LEDs are polarity dependent. In fact, LED stands for light emitting diode. Diodes are used to control the flow of electrons in circuits, similar to a check valve in hydraulics.

Now, if the board has a couple wheat stone bridges on it, they may be able to make the whole unit polarity independent, but they’d be increasing the component count by a whole bunch…

Incandescent bulbs are NOT polarity dependent. Electrons will flow through them no matter which contact is on the negative side.

 

[Wildman]

Your last paragraph is confusing, Rick. When you say you install a bulb…what that an original bulb, or an LED?

LEDs are polarity dependent. In fact, LED stands for light emitting diode. Diodes are used to control the flow of electrons in circuits, similar to a check valve in hydraulics.

Now, if the board has a couple wheat stone bridges on it, they may be able to make the whole unit polarity independent, but they’d be increasing the component count by a whole bunch…

Incandescent bulbs are NOT polarity dependent. Electrons will flow through them no matter which contact is on the negative side.

I can installed both the LED & standard bulbs in either direction to see if they would work. Yes I know what LED stands for & yes I know how a diode works.,
But then I guess it's the terminology being used that confused me. My point is that you do not have to install the bulb ONE way only. There aren't + & - markings on either the LED or incandescent bulb or the socket to indicate that you have to plug it in that way only.
That was how this whole thing got started. Ryan asked if it depended on which way the bulb was plugged in & I'd said no.

 

[Daubie3]

I can installed both the LED & standard bulbs in either direction to see if they would work. Yes I know what LED stands for & yes I know how a diode works.,
But then I guess it's the terminology being used that confused me. My point is that you do not have to install the bulb ONE way only. There aren't + & - markings on either the LED or incandescent bulb or the socket to indicate that you have to plug it in that way only.
That was how this whole thing got started. Ryan asked if it depended on which way the bulb was plugged in & I'd said no.

Just for fun, as if you really need any more of that... You might unplug one of the LED bulbs that is working and turn it around in the socket and plug it back in and see if it in fact does work both ways. I know some LED bulbs claim they will work either direction but most do not.
I have not had to replace any of my dash bulbs so I don't know if the bulb socket itself can be replaced in the panel either direction or if it has to be put back in one certain direction. In other words is one ear bigger than the other to keep it from being reversed. My guess is it is not and it could be reinserted either direction since the incandescent bulbs are not polarity sensitive. It would just be interesting to know.

 

[Wildman]

Just for fun, as if you really need any more of that... You might unplug one of the LED bulbs that is working and turn it around in the socket and plug it back in and see if it in fact does work both ways. I know some LED bulbs claim they will work either direction but most do not.
I have not had to replace any of my dash bulbs so I don't know if the bulb socket itself can be replaced in the panel either direction or if it has to be put back in one certain direction. In other words is one ear bigger than the other to keep it from being reversed. My guess is it is not and it could be reinserted either direction since the incandescent bulbs are not polarity sensitive. It would just be interesting to know.

That is what I did already. Three out of the five sockets allowed me to turn either the LED or the incandescent bulbs around and they worked but two of the sockets would only allow the bulbs to work one way. It's why I ordered new sockets to see if that matters.
The sockets are the twist type and can be installed either way also. I tried that too just to see what worked and what didn't.

 

[Daubie3]

That is what I did already. Three out of the five sockets allowed me to turn either the LED or the incandescent bulbs around and they worked but two of the sockets would only allow the bulbs to work one way. It's why I ordered new sockets to see if that matters.
The sockets are the twist type and can be installed either way also. I tried that too just to see what worked and what didn't.

Dang...
That's really surprising that cheap Chinese products from Amazon wouldn't all work...
Maybe some from Temu would work better.. I mean they'd probably give them to you going by all the ads they bombard me with..

I'm sorry to say that Amazon is my first go-to place 99.9% of the time and I've returned my share of stuff back to them..

Also, I think I'll tell Chris that if your thread hits 1000 pages before you're done that you should automatically win "Ride of the Year"..
(It could happen)...

 

[Wildman]

Dang...
That's really surprising that cheap Chinese products from Amazon wouldn't all work...
Maybe some from Temu would work better.. I mean they'd probably give them to you going by all the ads they bombard me with..

I'm sorry to say that Amazon is my first go-to place 99.9% of the time and I've returned my share of stuff back to them..

Also, I think I'll tell Chris that if your thread hits 1000 pages before you're done that you should automatically win "Ride of the Year"..
(It could happen)...

I'm NOT allowed to compete in the ROTM competition because I'm a moderator so it's felt I could somehow have an unfair advantage.....

 

[Apparition]

I'm NOT allowed to compete in the ROTM competition because I'm a moderator so it's felt I could somehow have an unfair advantage.....

There's a solution to that problem

 

[Wildman]

There's a solution to that problem

That would leave Chris High & Dry with no one else. Even though some think I do a shitty job as moderator I volunteered to help Chris so I won't back out on my word. Even if there are times I feel like I don't do much..

 

[Daubie3]

That would leave Chris High & Dry with no one else. Even though some think I do a shitty job as moderator I volunteered to help Chris so I won't back out on my word. Even if there are times I feel like I don't do much..

Just long enough to win, then jump back in....and ask for a raise...

 

[Wildman]

Just long enough to win, then jump back in....and ask for a raise...

I'd entered pictures before and never came close. It's OK

Someday soon I might have my rig out on a trail again. The headers didn't show up yesterday so UPS was just teasing me. They should be here today I hope.
If I can get the exhaust system mocked up this weekend I'll be happy.

 

[Daubie3]

I'd entered pictures before and never came close. It's OK

Someday soon I might have my rig out on a trail again. The headers didn't show up yesterday so UPS was just teasing me. They should be here today I hope.
If I can get the exhaust system mocked up this weekend I'll be happy.

I'm going to send you nothing but positive vibes and hope it goes well this time and it's the last time. Fingers crossed..

 

[Wildman]

I'm going to send you nothing but positive vibes and hope it goes well this time and it's the last time. Fingers crossed..

Thanks, I need all the positive vibes I can get... I'm with you on hoping that this is it this time.

 

[Daubie3]

Thanks, I need all the positive vibes I can get... I'm with you on hoping that this is it this time.

 

[Wildman]

Well there just might be HOPE for the exhaust system after all. These GC headers are just what the doctor ordered.

Drivers side is still tight but there's more clearance than there was before.

Passenger side has tons of room.

 

[mudmaster]

Excellent!

 

[Wildman]

Excellent!

I'm going to start figuring out how to fish the drivers side exhaust over to the passenger side. But I like how it looks.

Stock exhaust bolts are torqued to 18 lb ft. But the instructions for these headers say 28-30 lb ft. I'm using the Stage8 fasteners and they say to follow the parts instructions.

 

[mudmaster]

I'd do what Hooker and Stage 8 say.