LED help please!

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ashley
Posts: 7628
Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 8:08 pm

LED help please!

Post by ashley »

As part of re-wiring my car I've decided to look into swapping all the bulds out for LEDs, but I literally know nothing about what types of LEDs are out there!

Can anyone point me towards the sorts of LEDs that would be suitable for the following please?

- Brake lights
- Indicators
- Reverse lights
- Rear fog lights
- Side lights
- Number plate lights
- Interior door lights
- Interior cabin light (the main one behind the widscreen)

Many thanks!
Odin_S
Posts: 1210
Joined: Wed Jul 19, 2006 3:35 am
Location: London

Re: LED help please!

Post by Odin_S »

For rear and i think will work for rear indicators, I use CANBUS LED.
Its a straight swap and with me having the 4 lights lighting up for brake and lights works a treat.

Bulbs are more expensive though, i paid £60 for 4 bulbs. Something like this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-1157-BAY15 ... 1603770796
shinny
Posts: 2345
Joined: Mon Nov 27, 2006 4:59 pm
Location: Reading, UK

Re: LED help please!

Post by shinny »

+1 to Odin's link... the key word you're looking for is "Cree".

I've experimented with various bulbs and settled on 25W 5xCree bulbs for indicators and 50W 10xCree bulbs for tail/brake. Anything less (including 5050 LEDs) simply isn't bright enough (in colours other than white) to replace filament bulbs. The Cree bulbs are expensive (you'll spend £100 kitting out the indicators and quad tail lights) but anything cheaper is a downgrade I'm afraid.

Front sidelights are easy... the 9x5050 bulbs are the largest you'll fit but are very bright. I went for the warm white ones which match my Osram nightbreakers very nicely :thumleft:

I've still not found a good solution for side repeaters...
ashley
Posts: 7628
Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 8:08 pm

Re: LED help please!

Post by ashley »

Thanks guys- yeah, I need to keep the brightness at least the same as the stock bulbs, the main idea is to reduce the current requirements, and hence be able to run lighter gauge wiring :thumleft:
shinny
Posts: 2345
Joined: Mon Nov 27, 2006 4:59 pm
Location: Reading, UK

Re: LED help please!

Post by shinny »

ashley wrote:Thanks guys- yeah, I need to keep the brightness at least the same as the stock bulbs, the main idea is to reduce the current requirements, and hence be able to run lighter gauge wiring :thumleft:


Wow... um... that's getting very serious about weight reduction! :shock:
ashley
Posts: 7628
Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 8:08 pm

Re: LED help please!

Post by ashley »

It's not so much weight reduction (although that helps!), it's more reducing the number of output channels I need to use on the PDM, and I can use the lighter gauge wire I already have...win win win! :lol:
Nic
Posts: 1910
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2012 4:26 pm
Location: UK

Re: LED help please!

Post by Nic »

Worth checking http://www.aliexpress.com/ you can often find the same bulbs being sold in the UK a fair bit cheaper direct from China.
Nic
[email protected]
MR2 Rev 3 GT Turbo
Odin_S
Posts: 1210
Joined: Wed Jul 19, 2006 3:35 am
Location: London

Re: LED help please!

Post by Odin_S »

Put in "led lights MR2 into youtube and see the difference.
Even with the crappy youtube res, the difference is clear.
ashley
Posts: 7628
Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 8:08 pm

Re: LED help please!

Post by ashley »

Thanks Nic

With the 4 brake light/ rear foglight setup is it 4 bulbs in total, all wired as brake lights, but two of them twin as foglights as well? Or is it 6 separate bulbs?

Going to take the opportunity to ditch my current set up, which is one of the reverse lights as a foglight.
Odin_S
Posts: 1210
Joined: Wed Jul 19, 2006 3:35 am
Location: London

Re: LED help please!

Post by Odin_S »

ashley wrote:Thanks Nic

With the 4 brake light/ rear foglight setup is it 4 bulbs in total, all wired as brake lights, but two of them twin as foglights as well? Or is it 6 separate bulbs?

Going to take the opportunity to ditch my current set up, which is one of the reverse lights as a foglight.


Even though the top of the bulb is LED, the fitment is the same I.e. iit's a dual fitment bulb.

Providing you have duel fitment holders (in my experience JDM rev 3+ only have the outer lights holders as duel) it's just a simple light bulb change.

If it's not duel sourcing one is very easy from any breaker. Look at the link I gave at the top. The bulb in that picture is a duel fitment bulb. ie on the base of the bulb there are two (for want of a better word) metal bits
ashley
Posts: 7628
Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 8:08 pm

Re: LED help please!

Post by ashley »

Gotcha :thumleft:
gnzyza
Posts: 1300
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2007 11:39 am
Location: Gloucester

Re: LED help please!

Post by gnzyza »

http://www.horizonleds.co.uk/

recommend these guys for LEDS. He put a lot of work into visiting and actually working with the china manufacturer's to source the best products.
ashley
Posts: 7628
Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 8:08 pm

Re: LED help please!

Post by ashley »

Nice one- thanks :thumleft:
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