Have you ever asked yourself – “Why do LED lights stay on when switched off in car?”
Perhaps you already had the lights turned off, yet you still see them glowing. Perhaps not as bright as when turned on, but still with some kind of glow, just the same. Why does this happen?
If you wonder why car LED lights glow when switched off, you’re not alone. This is something that people notice and wonder about, so we’re here to lay out some awesome facts behind this situation. Let’s go right ahead.
Why Do LED Lights Stay On When Switched Off In Car
After switching the halogen bulbs of your car, especially ones with LED lights, it is common that you may notice the lights have a dim glow. They still seem to be visible when in the dark.
Now, there is a simple explanation for this. But just to let you know, it is not something that uses up much power. The only thing that happens is that there is a bit of a glow, yet without consuming electricity.
If you observe that the bulb glows still even after you have disconnected it from the main source or circuit, then the LED driver is responsible for it. There are light-emitting diodes that create the white light. These diodes have a luminescent layer for a coating, and it stores some energy that causes the LEDs to emit a faint glow.
In fact, even after you have turned it off, the effect continues for seconds to even a few minutes.
Additionally, these LED headlights have LED drivers that make sure there is a constant current supply. This also generates the current to make sure the LED lights work properly.
As there are capacitors and inductors on the driver, these parts store some electrical energy, causing the light to glow even after switching it off.
Other Reasons Why LED Lights Stay On After Switching Them Off
It is also worth noting that the constant glow depends on the driver circuit’s design. Even when there is no available input voltage, the LED driver’s components remain active. This is why the headlight glows continuously until all of the energy stored has been discharged completely.
And another interesting thing is that the CAN bus technology makes this dim glow possible. This breakthrough in technology allows all electrical components to communicate with one another, thus causing the constant minimal light output.
This technology enables the electrical system to use stored electric current continuously. As a result, you may notice the light hyper flashing or flickering. If the headlight uses minimal current, the dim glow may be constant. Not to worry, though, as the current used is only minimal.
Lights also have resistors built into the system. These are the power storage components of LED lights, which cause the glow. The resistors provide some power to the light, causing them to glow even after you have already switched them off.
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Final Words
Overall, LED lights normally stay on or have a faint glow even after turning off because of the technology used to make them. Although there is some light emitted, this is not a cause of concern since there is no current being used. Instead, the light is from the energy stored, and it only takes a few minutes for it to completely last.
Hence, you can stay at ease knowing that this is nothing but a normal situation and will not wear your light – or your car battery – out.