The color spectrum of an incandescent bulb is different than color spectrum of a white LED. This impacts the color LED you should purchase, but the easy general rule is that the bulb should match the color of the lens that covers the bulb.

Clear Lens: Depending on the application, either a white or an amber bulb can be used behind a clear lens.

Red Lens: Always choose a red LED bulb behind a red lens. If you place a white LED behind a red tail/brake lens, there will be too much orange/yellow and the light will appear pink/orange.

Amber Lens: Always choose an amber LED bulb behind an amber lens. If you place a white LED behind an amber lens, the light will appear greenish.

We offer LED replacements bulbs for most automotive applications, including interior lights, license plate, directionals, brake lights and fog lights. Occasionally, replacing traditional incandescent bulbs with advanced technology LED bulbs can trigger dashboard warning lights or unexpected hyperflash. These can usually be corrected quickly and easily with the addition of a load equalizer or flasher module. Click to get information on our SYLVANIA Load Equalizer

Some vehicle computers are programmed to "look" for a standard incandescent bulb, by sending out a low voltage pulse. It's not enough current to light the bulb, but it is enough to tell the computer a bulb is installed. When you install a an LED bulb, the low voltage pulse can sometimes be strong enough to trigger the bulb to blink. Installing a SYLVANIA Load Equalizer will usually resolve this issue.

Some vehicle computers are programmed to "look" for a standard, incandescent bulb. When you install an LED bulb, the computer thinks that no bulb is present and triggers the dashboard warning light. Installing a SYLVANIA Load Equalizer will usually resolve this issue.

Installing a SYLVANIA Load Equalizer is easy and straightforward. It clamps right on to the existing wiring. There is no need to cut or splice wires. Click here for our video installation guide.

Our Load Equalizers can be purchased at any SYLVANIA Authorized Retailers, or click here to buy one now

First, this will not cause damage to the LED bulb or your vehicle. Second, a SYLVANIA Load Equalizerwill usually prevent this from happening. Many modern vehicles use "electronic" switches instead of mechanical contact switches. Electronic switches often "leak" a tiny amount of electrical current that passes through the LED bulb and causes it to glow, even when it's off. The amount of current is so tiny that it cannot cause an incandescent bulb to glow when the car is off.

Some vehicles have a different type of bulb socket design called a "CK Socket", which can cause cause some LEDs to behave this way. SYLVANIA ZEVO LEDs are engineered to work with this style of socket.

Incandescent lamps originally installed in oem light fixtures have standardized bases and these bases are shared among different lamp types and numbers. These lamp bases are designed with standardized electrical connections to make sure they are compatible with the mating connectors in the fixtures.The various incandescent lamp numbers may share a common base but could have differences of rated life, output, color, etc. “Also fits” means the LED lamp should fit and operate within the intended light fixture.

Did you know – The color of LED replacement bulbs matters?

The color spectrum of an incandescent bulb is different than color spectrum of a white LED. This impacts the color LED you should purchase, but the easy general rule is that the bulb should match the color of the lens that covers the bulb.

Clear Lens: Depending on the application, either a white or an amber bulb can be used behind a clear lens.

Red Lens: Always choose a red LED bulb behind a red lens. If you place a white LED behind a red tail/brake lens, there will be too much orange/yellow and the light will appear pink/orange.

Amber Lens: Always choose an amber LED bulb behind an amber lens. If you place a white LED behind an amber lens, the light will appear greenish.

Did you know – LEDs may trigger outage detection systems in your vehicle?

Vehicles are required to have Outage Detection systems that warn drivers when a bulb has burned out. These systems work by monitoring the power consumed by the bulb. When the power drops below a preset threshold, the warning is triggered. The warning can be either a hyperflash (fast-blinking of the turn signal) and/or a warning light on the dashboard.

LED bulbs consume a fraction of the power of incandescent bulbs. This difference can be enough to trigger your car’s outage warning system. For example an incandescent 3157 bulb consumes 27W, in contrast our ZEVO 3157 LED replacement bulb that only consume about 1.5W. In many cases, LED bulbs use so little power they end up triggering an outage warning. One way to eliminate the warning is to install a SYLVANIA Load Resistor in parallel with the turn signal socket wires. The load resistor will consume enough power to mimic the power draw of an incandescent bulb, eliminating the warning.

The load equalizer must be connected between the turn and ground wires of the socket. Because its power consumption will be dissipated as heat, it is important to attach it to a flat metal surface so the heat can be safely dissipated.

Learn More About SYLVANIA Automotive's Load Equalizer!

Did you know – More LEDs on the bulb does not mean better performance?

A common misconception is that the more LED chips on a product, the brighter or better it’s going to be. That’s not the case. LED chips come in all shapes, sizes, intensities, and levels of quality. There are low-power, mid-power, high-power LEDs, etc.

When purchasing LED lighting products, be sure to not make your decision based on the number of LEDs on the bulb. Instead focus on the performance and quality of the chip, as well as the optical and thermal design of the product.