A Bulb Upgrade Worth Doing

[v70torslanda]

A cautionary tale. . .

I noticed on Sunday a number plate bulb out. OK, it's no biggie, just nip down the accessory shop on Monday and get a couple of capless bulbs. 2 minutes with a scredriver, job done, no sweat. Only it wasn't quite that simple.

The problem is bulbs get hot. (OK that's not news to anyone, especially Volvo owners) But in the case of licence plate bulbs they're cooped up inside a small housing and if you are using your day runners, on 24/7. In my cae it was no problem getting the lamps out but removing the bulb from the lamps left the plastic bulb holders crumbling like Lancashire cheese. Oops, this ain't going well.

To add to the challenge our Swedish masters in their infinite wisdom chose to get the bulb fittings permanently fixed to the wiring harness with something suspiciously like araldite! Getting new bulbholders wasn't looking like an option. And it was going so well.

A while ago I bought some LED sidelight bulbs with the intention of having brighter and maintenance free front lights but then I chickened out cos I didn't want problems with the MOT plus I'd heard of problems with bulb failure warning lights. Luckily I hadn't used them so I thought I'd give them a try.

There was no problem getting them into the remains of the bulb holders, the sockets are intact, it's the bulbholders that wont stay in the lamp housings. LED bulbs are polarity sensitive but that was sorted very quickly. Resorting to sticky tape I got the bulbholders back into the lamps and checked the bulbs were functioning before finally screwing the lamp back into the tailgate.

The number plate is now brightly lit in the manner of the latest 3 series BMW. A bright, cold light with a bluish tinge. Hopefully that's problem solved cos if it isn't the only solution is a new tailgate handle assembly and that's over 75 quid! That's stupid money for a couple of bulbholders.

This is something which is going to happen to your P2. It's inevitable as the heat from the bulbs cooks all the solvent out of the plastic. That's why I say this is a bulb 'upgrade' that really is worthwhile, if you do it early you can save yourself a lot of head scratching come the next MOT.

I used these

luv'n'stuff

J

[SKIDMARKS]

Where did you buy the LED'S from ?

[v70torslanda]

Where did you buy the LED'S from ?

Any decent accessory shop will carry them, there's loads to choose from. Personally I would avoid the blue tint bulbs, they are most definitely NOT street legal. In Manchester I use TMS in Failsworth. If you are looking for a 'quality standard' then put your postcode into HERE

You want the equivalent to '501' bulbs

J

[Vikingxl]

Pictures?

[thebadger]

Did this on my car about a year ago. The numberplate bulbs were pretty poor. Fitted "HID" LED 501s recently to replace thoes after the front LED side lights melted in the heat from the headlights.

Metal collar on the "HID" LED bulbs help keep the shape of the plastic, and they're about 3 times as bright.

[cornclose]

I've just nipped out and done this too because;

a) I didn't know it was a potential problem

b) I didn't know the number plate lamps were the same as sidelight lamps

c) I had a pair of 501 LED sidelight lamps which came free with a set of headlight lamps I bought some while ago.

So now they found a use!

[v70torslanda]

Did this on my car about a year ago. The numberplate bulbs were pretty poor. Fitted "HID" LED 501s recently to replace thoes after the front LED side lights melted in the heat from the headlights.

Metal collar on the "HID" LED bulbs help keep the shape of the plastic, and they're about 3 times as bright.

Can you remember the make and part number? That's why I didn't fit the ones I had to the front . . .

[cornclose]

Might be these;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...d=580685788012

I just bought the above for my 9000 and they're really good. I'm sure there's a 501 version too, but I couldn't be bothered to look...

[SKIDMARKS]

Just checked ebay and it seems i need these to go with the bulbs
Item 180477759383, I'm sure someone considerably cleverer than me will do the link

[Adge]

[QUOTE=v70torslanda;300934]A cautionary tale. . .

The problem is bulbs get hot. (OK that's not news to anyone, especially Volvo owners) But in the case of licence plate bulbs they're cooped up inside a small housing and if you are using your day runners, on 24/7. In my cae it was no problem getting the lamps out but removing the bulb from the lamps left the plastic bulb holders crumbling like Lancashire cheese. Oops, this ain't going well.

To add to the challenge our Swedish masters in their infinite wisdom chose to get the bulb fittings permanently fixed to the wiring harness with something suspiciously like araldite! Getting new bulbholders wasn't looking like an option. And it was going so well.

Had similar problems with my C70 running lights. Rufe supplies replacement sections of wiring, just replace/plug in, about £9, I seem to remember. Anyway, a good value- for- money replacement!

[v70torslanda]

Pictures?

Viking. I have tried to illustrate the lamps with photos and failed dismally.
Unfortunately I am photographing lamps in the dark to show the bulb effect but can't stop the flash.

Have a look at the latest e90 BMs in the dark, they look exactly the same. There's no 'How to' pictures 'cos I just fixed it and I don't want to take it apart again.

luv'n'stuff

J

[v70torslanda]

Update.

I thought this was worth resurrecting because we are now into the season where we need our lights almost all the time.

I bought some ordinary single LED replacement bulbs with the intention of having a few spares just in case etc. etc. At the same time I took a punt on some H7 replacement LED bulbs from Hong Kong. 99p and I was buying some other stuff so I wasn't out of pocket. they use the same 'surface mount technology' that modern LED torches use and they come with laser warnings so they can't be that bad, can they? The first thing to run up against was the bulb failure warning light. That didn't work so let's move on to trying them in the Passat where there's no monitoring circuit.

They are spectacularly crap! Fitted them at dusk last night, switched them on and they were no brighter than the sidelamps. Honest, there would have been more light if Michael Schumacher had been bending over!

Very pretty but ultimately useless.

So children.The moral of the story is: If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. If you see a very strange H7 bulb being advertised from Hong Kong, with 'truly stunning' light output, JUST DON'T! In short - AVOID.

Seriously. Check your lights, stay safe.

[v70torslanda]

Funnily enough, just the same as these.

The truly wierd thing is that you can pick these bulbs up while they are lit! Try that with a normal H7 and you'll need A&E in addition to having to scrape the burnt flesh from the glass of the bulb.