TOPIC:

For those interested in converting to LED running lights and instrument lighting:(By actual e-bay listing)

Brake/tail light: 2 x Car 1157 BAY15D 120 SMD 3528 LED 6.5W Rear Brake Stop Tail Light Lamp White
(2 required)

Rear signal: 2Pcs 1156 BA15S White 120 3528 SMD LED Turn Signal Side Light Bulb Lamp 12V
(2 required)

Signal indicators: 2x BA9 BA9S 7-LED BAYONET BULBS WHITE LIGHTS FOR 64132 H6W 57 3886X
(2 required)

Tach/Speedo: Ba9s Car Light 9 SMD 5050 LED White Bulbs Lamps 1895 57 T4W 182 1445 6253 12V DC
(4 required)

Fuel/Temp: Ba9s Car Light 5 SMD 5050 LED White Bulbs Lamps 1895 57 T4W 182 1445 6253 12V DC
(1 required)

NOTE: The 4 tach/speedo and 1 fuel/temp LED's must be shortened 1/8" or the gauges will not seat correctly. Simply un-solder the + center terminal and separate the base from the LED cluster. ( HINT: remove the solder from the + terminal hole to aid in replacing the + wire). Trim down the base's edge with a pair of scissors or snips, push the 2 pieces together, reinsert the positive wire into the + center-hole and re-solder. Trim the excess (1/8") wire and smooth the solder surface. The - (ground) looks after it self as you will discover.

These LED's are "Bright White" or about 6000K color temp which will make the orange signal/markers/signal indicators a much brighter orange.

The front signals were left as a standard 1157 filament bulb in order to act as the "circuit load" so the flasher will work. The flasher will not work using ALL LED's with no load-resistor. This avoided the need to purchase and splice a "load-resistor" which wouldn't achieve anything significant other then more connections.

I believe the difference is significant and worth the little expense and effort.

Foot-note: I actually ordered four 1157 LEDS and only received 2 so hence the incompleteness.

Good info You can get electronic flasher relays that have a consistent flash rate regardless of load for less than £10, that way you can have LEDs in the front signals as well

concerning the tack / speedo unit, the small tin tubes that direct the light, I have 2 units, one in use and the other spare, and it looks like over the years someone has "adjusted" the tops, the little flaps, and some have fallen out or gotten loose, anyone got a good photo of which direction they should be angled and facing ?, that way I can glue them back into place and end up with the light going to the correct place. At present I have just used 2 LED number plate bolts mounted above the dash that shines onto it, it works well but would love to get the internal ones working and facing the correct way and do away with the external ones, thanks in advance, cheers Pete.

Note that switching to LEDs reduces the current draw for the lamps but doesn't reduce the current produced by the alternator so the newly 'free up' current has to flow somewhere and it ends up being dissipated as heat in the R/R. So you might want to consider adding a load somewhere else to compensate in order to lessen the long term heat impact to the R/R. Maybe: driving lights, heated vest, heated grips, etc.

Here's my shortened stock taillight that I converted to leds.



I still need to add 4 white leds pointing down for the licence plate and I still might make the turn signals a little brighter then add permanent wiring to it.

What an awesome modification.

I see all of your bulb numbers listed but do you list the pwr supply? (I may have missed that) Also could you show us photos of the assembly without the lens cover?

Regards.

T.