Easy LED Tail light mod
Thread Starter
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: OC
a quarter mile at a time
I can't believe this. I measured my stock bulbs and I swear they were 44mm. Just got the 44mm bulbs in and they are wayyyy too big. Dosen't even fit in the housing.
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From: So Cal.
2019 GT3 RS, 2017 M3 30 Jahre
Originally Posted by e1000
I can't believe this. I measured my stock bulbs and I swear they were 44mm. Just got the 44mm bulbs in and they are wayyyy too big. Dosen't even fit in the housing.
so I got BOTH the 39mm (first order) and the 44mm bulbs. the 44's are obviously too big, but the 39's are too big too! they won't even light up when I put them in!I thought I could use them for my interior but they sucked! it was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay dimmer than normal and the "white-ish" wasnt' that noticeable so I put the stock bulbs back in... (the interior uses the 44mm, the 39mm's can fit but very loosely)
I think the 36mm (the next smalled down) wouldn't be the right size for the license plate bulbs... oh well.
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Joined: Oct 2004
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From: SoCal
cl203 Sports Coupe
Originally Posted by nlpamg
so I got BOTH the 39mm (first order) and the 44mm bulbs. the 44's are obviously too big, but the 39's are too big too! they won't even light up when I put them in!I thought I could use them for my interior but they sucked! it was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay dimmer than normal and the "white-ish" wasnt' that noticeable so I put the stock bulbs back in... (the interior uses the 44mm, the 39mm's can fit but very loosely)
I think the 36mm (the next smalled down) wouldn't be the right size for the license plate bulbs... oh well.
Member
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 205
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From: SoCal
cl203 Sports Coupe
OK so here are some pictures of the Bulbs for my Interior, they are also Raybrig Name brand lights...they fit just a little smaller than the original size.
These pictures dont really show how BRIGHT they really are, but trust me, its really bright heh
Oh and if your wondering what all that stuff is on my dash, well its just my little iPod mod, i just bought the universal dock with the remote and double sided taped it onto the dash and connected it straight to my BRAIN unit for my monitor. Its awesome using the remote to change songs now.
These pictures dont really show how BRIGHT they really are, but trust me, its really bright heh
Oh and if your wondering what all that stuff is on my dash, well its just my little iPod mod, i just bought the universal dock with the remote and double sided taped it onto the dash and connected it straight to my BRAIN unit for my monitor. Its awesome using the remote to change songs now.
Last edited by c230kracer; Apr 8, 2006 at 02:55 AM.
Member
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 205
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From: SoCal
cl203 Sports Coupe
And now for some pictures of the license plate lights....like i said...i cant leave them on too long(about 5 minutes before it starts to burn the plastic housing around it haha, its pretty bad....) they are super bright though, cant wait to find something to put inthere so i can use these bulbs! Give me ideas guys! Thanks
So first picture is a comparison from the original bulb on the right side and the super white on the left. Second is all super white bulbs and the 3rd is just a side shot showing how bright it is...i mean on the road...it seriously lights up the road behind me including my super bright tail lights too
P.S. I was just wondering....Does anyone remember me asking them to help me rewire my radar to get rid of the wire comming from the power port? I think it was Tony? im not sure...this was back when we met up at Irvine.
So first picture is a comparison from the original bulb on the right side and the super white on the left. Second is all super white bulbs and the 3rd is just a side shot showing how bright it is...i mean on the road...it seriously lights up the road behind me including my super bright tail lights too
P.S. I was just wondering....Does anyone remember me asking them to help me rewire my radar to get rid of the wire comming from the power port? I think it was Tony? im not sure...this was back when we met up at Irvine.
Last edited by c230kracer; Apr 8, 2006 at 03:03 AM.
Super Member
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 911
Likes: 1
From: Rhode Island
Debadged 6-Speed '05 C320 Sports Coupe
To use the LED plate lamps, at a lower power, there are three choices.
One is to put a power resistor in series with the lamps, to drop the current and brightness. It must be sized, based on the current and power to do the job and not burn up too.
Another is to add a constant current circuit for the LED lamps and tune it to the desired output. Not overly complicated, but it requires a small circuit board.
Last is to rewire the plate lamps so they are in series, each sharing half the 12 volt power. This may be the best option.
One is to put a power resistor in series with the lamps, to drop the current and brightness. It must be sized, based on the current and power to do the job and not burn up too.
Another is to add a constant current circuit for the LED lamps and tune it to the desired output. Not overly complicated, but it requires a small circuit board.
Last is to rewire the plate lamps so they are in series, each sharing half the 12 volt power. This may be the best option.
Thread Starter
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 18,677
Likes: 9
From: OC
a quarter mile at a time
Originally Posted by c230kracer
OK so here are some pictures of the Bulbs for my Interior, they are also Raybrig Name brand lights...they fit just a little smaller than the original size.
These pictures dont really show how BRIGHT they really are, but trust me, its really bright heh
Oh and if your wondering what all that stuff is on my dash, well its just my little iPod mod, i just bought the universal dock with the remote and double sided taped it onto the dash and connected it straight to my BRAIN unit for my monitor. Its awesome using the remote to change songs now.
These pictures dont really show how BRIGHT they really are, but trust me, its really bright heh
Oh and if your wondering what all that stuff is on my dash, well its just my little iPod mod, i just bought the universal dock with the remote and double sided taped it onto the dash and connected it straight to my BRAIN unit for my monitor. Its awesome using the remote to change songs now.
I wasn't going to change the interior bulb (kinda like the soft light of the regular bulbs) but those pictures make me want to do it. I'm also thinking of the puddle light on the bottom of the door that lights up when you open the door. Looks NICE
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Thread Starter
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 18,677
Likes: 9
From: OC
a quarter mile at a time
BTW here is a shot when it was super sunny outside.
The trunk LED's do actually look more orange than the two corner brake lights in sunlight. Intensity wise, they were pretty similar with the trunk LED's bein slightly brighter.
The trunk LED's do actually look more orange than the two corner brake lights in sunlight. Intensity wise, they were pretty similar with the trunk LED's bein slightly brighter.
Super Member
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 538
Likes: 1
From: White Lake, MI
04 C320 Coupe MT
Originally Posted by drexappeal
Mike, what happened to your project?
In the end, I just couldn't find a way to make it work to my liking. So I had given up on the idea, until this post! I just received my parts in the mail, so if I can make some time today I'm going to put these suckers in! Can't wait!!
For everyone else, I had started a project to create my own LED lighting elements using parts from a 211 LED taillight element. I Disassembled the element (prying and pulling it apart) and then put all of the LEDs back on another circuit board, soldered everything together to make it work in a shape that would fit into a heavily modified C coupe taillight. And it worked, however the problem is that in daylight it looked like a bunch of dots, and the light was not reflected like it needed to be (because of the fact I can't make a nice housing like cars that have LEDs from the factory have that reflects all of the light rearward) The setup worked great in anything but broad daylight.
However, I did learn some things about making them work. I am going to apply this to wiring in my new bulbs, and can't wait to see the result.
One concern I had at first about the Coupe taillights was that the bulb is mounted vertically, and would there be enough clearance. Thanks to Eric taking some pics, I had the suspicion that there was. And, I test fitted the bulbs when I got them last night and they do fit! So, all that's left is the wiring. Stay tuned, Coupe owners.....
Last edited by mbbodytech; Apr 15, 2006 at 10:05 AM.
Thread Starter
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 18,677
Likes: 9
From: OC
a quarter mile at a time
Originally Posted by mbbodytech
Hey Drex,
In the end, I just couldn't find a way to make it work to my liking. So I had given up on the idea, until this post! I just received my parts in the mail, so if I can make some time today I'm going to put these suckers in! Can't wait!!
For everyone else, I had started a project to create my own LED lighting elements using parts from a 211 LED taillight element. I Disassembled the element (prying and pulling it apart) and then put all of the LEDs back on another circuit board, soldered everything together to make it work in a shape that would fit into a heavily modified C coupe taillight. And it worked, however the problem is that in daylight it looked like a bunch of dots, and the light was not reflected like it needed to be (because of the fact I can't make a nice housing like cars that have LEDs from the factory have that reflects all of the light rearward) The setup worked great in anything but broad daylight.
However, I did learn some things about making them work. I am going to apply this to wiring in my new bulbs, and can't wait to see the result.
One concern I had at first about the Coupe taillights was that the bulb is mounted vertically, and would there be enough clearance. Thanks to Eric taking some pics, I had the suspicion that there was. And, I test fitted the bulbs when I got them last night and they do fit! So, all that's left is the wiring. Stay tuned, Coupe owners.....
In the end, I just couldn't find a way to make it work to my liking. So I had given up on the idea, until this post! I just received my parts in the mail, so if I can make some time today I'm going to put these suckers in! Can't wait!!
For everyone else, I had started a project to create my own LED lighting elements using parts from a 211 LED taillight element. I Disassembled the element (prying and pulling it apart) and then put all of the LEDs back on another circuit board, soldered everything together to make it work in a shape that would fit into a heavily modified C coupe taillight. And it worked, however the problem is that in daylight it looked like a bunch of dots, and the light was not reflected like it needed to be (because of the fact I can't make a nice housing like cars that have LEDs from the factory have that reflects all of the light rearward) The setup worked great in anything but broad daylight.
However, I did learn some things about making them work. I am going to apply this to wiring in my new bulbs, and can't wait to see the result.
One concern I had at first about the Coupe taillights was that the bulb is mounted vertically, and would there be enough clearance. Thanks to Eric taking some pics, I had the suspicion that there was. And, I test fitted the bulbs when I got them last night and they do fit! So, all that's left is the wiring. Stay tuned, Coupe owners.....
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Midnight Blue 2004.5 C230 Kompressor Sport Sedan. 2002 w210 E320, 2009 w211 E350 Sport
Originally Posted by mbbodytech
Hey Drex,
In the end, I just couldn't find a way to make it work to my liking. So I had given up on the idea, until this post! I just received my parts in the mail, so if I can make some time today I'm going to put these suckers in! Can't wait!!
For everyone else, I had started a project to create my own LED lighting elements using parts from a 211 LED taillight element. I Disassembled the element (prying and pulling it apart) and then put all of the LEDs back on another circuit board, soldered everything together to make it work in a shape that would fit into a heavily modified C coupe taillight. And it worked, however the problem is that in daylight it looked like a bunch of dots, and the light was not reflected like it needed to be (because of the fact I can't make a nice housing like cars that have LEDs from the factory have that reflects all of the light rearward) The setup worked great in anything but broad daylight.
However, I did learn some things about making them work. I am going to apply this to wiring in my new bulbs, and can't wait to see the result.
One concern I had at first about the Coupe taillights was that the bulb is mounted vertically, and would there be enough clearance. Thanks to Eric taking some pics, I had the suspicion that there was. And, I test fitted the bulbs when I got them last night and they do fit! So, all that's left is the wiring. Stay tuned, Coupe owners.....
In the end, I just couldn't find a way to make it work to my liking. So I had given up on the idea, until this post! I just received my parts in the mail, so if I can make some time today I'm going to put these suckers in! Can't wait!!
For everyone else, I had started a project to create my own LED lighting elements using parts from a 211 LED taillight element. I Disassembled the element (prying and pulling it apart) and then put all of the LEDs back on another circuit board, soldered everything together to make it work in a shape that would fit into a heavily modified C coupe taillight. And it worked, however the problem is that in daylight it looked like a bunch of dots, and the light was not reflected like it needed to be (because of the fact I can't make a nice housing like cars that have LEDs from the factory have that reflects all of the light rearward) The setup worked great in anything but broad daylight.
However, I did learn some things about making them work. I am going to apply this to wiring in my new bulbs, and can't wait to see the result.
One concern I had at first about the Coupe taillights was that the bulb is mounted vertically, and would there be enough clearance. Thanks to Eric taking some pics, I had the suspicion that there was. And, I test fitted the bulbs when I got them last night and they do fit! So, all that's left is the wiring. Stay tuned, Coupe owners.....
Any updates?
