My Autozone leds won't light

[Jamey]

I purchased some "Touring Type S" spot beam type blue leds. When I tested them out with the cigarette lighter adapter they fired right up. I've read all the posts in this group about using a cell phone house ac adapter and straight wire them. Well I've cut up 4 adapters and nada. Anywhere from 3vdc @ 200mah to 9vdc @ 1000mah and still nothing. When I strip back the wires on the leds theres a uncoated red wire and a coated clear wire. What am I doing wrong?!? By the way, it was $12.99 for a 2 pack of spotbeam type blue led with the swivel base and double side tape.

 

thanks

Jamey

[jaguilar]

jamey, i got the "moodlights" from target with the three blue led's, but it's basically the same thing you have. it's made for use in a car and it has the plug to go in the car's lighter. but instead of cutting any wires, i just bought the adapter at target that is used to charge a cell phone in a house using the charger from a car. it has a hole for the large plug that goes in the car lighter, but it converts it to be plugged into a wall socket. but that might not do you any good, since you already cut up the wires. it was very easy for me since i didn't have to cut and solder any wires. when you remove the plug that goes in the lighter, you will have to add resistors to the + wire, because the resistors were housed in the plug itself. that's why it worked in your car. but once you cut the wire, there was no longer any resistors in the line. if you decide to try it over again, i suggest you go to target, their moodlights with 3 led's was like $9, and the adapter was $5. good luck.

[JsL]

Leds are sensitive to voltage. You need to reach their "breakdown" voltage so current will start flowing. You need a 12v source. 9v might not be enough for your particular LEDs.

[Styxnpicks]

led's wont light up if the nagative and positive are backwards.