Interior/Exterior Light that boot! (LED trunk light MOD)
#177
On the hardtop, you have a dome light that helps rear passengers to see their way. On the cabrio, there is no rear lighting at all and the rear seat area can be absolutely pitch black when the roof is up -- literally you cannot see where you are putting your foot if you are climbing into the back at night. I have the worst case scenario with my Octagon black cloth interior.
#179
On the hardtop, you have a dome light that helps rear passengers to see their way. On the cabrio, there is no rear lighting at all and the rear seat area can be absolutely pitch black when the roof is up -- literally you cannot see where you are putting your foot if you are climbing into the back at night. I have the worst case scenario with my Octagon black cloth interior.
#180
Since you have white in the boot, I think that an all-white set of LEDs would be very nice (especially with your car color). They'd be intense, sure, but the white color is sort of blue-tinged which I think it very nice. If you fear they'll be too bright, set them up a bit higher in the seat sheild and that should help cut the intensity a bit, I'd think...
#182
#184
That or go completely custom... For instance, you could drill some holes in the OEM dome light frame and then inset pre-wired LEDS... Or get an extra dome light cover (should only cost a few bucks), paint it black and drill into THAT and use it as a holder for your LEDs - that would actually be really easy, since it can be popped off easily and the shape would hold all your wires, and reversability would be as simple as disconnecting theLEDs and replacing the bulb and unpainted light cover. In that install, you could use the existing light wiring to power them, and since LEDs draw so little voltage, no additional fuses or custom wiring would be necessary (even a grpuping of LEDs draws less current than the stock white bulbs). Heck, if you use the OEM bulb leads and solder or clip the LED wiring to those contact points, the whole array would function exactly as the OEM light does - comes on with the door opening or via the current manual switch.
Last, I know some people also do things like inset cathode bars or LED strips into the head-liner and/or the upper trim, but that might be too "bling" for what you want to do. The point I'm trying to make is that there's no such thing as "only one option" - the only limit is your imagination and taste (or, in my case, the lack thereof, I suppose... ).
Last, I know some people also do things like inset cathode bars or LED strips into the head-liner and/or the upper trim, but that might be too "bling" for what you want to do. The point I'm trying to make is that there's no such thing as "only one option" - the only limit is your imagination and taste (or, in my case, the lack thereof, I suppose... ).
#185
#186
http://autolumination.com/festoon.htm
Scroll down to the 39mm Festoon with 9 LEDs
And it lights up the whole cabin for me.
I also have LEDs in the stock footwell, which are 194 Wedge Matrix 5 LED Bulb -- http://autolumination.com/194.htm
EDIT:
Heres a pic of my interior--
#187
#188
I have the Green LED Dome Light from Autolumination
http://autolumination.com/festoon.htm
Scroll down to the 39mm Festoon with 9 LEDs
And it lights up the whole cabin for me.
I also have LEDs in the stock footwell, which are 194 Wedge Matrix 5 LED Bulb -- http://autolumination.com/194.htm
http://autolumination.com/festoon.htm
Scroll down to the 39mm Festoon with 9 LEDs
And it lights up the whole cabin for me.
I also have LEDs in the stock footwell, which are 194 Wedge Matrix 5 LED Bulb -- http://autolumination.com/194.htm
#189
Oh darn... I have an exam tomorrow. Why am I always on NAM when I should be studying? Haha.
Anyways, so I was reading this thread and amazed at all the work put in by ImagoX and YD and thought "of course the LED's won't come in pink and it's not like I'm going to change my colour scheme, so I guess I'm screwed."
Uh oh for my credit card bill/studying time: they come in pink.
Expect me to explore this MUCH FURTHER this weekend when the exam is done. I love that picture with the white boot lights and then the rest of the cabin is red. I'd love to do that but the rest of the cabin be pink !!
Anyways, so I was reading this thread and amazed at all the work put in by ImagoX and YD and thought "of course the LED's won't come in pink and it's not like I'm going to change my colour scheme, so I guess I'm screwed."
Uh oh for my credit card bill/studying time: they come in pink.
Expect me to explore this MUCH FURTHER this weekend when the exam is done. I love that picture with the white boot lights and then the rest of the cabin is red. I'd love to do that but the rest of the cabin be pink !!
#191
Yup, straight bulb-for-bulb replacements. Couldn't be simpler. Clicking the links MNEEME provided will take you right to the bulbs you need.
#192
NOTE ON REPLACEMENT BULBS:
With bulb replacement, sometimes the "wedge" bulbs won't light when you install them... Before you curse and send it back for a replacement, try pulling out the tiny wires from the glass wedge base with a pocket knife blade or other small. flat toool. Sometimes the wires are very snug against the glass base and do not make a solid connection with the lamp housing. I've never failed to get them to light by simply opening out the wires about 1/16" on each side. When you see the base of the bulb, you'll see exactly what I mean about the way the wires make a connection.
With bulb replacement, sometimes the "wedge" bulbs won't light when you install them... Before you curse and send it back for a replacement, try pulling out the tiny wires from the glass wedge base with a pocket knife blade or other small. flat toool. Sometimes the wires are very snug against the glass base and do not make a solid connection with the lamp housing. I've never failed to get them to light by simply opening out the wires about 1/16" on each side. When you see the base of the bulb, you'll see exactly what I mean about the way the wires make a connection.
#193
#194
So...hard...must...choose...color
Green reminds me of flying with night vision goggles.
Red kinda matches the instrumentation lights
Blue matches my car
AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH...decisions!
PS...has anybody tried one of the LED lights in the door (puddle lights)? The mod requiring foam and drilling and removing panel scares me...
Green reminds me of flying with night vision goggles.
Red kinda matches the instrumentation lights
Blue matches my car
AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH...decisions!
PS...has anybody tried one of the LED lights in the door (puddle lights)? The mod requiring foam and drilling and removing panel scares me...
#195
Just doing the single bulb in any other color than white isn't very satisfying... The problem is that the ligt in the door has no reflector, just a clear plastic bulb clip, and so much of the light from either a coated (colored) incandescent bulb or even a 5 LED 194 bulb is wasted - it travels up into the door. Add in the dimmer nature of colored bulbs, and it's pretty anemic. In my case, I tried forst a incandescent blue 194 bulb and then a LED bulb, and both were so dim as to almost be non-existant... In repsonse, I designed the "puddle light" LED array with the foam you were talking about.
One thing you MIGHT try, is getting the shortest LED strip avaiable at Oznium (4.5" I think) and then coiling it around the inside of the OEM lamp lens, pointing downwards - the directional LED light can then shine down properly. You'll have to splice the LEDs into the existing OEM lighting wiring, but that's easy and completely reversable (the OEM lenses are designed to pry out of the door and the wires have several inches of slack). I would probably have tried this myself, however at the time I did the puddle light LEDs the short strips didn't exist... That's worth a try.
One thing you MIGHT try, is getting the shortest LED strip avaiable at Oznium (4.5" I think) and then coiling it around the inside of the OEM lamp lens, pointing downwards - the directional LED light can then shine down properly. You'll have to splice the LEDs into the existing OEM lighting wiring, but that's easy and completely reversable (the OEM lenses are designed to pry out of the door and the wires have several inches of slack). I would probably have tried this myself, however at the time I did the puddle light LEDs the short strips didn't exist... That's worth a try.
#196
Yea that is true with Autoluminations bulbs, so if the bulb doesn't work try flipping it the other direction.
#197
Just doing the single bulb in any other color than white isn't very satisfying... The problem is that the ligt in the door has no reflector, just a clear plastic bulb clip, and so much of the light from either a coated (colored) incandescent bulb or even a 5 LED 194 bulb is wasted - it travels up into the door. Add in the dimmer nature of colored bulbs, and it's pretty anemic.
#198
ImagoX and rkw, I like your ideas for the puddle lights. I was a little unimpressed with the amount of light that actually made it to the ground when I replaced my puddle light bulbs w/ LED bulbs. The first thing that came to mind were directional LEDs (like rkw's suggestion and the festoon replacement bulbs), but ImagoX, your idea is intriguing...
#199
Shadetree Modder
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Kittery, ME (The Bitter Cold New England)
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We have a Club member that went to the local Auto Place (I think it was Schucks, but could've been NAPA or AutoZone) and got replacement RED and AMBER LED bulbs to go with his Clear/White Taillight mod. They are a tad weak in daytime conditions (I recommend a third brake Blinker, like the one on WebElectrics or GoMiniGo), but the effect is stunning at night.
I've been looking at APC and AutoLumination for this type of MOD. I'm glad I stumbled on this one to guide me on my way.
Hope to see some of you at AMVIV!!!
#200