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Thread: Cheap/basic LED interior lights

  1. #21
    Current custodian of 2109 Ozzie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SIMid View Post
    How do you pop off the cover for the interior lights without damaging them? (thought I'll ask before i break something)
    It's not really so much as a cover as the whole housing that comes out.

    You can try to just pull it out gently with your fingertips, or sort of angle it out. I suppose that if the plastic has "baked" more than others through time/exposure to higher temps, it may be more brittle and break.


    Quote Originally Posted by SIMid View Post
    Also, have you replaced the bulbs in the warning lights in the door and also in the rear license plate lights?
    Yeah, DMCH even sells a kit for those, the door ones. The license plate ones are L=38mm festoons.


    Quote Originally Posted by SIMid View Post
    Mine has LEDs already in the interior and doors, but thought I could push them to the next level in brightness.
    There was a huge improvement on my door lights in going from very old (5 years) LEDs, to modern ones. Very visible now during even sunlight.

    Check out details for converting to LEDs at the doors and other locations, at my blog:
    "100% LEDs..."
    ..and...
    "Let LEDs light your wings"
    Personal Blog: DeLorean Ownership & Upkeep (Yeah, it hasn't been updated in a while, but some good stuff there if you look.)
    ->Last posting:"Smooth shifting on a 30+ year old car."
    ->Most read posting:"Going 100% LEDs on your car is a good idea, and more feasible than ever."

  2. #22
    Owner since 2007 Farrar's Avatar
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    I decided to replace my license plate bulbs with LED modules after I noticed how dim they were the other night, and when I had a look I noticed that the lens covers were almost totally opaque thanks to thirty years' passage. Has anyone tried running with LEDs in the sockets but no lens covers? Would I be running any risks by doing so?

    Farrar
    3.0L, automatic, carbureted

  3. #23
    Current custodian of 2109 Ozzie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Farrar View Post
    I decided to replace my license plate bulbs with LED modules after I noticed how dim they were the other night, and when I had a look I noticed that the lens covers were almost totally opaque thanks to thirty years' passage. Has anyone tried running with LEDs in the sockets but no lens covers? Would I be running any risks by doing so?
    Not me, but I've got two alternative options as recommendations:

    a) Try taking it out and cleaning it. I thought the same at first, that they were not going to be usable since they were so opaque from the outside. Once I took them out, the lens cleaned up pretty good, and they worked well with the LEDs.

    b) If the lens is really bad, you could always make a clear replacement. I don't recall it being anything other than a rectangle shape with two clearance holes on the long ends.
    Personal Blog: DeLorean Ownership & Upkeep (Yeah, it hasn't been updated in a while, but some good stuff there if you look.)
    ->Last posting:"Smooth shifting on a 30+ year old car."
    ->Most read posting:"Going 100% LEDs on your car is a good idea, and more feasible than ever."

  4. #24
    Owner since 2007 Farrar's Avatar
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    Thanks for both of those tips, Ozzie! I will investigate tomorrow when the sun is up again.

    Farrar
    3.0L, automatic, carbureted

  5. #25
    Senior Member Bitsyncmaster's Avatar
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    I made some license plate LEDs using three standard LEDs and aiming them so half the plate on each side would be illuminated. They look very good and the white (bluish white) color really looks good.

    I was thinking another possible alternative would be to just mount the LEDs in the top lip of the surround. Just a few small holes that would show only if you were looking up at them.
    Dave M vin 03572
    http://dm-eng.weebly.com/

  6. #26
    I don't want to be part of the Human race Roman Legion's Avatar
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    Anyone have any experience with load resistors for changing brake lights and signals to LED?

  7. #27
    Senior Member Bitsyncmaster's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Roman Legion View Post
    Anyone have any experience with load resistors for changing brake lights and signals to LED?
    Your defeating a major advantage to using LEDs if you put a load resistor on it. There is no advantage to loading the brake lights and if you install the correct flasher you don't need to load the signal lights.
    Dave M vin 03572
    http://dm-eng.weebly.com/

  8. #28
    Formally hmm252000
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    As Dave said, no load resister normally needed on brake lights. However, if you have a cruise control system installed, I discovered that they don't like LEDs only. After a bunch of troubleshooting, I discovered the system I have needed less resistance (in other words, more load) across the brake lights to sense it properly. So what I ended up doing was adding a relay to the brake light circuit. No need to connect anything to the relay, just hook up the coil part. That put enough load on the circuit to make the cruise controller happy while still not putting any major load on the brake light system itself.

    As for my license plate lights, I ordered some 3 SMD bulbs from autolumination.com back when I ordered the brake lights from them. I'm sure there's a cheaper eBay equivalent, but I think I paid about $5 each. Even though I had previously cleaned the lenses, the LEDs looked much brighter. The only thing is the ones I have are not rated for exterior use (no glass/plastic encapsulation around them). So I don't know if they will last. I smeared a lot of dielectric grease on them, so hopefully that will help prevent moisture damage.

  9. #29
    I don't want to be part of the Human race Roman Legion's Avatar
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    The resistor is very much needed, tried not using one with LED bulbs in my Mustang, but it seems that the car does not work well without one..

  10. #30
    Current custodian of 2109 Ozzie's Avatar
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    Maybe it has to do with the type of LED bulb used, 'cause I have no load resistors on the tail light LEDs (all: indicator, brake, driving, and reverse), and they work fine.

    As has been said, you do need to swap the flasher relay for an LED compatible one for the LEDs on the indicator position, to blink when required to do so.
    Personal Blog: DeLorean Ownership & Upkeep (Yeah, it hasn't been updated in a while, but some good stuff there if you look.)
    ->Last posting:"Smooth shifting on a 30+ year old car."
    ->Most read posting:"Going 100% LEDs on your car is a good idea, and more feasible than ever."

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