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Guide: Fitting LED's to side lights and yellow side lights

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Old May 6th, 2011, 23:28   #11
Volvon
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Quote:
Originally Posted by andy_d View Post
yours had also exchanged its rear number plate bulb holders for burnt bits of plastic?
fubar'd IMG_0132.jpg

I've basically gaffa taped the led inside it and it works better than the original!

IMG_0133.jpg

Sorry about the image quality..iphone and all that..
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Last edited by Volvon; May 6th, 2011 at 23:31.
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Old May 7th, 2011, 00:04   #12
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yours melted yours better than mine melted mine , i feel cheated now id only got brown + melted plastic , nothing as spectacular as yours.
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Old May 7th, 2011, 00:22   #13
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TBH it's a wonder how my car hasn't gone up in flames the amount of melted plastic I find sometimes..no wonder Volvo sell a fire extiniguisher as an optional extra.
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Old May 7th, 2011, 09:41   #14
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Originally Posted by littlehomer View Post
Hi there,

I've converted my side markers, sidelights and all interior to led.

I haven't lost my soft start and fade on interior though.

Cheers,

Daniel
No, neither have I.

Gary
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Old May 7th, 2011, 15:25   #15
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Originally Posted by GaryS40 View Post
Hi biotoxic

I bought some of the shorter, 8 x SMD LED 501's, from Honk Kong a few months ago.

They fitted the front sidelights, but they appeared to be just too long to fit into the side markers, as they touched the inside of the lens before the bulb mounting could be re-connected.

Your bulbs are 12 x SMD's, so I assume they are longer than the ones I had.

Did they have to be forced into the lens unit, or did they go in with no problem?

I had to order a different style of LED to fit into mine.

I have a 2003 S40.

Gary
No mine fitted in just perfectly, I guess few mm can make a difference...
I just noticed that front yellow sidelight leds are actually touching the plastic, but those at the back are ok, there is some space between. I will measure them later on.
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Old May 13th, 2011, 00:25   #16
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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.
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Old May 13th, 2011, 01:31   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jcwacky View Post
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
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Current car:
2002 V70 2.4T SE
Mod's so far: Orpheus alloys, 10.1" android multimedia head unit, Nappa leather rebuilt, wood trimmed m/function steering wheel, Polestar blue and black calipers, Pipe Dynamics custom turbo back stainless steel exhaust, with 200 cell sports cat, R engine and injector rail covers, tinted rear windows.
Previous cars:
1982 760 GLE saloon
1989 740 GLE estate
1991 440 S
2003 S40 S - Gone but not forgotten. ☹
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Old May 13th, 2011, 21:54   #18
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Have you got a link for the festoons Gary? I've been wanting some for ages but unsure which ones were right.

I don't allow anyone to shut the boot so everyone thinks I'm a perfect gntleman putting they're bags in the boot! brownie points all round.
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Old May 13th, 2011, 22:20   #19
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http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FESTOON-10-LED...item3366ec2eb5

thats the type i fitted to the boot / glove box and drivers footwell on mine.
you do need to get them the right way + / - ve , and the led's pointing "out" tho

there are better ones, 15 "SMD" led units in a 44mm package now, all depends what you fancy in 44mm festoon format
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Interior-Dome-...item3a65292783

being the 15 smd ones, (which tempt me i admit_)
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Old May 13th, 2011, 22:32   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by andy_d View Post
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FESTOON-10-LED...item3366ec2eb5

thats the type i fitted to the boot / glove box and drivers footwell on mine.
you do need to get them the right way + / - ve , and the led's pointing "out" tho

there are better ones, 15 "SMD" led units in a 44mm package now, all depends what you fancy in 44mm festoon format
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Interior-Dome-...item3a65292783

being the 15 smd ones, (which tempt me i admit_)
Yeah mine are very similar and make a huge difference to the lighting.

Go for it tony, you know you want to!!!

Gary
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Current car:
2002 V70 2.4T SE
Mod's so far: Orpheus alloys, 10.1" android multimedia head unit, Nappa leather rebuilt, wood trimmed m/function steering wheel, Polestar blue and black calipers, Pipe Dynamics custom turbo back stainless steel exhaust, with 200 cell sports cat, R engine and injector rail covers, tinted rear windows.
Previous cars:
1982 760 GLE saloon
1989 740 GLE estate
1991 440 S
2003 S40 S - Gone but not forgotten. ☹
16 non Volvos.
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