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+--- Thread: Lights? (/showthread.php?tid=3090)
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Lights? - sassparilla_kid - 11-06-2011
Im thinking of getting some Cibie H4 conversion lamps for my 300turbo, since euro headlamps are a bit more than I want to spend (and I like the look of the U.S. spec headlights better anyway). Anywaay Im thinking of ordering them from danielsternlighting.com and was wondering if anybody else has bought lamps from there, and if so any positives/negatives?
Thanks
RE: Lights? - Captain America - 11-06-2011
they are possibly good. But I prefer http://www.deltalights.com/
I have them in my El Camino http://deltatechindustries.com/lights_resto.html
And in my Jeep http://deltatechindustries.com/site/01-1249-50X
And LOVE them! They work fuggin awesome That's all I can say haha
RE: Lights? - sassparilla_kid - 11-06-2011
Whoa wtf I am really surprised to see they have lead crystal lenses, that's pretty much the only reason I was goin with the Cibie's vs Bosch or some other H4 lamp replacements, and plus it seems like it will save about $25 for a pair of lamps!! Im thinkin of maybe puttin some 70/65 watt bulbs in them, not sure how legal that will be but at least I'll be able to see where the hell Im goin
RE: Lights? - Captain America - 11-08-2011
Yeah man they are killer! The bulbs that come with them are ok to start with but I put a pair of the Piaa 110/100W Xtreme White bulbs... Hella bright! http://www.shopatron.com/products/productdetail/part_number=PIA70856/353.0
Oh and you can get them from places cheaper than on their website too
RE: Lights? - sassparilla_kid - 11-08-2011
That's awesome, definitely gonna be ordering some after I get the CSU system to reimburse me the money they owe me, which should hopefully be in the next couple of weeks, or next time I get payed since this paycheck is goin towards some Ray-Bans and a leather jacket
RE: Lights? - Captain America - 11-08-2011
Cool. You wont be disappointed!
RE: Lights? - sassparilla_kid - 11-20-2011
Lamps ordered!!! Im hoping they arrive wednesday or maybe friday, next thing is to find some 75/70 or 70/65 watt bulbs for a little extra brightness over the 60/55 watt ones they come with
RE: Lights? - Captain America - 11-22-2011
As long as you have full voltage to them they will be nice. Those Piaa's are killer though!
RE: Lights? - sassparilla_kid - 11-22-2011
Im kicking myself for not ordering them sooner!!! Hopefully they arrive tomorrow since they only have to come a couple hundred miles and they were supposedly shipped yesterday, because delivering pizzas in the middle of nowhere in the dark with sealed beams is unpleasant to say the least
RE: Lights? - sassparilla_kid - 11-24-2011
Lamps arrived yesterday, tested them out last night, the difference was pretty much night and day!!! Super ultra bright, and the beam pattern is vastly superior, I just need to aim them down a little bit because I was blinding people a mile or two ahead of me lol
RE: Lights? - w123love - 11-24-2011
Mind posting a link to the ones you decided upon?
RE: Lights? - Captain America - 11-25-2011
Adjustments are VERY important! Use this guide and you will find another night and day difference!!!
[edit]this url was removed[/edit]
AND LETS SEE WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE!!!!
RE: Lights? - sassparilla_kid - 11-26-2011
(11-24-2011, 06:42 PM)w123love Mind posting a link to the ones you decided upon?
These are the lamps I got, http://deltatechindustries.com/site/01-1179-50
(11-25-2011, 04:58 PM)Captain America Adjustments are VERY important! Use this guide and you will find another night and day difference!!!
AND LETS SEE WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE!!!!
I managed to get them pretty well adjusted, I'll probably fine tune them tomorrow, and then I'll post some pics!!
RE: Lights? - sassparilla_kid - 11-27-2011
Here's a close up of one of the lamps, I'll post some pictures of the beams later when its dark out
I also had a few other lighting related questions.
1. Has anybody put police style spotlights on their Mercedes, and if so was it very difficult?
2. Is the additional brake light mod just a matter of getting another socket and putting it in the spare hole and wiring it up to the existing light on either side? If so I think its on my to-do list for tomorrow
RE: Lights? - JustPassinThru - 11-27-2011
re 2: in a word, yes. Mercedessource and peachparts both, until recently, used to sell a ~$15 kit which fills the empty socket and splices-in to the existing brake light, to give you four brake lights. But I don't see these kits on their websites now. I would venture to speculate that someone is about to introduce something better. Perhaps a four-running-light, four-brake-light kit based on 1157 rather than 1156 bulbs. Probably LED bulbs, to keep the total wattage down.
RE: Lights? - sassparilla_kid - 11-28-2011
If that's the case then I'll just pull the sockets out of my extra mercedes. Hadn't though about using LED's, but it seems like a good idea, do the 1157's have the same base?
Also, Im jsut curios if the things surrounding the head lamps (and the hood for that matter) look good painted any other color than black? Mine are getting kind of cracked so I though I might as well paint them and am thinking of going with metallic paint
RE: Lights? - JustPassinThru - 11-28-2011
(11-28-2011, 12:38 AM)sassparilla_kid ...Hadn't thought about using LED's, but it seems like a good idea...
One of the first things I did was to replace my 1156 tungsten-filament brake light bulbs with 1156R (red) LED bulbs, from AutoZone. These LED bulbs are a little brighter than tungsten-filament, and they come on about two tenths of a second sooner when the brake-pedal switch is closed, thus giving the driver behind me that much more time to react.
(11-28-2011, 12:38 AM)sassparilla_kid ..., do the 1157's have the same base?
The base is the same diameter and length but 1157's have two contacts on the bottom, 1156's only one. See the photos here:
http://www.chromeglow.com/store.asp?pid=6930&catid=19650
Or, you can pull a front blinker light bulb, it's either an 1157 or the European equivalent, and compare it to a brake light bulb (1156 or equivalent --P521W if memory serves). On the 1157, one bottom contact feeds the running-light filament, the other feeds a second filament which can be used as either a turn-signal blinker or a brake light. If you use an LED 1157 bulb as a blinker, it needs a special electronic gizmo in the circuit --you can also buy this at Autozone-- to give the blinker module the same load as if it were a tungsten-filament bulb, so that the blink rate is correct.
I am not endorsing the bulbs they sell at Autozone, just saying where I bought mine. LED bulbs are available online as well. ChromeGlow claims to have the brightest, longest-lasting. But they cost a lot more than the ones they sell at AutoZone.
For maximum brightness, choose the same color LED Bulb as the color of the lens. Amber bulb behind amber lens, red bulb behind red lens. Unless the lens is clear, then choose according to the color you want.
RE: Lights? - mike-81-240d - 11-28-2011
LED's in our cars taillights is a big no no. You would have to use well over $300 worth of LED diodes, resistors, and drivers just to make them as bright as stock. Then there's the big problem, Heat. LED's put out a tremendous amount of heat, and require a heatsink.
Those cheap 1156, and 1157 led pnp bulbs are exactly that, CHEAP. They don't even put out 1/10th of the usable light of a traditional 1156 bulb.
RE: Lights? - JustPassinThru - 11-28-2011
(11-28-2011, 01:48 AM)mike-81-240d LED's in our cars taillights is a big no no. You would have to use well over $300 worth of LED diodes, resistors, and drivers just to make them as bright as stock. Then there's the big problem, Heat. LED's put out a tremendous amount of heat, and require a heatsink.
Those cheap 1156, and 1157 led pnp bulbs are exactly that, CHEAP. They don't even put out 1/10th of the usable light of a traditional 1156 bulb.
Baloney. I've been using 1156R LED brake and tail lights for the last eight months without a problem. They are just as bright as regular 1156's, actually noticeably brighter from straight behind; the brake lights do come on noticeably quicker; and there has been no warpage of my taillight lenses nor the lamp holders. No extra diodes, resistors, drivers, or heatsinks needed. Just buy the LED lamp, take out the old filament lamp, plug in the LED lamp, reassemble, and drive.
Eventually, I do intend to LED-ify my instrument cluster. There, I agree, heat might be a problem. So I intend to very carefully experiment first. In particular, West Marine sells 194-type and rice-grain LED bulbs for boating applications, which might do perfectly.
But for the rear lights, heat is no problem at all, at least not with the Jam Straight LED 1156R bulbs that AutoZone sells.
RE: Lights? - mike-81-240d - 11-28-2011
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_lumens_for_an_led_replacement_vs_stock_1156_bulb
Make sure to read the first paragraph explaining the proper focal point. Our stock taillights rely on this.
RE: Lights? - JustPassinThru - 11-28-2011
Well, we don't live that far apart; PM me, let's get together some night and compare, perhaps using a camera. I'm free Wednesday and Thursday nights this week. I would like to see your HID setup. Ted tells me your car is really nice-looking, I would like to admire it.
RE: Lights? - sassparilla_kid - 11-28-2011
Ok I will forget about the LED idea and just use a regular bulb. I keep coming up with more questions!! Is there any advantage/disadvantage to replacing the amber front corner lenses with clear ones, or is it mostly a matter of aesthetics? It seems like the clear ones just look a little cleaner and amber bulbs could always be used along with them
RE: Lights? - JustPassinThru - 11-28-2011
(11-28-2011, 03:58 AM)sassparilla_kid Ok I will forget about the LED idea...
I am not conceding that tungsten-filament 1156's are better; I am simply inviting Mike to park our cars side-by-side and compare.
You can blow all the smoke you want to, about dispersion pattern and fear of overheating and lumens, but it is the fifth paragraph of that article that matters, not the first. The red taillight lens filters out most of the lumens from an 1156 tungsten-filament bulb.
The plain facts are: the (AutoZone) Jam Strait Super Bright 1156R LED bulb is just as bright or brighter than an 1156 tungsten-filament, has no heating issues, and as a brake light it is two tenths of a second faster to come on. Which means that, when you must panic-brake to a stop on the freeway, this gives the soul coming up behind you at 60 MPH an additional 18 feet of space to react and to hit his-or-her brakes and/or swerve and not crunch into your trunk.
Having used both, I will never go back to 1156 tungsten-filament bulbs.
RE: Lights? - sassparilla_kid - 11-29-2011
So I understand that red bulbs/LED's do not need to be as bright since the lense itself is red, but what is an acceptable number of lumens if useing a red bulb opposed to a white one? I like the idea of having the bulbs come on faster for additional safety, since safety is the reason I would like to add the extra brake lamps (its starting to get pretty foggy around here in the evenings). A trip to the auto parts store may be in order to get a set to compare contrast them on things such as brightness and heat etc.
RE: Lights? - JustPassinThru - 11-29-2011
(11-29-2011, 01:01 AM)sassparilla_kid ...red bulbs/LED's do not need to be as bright since the lens itself is red, but what is an acceptable number of lumens if using a red bulb opposed to a white one?...
LED bulbs are rated in terms of candelas per stearadian, I'll try to find the spec for the 1156R's and figure out the conversion factor. But, if you just buy a pair (they are sold in pairs, not very expensive) and put one in the right-side brake light socket, and leave the tungsten-filament 1156 in your left-side, go stand behind the car, and have a helper hit the brakes, you can actually see the LED bulb come on quicker. When I tried this, I was instantly convinced. In fact, I was a little shocked that tungsten-filament brake light bulbs are even still legal. Relative to LED bulbs, in brake lamps, tungsten-filament bulbs are definitely a safety hazard.
RE: Lights? - sassparilla_kid - 11-29-2011
I think I might have to go get some later then, the only thing Im concerned with is the heat LED's generate, but even that seems like it shouldn't be too much of an issue considering the brake lights are only on when the brakes are applied so I wouldn't think they would have very much time to heat up unless sitting at a stop light. A side-by-side comparison would be nice though
RE: Lights? - larsalan - 11-29-2011
Now I want some led brake lights!! Can you tell me what model they are and I can order them from the internetz. Save me a trip to the auto store.
RE: Lights? - Captain America - 11-29-2011
www.VLEDs.com
www.superbrightleds.com
RE: Lights? - sassparilla_kid - 11-29-2011
Just returned from O'Reilly auto, and am a little disappointed they didn't have the 1156 LED's only 1157, I guess next place to check is Pep Boys tomorrow when Im done with my classes and if they dont have them there is an autozone I can get to on thursday. When I find the bulbs I will post pictures of a side-by-side comparison and not any heat differences etc.
RE: Lights? - larsalan - 11-29-2011
Here is one at amazon for $11ea
http://www.amazon.com/Keep-Clean-1156LEDR-Super-Bright/dp/B001PL7Q46/ref=sr_1_5?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1322604714&sr=1-5
That's what you're going for, right?
RE: Lights? - sassparilla_kid - 11-29-2011
That looks like it but at the auto parts store earlier they were only like $16 for a pair of them, only they didn't have quite the correct ones.
RE: Lights? - JustPassinThru - 11-29-2011
(11-29-2011, 04:23 PM)larsalan Now I want some led brake lights!! Can you tell me what model they are and I can order them from the internetz. Save me a trip to the auto store.
As noted above: Jam Strait is the brand, Super Bright is the model. Model number is 1156R (R stands for Red, the color). Price is $16.99 a pair at local AutoZones, though I've seen them on sale at AZ for as low as $9.99 a pair.
I bought a pair of JS SB 1157R's today at AutoZone, and a couple of 1157 lamp sockets. I'm going to rig a four-tail-and-four-brake-lights setup, in a spare taillamp set connected to a 14VDC regulated power supply, and check for brightness and see if there is any heat issue. It could be that JS's Hyper Brights, which are twice as bright as Super Brights (but, you have to special-order Hyper Brights, the AZ stores don't carry them as stock items), might work better for an 1157 application, I'll see.
RE: Lights? - larsalan - 11-29-2011
Looks like AZ will ship them to you too for that 16.99. 30 days free shipping trial.
here are some for under $10
http://www.amazon.com/1156-19-LED-Light-Brake-Bulbs/dp/B004YPFPZ2%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJASE6HSSVXTNREYQ%26tag%3Dfstchrm-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB004YPFPZ2?afsrc=fstfx
Or a few more leds for another dollar
http://www.amazon.com/1156-24-LED-Light-Brake-Bulbs/dp/B004ZRFJR8/ref=sr_1_2?s=miscellaneous&ie=UTF8&qid=1322617666&sr=1-2
Looks like fleabay has even lower prices.
Probably not bright though, huh
They say 'super bright' but who knows with this hong kong stuff. I'll get them for $3
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-X-BA15S-T25-1156-5007-Red-24-LED-Car-Light-Bulb-Lamp-/150708705327?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2316f0582f#ht_3577wt_934
RE: Lights? - JustPassinThru - 11-29-2011
(11-29-2011, 08:47 PM)larsalan ...They say 'super bright' but who knows with this hong kong stuff. I'll get them for $3
Let us know if they overheat and melt your lens.
I know from eight months' experience that the Jam Straits don't overheat, but Mike may be entirely right about other LED bulbs being dangerously hot...Jam Strait has some patented heatsink technology in its circuitry. Their 1156R Super Brights don't get hot at all.
I can't vouch for other brands though. In fact I would be very careful even about JS's Hyper Brights, which claim to be twice as bright as their Super Brights.
RE: Lights? - sassparilla_kid - 11-30-2011
Aren't LED's supposed to be inherently cooler than typical incandescent bulbs? I though that was one of the advantages of them, along with using less energy?
RE: Lights? - mike-81-240d - 11-30-2011
(11-30-2011, 12:51 AM)sassparilla_kid Aren't LED's supposed to be inherently cooler than typical incandescent bulbs? I though that was one of the advantages of them, along with using less energy?
You're thinking of High intensity Discharge lamps, they run cooler than standard bulbs. If on for the same amount of time LED's generate more heat then filament bulbs.
I used to play with LED's on my old W123, and still do from time to time on this current W123. I've done the dome lamp, rear dome lamp, glove box lamp, city lamps, rear side marker lamps, license plate lamps, and once tried the front turn signals. All are gone, here's why.
License plate lights = flickered out due to condensation
City lights(3 different times) = due to heat soak from the main H4 halogen headlight bulb right above it.
Rear side marker lights = not noticeable (due to only having two diodes)
Front turn signals = hyper blinking (need a resistor to solve this, and dim output they had 68 leds and still sucked.
And of course the interior lighting = cool color, but no usable output due to the type of reflection used in the lights from the factory.
You guys can have fun wasting money, been there done that. The only lamps I would ever try that on again would be the rear license plate lamps, and that is only if they make the LED festoon bulbs weather resistant.
I'm going to go back to doing stuff to my car to increase my visibility, drive ability, and durability. Oh and one more thing. My car would be considered a cheater if we took pics side by side, because I have 27 watt instead of 21 watt 1156 bulbs (made by osram/slvaniya), in waxed euro tailight housings, with polished internal reflectors. My taillights, and all 4 brake lights blind people, and I always get complemented on it.
Best part? I can buy my name brand OEM supplier high wattage long life 1156 bulbs for $6 pair at walmart, along with my name brand oem Bosch wiper blades.
RE: Lights? - larsalan - 11-30-2011
But that high wattage is killing your performance.
RE: Lights? - mike-81-240d - 11-30-2011
(11-30-2011, 05:37 AM)larsalan But that high wattage is killing your performance.
Doesn't make a difference to me.
RE: Lights? - JustPassinThru - 11-30-2011
(11-30-2011, 12:51 AM)sassparilla_kid Aren't LED's supposed to be inherently cooler than typical incandescent bulbs? I though that was one of the advantages of them, along with using less energy?
LED bulbs don't generate infrared like incandescents do, but they do generate heat, which needs to be dissipated out the metal contacts and/or base, lest it melt or otherwise degrade the LED element's plastic case and/or the active p/n substrate itself.
Because they are engineered to dissipate all the heat out the base, *properly designed ones* don't radiate heat out the glowing end (or center, in the case of festoon lamps). The JS SB 1156R's claim to have a proprietary, patented, superior heat dissipation design.
I am not particularly endorsing the JS SB's; that is, I am not saying that other LED 1156-type bulbs run too hot, I am just saying that the JS SB's are the only ones I can recommend from experience. They're the only ones I've tried.
(11-30-2011, 04:03 AM)mike-81-240d You're thinking of High intensity Discharge lamps, they run cooler than standard bulbs.
The reason I am reluctant to try HID headlamps isn't technical, rather political. It has to do with Washington State's unprecedented $2 billion budget shortfall for fiscal year 2012. The Governor and Legislature have already cut state spending to the bone and then some. Now they have started an intensive hunt for new sources of revenue. Just yesterday, the Governor was floating the idea on KOMO radio of putting a half-cent increase in sales tax on the ballot next spring.
If you go to
http://www.wsp.wa.gov/traveler/pasfaqs.htm
and scroll down to (or, Ctrl-F search)
"Are high intensity discharge (HID) conversion kits legal?"
you will see that the answer is no. Up til now, the state patrol has simply not been enforcing this prohibition.
But it shouldn't surprise anyone if the state, any day now, gets hungry enough to order the WSP to start pulling over and writing hefty tickets for HID's on cars which did not originally come equipped with them. The same holds true, really, in all 50 states.
That's why I'm sticking with incandescent headlamps.
(11-30-2011, 04:03 AM)mike-81-240d I used to play with LED's on my old W123, and still do from time to time on this current W123. I've done the dome lamp, rear dome lamp, glove box lamp, city lamps, rear side marker lamps, license plate lamps, and once tried the front turn signals. All are gone, here's why...
LOL you tried LED's everywhere but the one place where they do the most good
As I mentioned above, West Marine sells, through their catalog, an enormous variety of waterproof LED bulbs, for boating applications. These are what I intend to experiment with.
(11-30-2011, 04:03 AM)mike-81-240d ...I have 27 watt instead of 21 watt 1156 bulbs (made by osram/sylvania), in waxed euro tailight housings, with polished internal reflectors...
Well, I would like to see 'em, see how good it gets. If the 27W tungsten-filament 1156's are significantly brighter than the JS Super Brights, then perhaps the Hyper Brights might match or exceed them. I would really like to see.
I have found, in strip lots, both white and silver taillight reflectors. The silver reflector is superior. I, too, polished mine
-Philip
RE: Lights? - larsalan - 01-20-2012
So, I put in those cheapo fleabay led brake lights. They aren't melting any lenses. But I did see them flicking and whatnot while the motor was at idle and I was walking behind it. This cold weather always throws gremlins into my car.
RE: Lights? - sassparilla_kid - 01-20-2012
Haha, the cold weather makes the tumblers in my trunk lock shrink just enough that my key doesn't work :/
RE: Lights? - capflya - 01-22-2012
Since this is also a LED light thread just thought I'd post my $0.02 about LED's in the instrument cluster.
I started this thread: http://www.superturbodiesel.com/std/showthread.php?tid=1293 in august of 2010. I have not done anything to the lights or the instrument cluster since this time and have had no issues at all with the LED's in the instrument cluster.
I just got my mother-in-law's 300D up and running and will probably be doing these on her car as well. I have an extra instrument cluster so I may try wiring up the different color LED's and use a switch of some sort to change the colors. Depending on how things go I may be able to setup some sort of "kit" if somebody wanted me to do the "hard" part for them (soldering.. haha). Then all you would have to do is put them in the cluster in place of your fiber optic lenses and you're good to go.
RE: Lights? - sassparilla_kid - 01-22-2012
Awesome let us know how it turns out!
RE: Lights? - sassparilla_kid - 02-02-2012
Okay so I was thinking earlier "hmmm it would be nice if the numbers on the dash would 'pop' with brightness" and then it occurred to me, what about if it was painted/coated with something that made it glow under ultraviolet light or something similar. It seems like if one could find some small blacklights and manage to install them in the cluster, the white numbers on the speedo would be super visible, and I dont think it woud be difficult to go over any of the other stuff with white, or whatever other color you wanted that would glow.
Or is this not feasable for some reasons I dont know about?
RE: Lights? - sassparilla_kid - 02-15-2012
Alright so I finally got around to installing my extra brake lights yesterday, now I'm gonna start looking around for some LED's and test stuff like differences in temp, brightness, how quickly they illuminate, etc.
RE: Lights? - sassparilla_kid - 05-15-2012
Can anybody explain to me the difference between a Halogen H4 bulb and a Xenon H4 bulb? I am so confused
Also, I just discovered the place I got my H4 conversion lamps from have what they call "Euro" style, with an extra city bulb. I'm hoping these are new because I'm gonna have to kick myself if I find out they had them this whole time
RE: Lights? - Secondaries - 05-15-2012
Im surprised nobody has called Mike on his "knowledge"of LED vs incandescent bulbs. LED lights as designed don't generate heat like incandescent bulbs. Incandescent bulbs use 21 Watts to make those 500ish lumens whereas a decent 1156 bulb will useless than 3 Watts to produce 160 lumens. 1/7th the power, 1/3rd the light (but in the correct color spectrum). The way the LED bulb is more efficient is that it doesn't produce heat as a byproduct of light output.
If mike was melting taillight lenses, he had other problems than his bulbs.
RE: Lights? - sassparilla_kid - 05-15-2012
I posted the same question up on facebook earlier about the H4 lights and he commented on it, he seems to know his stuff
RE: Lights? - Simpler=Better - 05-16-2012
LED? what? what're you trying to do with LEDs? I know a trick or two.
RE: Lights? - Secondaries - 05-16-2012
LED bulbs are, as started earlier, a great safety upgrade for brake lights. They start to illuminate quite a bit quicker than traditional filament bulbs. To round out the looks package, they cab also be used in the turn signal housing with the addition of an electronic flasher relay in place of the stock resistance-sensitive relay. That's what causes the fast flash or solid light problems people have. Don't use resistors. That's a half-ass measure that negates the lower power requirements of LEDs and makes just as much heat as incandescent bulbs.