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DIY: Brighter Reverse Lights

47K views 98 replies 62 participants last post by  XenonDepot 
#1 · (Edited)
I was thinking of replacing the stock reverse 921 bulbs with LEDs, but instead I used some brighter halogens to make it cheap and easy.

You'll need some 8XX bulbs, I used 37.5W 894 bulbs from a Blazer foglight.
The stock bulbs are 18W, so we're going to be basically doubling the power.



Using a pair of tinsnips, I cut the bulb leads as low as I can, and then bend them to approximately where the original bulb has it's leads.



Then, pull out the stock bulb if you haven't already, stick the new bulb in the holder.



Put everything back together and you're done!

New on the left and old on the right:



Stock vs modified bulb:



Now, these are going to be drawing a lot of juice because remember we doubled the wattage, so don't leave them on too long lest you pop a fuse or melt your lenses, haha :)
 
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#3 ·
Well, they're not quite headlight bulbs, that would be another 20w over this, but it is something to be careful of.

Because I never have my reverse lights on for more than a minute, it should be fine.

I know a few people who have done this with 55w H1 and 65w 9005 bulbs without incident, but be careful!
 
#11 ·
I'll keep you informed :)

to match output of halogen(stock). you need to have probably 3-5W led in there
1W led provides about 75 lumens. 3W about 200 lumens. 12W about 900(SSc p7 led). regular headlight 9006 bulb about 1000lumens
Here's the 3000lm or so of a 4300k hid vs a 9005 with ~1700lm :wavey:



The HID is obviously overkill, and takes too long to warm up, but the 9005 actually works nicely.
The stock Sylvania high beam bulbs, if you take them apart, have very long leads you can easily mod to fit the stock bulb holder. And much brighter than my first 894 bulb mod :)
 
#10 · (Edited)
do you have this once? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/136-...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

its debateable if yours are brighter. they might apear that way but how much light is actualy being thrown to back of the car.

to match output of halogen(stock). you need to have probably 3-5W led in there
1W led provides about 75 lumens. 3W about 200 lumens. 12W about 900(SSc p7 led). regular headlight 9006 bulb about 1000lumens

eficiency of leds are about 75lumens per watt(with new leds it might be higher now). halogen about 20 per watt
 
#23 ·
The HID was a joke, I thought that was clear.

LEDs look pretty but they don't put out any serious amount of light, in plug & play bulbs anyways.

The 9005s get the housings warm after about 30 seconds, but, I never have to back up any longer than that.
 
#25 ·
How many lumen do they produce?
I've got a pair of high power 7W LEDs with optics, around 500-600lm, which look great and are brighter than stock, but they're still not as effective as the 9005s. And, they get smoking hot at the emitter. With a bulb so small it's just not possible to heatsink properly.
Any LED bulb this small with decent output is going to have a short life, that's just how it is.
 
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