LED not working in gear selector housing

[Dino]

I have T11 BA9S LED's in my cluster like these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/371061794208?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

They work fine, but not in the gear selector housing.  Why would an incandescent bulb work but not an led?  Not enough juice?  I have just over 10 volts at that socket.

[2Gunz]

Is the polarity correct?

It matters with LED's

[Dino]

Is the polarity correct?

It matters with LED's

Supposedly if the bulb doesn't work you need to turn it around, but nothing works.  When I hook the LED's up to the battery they work fine.  All I do is run a lead from the housing to ground and touch the tip to the positive terminal.  Weird.

[A383Wing]

sounds like you got no power to the console harness, or no ground...what happens if you put a regular bulb in there?

[Dino]

sounds like you got no power to the console harness, or no ground...what happens if you put a regular bulb in there?

It works, I have the stock bulb back in there now.  I'd leave it as is but the stock bulb gives this off white light while the LED's give it a bright blue.  Funny thing is, these bulbs work in everything else except the gear selector.

[dual fours]

Check the shifter bulb socket bottom center connection and make sure it's clean, including the socket. Make sure the (bad?) LED pushes down that same center connection for a good connection. Maybe a weak spring in the shifter bulb socket? Old bulb may have more solder on bottom (better connection, tighter), measure both LED and bulb from the side pins to the rear solder tip (should be the same). Clean the 2 slots and catches on the bulb socket.
Hey I'm just guessing here.
Oh, take the (bad?) LED and wrap a wire around the ground side and use a solid (won't flex as much as stranded wire) piece of wire with insulation with just a tiny bit of insulation removed from each end and touch the center of LED and center of bulb socket while grounding the LED, have the polarity correct. I guess you will remember to have the lights on right?    
And you say all the LEDs work in other places including the (bad?) LED, so it has to be the bulb socket or combination bulb socket/LED.
AFTER THOUGHT: If the LEDs have just one positive connection on the end and the side pins are identical, as in both are the same distance from the end it should not matter how these single use LED go in the bulb socket, you know not like a dual filament bulb has two positive connection on it's rear. Your bulb sockets should always be positive in the center and ground on the outsides right? Get a meter and check the polarity of that bulb socket, can't see it being backwards, but I put a 12v light bulbs center connection on the + side of the battery and it worked the same as when I put the center connection on the - side, with a wire wrapped around the side of the bulb and going to the opposite terminal, the bulb works either or, LEDs will not. 

[Dino]

I have 4 of the LED's and all work when I ground the housing and touch the tip to the positive battery terminal.  The socket is in good shape and the spring is fine.  Since I have 12.5v at the battery but only slightly over 10v at the socket, maybe it's just not enough to light the LED? 

The pins are even on the housing so you can put them in both ways.

Oh and yes the lights were on.   

[dual fours]

What is the voltage at the other sockets that are OK?
I guess the sockets will be hard to get at in the cluster.
Check ground like said by others, and check the volts on the bulb socket only (like you have done, noted 10.+ volts) then check the volts from positive center of bulb socket and a good ground like direct to battery.

[2Gunz]

Since I have 12.5v at the battery but only slightly over 10v at the socket, maybe it's just not enough to light the LED? 

Very Likely.  LED's are very funny about voltage and dont dim well.   Its prolly a 2.5 volt ish  LED with a resistor to lower the voltage from 12 volts.

If the resistor is external it could be clipped and replaced.

Use this to calculate.   http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz 

[Dino]

Since I have 12.5v at the battery but only slightly over 10v at the socket, maybe it's just not enough to light the LED? 

Very Likely.  LED's are very funny about voltage and dont dim well.   Its prolly a 2.5 volt ish  LED with a resistor to lower the voltage from 12 volts.

If the resistor is external it could be clipped and replaced.

Use this to calculate.   http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz 

Come to think of it, is a 2 volt drop not a bit much here?

[dual fours]

Dirty joints/corrosion = resistance?

[Dino]

Dirty joints/corrosion = resistance?

Very true, I'll check the connections.  The courtesy lights that run off the same harness work fine with LED's but it's a different kind.  I'll measure the voltage there as well.

[mopar0166]

had and am still having the same issue.   now that I have the console out again I'm trying to replace it with an LED again.   Any suggestions?

[M5Ivan]

had and am still having the same issue.   now that I have the console out again I'm trying to replace it with an LED again.   Any suggestions?

I had to reverse the wires (polarity) in mine for the LED to work.

[mopar0166]

ill have to try it tonight


thanks   

[mopar0166]

you that worked just fine!  I pulled the terminals out and switched them.  I love Easy fixes!

[Derwud]

Is the polarity correct?

It matters with LED's

Yes it does, if you buy cheap LED's. Always check if the lights are polarity sensitive.

[Derwud]

And one that will work..