LED Lighting

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(pocketpenguin @ Apr 22 2006, 09:49 PM) [snapback]243796[/snapback]</div>

Ditto that. I have one of these panel pullers, and I have used it on a Ford Explorer, Subaru Impreza, Honda Accord, and the Prius. Pulls the clips right out easily. If you look at the clips, there is actually a slot that this tool fits right into and it pulls htem out without damage or frustration.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DocVijay @ Apr 22 2006, 07:20 PM) [snapback]243816[/snapback]</div>

Indeed! But you have to first have access to the clips to use it. Not as easy as it may seem for this rear panel. Has anybody *easily* pulled that rear panel off the Prius? If so, I'm impressed....a nd I obviously did something wrong. Even after the panel was off, I had a hell of a time getting those clips out of the holes with total access AND the proper tool.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Apr 22 2006, 07:59 PM) [snapback]243832[/snapback]</div>

Whoa. I'm not sure where I lost you. I OWN a bunch of Chinese LED replacement bulbs. I don't actually use them, though I always try to see if they'll work out. The bulbs I'm using for my license plate lights I built myself from the bare components: Wire, resistors, solder, LEDs, plastic bulb base, glue and time. Same with the other LED modules for the rest of the car. I've built them... I'm NOT using the Chinese bulbs. I show them in some of my pictures for comparison. The picture caption usually mentions what the pictures are showing. For example, in the picture below I'm shoing TWO Chinese bulbs on the left, then the one I built and am using, and then the factory bulb I replaced.

I spent about $20 in parts to build my pair of bulbs. Was joking about the $417... thought that would be high enough to make it obvious. It took me WAY too long to build these things - after several screw-ups and brain farts. If I were paying myself a decent wage, these things WOULD have cost $417. In the meantime, however... I REbuilt them, so the aim is better, and it covers the entire plate more evenly now. I had them face straight down first, and now I have them both angle in toward the center. Looks like a more even wash of light now.

 

Some Chinese units that'll fit the license plate bulb sockets (and the front dome socets) can be found here:
http://autolumination.com/bmw/194.htm

Scroll down. This is also where I purchased my bulb bases. Took me forever to locate these bases! The guy who runs the shop, Chis, is awesome to deal with. Highly recommended.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Apr 22 2006, 09:17 PM) [snapback]243851[/snapback]</div>

You got it. I guess maybe my page wasn't clear enough about that. I'll give it another look. (Ok, I updated the captions a bit. Make more sense now?)

The only way to copy what I did is to buy all the little parts yourself, solder/glue it all together and you're on your way. The chinese bulbs work OK - they just aren't optimized for the application. They either shoot the light straight back, or in all directions... when where you want all the light is DOWN on the plate. Still, the do work OK, and the price is right. If you're desperate for the LEDs like I made them, drop me an email, and we'll see what we can do.

Can I assume that this is the type of clip removal tool you guys were talking about? I made myself a similar one... this looks like it would help (longer than what I've got).
http://www.hpcworld.com/Tools/t_ast5.htm

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rick Auricchio @ Apr 18 2006, 01:13 PM) [snapback]241625[/snapback]</div>

Toyota is impressively efficient with everything they do, having visited the Kanto Auto Works facotory in Kanagasaki, Iwate, Japan that builds the Toyota Yaris sedan (JDM Belta) and Toyota Mark X (JDM only, and talk about impressive LED applications, the Mark X has LEDs everywhere from ambient lighting in all 4 door panels and dash to a very beautiful blue/white ambient lighting system in the headliner) I think it is just a matter of time before they put LEDs in all their cars. Have you seen the 2006 Lexus GS and IS (07 LS)? All have LED interior lighting systems that are quite impressive (especially in the GS, oh my goodness :lol: ). LEDs are now being offered in the high end luxury cars from Toyota, and with time I know it will trickle down into the smallest Yaris or whatever.

Here are some pix of that sweet Toyota Mark X interior LED...

<a href=\"http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/172/sosexy6ow.jpg\" target=\"_new\"><img width=\"800\" class=\"attach\" src=\"http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/172/sosexy6ow.jpg\" border='0' alt=\"IPB Image\" />
</a>

 

One daytime pic of mark x:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ Apr 23 2006, 12:30 AM) [snapback]243852[/snapback]</div>

I found a dollar tree wire terminal crimping tool worked out ok for the removal of the clips left in the tailgate. Just surround the "root" of the clip with the crimping (short) end and lever it out.

Sometimes ignorance is bliss, I just grabbed the handhold on the plastic panel with my right hand, kept the tailgate from hitting my head with the left, pulled hard and all but 2 of the clips were left in the tailgate. I would have prefered the clips stay in the plastic, it would have saved as step as I could not figure out a way to replace the panel without the clips installed in the plastic panel first. I think removal was helped by the fact that here in Orlando when I removed it the temp was over 90 degrees, or maybe it was the humidity ?

Putting the panel back was no fun either. If anyone EVER has to take that panel off, have appropriate LED replacements ready as you will never want to do it again. I used some chinese 4 led 194's, definitely not Darrelldd's caliber but that will drop the draw a little and hopefully last the life of the car. I'm not concerned about the even illumination as the plates are reflectorized here in Florida and about the only time you would notice the lighting there would pretty definitely be some background illumination to keep the middle of the plate from being "black". My driftwood '06 should not be high on smokey's let's check this guy out list!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(98clru @ Jun 1 2006, 01:10 PM) [snapback]264196[/snapback]</div>

Hmmm. I had NO trouble putting the panel back on once the clips were in the right place. Just fitted it up, and bumped it with my hand where I thought the clips were. Snap, snap. Done. Wonder what I did differently. Getting it OFF was the real bugger for me! Amazing that those clips can pull out of the plastic without being harmed (much)! I can't figure out what gives for them to come out of the plastic slot? The clip? The plastic holder? A little of both?

I agree! It isn't a mod that I recommend, and certainly nobody has taken me up on the license plate LEDs yet.

Shucks. Thanks for the confidence. I will warn you on those Chinese 194's though! I have yet to see any that were more than just a resistor in series with the LEDs. Keep your eye on them because the odds are that they will NOT last the life of the car... but then you could also get lucky. It is probably the same where you are - having no light on the plate is worth a ticket.

 

Some day I am going to replace all lights (excluding headlights) in my Rx-7 with LEDs

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Jun 19 2006, 06:08 PM) [snapback]273756[/snapback]</div>

Nothing to be sorry about. Converting to high-quality LEDs isn't something that everybody's gonna be able to do. If it weren't my hobby, I wouldn't be spending the money either!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ Jun 1 2006, 04:22 PM) [snapback]264206[/snapback]</div>

Unfortunately Darell you weren't even discussing production when I last read the postings before I placed my order on ebay. I found all the LED lights I got off of ebay to be disappointment, but as I recommended in my post, I don't plan on taking the tailgate cover off again! I will keep an eye on them though, but here in florida if you aren't suspicious for other reasons police and sheriff let all sorts of things go that would get a ticket in most states. Drive an older car and play the wrong type of music too loud and you will get to know local law enforcement very well!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(98clru @ Jun 19 2006, 07:19 PM) [snapback]273835[/snapback]</div>

This is why I now keep a front license plate on. Most cars look soooo much better without them. But I don't need one more reason to be pulled over! You get to a certain age, and silly stuff like abiding by the laws starts to matter more.

 

Ok - this seems like the thread for it. Has _ANYONE_ tried to replace the fog lights with LED replacements???

I was thinking of replacing them with HID lights, but now thinking, I would like to try and replace them with LED lights.

Any suggestions?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(londo-cat @ Jun 19 2006, 10:32 PM) [snapback]273929[/snapback]</div>

Do you want them to actually be functional or just ornamental (like from the factory?) Something could certainly be made for ornamental purposes (like marker lights) but as far as functionality goes... I'm afraid it isn't gonna happen just yet.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ Jun 20 2006, 01:43 AM) [snapback]273934[/snapback]</div>

Ok, what would be the technical barriers on doing something like this? I am assuming that LED technology can't produce a strong enough forward light beam or spread? I was looking at some of the new LED flashlights and the particular LED technology behind them.

What I am thinking about is something like this: http://www.lapolicegear.com/sukrledfl.html

While it only puts out 60 Lumens on White LED high, perhaps something with a more spread beam instead of a tighly focused beam.

I saw something that _might_ work: http://autic.en.alibaba.com/product/500384...D_Fog_Lamp.html

But I don't like the design. I'd like something that looked more like the Surefire Kroma LED face.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(londo-cat @ Jun 21 2006, 10:15 AM) [snapback]274722[/snapback]</div>

I'm on vacation on a terrible conection, so this will be short - if it comes through at all!

The barrier to doing this is COST. One of the major problems is trying to retrofit LEDs into an incandescent fixture. Yes, there are awesome LED flashlights. I'm pretty deep into LED flashlights, actually, and have the good fortune to see some of the neato stuff before the market does. But a powerful flashlight has nothing on a powerful headlight (to an extent - we do have some HID "flashlights" that will knock your socks off - but we're talking LED here). Making enough light to be useful will also require us to get rid of quite a bit of waste heat. Not too hard if we can design the fixture for it - but we're trying to retrofit. To do it right, a new fixture needs to be designed for LEDs. It is possible. It just isn't cost effective by any stretch. LED tech most definitely CAN produce enough photons to make it work. The flaship Lexus hybrid will have DOT-approved LED low beams out this year.

Using a TIR system would be AWESOME. But again... the fixture would need to be designed for it.