DIY: License Plate LED Replacement & Trunk Light LED Replacement

[CRXJSPEC]

Yea I know that. I'm just wanting to know if anybody might have an idea for which ones would be the best choice for what I'm looking for.

[citizh]

Originally Posted by CRXJSPEC

Yea I know that. I'm just wanting to know if anybody might have an idea for which ones would be the best choice for what I'm looking for.

no idea, just get blue ones that fit if thats what you are looking for

[ummmmm]

Just did this last night and it looks really good. REALLY GOOD. Like it a lot, thanks!

[tda1337]

ok people GREAT news lol
I have the 5 Watt LED INSTALLED

now i had some problems (recieved a DEFECTIVE led lol but im still using it!)
I got an led that was supposed to be rated .7 amps @ 7.3 Volts, what i got was a VOLTAGE STARVED LED, it wants way more than that voltage, but i didnt know that until AFTER I build the circuit

What u need
5 Watt LED from besthongkong.com
2 14 ohm 2 Watt resistors (parallel them down to 7 ohms 4 watts or replace with that)
12 Volt regulator (found at radio shack for 1.70)
and some wire and PCB board

wiring is simple, follow the regulator output to the resistor to the led and back out to the ground
put some silicone on there to make sure there is no chance at shorting and VOILA

now mine was deffective, so i dont get full output but its STILL more output than the 3 Watt, and i have BLUE
my car is SOOO BLUE its nice, u can read in blue!!!!

Ask for pics, i can email (no room left on here OR let me know of a good hosting site and i will post)
If neone wants ill draw up the wiring diagram and places to get the parts
u can get ANY color u want, blue, green, white (white is 192 LUMENS!!!) red and amber
the specs are pretty much the same
its actual output at the rated spec is about 4.3 Watts

IF people WANT i can build it for them but they have to buy the parts and send it to me, and since im not a business it will have to be in trade for something lol i dont wanna deal with cash, the government or the 8th civic guys comming down on me asking for their cut :-P (just playing guys haha)


seriously tho, nothing is brighter YET
overall cost should be around 20-40 bux depending on what u already have
LED = 15
wire = x
resistors = 3
regulator = 2
PCB = 1-4

LED = 5Watt
Wire = 18/20/22 gauge
resisitors = 7 ohm 4 Watt total
regulator = 12Volt Positive regulator
PCB = standard copper holes
connector = either an old but up festoon or the premade ones online

I personnally used an old festoon bulb that i cut the glass out and spent HOURS trying to get the solder to affix to the leads inside it, but eventually it worked lol

[tda1337]

oh yea this WILL work with a trunk bulb if u can find a 7ohm 4 watt resistor!!!!

[nighthawkblack08]

excellent work there mate...

[ZeWind]

Recently switch these bulbs, with an order from superbrightleds.com

freaking love it, and very easy.

[tda1337]

dude, guess what, they have come out (not at superbright) with 1 Watt replacements now, u gotta see how dark colored my blue ones are!!! and they are just as bright as the 9led ones for a darker blue!!!

[thatguy215]

Great DIY!!

After reading this, i think ima do it too!

But before i do, i have a few questions about bulbs that will fit

Heres what i plan on getting:

License plate: WLED-WHP Pure White High Power (should work since everyone here has it)

Dome/Map Lights: These seem to use the same bulbs so im guessing High Power 2-LED Festoon bulb would work (also does anyone know the difference between cool white and warm white?)

Thx

[tda1337]

WRONG AND WRONG

ok you obviously missed alot so go back and read
first off the liscence plate BEST option is sold by Vleds.com its called a 1 Watt FLANK led

second the dome map lights YES that 2 led festoon bulb will "WORK" but isnt the best out there
keep looking at vleds and warden on ebay

cool white is similar to the background of this webpage, and warm white is similar to the light an incandescent bulb produces (a little yellow or WARM color to it)

i cannot repeat myself enough, if putting these into an 8th civic it is HIGHLY suggested to get the 1 Watt flank leds from warden or vleds. they are much cheaper now

if not find out what vehicle ur bulb is using and decide if it needs to side fire (like OUR bulbs have to) or down fire (like my gfs toyota!)

[Gravity0002]

is this same as

WLED-WHP Pure White High Power
12 VDC Wedge Base bulb (194/168 type)
With High Power Pure White LED
Our brightest bulb of this type - Polarized bulb

???

[tda1337]

quote right of the website "2 V-LEDS HID WHITE FLANK HIGH POWER BULBS 194 168 158"
this is the same kind warden sells on ebay, we need someone who is a vendor of ours to start carrying leds that are good

superbrightleds has fallen off and hasnt upgraded with the times over the past 2 years
i would no longer suggest them unless u decide the 9led set up is good for u (festoon dome lights)

otherwise vleds and warden keep on comming up with new products! they get better and better!

[sc37]

I can't recommend warden on eBay anymore...the 194/168 bulbs I have for my plates have fizzled out in about 4 months which is highly disappointing. I even have had my blue 'HID'/fake-Silverstar bulbs last longer than that. I went ahead and ordered a few more from warden though as he was cheapest by far for the SMT bulbs I wanted to swap out in my map lights...but he's sneaky. PayPal charged me twice and instead of refunding me like I asked he sends double the product and thinks it's all ok. I had to get PayPal to rescue me, and even then he expects me to cover shipping for extra product he sent back to him in Hong Kong despite me already asking for the return of the double charge...I mean heck, I only won 1 auction, why send stuff for two?

[smcdreamz]

I dunno if anyone has posted an easier way, (13 pages to read, too long)

But this is what I did.

I got a flathead screw driver, placed it right under the bulb (Refer to the picture on the DIY where he has his thumb pushing up the bulb)

Then I put the handle of the screw driver on my stomach and used the edge of plastic as a lever and softly pushed the screwdriver up while holding the bulb with my other hand. All you have to do is pull out gently while wiggling it a little bit and it pops right off.

If you need pictures let me know.

[tda1337]

Originally Posted by sc37

I can't recommend warden on eBay anymore...the 194/168 bulbs I have for my plates have fizzled out in about 4 months which is highly disappointing. I even have had my blue 'HID'/fake-Silverstar bulbs last longer than that. I went ahead and ordered a few more from warden though as he was cheapest by far for the SMT bulbs I wanted to swap out in my map lights...but he's sneaky. PayPal charged me twice and instead of refunding me like I asked he sends double the product and thinks it's all ok. I had to get PayPal to rescue me, and even then he expects me to cover shipping for extra product he sent back to him in Hong Kong despite me already asking for the return of the double charge...I mean heck, I only won 1 auction, why send stuff for two?

ok well i hadnt had that many problems
i myself had an issue with the 194/168 FLANK 1 Watts, but he turns out to just be a reseller... u can get the SAME leds from V-leds
the issue is actually a COLD SOLDER JOINT
hopefully u still have those leds man, u can fix em llol

i fixed mine (of course after i ordered more from vleds to find i was getting the same leds somehow!)
so they are still working, i would say one is slightly diff color now than the other but this is expected when ordering chinese leds, nobody makes good leds as of yet, these will suffice for now!!!

warden doesnt have a warranty, i did find that out, but thats the same for anyone on ebay lol

he also has very POOR english

[kbhdiaz888]

nice diy! did this 5 months ago!

[sc37]

Originally Posted by tda1337

ok well i hadnt had that many problems
i myself had an issue with the 194/168 FLANK 1 Watts, but he turns out to just be a reseller... u can get the SAME leds from V-leds
the issue is actually a COLD SOLDER JOINT
hopefully u still have those leds man, u can fix em llol

i fixed mine (of course after i ordered more from vleds to find i was getting the same leds somehow!)
so they are still working, i would say one is slightly diff color now than the other but this is expected when ordering chinese leds, nobody makes good leds as of yet, these will suffice for now!!!

warden doesnt have a warranty, i did find that out, but thats the same for anyone on ebay lol

he also has very POOR english

You mean the 'engrish' hahh. Well I do have them still. I have the 4 LED bulb and figured it was something like with the festoon bulbs from superbright...but I looked at it and doesn't seem to come apart? It seems to be a single molded piece. It's weird one bulb totally burned out and the other runs on 2 LEDs.

[tda1337]

ok so thats actually a cheap led then (prolly overheated)
i told people not to buy those ones and to buy the 1 Watt flanks!!!

[aeroplane]

Originally Posted by tda1337

quote right of the website "2 V-LEDS HID WHITE FLANK HIGH POWER BULBS 194 168 158"

So, is that these?

I just want to be sure before I get them. I bought some different ones a few weeks ago and they suck.

[tda1337]

those are them my friend
IF THEY DIE, please let me know and ill show you how easy it is to fix them
looks like chinese kids soldered these together so they smoetimes have cold solder joints
fixed mine in a heart beat!