LED Light reqs.

It depends on the bulb. Any reputable manufacturer can tell you. Grote lists them by %. A 12 LED bulb that's 120% can have 2 out and still be legal. Not all Grote bulbs are the same though.

 

If you have to ERR, or it looks bad, replace it. MY ADVICE: Stop using TRUCK LITE products, they are the worst. Grote makes a far superior product. I've never seen a problem with Grote products, it's Truck Lite that I see with bad clusters of LED's. I don't know why.

I have not seen a requirement by them, but basically if you ask me, if you have 7 LED's and just 2 are burned out, replace the whole thing. Or, if you have three marker lights and one is clearly shorted and super DIM, replace it.

WHen in doubt, throw it out.

 

Less than 50% would seem like it could be called out. Kinda like a tire below 50 is flat.

 

There's a visibility requirement in the regs. Is it 500 ft? I forget. Go look it up. Seems to me if it meets that requirement it doesn't matter how many diodes are shot.
The law does seem arbitrary to the individual officer's judgement/vision though.

 

Most importantly, there are regulations set forth in the FMVSS where I believe there may be a minimum amount of lumens required. But, you are also dealing with FMCSR and then each state has different laws on how they interpret it. For example, NY trucks that have a license plate lamp on their rear of an apportioned vehicle. Also, headlights for example or tail light assemblies will have a DOT approval number on them. Some of these after market units you buy do not have them. Bottom line, if you are unsure, have to ERR, just replace them. I think it looks like crap when you have just 1 led in the cluster out, replace it with a Grote.

 

Well said!

 

As far as brands, I swear my trailer guy told me last summer that Trucklite bought the Grote name to offer an economy line of LEDs. Or is it Signal-Stat? Can't remember... anyone know?
Anyway, the original Trucklite LEDs from the late 90s I put on the rear of my F-liner are still working 100%. Best LEDs ever, granted they are not quite as bright as some of the more powerful ones out there today.

PM put out some bad ones that came on my new '07 Fontaine I ended up replacing all over time. Had 5 year warranty but still a PITA to have to replace them.

Maxximas I like. All my amber ones on my tractor are Maxxima.

 

Nope, with out researching it, I'm confident that Grote and Trucklite are two different companies.