LED Replacement Bulbs for the FD3S
 

I Will post better video later, but for now, the Right Side has some newer 3Watt LED bulbs, and The Left Side Standard Tungsten Based Fillamnts... Also the LEDS are all White, as not to taint the output, and let the colored lenses do the work intended for them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfagGP8p9TQ

You can see the right side has a sharper falloff, than the left... I'll Try and shoot some video with an HD cam, this was my Phone Cam....

The LED Used were from http://autolumination.com/3157_3156.htm

http://superlumination.com/images/au...57_mt_w_wm.jpg

Which uses a center 3W Wide Angle LED, and a set of side facing LEDs, the issue with our cars is that the bulb slides in from the bottom, and uses a signifiant amount of the reflector for proper illumination, thefore even the 3W. led doesn't shine in the direction of the viewer, but LED technology has significantly increased in the last few years, and it beeing less and less directional, it uses the mirrored surfaces in out tail lights more and more. The output as can be roughly judged by the video is very comparable to the tungsten based Filament. I will try and take some pictures with a fixed appreature to make the comparison a bit better to judge with pictures.

Please post up so more vids which are clearer. This is one of my net projects!

One of the reasons I posted this thread, was that another thread was very vague on which LED's they used and where they used them and what the final result was. I aim to rectify this, by writing a comprehensive article / thread and invite anybody who has used different products to post their results so that further members don't have to waste time / $$ to try this out on their own. I for one have already spent about $200 for 6 bulbs (Brakes and turn signals) + 2 Side markers.

This is not a thread about custom LED panels or custom taillight conversions. This is about Using the Stock '93+ or '99+ housings but getting a more up-to-date look on the car by using LEDs.

I Will try and wire one of the resistors for the turn signal setup in tonite, and hopefully my lovely wife will operate the signals, so that I can shoot some video.

So I got the wife to Push the pedals (Brake) and turn signals with various combos of brake and Running Lights, and to my astonishment, and dismay, I found that the Brake Signal was barely 5-10 candle power brighter than the running lights. Which made it impossible to tell that the brakes were on if you were to look, and look away. Unless you spotted the 3'rd light in the center.... This was un-acceptable, and I consequently went back to my tungsten filament bulbs for the running / bake lights, and left the LED, for the turn signals, and center brake light.

What baffles me is that LED's especially when you double the voltage have an almost logarithmic light output. Or at least so it seems, I know light falloff is substantial over distance. But I always find that LED bulbs on newer cars are almost obnoxious when on brake levels, and tolerable on running lights...

As soon as I get some capture software installed on my new PC, I'll post the video of the tests I've made thus far...

Thats very disapointing, based on the picture they are Emitter LED's which should be extraordinaly bright, i have a 1watt Emitter in my Maglight and its bright as hell. A 3watt should be like a mini headlight.

Autolumination replied to my gripe, and said that another led Type of filament, would work better for brake as the one I was using is very bright, but Doesn't get much brighter during voltage change for Brake vs Running lights.

I've gone back to normal bulbs for brakes, and I'm uncertain weather I want to dump more $$ into this alternate bulb. And what kind of Margin of increase I'm looking at... since it's all subjective, that's why I started the thread. I'm still working on getting the Video Posted...


Edit: Here's what Autolumination sent...

I am sorry you are not happy with them. You did buy pretty high quality leds in all the sizes.
In the 1157 size, I think you might be happier with the 30 led SMTs. They have a bigger variance between bright and dim circuits.

^Thanks for posting the list Gordon. That will be one of my first projects when getting the car back.

I Got 2 Of these
(3156)(Single Stage) 11 Super-Power Wide Angle High Flux LEDs for Turn Signals
http://superlumination.com/images/au...57_mt_w_wm.jpg
4 Of these for the Brake Lights
(3157)(DualStage)
http://superlumination.com/images/au...57_mt_w_wm.jpg

2 originally for Front Running Lights but ended up putting them in Center Brake Light bar on rear

25 Led SMT Tower III 194 168 W5W 2825
http://superlumination.com/images/au..._smt3_w_wm.jpg

If i wanted super bright rear brake and signal lights which bulbs would you guys recommend? Which brake led bulb was super bright yet you could barely tell between when it was driving light vs brake light? Is anyone running the 60led smt 1157 or 1156's?
Why are you using 3157's for brake lights arn't they 1157's?
I bought a pair of 2057's and if they dont have enough of a light difference then i might wind up just using them for reverse lights.

Sorry you are right 1156 and 1157 .... My Mistake, I didn't look properly on my invoice...

When did LED"s become so popular? Is this a product that comes stock on specific cars?

They are popular because they draw less voltage than regular bulbs, this is one of my projects over the winter is converting everything to LED other than the headlights,...I will be using some truck lights too....LOL...

I think you mean amps.

Pick your reason,

1) Faster Reaction time between full on / full off
2) Less power Draw, so running an PC1600 with the 4 ways on won't drain your battery in 2 Min. :D
3) Blue-er color, white LEDs, have a color temp closer to 5600k more like HID's, so they match better with the new Sylvania Headlights, and other "Ricer" or whatever you want to call them options.
4) if you're going with a complete LED panel replacement, then you'll have more of a Modern Infinity / Lexus / Cadillac etc, etc.. look.
5) Safety LED can be brighter than standard filaments if setup properly.

It just makes for a cleaner more modern look.

Here's an Updated YouTube Video, the Vimeo HD Video Link to come....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UywIgdEs-O4

And here's the link to the "HD" Footage off Vimeo

http://www.vimeo.com/1520669

Ha I guess they finally showed up, Gordon?

Gordon, curious if you have tried the lights in your list yet. I ordered the same ones in white and could'nt us some.

James

LEDs are completely dimmable. They have a shorter range though than satanrdard lights, meaning you won't have to turn the dimming knob much one way or another to control the dimming.

The only thing I have in my car is the dome light which I put in white peanut bulbs. I like the LED idea of yours Crosby. Looks nice and updated.

You forgot that they also usually last longer than incandescent.

Yeah... I would imagine a resistor could provide you with a wider range.

very nice im starting this project this winter

Would anyone be interested in a group buy for LED replacement lights? How about if a company offered a complete set of lights for the FD?

I've done a great deal of LED research and work, primarily with several commercial home lighting projects, and have found www.superbrightleds.com to be an excellent source for LED lights.

What if the company put together a complete set of the best and brightest LED replacement bulbs for the FD and for that matter, the FC and offered them at a discount via a group buy?

Let me know if you would be interested and I'll take it from there.

David I'd be interested. I'm also interested in updating the dash/interior lighting with LEDs as well.

I'd be down price pending :icon_tup:

me too, it depends on what is being replaced as well, interior only? exterior only? or both?

I was thinking a complete interior and exterior swap with the exception of the headlight bulbs.

Of course, this would be approved by the forum also.

Did anyone do the LED bulb for the domelight yet? I wanna see if it looks better than the stock bulb. (if its too white, it might look dumb).

I'm not sure if everyone will want to replace all the lights, for myself I'd be interested in the rear taillight signals. If you can do it with individual items that would be suffice

I did, but not LED bulbs just regular white peanut bulbs. Looks 100x better than stock and yes you can see

What I might do, unless there is more interest, is to do a complete LED bulb replacement on my car and then post up a list of all the bulbs with pics of them. I've found some very nice 5 watt dual intensity taillight bulbs to try. I think the brightest ones yet that were tested on the forum were 3 watts. 5 watts is a lot of brightness for an LED bulbs. For comparison, I built a pretty cool, funky modern chandelier for our new home in Asheville using 7 LED lights, with each being less than one watt per bulb. And each bulb gives off enough light for an equivalent 45 watt or so regular bulb.

Here is what I tried to add to the above post but didn't make it in time:

What I might do, unless there is more interest, is to do a complete LED bulb replacement on my car and then post up a list of all the bulbs with pics of them. I've found some very nice 5 watt dual intensity taillight bulbs to try. I think the brightest ones yet that were tested on the forum were 3 watts. 5 watts is a lot of brightness for an LED bulbs. For comparison, I built a pretty cool, funky modern chandelier for our new home in Asheville using 7 LED lights, with each being less than one watt per bulb. And each bulb gives off enough light for an equivalent 45 watt or so regular bulb.

Here is what I am thinking for the tail lights:

http://superbrightleds.com/specs/1156-xLX5.htm

The above bulb interests me for a few reasons. It uses surface mounted LEDs which I have found to be extremely durable. It has a beam angle pattern of 220 degrees which is more than wide enough to light up the whole tail light section. Most LEDs are narrow angle focused (like a flash light beam) and they do not spread out enough light for tail light and braking applications. Finally, the bulbs are very bright as they put out about 130 lumens. By contrast, the bulbs I used for my home lighting project we pretty bright but they were only 24 lumens (http://superbrightleds.com/specs/MR11-WHPx.htm) so I know these will be bright. The downside? Cost: $29.95 per light.

What I also like about the bulbs is they have a dual intensity mode, were all the LEDS in the bulb are always on but the brighten when pressing the brake as described here:

"How do your LED bulbs achieve dual intensity?
All of our Tail/Brake bulbs achieve dual intensity modes by turning all of the LEDs on dim or all of the LEDs on bright, all of the LEDs are always lit when either mode is active."


My research also concludes you have to match the color of the LEDs to the color of the lens. So, if you are buying bulbs for the tail lights and the lens color is read, you need to use red colored LEDs and if the lens is white/clear, you should use white LEDs. Why?

"Which Color LEDs should I use ?
For best results the LED color should be the same as the lens color. As an example: a red lens will filter out all but the red portion of the light so if the light is all red, none or very little light will be blocked by the lens. The light from a White LED contains very little light in the red portion of the visible spectrum so most of the light would be filtered out by a red lens."

Finally, for the person that wanted to replace the dome light, my money would be on this, the WLED-WHP LED Wedge Base Bulbs:

http://superbrightleds.com/specs/bulb_specs.htm

I'd buy the one in white (as opposed to cool white) as it will have a more natural look and it also has a 120 degree beam patter which should be plenty wide enough to disperse the light.

Anyway, I'll do this as a project once I get my car back from Gotham Racing. It's going to be like 30 days or so.

The issue is Traditional Filament bulbs radiate light in all directions, or at lest as much as the glass dome allows, and LEDs are very directional by design... and with a big heat sync, like the one in David Hayes' picture doesn't radiate out very much. This isn't such a big problem if the bulb came from the back and faced toward the lens, the issue is, it faces into the top of the reflector. Which does very little because light drop off especially with bounces is fairly extreme. Therefore we're not seeing such great results with LEDs pointing away from the base. Especially spider lights and other variants that have a large or high wattage LED facing straight out are going to shine right into the top of the reflector, not out towards the lens / intended viewer.

Just something to keep in mind when buying LEDs...

I tried these from Gmonsens earlier post and am happy.
3175_HP_W rear hatch
http://www.v-leds.com/Shop/Control/P...id/0/SFV/32481
194_5_SMT_W interior map lights
http://www.v-leds.com/Shop/Control/P...id/0/SFV/32481
194_HP2_W license plate
http://www.v-leds.com/Shop/Control/P...id/0/SFV/32481
194_4_W 99 spec driving lights
http://www.v-leds.com/Shop/Control/P...id/0/SFV/32481

I tied a couple for the rear markers, unfortunately they looked pink. I will re-order in red.

You are right about normal LEDS having a small beam pattern. Most were initially developed for spot applications were a small beam pattern worked fine. The ones I posted have a beam angle of 220 degrees, more than sufficient for this application I think. They even make them now with 360 degree patterns but the brightness in not on par with the ones I described. I'm going to give them a shot and see what happens.

I might be interested pending seeing actual results on a car.

I'd be interested in the intensity at 0 deg. vs. 110 deg. from the front, and then you still have the issue that the reflector was designed for a central light source to spread, and focus through the lens element.... which isn't quite how the LEDs bulb holders were deigned... If Someone would make a 3Watter where all the leds faced sideways that might make things more efficient... but either way it looks like the tech is getting better, but not bright enough for me risking someone plowing into the back of my FD due to not being able to tell the difference between brake and running lights. It's one of my FD Phobias, driving in Los Angeles, getting rear ended... in my FD...

Okay, so this thread has really peaked my interest and has led to some research on my part and several emails to the superbrightleds.com guys. What I have found out to date is you should match the color of bulb you are purchasing to the lense color. So, if you have a red lense (like our brake lights) them you need to use a red LED bulb as the lense itself filters out other light colors except the red. So, DCrosby, you ordered white LEDs right? If so, I think this is part of the problem.

I've located the cross reference guide for FD LED replacement bulbs and have included it. Looks like the correct bulb for the brake light is a 1157?

Finally, I'm having a conversation with the superbrightleds.com guys regarding the best brake light bulb (and the others too but this one in particular) for our application and will share with you the result once I get more clarification.

I now have spoken to superbrightleds.com and they confirm you shouldn't put white LEDs behind red/amber lenses:

"you should always purchase the color of LED bulb that matches your
lens. So many people fail to read our Notes on Converting over to
LED bulbs: https://www.superbrightleds.com/carbulb-notes.htm

LEDs emit the color of light. A white LED emits white light. A
red LED emits red light. There is very little light emitted from
the red part of the color spectrum in a white LED bulb. Therefore
a white LED behind a red lens is going to look dim."

DCrosby, this may be why your 3 watt LEDS looked so dim.

^^ You are correct sir, I went to a local mall here got myself 2 led bulbs for my front signals and there 4 way so it will make the rear taillights flash as the front. LEd's are available all over, good luck ppl

So no real life pics?

heres what mine looks like.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udygraFvfKg
used this bulb: http://www.v-leds.com/Shop/Control/P...43250251252251

can you take a video of them in action or a pic? 99specs thx!

Here are some night pics, it appears the LED light is not a good flash source for a camera flash. the LED's in these pics are front driving, rear markers, license plate, back-up and dome light only.

I have a question for people who used LED bulbs for their dome light?

I recently put them in but when i close my door, the lights appear in dim mode.

Is that because it stored some energy or something? I havent tried to see how long they stay dim but all i know if i close my door, they still appear in dim mode. I open the door and they are full lit.

I have to literally turn the dome light OFF for the lights to turn off.

I just dont want to leave my car and have those lights in dim mode drain my battery.

Rob, Mine turns off when I shut the door like how a regular bulb is.

Hmm i guess thats what happens when you buy bulbs from ebay. :(

I did my parking lights and turn signals with some pieces from SuperBrightLEDs -- I'll try to post pictures soon.

In the end I needed to pull the signals because I didn't have resistors for them and I'm not sure about the parking lights -- the look bad (ricey) during the day (I like to have my gauges illuminated during the day), but look nice when it starts to get dark out.