New LEDs for the front marker lamps

[millyowner]

Check these out:




*18* SMT LEDs! I *think* they'll fit. I need to measure the depth of the housing a little more accurately, but it will be close because of the length. $30 for a pair. These are the best 194/168 based LEDs I've seen to date.

[Saint_]

Isnt it too much for side markers? And a dotted light may not look good there. You should take pictures if you install

SMTs are brightest. This design with larger area is even brighter..

[ChitownMillenia]

Check these out:


*18* SMT LEDs! I *think* they'll fit. I need to measure the depth of the housing a little more accurately, but it will be close because of the length. $30 for a pair. These are the best 194/168 based LEDs I've seen to date.[/b]

those look sweet, expensive though. i am shure they will do wonders to illuminate the license plate as well. the 5 matrix leds i have in there right now look good at night but you cant see them at all dawn/dusk.

[millyowner]

I'm not really worried about them being too bright...they are standard LEDs after all. The 1-watt ones with the heatsink are undoubtedly brighter, but very directional. With these, much of the light is spread 360 degrees filling the housing with light. Also, I need as much light to the side as possible because the amber sidemarkers on my car have been converted to dedicated signal lamps with halogen bulbs, so I need to use amber LEDs in the corner lamps to perform double duty.

Right now, I'm using amber LEDs with a similar design, but with cheaper LEDs. They fill the housing with light nicely like a regular bulb, but aren't very bright. A standard 168 wedge bulb would be brighter.

For the license plate, I was thinking these would work pretty well:



The housings that illuminate the licence plate are matte black and offer no reflective properties, so LEDs firing in all directions are kind of a waste anyway I think.

[Saint_]

This is my license plate with similar LEDs that you last posted MO. I put aluminum foil inside the housing. In this picture outer taillights were not done yet

[millyowner]

No need to light the rear plates any more than necessary.

I think I'll pick up the 921-style ones that are slightly shorter for the front markers. I figure it might be a little less bright, but probably look better in the housing. If the brightness of them matches that of standard 9-watt 904s, I'll be impressed.

I'll also probably get some of those 90-degree ones for the rear plate. They also have a 5x5 (25 total) SMT LED grid board that I think might fit in the front interior light and a couple of the cheaper festoon LEDs for the reading lamps front and rear. It seems like LEDs are like computers and have to be replaced every year or so with the newer model. Now that there are SMT 74-style bulbs out, I've been considering doing some of the gauge illumination too. I guess I'm looking for a new project.





It's funny about the foil...I did the same thing to my last millenia. Now I'm using 3M aluminum repair tape. I've even lined the rear deck brake light housing (the cheap 626 plastic one the 1996-2000 models get) and added a halogen bulb.

[Saint_]

If you can position those squares it will be much better. Aluminum tape looks like a good idea..

[cooleric2000]

get the 360 degree smt's for full shine