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Super Bright Pre-Wired LED Lights - Huge Time Saver! - Customer Questions

Frequently Asked Questions by Oznium Customers

I just want to know if these 5mm pre-wired leds do well for car taillights? Want to at least do running lights, would like to do brake and turn signal as well. Will these leds be bright enough for all that?
They would provide adequate light for that purpose. You might want to look at this bolt light which would provide a brighter option: https://www.oznium.com/led-bolts-prewired-leds/led-bolt
I am new to the use of LEDs. I want to use them on my model railroad (HO scale). Can I use my train transformer as the power source?
Yes, as long as it is 12V DC.
For Amber, How do the output lumens compare between the 3mm and 5mm? Trying to decide what to use for cup holder area in suv and not sure if 5 mm will be too bright and I should go with 3 mm. Thanks
The 3mm would be bright enough to give ambient, background lighting. I think you would be happy with that.
Would the Prewired LED be enough to light an 18 inch acrylic RV handle?
Yes, it would.
is there some type of nut to fix these to hold them in place inside headlight housing? - by Davide
You may consider an LED Holder, or simply glue/epoxy/silicone it in place.
Once the LED starts to dim is it possible to just pull out the LED and replace it without having to re-wire? - by Davif (United States)
If by pull out, you mean de-solder the LED and re-solder a new LED to the wire and resistor, then yes, its certainly do-able.
You may find it easier to just replace the whole thing though.
Even if the LED is on 24/7/365, it should last at least 5 years (maybe even 10).
What wattage would I need on a 12v transformer to light 40 of the 5mm LED's? - by Mark (Lexington, VA)
40 = 08 amps, less than 1 watt.
Can the led lights be used with an alternating flasher for use on an antique fire truck project? (Tom)
Yes as long as it is made for 12V DC.
can you provide 3&5mm in flashing leds , individualy - by Dave (lyons,or.)
Sure, how many do you need?
Would a capacitor be necessary for the pre-wired LEDs? Would a heat sink be necessary if utilizing multiple pre-wired lights of different colors? - by Lakeshia (Pensacola, FL)
No and no. Wire all leds together in parallel.
How many volts does one of these pre wired LEDs draw?
20 mA @ 12v
I intend to order quite a few of these in the 5mm size. I would like to use them to light a few fish tanks, but I have never worked with LEDs before. What would be the best way to wire multiple lights to a single source of power? My goal is to have up to 3 seperate fixtures for 3 seperate tanks sharing a single power source with switches for controlling each light independently. Would this be a possibility? - by Lakeshia (Pensacola, Fl)
Yes, wire all leds in parallel with a switch in-between each set to operate them separately. You would need an adapter to power them, the amount of leds will determine the adapter size. https://www.oznium.com/power-adapters/ac-adapter https://www.oznium.com/switches
Will they work to soder in to a 2003 gmc Sierra gauge cluster - by Nathan (Klawock, AK)
Not sure, if there is room yes. Otherwise you might need these: https://www.oznium.com/loose-component-leds/plcc-2
Would I need to purchase holders for the led or can they be mounted without them? - by Mark (Texas)
You can mount them without the holders.
how long are the lead wires? - by Tom (webster, ny)
0.5M / 20 inches
What's the min voltage requirement? I wanted to power these off of speaker LEDs in a portable project (boombox). Max volts would be 10 but should stay around 3 mostly. L

Alternatively I can look at a 5volt USB source. - by Josh
Depends on the color, but yes, they'd most likely still barely light up on 5v.
At 3v, probably not.
If you want to power them with 3v, you'd be better off just using the "loose" non-prewired LEDs.
Hi I am working on a school project and I was looking at using 2 5mm lights on a 12v battery pack (8 AA) . That was until I saw the superflux 4-chip video Could I use 2 superflux 4 chips ? - by Dennis
Yes, they would also work on the battery pack.
ok so im looking for lights for my gauge cluster and HVAC and i want something thats really bright white, not with a hint of blue nor yellow just white - by Derek (North Carolina)
The white is a neutral white, no blue or yellow.
Looking PRE WIRED LED 24v 3 mm in different colors. Where can I find it? - by Niclas (Sweden)
Happy to make custom for you if you can buy 100 pieces. How many pieces do you need?
Or have you considered wiring 2 of the 12V ones in series? That'd work too.
Do you have million color pre-wired individual LED's? I would l like to distribute them in my car interior and hook them all to the same control so they will all sync.
Yes, these Prewired Surface Mount LEDs are available in RGB (Million).
Is 3mm the smallest size you make? If so, do you think you will be making smaller ones anytime in the future? - by Skip
Yes, 3mm is the smallest we make, and we have no plans to make a smaller one.
What size would you like?
Could you provide a diagram on how to wire 4 LEDs (parallel) to a toggle switch and power supply
This is one diagram, it would be the same for a toggle switch. For the leds, you would attach all the hot leads together and all the ground leads together and run them to the switch like in the diagram: https://www.oznium.com/switches/rocker-switch#tech
I'm wiring 4 blue leds into my air vents, and then 4 red leds into my door pocket things, so 8 leds total. how large of a fuse should I use and should it be before or after the switch? - by Caleb (United States)
No larger then a 2-amps. Always put a fuse between after the battery. https://www.oznium.com/switches/rocker-switch#tech
I am running about 10 of these to the interior of my truck with 4 flexible 2.4 inch strips, what Amp fuse should I use from in between the battery and switch? I am using the Scion lighted rocker, Amber. - by Mike (Alexandria, VA)
2 amp.
I'm working on a hanging lamp project that will require me to wire approximately 54 LEDs in a parallel circuit. I intend on wiring this to a ceiling outlet. What other hardware will I need i.e. transformer etc.. to safely connect these lights to my intended power source?
Should just be able to use this transformer: https://www.oznium.com/power-adapters/waterproof-led-transformer
What size would I need for a 2006 Chevy Colorado dashboard gauge? And what else besides the lights will I need? - by Jazmin (Chatsworth, californ)
You can get any size you want. It is a universal product. You'll need a switch and a fuse, but that depends on how you are hooking it up.
I was considering buying 20 of the 5mm pre-wired LEDs for my headlights. I wanted to know if you can join 10 of these pre-wired LEDs all together and connect them to a dummy 194 to make it plug and play for my Daytime Running Lights? or is there something else that needs to be involved? Also do you connect all positives with positives and Negatives with Negatives? - by Jay (Socal)
I think that's all you need. Just bundle of positive wires and negative wires together.
So for a motorcycle blinker, how water resistant are these? Id only have the bulb of the led pokin through the plastics? If I ride in the rain will they burn out or be ruined? - by Soren (Medford oregon)
These can be dunked in a glass of water. No worries about water
I am using 70 of the 3mm pre-wired in clusters of 10 tied in to 7 terminal blocks. If I understand your tech specs this will require a 12v power supply and approximately 1.5 amps. Am I correct?
Yep! 1.4 Amps for 70 3mm LEDs.
What is the voltage draw for the 3mm pre-wired - I have to connect these with other LED's off of a 300 watt supply?
12 volts
I am interested in getting some of these for my car to illuminate dark places and make it easier to find things. I understand that you need to wire them in parallel, but should I set up a fuse for them in the fuse box so that they won't "blow out," should something happen? - by Jon (Clemson, SC)
Always use a fuse! Always.
If I use (22) 5mm LEDs, each drawing 20mA, can I use a 3A inline fuse to run off a motorcycle battery without issue? - by Mike
Yes, but even better would be a 2amp
Can i get the small surface mount pre wired with the thin cable that is in the 5mm pic? I need 1mm or less and a 2 mm White LEDs for a model project. - by David (Henderson, NV)
Sorry, not sure which picture you are referring to. We only have the 3mm and 5mm, nothing smaller.
Would i be able to make these work with a 9V battery? - by Daniel
Yes, might be dim.
If I am hooking up 20 pre-wired LED's in parallel, do I need a resistor? Or is the individual resistor they came with sufficient?
The pre-wired LEDs already have a resistor soldered on. You do not need to use an other resistors.
What is the brightness of these in MCD?
What about the superflux MCD?
Here is the technical data for the Prewired LEDs [https://www.oznium.com/loose-component-leds/led#tech]. Sorry, we don't have that information on the Superflux yet.
Could these lights be used as turning signals on a motorcycle? Basically by removing the stock bulb and socket and cutting the wires and rewiring in a single 3mm led? Will it wear them out or burn them out by flashing on and off? - by Dustin (ohio)
Yep! These can be used as turn signals. These will not die out faster or anything if used as turn signals.
What is the brightness of these lights? I plan on replacing them in a dashboard on my motorcycle and dont want to be blinded at night. - by John (Austin, Texas)
The whites are always the brightest.
I'm trying to tackle a tail light project. I was thinking about wiring 12 5mm LEDs in series in each tail lamp. A total of 24 LEDs, 12 on each side. Also plan to tap into the license plate circuit to have all 24 LEDs powered. Would this be a problem? Would it draw too much power? Generate heat? Blow a fuse? Any need to wire a fuse to it?
Here is a link from our Forum https://www.oznium.com/forum/topic23196. Maybe this will help.
I want to change my existing bulbs in my GM Bose radio/CD. Will the pre-wired work (5mm) as opposed to the regular 5mm?
I'm looking at the length of the pre-wired vs. the regular. Also, will I need to "shave" the head in order to get a wider spread?
Thanks - by Gregg
They should work, not sure about shaving the head. You may need to get them installed and see.
What is the length of the bulb and shrink wrap, and can you bend it at a 90 degree angle? Thanks - by Keith (Michigan)
2-1/4inches, the wire you can certainly bend, the shrink wrap portion can only bend slightly.
since my dome lights in my car are too small for the 4x4 cm square dome light to fit, would the pre-wired LED's be a good substitute and how would i go about putting them in? - by Ryan (Travis Afb, CA)
It would be rather hard to replace the dome light with 5mm or 3mm LEDs. Plus, it wouldn't be as bright. And you'd also have to build your own board or cut out holes to position them.
Are these and the RGB color changing pre-wired LEDs waterproof?
Nope. Somewhat water-resistant though.
So I have this custom computer case.... and there's a total of 8 LED's hooked in factory mounting positions. theres two main leads comming from each set of four. (green/white. green is POS, white is NEG)

i connected 12v to one set of leads and it blew out all of the LED's. is this simply because they had a smaller resistor wired in the line? - by dave
The built in leds on a computer case run off of the motherboard at reduced voltage and do not have a voltage dropping resistor attached to them. This means you put a full 12 volts to the led and it burnt out.
I saw you wrote that these were dimmable. What type of switch would you use to dim them? Do you carry an inexpensive dimmer? - by Darrell (Jacksonville, FL)
Yes, we offer two dimmers.

Rotary Style LED Dimmer
Remote Control Dimmer & Strobe Switch
what is the resistance on the 5mm led? using ohms law (V=IR) if I have a 6 amp fuse and a 12 volt power source. should i be worried about blowing the fuse if I wire four of them in parallel since the resistance goes down, the amps will go up, however that is what you recommend wiring them in. correct me if I'm wrong please. - by Trevor (Northfield, OH)
With just 4 LEDs, you'd be no where near blowing a 6 amp fuse. They draw about 20mA each...

Yes, so if you wire 4 of them in parallel, they'd draw about 80mA total.
Would I need to get 9 volt battery pack to hook it up to? by Joe (Toronto,Canada) - by Joe (Toronto,Canada)
while they might light at 9 volts they are designed for 12 to 14 volt range so they would be dimmer and battery would not last as long. It is recommended to use a 12 volt battery pack which is available on our sight in the 23a or 8AA style
Can I use these in my home i.e. connecting them in parallel to Oznium's 120v-12v adaptor? I intend to light up one of my pictures. If so, I plan to use about 10 of varying colors. Is it necessary to calculate the amperage? Moreover, since this is in my house I am worried about risk of fire. Should I be? Thanks! - by Dave (Calgary, Alberta)
Yes you can easily hook them up in parallel to the AC Adapter. The amperage of the LEDs is very small. I don't see any risk of fire. The LEDs are low voltage, and the AC Adapter is UL listed.
Looking to wire up trim on my GL!800 Goldwing. Trim on the saddlebags & trunk. Would you use the 5mm or the 3mm to do this & how far apart,1"? What glue works best ofr this when you drill a hole? Thanks. - by Dave (Northern Indiana)
I'd look at our Flex Strips (https://www.oznium.com/flexible-led-strips/led-flex-strips) or our Ribbon Strips (https://www.oznium.com/flexible-led-strips/thin-waterproof-ribbon) for you application.
This is likely a silly question, but I was wondering what you hook these up to? I am wanting to make some portable light sources and think this could work. But I do not know what to hook them up to? Would a standard AA/AAA Battery work?
These are intended to be hooked up to a 12 volt power source.

You could hook them up to a 12 volt battery pack.

A standard AA/AAA battery is only 1.5 volts.
I am installing 16 pre-wired 5 mm LEDs from the 12V in my 05 scion tc. I have two questions:
1) What size dimmer (potentiometer) will I need to use?(all the way down=off, all the way up=full)
2) Will I need a fuse? If so, what size? - by Jeremy (Rome, GA)
Why not consider one of our dimmers?

https://www.oznium.com/switches/12v-remote-dimmer-strobe-switch
https://www.oznium.com/switches/rotary-led-dimmer

How about using a 3 amp fuse.
Can i wire 4 of these LEDs together in parallel and hook them up to just one power plug from the computer power supply. Do i need a fuse for this. I've hooked these up before like this but they keep burning out. Maby i've got them plugged in wrong, red and black instead of yellow and black. Any suggestiong.
No fuse needed. Try not hooking them up in a series; wire in a parallel.
Would I need a fuse if I'm only using one LED per source? I want to use them to confirm when I switch something on in my car. - by Jose
They will work without a fuse.
For headlights, which size/type? would you recommend? 5mm, 3mm, or maybe the super-flux? How about for in the cabin (feet area)? I'm thinking of getting 5mm for everything; would they be bright enough for headlights?

Thanks for being clear, thorough, and extremely helpful in answering these questions :)
Pre-wired Superflux LEDs are best for headlights.

For under the dash, I'd recommend our new Ultra Thin LED Bar.

Gonna look great :)
are the prewired dim-able?? - by Brad (San Jose, CA)
Yes
Can I wire these so that they light up when I open the doors? (Like the dome light) - by Logan
Yes
do you have leds that would work in place of a duel filament brake light? or when you hit the brakes does the voltege raise and make it brighter?? - by brian (huntsville al)
You would need a dual Filament, No we do not have a direct replacement for this type of thing.
Are the UV led's just purple, or do they produce a blacklight effect?
UV LEDs produce somewhat of a black-light effect, and are somewhat purple.
how do you mount the 3mm and 5 mm prewired led's? can you just drill a certain size hole and they will be snug? - by dan (Hawaii)
Yes that is how I mount them :)
The wirnig is a bit stiff on these, can they be bought with wire that is a bit more flexible? - by Parag (Edison, NJ)
Unfortunately, these are the only types of wires we have at this time. We will look into more flexible wires in the future.
how far behind the base of the led can i make a 90deg bend. i do not want to damsge the led or resistor.
About half an inch just before the resistor Maybe slightly less. Just make sure you're careful, and test the LEDs prior to fully installing them just in case.
is there a how to that you could recommend on how to wire some LED's in your car - by Tyler (Calgary, Canada)
There are many resources available in our online forums.
My best suggestion is for you to look at the few threads attatched at the top of this web page here:
https://www.oznium.com/forum/how-to-diagrams
What is the estimated color temperature of the white and warm white 5mm and 3mm LEDs? I'd like to use these as "city lights" and would like something to closely match my oem HIDs (~4300K). Thanks. - by Jeff (Boise)
White is around 5500k, warm white has a yellow hue to it, more around 3700k. White would match your HIDs best.
When you say you can wire the pre wired led's in series (or/and parallel) does that mean hooking up all the led's to the same wire - by Ivan (Chula Vista)
Wiring in "series" is not the way to go. Stay "parallel" when wiring LED"s or otherwise you may lose brightness at the end of the line.
Wiring in "parallel" is running all positives and negatives together from your power source.
im designing my own angel eye what size led would put out the most light straight forward? is it the bigger mm you go the more narrow the beam gets? - by Andrew (New Jersey)
The 10mm has a viewing angle of about 10 degrees, while the 3mm and 5mm have a viewing angle of 30 to 40 degrees.
how long of a lifespan do these leds usually have? - by kevin (prattville,alabama)
Basic estimated lifespan of an LED is around 30,000 hours.
How many 12VDC prewired LEDs can be wired in series (or/and parallel) using a 12V DC power source? - by Joaquim (Paris)
There is really no limit to the number of LEDs you can wire to your 12 volt power source. It depends on the current/amperage.
I am considering some of these for several applications in my car. What would be the best way to wire groups of 3-5 of these LEDs together? I plan on having these in several areas through out the car, would it be feasible to join all the LEDs together before a fuse so that I would be able to run all the lights off of one fuse and switch? I'm thinking maybe 20-30 LEDs all together. - by Garrett (Wyoming)
Yes, you could definitely do this. For 20 or 30 LED's a 5 amp fuse will be enough.
I'm looking at buying 10 of these 5mm and putting through out my 300. What else would you prefer I buy for the installation? What size wire, etc? - by Richard
The size of wire doesn't really matter. Anything from 18 to 24 gauge should will work fine. You'll likely need a fuse and fuse holder. Maybe an on/off switch too.
When wiring these using a computer power supply (like the supply you offer here: 16 Amp Power Supply - 110 volts to 12 volts) should I use the red 5volt lines from the power supply or the yellow 12volt line? I will be wiring them in parallel. - by William (Birmingham, AL)
The yellow 12v. Pre-wired LEDs are set up for 12v use.
you say that you give discounts of 10 or more, is that for the same color? or can that be combined if you get 2 or more different colors? - by James (erie,pa)
The quantity discount is applied for quantity of the same color. The discount is not applied if you get 5 blue and 5 red. The reason for this is we pre-pack them in sets of 10.
Do 9v batteries change the brightness or anything if they are 12v LED's cause i want to put them in my remote control car as headlights and as a domelight for the window using a 9v? Would u suggest 3mm or 5mm? i have no idea which one would be better. And are the wires on the $1.19 prewired LED lights too big for the normal sized 9v battery connector? I plan on making a big circuit with them, and wondered if wire sizes made a difference. - by Casey (Thank You)
Yes, the 9V power will not light up the LED to its full potential, since the built-in resistor is designed for 12v. You can use standard LEDs and solder on your own resistors designed for 9V, though! Use our resistor calculator to figure out exactly which ones you need: https://www.oznium.com/led-resistor-calculator
how do i go about hooking the music interface up to the LEDs so they work with it....i tried once before and it didnt work - by Brett (New City, NY)
If you are referring to our cathode music interface, there are two sets of red/black wires with a small white plug on the end. Cut off the white plugs and hook up the positive and negative wires accordingly.
I was thinking of putting these behind in my gauge area on my scion tc...as you probably know scion tc's come with the amber color...if i got pink leds do you think it will overpower the amber enough or no? Also what is the best way to mount them? - by Jenna (Hawaii)
Our pre-wired LEDs won't work behind the gauge of a Scion tC due to the way it is constructed. However we do have an LED that is a direct replacement, as well as a list of some very qualified people who would be happy to change your gauges to pink! Check the product and the people here.
Will one 3mm LED light up a cup holder nicely? Should i go with a 5mm or get two 3mm?
They both put out a lot of light. I'd just go with one 3mm as it is easier keep a clean looking install. If you want it really bright, you can consider the pre-wired superflux 4-chip LEDs.
Can I get 5 mm pre wired leds wired for 5.0 volt power source in a 15 light hookup? - by Douglas (Katy, Texas)
Yes, we can make that custom for you. Please give us more specifications, and the quantity.
is it possilble to hook 30 of these to a 12 V source?
An unlimited number of LEDs can be hooked up to a 12 V source.
What gauge wire is the best to use? - by Peter (Rye Brook, NY)
While any wire will work, a smaller, stranded wire is ideal. Something in the 20-24 gauge range.
What is the difference between white and warm white?
Standard white is a very vibrant, "hyper" white color. It is very bright, and has a hint of purple/blue to it.

Warm white is a bit more yellow, similar to a standard halogen bulb.

Standard white is popular in automotive use, and warm white is popular for homes!
Will the prewired LEDs fit the chrome holders you offer? - by Ron
Yes. It will fit. You'll need to use glue to hold the LED in place, though.
Are these waterproof? (Since they can be on boats.)
They are water resistant. They can be used on boats.
These pre-wired superflux 4-chip LEDs are more waterproof.
How would I go about hooking these to a power supply and switch? - by Steve (Killeen)
Check out this diagram.
Can I get the 10mm LEDs pre-wired? - by Chris (Lebanon, TN)
Sure we can do that. Please contact us and tell us how many and of which color you need.