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[Lizzie Zoom]

Put some decent Led bulbs in them Lizzie...makes them very fit for purpose and not all Essex Bling

Put decent LED bulbs in the courtesy and map reading lights too. Then you can actually use them for reading! They work properly, rather than just giving a dim yellow glow like holding a jar of piss in front of a weak torch.


I replaced the number plate bulbs with LEDs too.


To do the whole car requires two sizes of festoon bulbs, and a handful of whatever the sidelights are. Change out of a tenner.

Now that is a good idea Nick!

I like that!

As you say the standard "reading lights" are not fit for purpose.  What Wattage should the replacement LED's be please?

[Doctor Gollum]

The LED wattages aren't relevant. Just be sure to buy the correct lengths and get cool white rather than warm white

[amba]

And dont forget to fit a resistor across the bulb terminals of the interior light or when it dims down it wont fully go out ...and probably end up draining battery if you dont use the car that often...from memory they are something like a 0.5 or 0.75 micro farad if my memory serves me ..I bought a couple from Maplins ages ago for mine but Im sure somebody with better electronic knowledge will advise...think they are about 10p each   

[Lizzie Zoom]

The LED wattages aren't relevant. Just be sure to buy the correct lengths and get cool white rather than warm white

Many thanks DG

[Lizzie Zoom]

And dont forget to fit a resistor across the bulb terminals of the interior light or when it dims down it wont fully go out ...and probably end up draining battery if you dont use the car that often...from memory they are something like a 0.5 or 0.75 micro farad if my memory serves me ..I bought a couple from Maplins ages ago for mine but Im sure somebody with better electronic knowledge will advise...think they are about 10p each   

Cheers amba

The trouble is you have just made it more complicated for me

[Nick W]

And dont forget to fit a resistor across the bulb terminals of the interior light or when it dims down it wont fully go out ...and probably end up draining battery if you dont use the car that often...from memory they are something like a 0.5 or 0.75 micro farad if my memory serves me ..I bought a couple from Maplins ages ago for mine but Im sure somebody with better electronic knowledge will advise...think they are about 10p each   

Cheers amba

The trouble is you have just made it more complicated for me

what is it about this forum that make simple things so complicated? How do any of you do things that are  complicated?


501 and festoon LEDs are so cheap, it's simpler to just order some from your armchair and try them. The 501s I used were bought for the sidelights, but didn't work there. I put them in the courtesy and map lights, and they did. They also dimmed off the door delay which isn't particularly important, but does suggest they were correct - no resistors needed.

[Lizzie Zoom]

And dont forget to fit a resistor across the bulb terminals of the interior light or when it dims down it wont fully go out ...and probably end up draining battery if you dont use the car that often...from memory they are something like a 0.5 or 0.75 micro farad if my memory serves me ..I bought a couple from Maplins ages ago for mine but Im sure somebody with better electronic knowledge will advise...think they are about 10p each   

Cheers amba

The trouble is you have just made it more complicated for me

what is it about this forum that make simple things so complicated? How do any of you do things that are  complicated?


501 and festoon LEDs are so cheap, it's simpler to just order some from your armchair and try them. The 501s I used were bought for the sidelights, but didn't work there. I put them in the courtesy and map lights, and they did. They also dimmed off the door delay which isn't particularly important, but does suggest they were correct - no resistors needed.

Ah, that's better.  Thanks Nick!

[amba]

Only speak as I find...……...I prefer simple solutions but on advise off this forum when bulbs wouldn't fully dim I fitted a sub £1 part and they worked just fine.

Not over complicated ...just facts as I found it

[dave the builder]

I can see the confusion here
most retro fit LED lamps are canbus compatible now and have a resistor
so even though Omega is not canbus,buy canbus compatible lamps
some early LED where just that
no doubt some sellers still sell old LED technology 

[TheBoy]

Yes, resistors are rarely needed nowadays, unlike the early days of LEDs.  They are also much improved from an illumination point of view - the old ones were seemingly bright, but not that great for reading with.

Personally, I find the yellowy traditional bulb easier to read with, but that's because I seem to be able to focus better with it, even though it seems dimmer.