[GaryS40]

Originally Posted by jcwacky

Just wanted to chip in with my LED fitting experience today.

I'd ordered 3 pairs of these 501 9 SMD LEDs from eBay. Cause I was too impatient to wait for them to arrive from China.

I started by replacing my left front sidelight, but immediately had problems as I realised the LED "bulb" was wider than the original bulb and was not going to go through the hole in the reflector. After a bit of careful forcing though, it did go through, but then wouldn't light up. I then started panicking because I now had to pull it back through the hole it didn't really fit through without it falling off into the reflector, but luckily I managed this! After rotating the bulb in the holder 180 degrees, I tested it to be working fine and then pushed it back into position. I also fitted a Osram Nightbreaker H7 into the DRL (Daytime running lamp).

I waited until it got dark and then went to have a look, but I'm not sure about the result:


(The photo doesn't really accurately represent how it looks in real life)

The colour difference between the LED and the Nightbreaker was much larger than I was expecting, mainly I think because I was expecting the Nightbreaker to be much whiter. It just looked silly, and made the LED stand out even more. I'd be worried the police would think something didn't look right and stop me.

Here is a normal sidelight vs the LED sidelight, with DRL off, a massive difference, the LED looks great:



I considered just always switching to sidelights only unless the conditions required more light, but decided it was too much hassle to have to start worrying about turning lights on and off all the time, I've got a Volvo after all! Think I might just go back to boring old filament sidelights. Unless it's possible to get LEDs which have a closer colour match to the Nightbreakers, and aren't so white/blue?

Here is the LED sidelight, vs normal sidelight with the front of my car right up against a wall:


Crazy difference!

I also tried putting the LEDs in the sidemarkers, but they were too long, and didn't fit at all.

Lastly, I replaced my front interior lights with the LEDs. They look very cool, and they still fade on/off, but they might be a bit too bright for my liking. Might try some 5 SMD ones for the interior instead.

So that's how I got on. They're almost too cool, and I can't think of a solution to my problem, other then going sidelights only, or getting a set of HIDs for my DRLs, but I've been put off HIDs due to the legality questions of them.

Hopefully someone will find this info useful.

Hi mate

Exactly the same as happened to me, other than I made sure the SMD's were working before I fitted them. They are tight in the reflector, though! Long nose pliers will be used to replace them without them falling into the light.

My standard incandescant bulbs look a little yellow against the LED too, but that will change with the HID's...very soon. Foglights are getting the LED treatment, at the same time too.

I love the extra light that the SMD's give to the interior of the car, much crisper white light - never too bright. I have also done the boot, glovebox and driver's footwell with the festoon type - they look amazing.

I did the number plate too, but started getting flicker in one of them - I think due to the shock they get from the boot being slammed - not me, wife and kids.

Gary