LED Car Bulbs

wul3er · Post by **wul3er** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 10:49 pm

Has any one tried these, I seen them in a shop at the weekend. But wasnt sure about buying them. They were Â£7 per bulb and the shop had various different colors.

Do you think i would have to wire up a seperate resistor ?

Whats the worst that would happen if i bought one and simply just plugged it in without any resistors ?

PS its a MK5 and i'll be puting them in as brake lights.

bstardchild · Post by **bstardchild** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 10:53 pm

wul3er wrote:Has any one tried these, I seen them in a shop at the weekend. But wasnt sure about buying them. They were Â£7 per bulb and the shop had various different colors.

Do you think i would have to wire up a seperate resistor ?

Whats the worst that would happen if i bought one and simply just plugged it in without any resistors ?

PS its a MK5 and i'll be puting them in as brake lights.

- Not sure about the resistor thing but I do know they play havoc with flasher relay speed so need to have additional load to slow the relay down

- brake lights I assume not

wul3er · Post by **wul3er** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:00 pm

Do you think it would damage anything if i purchased one and plugged it, Dont worry about me breaking the car, I'll probibly try it regardless. LOL
I seem to do daft things like that

Steve_O · Post by **Steve_O** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:09 pm

The worst thing that will happen is the LED will burn out - tho in a fairly understated way!!

If you manage to short the circuitry then you'll blow one of the car's fuses. No big deal.

Explain a bit more what it is you're thinking of buying. Are they just single LED's or a unit or what??

I've been meaning to get some of these for a while now...

http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/product_info ... cts_id=742

They may seem expensive, but you get what you pay for!!

bstardchild · Post by **bstardchild** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:10 pm

wul3er wrote:Do you think it would damage anything if i purchased one and plugged it, Dont worry about me breaking the car, I'll probibly try it regardless. LOL
I seem to do daft things like that

Nope - I think I know what bulbs you mean now - kinda LED cluster hung on a std bayonet fitting

They'd be fine on a brake light - bit bright but whatever floats your boat

Steve_O · Post by **Steve_O** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:14 pm

The reason I'm getting them is that they come on instantly. You wouldn't believe how much difference that can make on the motorway etc, plus the fact they're bright makes them harder to miss.

I nearly got smashed into on the motorway cos some guy failed to see my brake lights or my hazards in time!! I wouldn't get LED bulbs for my indicators tho, cos the instant on/off thing looks very weird!!

It's amazing just how slow filament bulbs are by comparison!!

bstardchild · Post by **bstardchild** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:16 pm

Steve_O wrote:The reason I'm getting them is that they come on instantly. You wouldn't believe how much difference that can make on the motorway etc, plus the fact they're bright makes them harder to miss.

<snip>

It's amazing just how slow filament bulbs are in comparison!!

I've noticed that on LED third brake brakelights on cars - first to come on every time

Steve_O · Post by **Steve_O** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:29 pm

I'm thinking of getting a high level brake-light too!! Call me mr paranoid!!

The other obvious benefit of LED bulbs is that all being well, they'll outlast the car!!

mikegti · Post by **mikegti** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:33 pm

I recently bought some of these:

http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/product_info ... ed63ebd885

From the spec they're not quite as bright as the red ones that steve_o pointed out (225,000MCD compared to 280,00MCD), but I thought the white ones might be ok as the original bulbs arent red either. However they just look like sidelights to me (and a little bit PINK!)

I did try them as indicators but they flashed like mad (as expected).

I'm gonna try and exchange them for the red ones, otherwise i wont be wasting another 20 quid!

wul3er · Post by **wul3er** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:34 pm

Thats the same things, i think i'll try and get 2 of these the morra and get them fitted.

The reason im wanting them is because twice in the past few months ive had to take the install apart to change brake bulbs.

I wish i had thought about this before i done the install, but hey its done now.

Steve_O · Post by **Steve_O** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:41 pm

mikegti wrote:I'm gonna try and exchange them for the red ones, otherwise i wont be wasting another 20 quid!

The guy at UltraLeds seems pretty good. I once asked if he had any red LEDs which wouldn't burn my retinas out, so he just sent me a few of the dimmest ones he had - for free!!

They turned out to be flashing and were still bright enough to burn my retinas out however!!

@wul3er, don't be fooled, they all look similar, but most of them are crap!! I'm not saying they will be for sure, but just remember to keep the receipt!!

wul3er · Post by **wul3er** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:48 pm

I understand you get what you pay for, But what could be be crap about them.

Steve_O · Post by **Steve_O** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 12:17 am

Well they could be a lot dimmer for a start, but i'm probably just being over-cynical. Sorry!!

You only need to take them back if they're no good. Just i've heard good things about those ultraleds ones. It would be annoying to have to change them yet again!!

Tahrey1043 · Post by **Tahrey1043** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 12:46 am

yeah im thinking of getting a roofline level led brake lamp put in (not that ive had much trouble with people seeing the lights as they are - already reasonably high and wide)

not sure on whether i'd go for full LED brake/tail lights. Time was i'd say yes, but having been blinded enough recently by ignorant, gormless twits standing on their brakes to keep their cars still (on a dead level road!) who DONT even have a 3rd light let alone full LEDs...... and having seen just how much brighter they are (it's staggering - the ones fitted to a BMW or range rover could probably do you real damage).... not so sure any more.

sure looks different however. would like to go for a massive conversion - mesh over where the lights would usually go (body colour) and stuff a load of LEDs in the holes, for example. And at the front, if i could reliably aim them! (don't doubt the brightness or whiteness of white LED bulbs! nuclear in the right quanitities - such as the garden decoration of someone up the road)

then again that would look totally pikey, but its an idea.

carmadaaron · Post by **carmadaaron** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 10:24 am

bstardchild wrote:
Steve_O wrote:The reason I'm getting them is that they come on instantly. You wouldn't believe how much difference that can make on the motorway etc, plus the fact they're bright makes them harder to miss.

<snip>

It's amazing just how slow filament bulbs are in comparison!!
I've noticed that on LED third brake brakelights on cars - first to come on every time

yeh noticed tat too.... apparently LEDs use less power.

UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

LED Car Bulbs

LED Car Bulbs

Re: LED Car Bulbs