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Replace dome light with LEDs: complete swap out?

utherjorge

utherjorge

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I cut the wire leading to the dome light when I got rid of the rust up there; water was getting in through a bad seal there. I drilled it all out, sealed it,and it's all good.

As I get ready to put the trim all back in in my K, it's time to replace that light.

I will need to rewire something anyway, since I cut the wire. I'm going to run it under the plastic trim...or I planned to.

First: any issues in running that wire under the trim that anyone can think of?

Second: should I attempt to hook up an LED? Should I just use an LED panel that one of you all has seen or used? What are your thoughts?

Thanks!
 
Did LED's in mine. Been playing around with them quite extensively.

If you actually need the light, the stock bulb can't be beat. Not sure how it works, but LED's LOOK brighter, but they have less useful light than incandescent. It's partially at least going to be the focused nature of LED's, but there is more to it than that.

If you go with LED's, you will want the LMC clear covers. The opaque ones absolutely kill light output from the LED's. Take the cover off and the difference is immense.

On ebay those bulbs tend to be called "festoon", and measured in MM. I am unimpressed (yay China) by the attachment method of the end caps on the circuit board. The circuit board is soldered to the cap, which easily breaks free. Can be fixed of course and only a problem if you remove the bulb a couple of times.
 
dyeager535 said:
Did LED's in mine. Been playing around with them quite extensively.

If you actually need the light, the stock bulb can't be beat. Not sure how it works, but LED's LOOK brighter, but they have less useful light than incandescent. It's partially at least going to be the focused nature of LED's, but there is more to it than that.

If you go with LED's, you will want the LMC clear covers. The opaque ones absolutely kill light output from the LED's. Take the cover off and the difference is immense.

On ebay those bulbs tend to be called "festoon", and measured in MM. I am unimpressed (yay China) by the attachment method of the end caps on the circuit board. The circuit board is soldered to the cap, which easily breaks free. Can be fixed of course and only a problem if you remove the bulb a couple of times.
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Your dead on about the covers. I need clear ones. And white lights. I bought both colors, just keep forgetting to install them.
 
mine with stock covers KILL the stock bulbs. way more light. I can actually find stuff in there now. I dont know if its the LEDs i have or what, but mine are awesome:dunno: I couldnt ever find chit once it hit the floor or in my glove box. now i have blue LEDs and still can see 5x better
 
He said stock covers.

I tried this back to back in mine, did not have the same results he did. I have 6 SMD LED bulbs. They are so bright they hurt your eyes to look at them without the cover. With cover on they just don't cut it compared to the stock bulb. These are what I have http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-x-WHITE-L...Parts_Accessories&hash=item5d44eec688&vxp=mtr

I had this exact same result with the reverse lights, which also have opaque lenses. Looking at the housings from the rear (one side LED, one side incandescent) the LED looks brighter. Get in the truck and look back, the incandescent very clearly lights up more area than the LED's. Along the same lines as these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/BA15S-1156-...Parts_Accessories&hash=item27d956be33&vxp=mtr

Now perhaps there is some difference in intensity between various designs, but I have a very strong feeling all of them come from the same places. There is very little the consumer can do as far as I can tell, prior to purchase, to see which are brighter than others. Just adding more bulbs doesn't cut it. There seem to be some very bright LED flashlights for instance.

Edit: doing some more research, it appears the watt rating of the bulbs is what SHOULD tell you...higher watts, brighter bulbs. It is possible the higher end LED's are using brighter bulbs, which would make a difference. IF you can find the watt ratings. And flux apparently is the most definitive measurement, but also hard to find.
 
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Two things:

1. I'd like brighter, but I'm also looking to progressively lighten my amp load, and/or be able to have a gremlin leave the door ajar and the battery not die. As has happened. :angry1:

2. Is there enough room under the long piece of arch trim to run a wire and have it sit flush? I've got to rewire that whole bracket, and now's a time to do that, too.

Thanks again!
 
K85 Octane said:
SuperBright FTW

:waytogo:
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This. Don't mess with the ebay china junk. I have one in the dome of my crew cab. Its super bright. No.pun intended. I also have led 194's in the gauge cluster. And I rigged up some led strips in my cargo light that work well.
 
dyeager535 said:
If you actually need the light, the stock bulb can't be beat. Not sure how it works, but LED's LOOK brighter, but they have less useful light than incandescent. It's partially at least going to be the focused nature of LED's, but there is more to it than that.
.
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I personally think it has something to do with the color of the light being emitted. I do like the look of white L.E.D's but only in certain applications. It's similar in color to those fluorescent (daylight bulbs) they just annoy me and I usually replace them with the warmer ones, seems to be easier on the eyes.

I would probably use the white L.E.D's behind the dash to help brighten that area up and on exterior lighting, but for close range, interior lighting to see what I'm doing, probably not so much.

Basically if they'd tone down the ultra white color, they'd be great.


EDIT.. the more I sit here and think about it, the stock covers are usually slightly yellowed out from age of just the plastic color anyways, that should help tone down that color I would think, I may just have to try it out. I also do like the reduced heat and amperage draw of them as well.
 
I think you'd have a hard time exceeding incandescent draw levels with an LED. You would need to know the draw of the incandescent (think napaonline lists it for the various bulbs?) and the LED to see what "savings" are possible.

If you do your part, you can get bright LED's. But even superbright has some 5050 bulbs, which are exactly what is used on the cheap bulbs on ebay. Something like this however, is probably quite bright: http://www.superbrightleds.com/more...ngle-intensity-1-x-3-watt-high-power-led/807/

As to enough room? I think so. Would want to go with the bare minimum needed for wiring thickness/draw just to make sure. Those plastic pieces aren't real precision fit.

Problem with the yellowing is that it takes too much out of the lights I think. But again, that may depend on the LED's themselves. I agree, the light isn't particularly pleasant with no cover. I know someone made some out of the fluorescent lighting "stippled" covers, that would help with distribution of light as well. LED's are very directional, which causes multiple issues.
 
Thanks, dyeager. I know the amp savings will be tiny, but I expect with enough replaced, it would add up.

Also: I'll have to check what gauge wire I need to run there. I expect that whatever it is should clear easily.
 
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