Hey 7, what year CX-5 did you put those in?
What have you done to your CX-5 today?
- Thread starter Kayger12
- Start date
Hey 7, what year CX-5 did you put those in?
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- Plano, Texas, USA
Yes, all LEDs are polarized. You have to try it out for each installation, or you can read the color-coded wires feeding to bulb holder if you can see the wires. Many suggest you need to remove the fuse or negative post, but it would be a hassle to test the polarization of the LEDs.
ahhh, gotcha. thanks yrw!
7eregrine
The man, the myth, the legend
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- Land of Cleve
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- 2016.5 CX5
2016.5. The link I posted was for an 18, though.
7eregrine
The man, the myth, the legend
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- Land of Cleve
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- 2016.5 CX5
LEDs are not polarized?!? It does not matter which way you put them in, just like regular lights.
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- 2014 QX70 AWD
Wrong. Sorry bro. The current only flows in one direction.
thanks for link 7.
thats what I was unsure banjos, thanks for chiming in!
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- Central Virginia
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- 2019 CX-5 Reserve
Halfway down the product listing for those Amazon LEDs, under Product Description, there's a section titled Note.
3.If the LED does not light up, simply flip it 180 degrees (reverse the polarity),if the bulbs has a flicker,please contact us to solve your problem.
yup!
7eregrine
The man, the myth, the legend
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- Land of Cleve
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- 2016.5 CX5
Sorry but I don't believe you. The only reason the seller put it like that is to cover his ass if your car has some kind of unique setup that does require them a certain way.
There is no way on god's green earth that I successfully installed a full set of interior LED's (and license plate) that I bought on Amazon and got every single one right the first time. Since I hated those I then emoved those and put the Super Bright LED's in... again correct every time. Impossible.
Funny how you search for POLARIZED INTERIOR LED BULBS and the first 3 hits are: Amazon. 4th hit ledunderbody.com -minus the word Polarized.
Next: Advanced Auto Parts also minus the word polarized.
I am emailing SuperBright and will report back. I will also reverse a bulb in my car (which I don't have access to right now or I'd be in the parking lot lol) and see what happens. The research that I quickly did do shows LED bulbs can be either or.
And let's face it most Amazon sellers are juat reselling stuff they've bought in bulk, they aren't the actually makers.
I cannot believe I successfully replaced every bulb correctly the first time. This is where my disbelief comes from.
There is no way on god's green earth that I successfully installed a full set of interior LED's (and license plate) that I bought on Amazon and got every single one right the first time. Since I hated those I then emoved those and put the Super Bright LED's in... again correct every time. Impossible.
Funny how you search for POLARIZED INTERIOR LED BULBS and the first 3 hits are: Amazon. 4th hit ledunderbody.com -minus the word Polarized.
Next: Advanced Auto Parts also minus the word polarized.
I am emailing SuperBright and will report back. I will also reverse a bulb in my car (which I don't have access to right now or I'd be in the parking lot lol) and see what happens. The research that I quickly did do shows LED bulbs can be either or.
And let's face it most Amazon sellers are juat reselling stuff they've bought in bulk, they aren't the actually makers.
I cannot believe I successfully replaced every bulb correctly the first time. This is where my disbelief comes from.
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- 2019 CX-5 Signature
LED = Light Emitting Diode
A diode has a polarity. It will only allow current flow one direction. You can install it backwards and not be concerned with damaging the circuit, but it will not illuminate. End of story.
7eregrine
The man, the myth, the legend
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- Land of Cleve
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- 2016.5 CX5
I am intimately familiar with what a DIODE is. I can even draw one in a schematic without Googling it. Part of my Electronic Engineering education.
LED's have been around since the 60's.
The first POLARIZED LED WAS DEVELOPED IN 2008!!!
"In recent years, light emitting diodes (LEDs) have begun to change the way we see the world. Now, a Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute student has developed a new type of LED that could allow for their widespread use as light sources for liquid crystal displays (LCDs) on everything from televisions and computers to cell phones and cameras.
Martin Schubert, a doctoral student in electrical, computer, and systems engineering, has developed the first polarized LED, an innovation that could vastly improve LCD screens, conserve energy, and usher in the next generation of ultra-efficient LEDs. Schubert*s innovation has earned him the $30,000 Lemelson-Rensselaer Student Prize."
I promise you the $10 Amazon LED's are not 'ultra efficient'.
LED's have been around since the 60's.
The first POLARIZED LED WAS DEVELOPED IN 2008!!!
"In recent years, light emitting diodes (LEDs) have begun to change the way we see the world. Now, a Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute student has developed a new type of LED that could allow for their widespread use as light sources for liquid crystal displays (LCDs) on everything from televisions and computers to cell phones and cameras.
Martin Schubert, a doctoral student in electrical, computer, and systems engineering, has developed the first polarized LED, an innovation that could vastly improve LCD screens, conserve energy, and usher in the next generation of ultra-efficient LEDs. Schubert*s innovation has earned him the $30,000 Lemelson-Rensselaer Student Prize."
I promise you the $10 Amazon LED's are not 'ultra efficient'.
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- Central Virginia
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- 2019 CX-5 Reserve
I'm curious as to what Superbrite has to say. Funny, I thought about sending them an email based on what I read yesterday.
When I did a quick search on this yesterday, I found electronics forums with comments from 2015 stating that all LEDs are polarized. After all, they have a DC circuit. We all know that things won't work if the batteries are installed backwards (except maybe regular filament flashlights).
Another forum I found referenced someone buying a non-polarized LED that used bridge rectifier circuitry off of EBay...this was a 2007 discussion on a non-automotive bulb.
I also saw something on Superbrite's website about observing polarity, but lost the thread on those search results and could not navigate to the source page...and Superbrite has a wide array of commercial products, so I was not certain what that specific reference was to.
I took electronics a long time ago, but that class included tubes as well as transistors (ask me about suppressor grids).
When I did a quick search on this yesterday, I found electronics forums with comments from 2015 stating that all LEDs are polarized. After all, they have a DC circuit. We all know that things won't work if the batteries are installed backwards (except maybe regular filament flashlights).
Another forum I found referenced someone buying a non-polarized LED that used bridge rectifier circuitry off of EBay...this was a 2007 discussion on a non-automotive bulb.
I also saw something on Superbrite's website about observing polarity, but lost the thread on those search results and could not navigate to the source page...and Superbrite has a wide array of commercial products, so I was not certain what that specific reference was to.
I took electronics a long time ago, but that class included tubes as well as transistors (ask me about suppressor grids).
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- Plano, Texas, USA
'Ultra efficient' LEDs has nothing to do with the nature of polarization on LEDs. If your theory is correct, we can easily reverse our battery posts and everything would still be working!
And just because "polarized LED" has a word "polarized", doesn't mean it can be used in reverse polarization from its DC power supply. See the definition of this "polarized LED":
I agree. I just got these as test bulbs. Will be upgrading later.
And i can confirm they ARE polarized. At least for the ones i got. One way i tested before putting them on is to turn the light on and touch the connection with the bulb. If it doesn*t light up just flip it amd install it.
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- 2019 CX-5 Signature
I'm also an EE, but RF focused. I'm looking forward to your explanation of how an LED can function independent of polarity. I'll admit, my LED experience is limited to my education from 30 years ago.
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- Central Virginia
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- 2019 CX-5 Reserve
That was part of the confusion on forums when folks asked the question.
"Polarized" refers to light waves, like the polarized lenses on sunglasses (and as the quote you provided).
"Polarity" means observing + and -
But there are LEDs whose circuitry makes them polarity-neutral, meaning they work regardless of which side gets negative and which side gets positive.
I found this in the FAQs of truck-lite.com
"<i>By nature, LED lights are polarity-sensitive. If the voltage is of the wrong polarity, it is said to be reverse-biased. Very little current will flow, and the device will not light up. <B>Truck-Lite has developed LED lights that are not polarity-sensitive.</B> This is normally indicated in the features and benefits of such a product, but we recommend contacting Technical Support if you have questions on a specific product.</i>"
I want to hear what Superbrite has to say about their product. As I stated, I nearly sent them an email myself yesterday as I was reading on this issue.
Inquiring minds want to know.
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