Electronics/electrical wizards-- Help settle an argument regarding LED lights

I have a chance to buy some very sturdy trailer lights. These lights were extra ones bought by a company as spares for their equipment trailers.

The systems on which these LED tail lights were used are 24V.

I want to put them on my 12 V trailer.

Person A says they will not work.

Person B says they will last longer because less voltage is going through them.

I just want to know if they will work.

Your assistance, please

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Strelnik
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1950 170SD
1951 Citroen 11BN
1953 Citroen 11BNF limo
1953 220a project
1959 180D
1960 190D
1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr
1983 240D daily driver
1983 380SL
1990 350SDL daily driver alt
3 x Citroen DS21M, down from 5
3 x Citroen 2CV, down from 6

12v to 24v converter - Tacoma World Forums

http://www.wranglerforum.com/f5/24v-trucklite-led-lights-to-12v-159643.html

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
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03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
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04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
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Each white LED runs on ~3.3vdc. Each red LED runs on ~2.2vdc

A unit setup to run on 24vdc will be running very dim at 12vdc if at all.

They are typically setup in a combination of series and parallel. You just need to find the 1/2 way point of the 24vdc setup, split it and add a second 12vdc line to that place. You will also have to add a resistor in series with the new 12vdc line.

24/ 3.3 = 7 in series white LED's.
24/ 2.2 = 10 in series red LED's.

A pic would help figure out the needed resistor too.

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"If you dont have time to do it safely, you dont have time to do it"

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."

To answer your question - they probably wont work, but I'd try putting 12v across them just in case they do (the chance of breaking something by doing this is pretty slim). If 12v lights it up enough for you - just rock it.

The above post is great information if you are buying LED's yourself, or can break open the lights and access the internal wiring. Not sure how much messing you want to do - I'm not sure thats even possible for the LED light fixtures that I've seen.

I agree with most of the content in the threads the aklim linked - you really need a 12v - 24v converter to do this at all. not sure if thats worth the cost or not.

-John

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I would expect them to be too dim ... If they did work.

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daw_two
Germantown, TN

Links:
Sold last car --- 05/2012 1984 300D Light Ivory, Red interior
Cluster Needles Paint
New Old Stock (NOS) parts

Past:
3/2008 1986 300SDL "Coda"
04/2010 1965 190D(c) "Ben"
& many more

I just bought a long strip of 12 volt LED's which I planned to cut into 3 bulb sections to make some anchor lights for my boat. I put a 9 volt battery to the 300 bulb strip. They seemed plenty bright.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
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