Paul_2007S

Hey sorry , I didn't find anything after the "search" , but has anyone replaced their back-up lights with LEDs?

I saw an 08 Cadillac DTS today backing up to park , and wow the normal backup lights were actually xenon color LEDs. I think this is very very nice.

anyways if this has been done , please guide me to the thread.

Thanks.

bforbrian

iTrader: (11)

Simple plug and play.

sixsixfour

check with rockyfeller and Kennedy - they are the LED masters here

I upgraded mine to LEDs already, but changed out my rears to what Kennedy had posted in a thread. its a simple DIY and plug and play.

Jesstzn

are they actually brighter than stock? I have a long driveway to back out of .

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

They "look" better, but for actual functionality, you won't find a difference. Look at the bulbs I have in my sig. They look great, but when I'm backing up, it's the same as stock bulb brightness.

Bearcat94

So easy, even I could do it.

Check around for recommendations for LED's. Check this thread: https://acurazine.com/forums/car-parts-sale-361/new-box-pioneer-avc-rgb1-sale-159104/

IMO, the reverse camera lighting is improved. Seems brighter to me; maybe it's similar brightness, but clearer. Keeping the camera lens clean helps a lot too.

rockyfeller

iTrader: (6)

Kennedy did extensive research on this subject. I followed his recommendation. This is the thread you want Post #111 FTW!:

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=151137

sixsixfour

mine is a lot brighter than stock. ill take a pic today if i can.

Paul_2007S

Cool. You do That.

Thanks for the thread reference.

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

Paul...
I need to update my old LED thread.

Got your PM.

I just ordered these badboys:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2-WHI...spagenameZWDVW



They use the same kind of LEDS I reccomended last year. The previous version used 5. This one uses 18!

Finally, an LED option I believe will outshine an incadescent bulb.
I'll let you know how it goes.

THTL

iTrader: (2)

and this will fit the stock socket without modification.

TeknoKing

cool, I'm excited to the see this 18 LED baby in action!

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

Looking at the size of the base... 99.99999% sure it will.

enigmaos

iTrader: (4)

nice. 18 LED SMTs! keep us posted.

THTL

iTrader: (2)

let us know how it goes, i might have to jump on this too.

A-TLvic882

Could you post a picture badboy ws. incandescent bulb at same time? I've try few different lids, but return to incandescent bulb, it's brighter.

sixsixfour

here are my pics. i no longer have the stock bulbs though, so i cant compare to the incandescents:

reverse only with ambient (flourescent) light. it looks blue to the camera:



reverse only, no other lights:



reverse plus parking/tail/license plate lights (which are also LEDs):



you can tell how bright the license plate lights are because of the sharp cutoff of the bumper (sharp shadow on the floor) compared to the shot where only the reverse lights and nothing else were lit.

jumbosizeme79

nice colors, but does anyone have an instruction thread on how to take out the glass n replace the bulb, and bulb size also would be nice

sixsixfour

you just need to remove the inside liner. there are a couple threads here. first time it took me was over 1/2 an hour. now i can do mine in less than 5 mins.

jumbosizeme79

size? or is it the same as the interior bulbs?

sixsixfour

same size as the interior bulbs - Type 194

sixsixfour

here's how my interior LEDs (and the license plate LEDs) compare to the ones for my reverse lights.

for reference, this is what my interior looks from the outside:



the door light:



and the license plate light:




Now for the comparison...

this is the 3-LED bulb I bought locally. shot at 1/2000 sec to accurately show the 3 LEDs inside a wide angle housing. I have these in the four upper dome lights (2 front, 2 rear), door lights and in the license plate housing (total of 4 pairs altogether).



this is what it looks like in real-time, 1/60 sec shot, as it is mounted on the license plate light bulb housing:




this is the recent pair I bought from autolumination. it has 5 LEDs but they are not encased in a housing to properly disperse the light. it will fit in the same locations as the bulb I have above. here you can see 3 of the 5 LEDs as I shot it at an angle (1/2000 sec):



this is what it looks in real-time, 1/50 sec shot, as it is mounted on the reverse light bulb housing:




here is their comparo : the 5 LED bulb on the driver left (near camera), the 3 LED on driver right (near the refrigerator). shot in real time, 1/2 sec.:



another angle, still the same orientation, shot at 1 sec:



this is the most telling comparison, almost directly from the rear. shot at 1/3 sec:




the 5 LED is definitely brighter, and the pictures (as close as I can get them shot without unusually long exposures) are as close as I can get them to being accurate in real-time.

hope this helps

xoulu

iTrader: (3)

questions.... whats the size for interior? license plate? door light? and reverse light? thanks alot

rodneyc77

iTrader: (1)

LEDs are nice... been there done that... they don't have any real illumination properties... they just look nice... there's not real effective at night for the back-up camera...

So I upgraded to HID 8000K...

Good Luck

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

HID 8000K... huh? You installed rear facing projectors, ballasts and igniters? You mean you put those tinted blue PIAA bulbs...

Those 5 smt from superlumination were about 85% bright as stock. I gotta imagine these 18 led units are gonna be brighter than stock.

sixsixfour

hey Kennedy, let me know when you get those 18 LEDs. Im curious and may just swap mine again and keep these as backups

bforbrian

iTrader: (11)

A random question, how do you guys take pics of your reverse lights if you're outside the car taking the picture? What I did was put the E brake on, put it in reverse and RUN out and quickly take a snap. lol just curious.

blkaspec

hahaha, i was thinking the same thing the other day. glad i wasnt the only one.

TeknoKing

Correct, put the car in reverse first, then e-brake it, and go take a snap.

Then back in the car, hold the brake, take off the e-brake, switch to park.

Or just have someone else take the picture. Don't experiment around other cars or walls, lol.

sixsixfour

-turn key to ON (click before the START) position (all the dash lights come on)
-shift to R
-go outside
-take picture

you dont need to start the car, there's no need to.

leedogg

I used 12leds (921's) back there. all 12 led's shine in one direction. it has a nice white blue look.

LyfeIs

I was thinking about getting those 18 LED's also but when I ran a search, everyone kept talking about the PIAA's. I definitely want to see those 18's in there before I buy.

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

Lee, ya gotta try these SMT versions. They're so much brighter than those 9 led clusters.

PIAA's don;t seem any brighter than stock to me, and the bulb is tinted blue... so the inside of the light housing reflects this blue hue everywhere...

No thanks.

The 5 leds clusters I reccomended last year have been great, I figure these 18 led version are gonna really fit the bill.

rockyfeller

iTrader: (6)

HAAHA lol. Ya guys you don't have to have the car started to do this. That would be dangerous!

I gotta see that 18LED Kennedy, it'll be crazy! I can't do any more LEDing on my car, that's enough for now....I've gone overboard and spent $100s!

......now if I can only get to that anti-theft and "Dual" LEDs with blue, I'll be done....

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

Yeah... Rippin the radio apart isn't ont he horizon yet.

Just ordered these for the rear turn signals:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2-AMB...spagenameZWDVW



If they're crazy bright, I may move them to the front...

rockyfeller

iTrader: (6)

Sorry to go OT here on this thread but what LEDs do you guesstimate those LED's on the radio are? Perhaps like those 3mm SMTs we've used in our front sidemarkers? I don't want to open the radio twice....I wish someone has the definitive answer.

xoulu

iTrader: (3)

anyone? please...? greatly appreciated

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

Side markers are high flux... BIG

The radio ones are TINY. 2-3mm SMT Order some. PM me your address. If I can find the ones i ordered, I'll maily you a few. They're microscopic...

rodneyc77

iTrader: (1)

Absolutely...

ABP_04TL

iTrader: (2)

yea show them rodney wass good wit those reverse