LED bulbs

[damo66]

Hello y'all

i'm sure some of you will know the right LED bulbs to use for sidelights and number plate - are they a straight swap or do they need adapting?
let me know where to get them from (probably ebay) if you can....

[dj2k21]

The side lights are 501 bulbs.  Come to think of it I can't recall ever coming across a car that wasn't 501 for sidelights.  Can't recall number plate ones because I have an led strip instead of bulbs but go to autobulbs direct website and it tells you what bulbs your car uses

[Wabbitkilla]

Number plate, indicator side repeaters and high level brake builds are 501 too
Rear side lights are not 501

[carlclarke]

Side lights and number plate lights are a straigh swap in as much as there is no checking of the circuit by the car and so no bulb failure errors to show up on the dash etc. However quality and brightness vary considerably, some of the most 'impressive' looking units are completely unsuitable so be cautious and don't be impressed by towers of weak LEDs regardless of the pictures that the vendor shows. There is also the issues around non European standard ('E' marked) lamps being fitted that you should research.

[carlclarke]

The are different codes for the same lamps, the ones that I can remember are:

Front side lights W5W, 501
Front indicators W21W, 580

Side indicator repeater (amber if you do not have amber lens) W5W, 501

Rear side light/brake light WY21W, 582 (side and brake in one lamp)
Rear high level brake light W5W, 501
Rear reversing light W21W, 580
Rear fog light W21W, 580
Rear indicator (amber) W21W, 580
Rear number plate W5W, 501

Interior light 30mm festoon, 269
Dash back lights 286

PFL headlights H4 (dip and full in one lamp)
or
FL headlights H7 (dip) HB3/9005 (full)

I really hope I got that list right, am pretty sure but please always check your own bulbs first.

[damo66]

thanks chaps - glad i asked; good info from u..
hardest bit now really is determining which are the best ones - as in 'some vary in quality and brightness'

i was only looking at front sidelights and number plate but might look at the others too now

[carlclarke]

For W5W I like the Cree Q5 W5W units but they are quite tall and directional, the light only comes out from the end where the lens is, so this doesn't work well for the MR2 fittings. The only other ones that I like are the Osram W5W 'Premium' they make a 6000K, 4000K and amber versions and they look and output light from the sides more like regular filiament bulbs. 6000K was too white in the high level brake light, 4000K was much better.

It is all a bit confusing with LED vs filiament, the power consumption (wattages) are different for the light output as filiament bulbs lose a lot of energy as heat. In the end it is about safety - just make sure your LED lights are as bright as the filiament bulbs that you are replacing and that the light is shining in the right direction to be seen by other road users. Conversely, especially with headlights (if you are thinking about changing them sometime) don't blind other road users like some of they guys with HID conversions or high wattage blue lights can do.

If you do change front or rear indicators for LEDs it will convince the flasher unit that a bulb has failed and start flashing double time, just changing the side indicator repeaters seems to be ok.

[damo66]

jeez, u know what? i might just stick with normal bulbs!!
thought it'd be straight swap - but i just know i'll spend 20 quid on, what would amount to, christmas tree lights...   :-) :-) :-)

[carlclarke]

jeez, u know what? i might just stick with normal bulbs!!
thought it'd be straight swap - but i just know i'll spend 20 quid on, what would amount to, christmas tree lights...   :-) :-) :-)

s:D s:D  can't fault that logic, some people want to go faster or accelerate quicker, some people want bling and huge noisy exhause pipes, some want high tech lights and electronics...

[damo66]

i want to go quicker, make it shine better, make it sound better, brake better - but all in relatively small and subtle amounts

just thought the leds would be a cheap simple mod to make a small difference..

i have a personal steering wheel i want to put on it and a mattperformance cross-brace when i take it to get it serviced.

[carlclarke]

Seems like you are hooked on your MR2 like the rest of us  s:) s:)  I think that the only strong visible difference, lighting-wise would be the front side lights, on a regular car they have the dim dirty orange look. So if I was making just one change to the lighting appearance it would be that one.

If you want a brighter interior light then I have this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230998064943 with the OEM interior lens (the club sells a clear lens too on this site). It is much much brighter than a 9 LED version that I tried from Halfords. At 3W for the LED vs 10W for standard OEM bulb it will take about 3 times longer to flatten your battery if you forget to switch it off.   s:) s:)  

The Mattperformance cross brace is a winner too.

[Anonymous]

Swapped my number plate lights, third brake lights and front parking lights for ........THESE

[MR TWO]

Swapped my number plate lights, third brake lights and front parking lights for ........THESE

What are "front parking lights"? Do I have them on my 2000MRS?

[damo66]

Swapped my number plate lights, third brake lights and front parking lights for ........THESE

Are they just a straight swap?

Might be interested in LEDs again!!!

[damo66]

Seems like you are hooked on your MR2 like the rest of us  s:) s:)  I think that the only strong visible difference, lighting-wise would be the front side lights, on a regular car they have the dim dirty orange look. So if I was making just one change to the lighting appearance it would be that one.

If you want a brighter interior light then I have this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230998064943 with the OEM interior lens (the club sells a clear lens too on this site). It is much much brighter than a 9 LED version that I tried from Halfords. At 3W for the LED vs 10W for standard OEM bulb it will take about 3 times longer to flatten your battery if you forget to switch it off.   s:) s:)  

The Mattperformance cross brace is a winner too.

Hooked? Oh yes! Bought it from matt last new years eve and it has been excellent..
Don't want to change everything on it but got the bug to make some 'enhancements'!

[Anonymous]

Swapped my number plate lights, third brake lights and front parking lights for ........THESE

Are they just a straight swap?

Might be interested in LEDs again!!!

Yep......But if they don't work when you plug them in they're not duff, they just need turning round   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

[loadswine]

Swapped my number plate lights, third brake lights and front parking lights for ........THESE

What are "front parking lights"? Do I have them on my 2000MRS?

Sidelights, its just terminology.  s;) s;)

[Anonymous]

Swapped my number plate lights, third brake lights and front parking lights for ........THESE

What are "front parking lights"? Do I have them on my 2000MRS?

Sidelights, its just terminology.  s;) s;)

They are what a large number of people call side lights and think they are great for driving in bad driving conditions, fog, spray, heavy rain etc.

[jinxedkitten]

i want to go quicker, make it shine better, make it sound better, brake better - but all in relatively small and subtle amounts

just thought the leds would be a cheap simple mod to make a small difference...

+1

Some good info in here, think ill do my front side lights as they seem so dim, and definitely the interior.

[Wabbitkilla]

They are what a large number of people call side lights and think they are great for driving in bad driving conditions, fog, spray, heavy rain etc.

 s:lol: :lol: s:lol:  Some of those same people think front foglights are for all the time too   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  

I used to have some 501 halogen bulbs which improved the front sidelights, but can't get them anymore .... I have fitting a pair of the larger led types and they're a vast improvement over the candles which the normal 501s looked like in such a large and clear housing.

There are some flat led arrays with about 12 LEDs attached which fit in the interior light and make a huge difference, well worth finding on the bay of e.

[Anonymous]

There are some flat led arrays with about 12 LEDs attached which fit in the interior light and make a huge difference, well worth finding on the bay of e.

They do them with 48 LED's now (Ordered one   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  ) CLICKY That should light up the interior    s8) s8)  .....

[loadswine]

Wow, a no brainer at that price!

[damo66]

So does that flat 48 led panel fit in the interior light?

[Anonymous]

So does that flat 48 led panel fit in the interior light?

I'll let you know when I get it   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

[damo66]

So does that flat 48 led panel fit in the interior light?

I'll let you know when I get it   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Had a feeling you'd say that!!  s:D s:D