1st Gen Lumina Exterior LED Lighting Upgrade *56k DIAF*

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[Chris]

I upgraded my Lumina's exterior lights to all LED lighting. I've almost completed the project, but there's a bunch of little tweaks that still need to be done. I'm going to pull all the LED lights and document my upgrade and tweaks as time allows.











After putting LEDs in the car I decided it was time to conquer the 3rd brakelight. They don't make LED replacements for high-power halogens like used in the 3rd brakelight, so I had to do something custom.



LED Bulb:



Naked LED Bulb:



Halogen & LED Comparison:




Halogen Bulb In Housing:






LED Bulb In Housing:




Housing With LED & Halogen:





Comparison:



Halogen:



LED:



Final Product:






The light output is less than optimal since the LED doesn't have the brightness of the halogen. The good thing though is the LEDs have a MUCH faster "reaction time" than the halogen bulb. After it was installed in the car, you really can't notice the difference.

[3100MPFI]

me likey.  I just take a more CUSTOM approach.

[SofaKingWeToddDid]

im in the process of doin up a LED tail light plan too, i wanna use a set of silver tail lights like mine though, and cant find any around here.

-=how many of them things did it take you to do up your ass end all LED?

[Chris]

-=how many of them things did it take you to do up your ass end all LED?

10 3157 bulbs and two 194's - and then those two that I had to remove from their housing to glue into the reflector.

'twas not cheap.

[SofaKingWeToddDid]

well then, thats not too bad, how much do those bulbs run you?
-have you seen Spider Lights? (i could have the name slightly wrong.)

[Chris]

well then, thats not too bad, how much do those bulbs run you?
-have you seen Spider Lights? (i could have the name slightly wrong.)

$10 per bulb   :shock:

I also did the front, but not the sidemarkers (yet) because they're going to [have to] be custom because of the bulbs.

I have seen the spider lights, but I really like the bulbs that I purchased. I got all my stuff from www.v-leds.com

[crazy k]

I made an LED 3rd brake light for the same assembly you did out of a recycled suburban/jimmy/blazer/astro/safari LED 3rd brake light.  it require cutting in half, an then completing the circuit by drilling and soldering so that the LEDs would relight again.

[SofaKingWeToddDid]

that site has ALOT of LED options!! haha i didnt know there were so many out there. lights that can do two colours?? WTF??? thats amazing!! haha @ $55/bulb lol

[LownSlow]

that's awesome.  i don't have the patience for that

[Chris]

As soon as I get my brake light modulator I'll be installing it - I'm VERY anxious to play with it. I also have a random LED strobe controller to hook up

[SofaKingWeToddDid]

what does a brake light modulator do?
-i want to learn how to build sequential signal lights for my beast. lol

[Dstanic]

I'd like to see LEDs used in the interior for accent lighting, like in Cadillacs and other newer luxury vehicles.

[Chris]

The brakelight modulator strobes the brakelights for one second when you hit the pedal. If you ever drive behind an ambulance not on an emergency call, watch their upper brakelights, they do this. That's where I go the idea from - very attention getting.

In my truck, I upgraded all the interior lighting to LEDS - it looks awesome.

[Chris]

Anyone know where the white wire goes after it comes out of the brake light switch? I can't seem to find where it goes or access the wire to snip it and splice in my modulator.

[Chris]

Shit, I have to update this thread....