Brighter brake/tail lights?

[Quinny]

Anyone else note that the light on the left reacted to the pedal being presses faster than the light on the right

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

I experimented with LED lights on my SEAT about 8 years ago.

The problem with the cheaper LEDs of the time is that they were very directional, only producing a pinpoint of light. What you need is something like the bulb above which has multiple clusters of LEDs pointing in various directions, including sideways so that it fills the reflector properly.

Even then you could buy ones with multi-directional LEDs, but the ones I tried were still not very good. Despite having LEDs pointing in various directions they still didn't fill the reflector particularly well. However, LED technology has moved on since then and we're now talking about surface-mounted CREE-driven LEDs which should be a whole world better - hence I'm ready to give them another whirl.

I also tried white sidelights, and had similar problems. But an additional problem there was that they're in close proximity to the halogen headlights, and they soon started rapidly flashing on and off due to heat damage. This problem, if it still exists, would be even worse with our headlights because the sidelight bulb is even closer.

I never bothered trying LED indicator bulbs. There's an additional problem with those, in that they cause a normal flasher unit to flash too fast. I believe you can get replacement flasher units to cure the problem though.

Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Thursday 20th March 13:31

[snorky]

I tried the cheaper ones and they literally fell out the sockets within a day. so not great quality.
I will have a look for the cree ones and try again..

[QBee]

Ribol said:

I think the problem is they are simply too low, doesn't matter how much brighter they are (IMO).

So I swung another way, it doesn't work with the back down but as I only ever have the targa off with the back still up it works for me :

Where did you get that light unit from please?
I have a roll bar fitted for track days, which just shows in the top of the back window, so if i can install that clipped/screwed to my roll bar, then it works rear panel up or down.
Ditto auxiliary rear lights. Just need to get super-Daz (the Cerbera-driving sparky and near neighbour of mine) over to wire them in.

[FlipFlopGriff]

snorky said:

I tried the cheaper ones and they literally fell out the sockets within a day. so not great quality.
I will have a look for the cree ones and try again..

Got some from Car Mod Shop, £34.95 for 2. You want 80w cree, red, BA15D as these have the offset pins. If you enter "audiforum" you'll get 10% off.

Put some on the Alfa and they are really good (much brighter light and the stop lamp comes on quicker than the standard bulb) although there is an error message on the dash, which you wont get on the TVR. Just bought 2 more sets for both Griffs.

FFG

[fog66]

Just out of interest can you still clearly see the indicators when breaking ?

[A900ss]

fog66 said:

Just out of interest can you still clearly see the indicators when breaking ?

Yes.

The Cree's are noticeably brighter but not so much that they overpower other lights.

[Colin RedGriff]

FlipFlopGriff said:

Got some from Car Mod Shop, £34.95 for 2. You want 80w cree, red, BA15D as these have the offset pins. If you enter "audiforum" you'll get 10% off.

Put some on the Alfa and they are really good (much brighter light and the stop lamp comes on quicker than the standard bulb) although there is an error message on the dash, which you wont get on the TVR. Just bought 2 more sets for both Griffs.

FFG

Hi FFG

Which part did you order for the twin filament bulb?
I ordered these ones but they don't fit http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

The pins need to be arranged so they are not opposite each other when looked at, end on for my Griff lights. Have you modded the lamp holder?



Colin

[JonathanT]

Colin RedGriff said:

The pins need to be arranged so they are not opposite each other when looked at, end on for my Griff lights.

That looks like a P21/4W bulb where the pins are not across from each other. I thought we all had P21/5W where the pins are offset in height, but are across from each other?

[Colin RedGriff]

The Griff uses the Mk3 Cavalier lights (reversed as per normal TVR practice). The brake light is the single filament bulb which I've replaced but I also wanted to upgrade the rear and fog light which is the double filament bulb. I've contacted the vendor but they don't have that bulb as a LED option. They've offered a full refund but I'm looking at the bulb holder and I think with a minor mod I can get the other bulb to fit.

If it works I'll post what I did in case anyone else wants to try it.

[snorky]

bought some CREE ones and they are MUCH BETTER.
fit great and improve the lights a great deal
the ones I tried before were the ones that are like a tower of PCBs with leds on - these are ste and not at all robust...to be avoided
no looking to change over the indicators ones too

[s p a c e m a n]

If you're buying for indicators make sure that you get the error free ones or they'll flash like disco lights.

FFG, if you slap a resistor onto the loom in the Alfa you'll get rid of that error message

[FlipFlopGriff]

s p a c e m a n said:

If you're buying for indicators make sure that you get the error free ones or they'll flash like disco lights.

FFG, if you slap a resistor onto the loom in the Alfa you'll get rid of that error message

I've been on hols but have read that - just which resistor as they are literally hundreds of them - any ideas??
Also, they say they got hot and should be attached to metal, ie away from any plastic, which worries me.
FFG

[FlipFlopGriff]

s p a c e m a n said:

If you're buying for indicators make sure that you get the error free ones or they'll flash like disco lights.

FFG, if you slap a resistor onto the loom in the Alfa you'll get rid of that error message

I've been on hols but have read that - just which resistor as they are literally hundreds of them - any ideas??
Also, they say they got hot and should be attached to metal, ie away from any plastic, which worries me.
FFG

[s p a c e m a n]

Have a search for canbus resistor on ebay and see what pops up, probably wise to do a google with Alfa included to see what everyone else uses. IIRC the error messages work by reading the resistance in the circuit, led gives a much lower reading than filament bulbs so the car thinks that the bulb has blown. The error free ones just have the resistor already inside them, same as the ones for the indicators.

[s p a c e m a n]

They shouldn't get hot enough to melt plastic, suppose some may be worse than others. Only way to be sure is to turn them on for a while then take it out and see how hot it is.

[FlipFlopGriff]

Colin RedGriff said:

Hi FFG

Which part did you order for the twin filament bulb?
I ordered these ones but they don't fit http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

The pins need to be arranged so they are not opposite each other when looked at, end on for my Griff lights. Have you modded the lamp holder?



Colin

Missed this. I realised they were different when I tried to fit them. I asked carmodshop if they did the offset pins and they said they had not heard of them so I asked if I could put them in my dads Octavia (2001) and he also has offset bulbs so I went back to CMS and they said they'd get some in and they swapped my Chim ones for these:
:http://www.car-mod-shop.co.uk/566cree-5r-baz15d-566-21w4w-cree-q5-12v24v-high-power-led-bulbs-pair-red.html
These are the Griff stop light bulbs:
http://www.car-mod-shop.co.uk/382cree-80-80w-ba15s...
Went down to Wales a few weeks back and they make a huge difference, and now look as bright as modern cars with LED rear lights. The brake light intensity is fantastic compared to the original.
FFG

[Tekno]

Are these the correct bulbs for the rear brake lights? I note they've added a 'y' to the product code.

http://www.car-mod-shop.co.uk/380cree-80-rx2-pair-...