LED Bulbs for '02s

[TobyB]

Quote

added where Toby? gauge cluster?

Across the led itself- the trunk housings would be easiest.

LEDs draw a small amount of current- the self- check feature

in the flasher is looking for a load of 3-4 amps. 

 

t

[xr4tic]

I added LEDs to my housings last year and took it a step further, adding in an 1157 dual filament to replace the top 1156.  They are much brighter, and gives a 2nd brake light on each side

 

 

['76mintgrün'02]

The self check feature is pretty cool, imo.  I went to take a test drive the other night, after having cleaned the front signal housings earlier in the day and got the one-flash-at-the-dash clue, to go back home and fix it.  I found that one of the contact strips for a bulb up front had rotated with the wire clamping screw, moving it off of the post on the bulb; hence no juice.  Coincidentally the tail light on the opposite side had an inop blinker.  There was also one rear running light not working.  The bulbs in back simply needed a little wiggling to be working again.  I was glad the self-check feature got me looking at them.

 

A while back, I painted the reflector surfaces in my taillights with silver paint.  There are several threads on this.  In one of them, someone did a test, using white paint and apparently it is brighter than silver.  I may redo mine someday.  If your reflectors have lost their reflective coating, try painting them.  It made a big difference in mine.  They had gotten surprisingly dusty, along with the lenses, since I last had them apart and cleaning them really helped brighten them up.  I had used yellow bulbs for the front signals and I think I will get some for the back too.  Not that this has much to do with LEDs.

 

I suppose I could have just said "Paint the housings and add the resistors."

Tom

[xr4tic]

Just to add though, if you run the resistor across the LED, if the LED dies, the self check feature will not work, the resistor will still put load on the circuit.

 

You're better off getting a flasher made for LEDs.

[TobyB]

Very true- but are the blinkers for LEDs current- sensitive enough to self- diagnose?    I've never used one.

 

As Tom mentions, the LED is unlikely to fail, but the contacts are guaranteed to, over time, as the housings oxidize.

 

t

[jdt10768]

2 hours ago, xr4tic said:

Just to add though, if you run the resistor across the LED, if the LED dies, the self check feature will not work, the resistor will still put load on the circuit.

 

You're better off getting a flasher made for LEDs.

 

Aqui?:  https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/flashers-load-resistors/cf13gl-02-led-bulb-electronic-flasher/782/836/  

[xr4tic]

I haven't tried that one, I'll have to look into it.  I'm running the EL-13 as posted in an old thread - https://www.bmw2002faq.com/forums/topic/85984-signal-flasher-upgrade-easy-to-do-what-a-difference/

 

 

It doesn't like LEDs in both front and rear though, fast flashing, so I still have normal bulbs in the front.

 

[BigLiquid530]

So if I bought these LEDs is it pretty much just install and that's it or was there any customization that had to be done to fit. Also would these work on the Euro signal lights?

[xr4tic]

On 6/28/2017 at 9:22 PM, BigLiquid530 said:

So if I bought these LEDs is it pretty much just install and that's it or was there any customization that had to be done to fit. Also would these work on the Euro signal lights?

 

The bulbs themselves are plug and play.  Like previously mention, you may need to upgrade your flasher.

 

Or you can do like I did, and modify it to make it even better.