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

[Biotoxic]

This should work on most volvo cars, this will work on x40 series cars.
Thanks hyvää for link and information about those LED's.

I will make this as a guide so if anybody else wants to change to LED's(or regular light bulbs) they can do so faster and easier than they could do that themselves, saving some time and money.

So then, typical warning.
I am not a electrician! I do not take any responsibility if you mess this up and short circuit car's electrical system! (this doesn't stop you/me from rewiring your/my house with new electric cables, and change lighbulbs your/my self )

I made some comparison for a side lights. It looks way better than original(urine) colour bulbs



Looks way better than originals eh?

So then.....

Light bulbs came from Hong Kong, it took nearly 2 and half weeks to get them, I ordered 3 of them( there is 2 LED bulbs in one pack, in total I've got 6 LED's)


Unpacking...


Comparing light bulb with LED's

--------

I used small flat head screwdriver, you may want to use something between screwdriver and plastic, just in case of any damage occurs. ( I didn't used any)


Move it outwards, that metallic clip holds it in place so you just want to pop it out(if it is rusty, it will fells like its stuck)


Slide it towards the back of the car


Check if there is any damage to wires


To remove the light bulb holder you need to rotate it 90 degrees counter clockwise (pret pulksteni)


It should come out easy enough


Then remove light bulb. If metal has oxidised, you might have some problems to remove light bulb itself(just pull it out, do not twist the bulb or holder)


You might want to use something like this

after you remove light bulb and if you notice that there is some oxidation marks, remove them with flat head screwdriver and then use electric contact cleaner and let the fluid rinse out( put housing upside down) do this few times and only then insert your new LED's or normal light bulbs



Some of the bulbs were really bad.. only 1 of 4 bulbs were working...



There is some thing that you should do with new LED's before you fit them...
When you receive them, metal connectors looks like in pictures bellow...



they are too close together... so you need to make some adjustments

first, move those wires more to the sides so they do connect to the metal directly(If you don't do this LED's might not work)

then use screwdriver to bend those tiny wires back from the housing


Then, when you fit old bulb

with LED


note that if you insert them and they are not working, rotate LED 180 degrees, they should work(looks like they only work one way)

Then insert them back in indicator housing and install them back in the bumpers, NOTE that LED housing can be inserted only one way, just align pins on each sides of the housing so that they match grooves on yellow side light housing.



Good thing that those LED's fits in side light sockets(I believe they are called) as well.



Locate wires at the bottom and pull them out.


Replace with LED's put them back in and you are good to go



Nice!!!!!!!



I have heard that the same type fits into other places as well, other forum members feel free to correct me or add more information about them or post some links where forum members or unregistered readers could get them

[GaryS40]

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

[Volvon]

Excellent guide Bio! Glad I could help on the bulbs

I have these in numberplate, sidelights, front and rear interior lights aswell. They are all the same fitment. Rear interior lights are a snug fit but they do work

And your right! They are much better than urine coloured lamps.

Here is interior light with same bulbs:
IMG_0142.jpg

[caiw123]

can i ask what the model no. of bulb is or where i could find them look crackin and easy to fit!
many thanks
dave

[T4Rick]

Carnt see the pictures

[T4Rick]

I can see them now lol

[Biotoxic]

Originally Posted by GaryS40

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.

[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.

[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

[Volvon]

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.