Directional bulbs...What's with Honda????

[offcenter]

Just got my new LEDs from SuperbrightLEDs.com.
Tried to install the new 1156 directional LEDs in the back of the trunk, but they wouldn't fit in the socket!
A closer look showed that the bulbs that came from Honda LOOKED like 1156s, but the pins on the side are
offset so that a true 1156 won't fit in the socket!!!
What the hey?
So I filed one of the pins down enough to get the LED to work.
Was this some idiot idea from Honda to make us buy the bulbs from Honda only?

[Rednaxs60]

1156 bulbs have the pins at the same level, 1157 bulbs have the pins offset.

[offcenter]

I know the difference. 1157 have two filaments, and two contacts on the base.
1156 have only one. When I talk of the contacts being offset, I mean they are
offset around the circumference of the bulb, not distance from the bottom of the bulb.
Looking at the bulb from the bottom, the pins are not at 6 oclock and 12 oclock.
They are at 6 oclock and 1 oclock.
Never saw one like that before.

[Rednaxs60]

My bad. Is this on the 1500? Haven't seen this on mine.

[MikeB]

My '98 trunk turn signal bulbs are the same way. I have never replaced them so I never gave it much thought. I do have LED's in all the running/brake light sockets and LED's in the saddlebag turn signal sockets. The sockets are all standard configuration. Only the trunk turn signal sockets are wonky.

Actually, it is a good thing that the bulbs are still standard incandescent bulbs. Because of that, I do not need a solid state flasher. There is enough load on the turn signal circuit with the trunk turn signal bulbs. With them in place, the flash rate is normal.

[MikeB]

I have a spare trunk light assembly from a '97 GL1500. I just took a look at those bulbs. The turn signal bulbs are the standard 1156 bulbs.

'98 was the year that Honda changed the locating pin locations on the headlight bubs so that a standard H4 bulb would not work. They had 45w/45w bulbs in place of the standard 55w/60w Halogen bulbs. Someone eventually made an adapter so a standard H4 bulb would once again fit the headlight mounting hole.

I had not had to replace any of these turn signal bulbs in my '98 so I never even noticed that they were different. Lucky too because they are three times the price of a standrd clear bulb.

In the parts manaul the lights are different between the '96'97 and the '98.
34905-268-671 BULB (12V23W32CP) - ALL '96'97 (these are clear bulbs)
33301-S04-004 BULB, FR. (12V 21W) - ALL '98 (these are amber bulbs)

Maybe Honda was trying to reduce current load where it could.

[Rambozo]

That sounds like a BAU15S socket. You can get LEDs in that flavor as well, from SuperBright. It is a standard socket and is used when there are a group of different bulbs in different colors and wattages. Honda was probably trying to make it idiot-proof, but idiots will always find a way. MBZ used them also as I recall for 21w amber lamps Osram 7507.
I have seen cars that used them to prevent 1073 and 1156 bulbs from melting and warping the plastic lens. Now with LEDs there are no worries about the extreme heat of some incandescent bulbs, so they are something of a relic.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/cat/tai ... 15S,1,4372:

[grahamlanghorn]

the offset on the pins is there so you dont fit the wrong bulb to the holder as has been found out by some members. get the correct bulb and you will have no problem. lke your stop/ tail light bulb will only fit properly one way. turn signal bulbs are the same. its to stop you putting clear bulbs in clear lens and orange bulbs in orange lens. and so on. quite simple really. its not a ploy from honda so you can only fit bulbs from them. google it.