LED bulbs

[69 red fastback 20]

Has anybody used the replacement LED bulbs, and if so how do you like them.

 

Thanks in advance

[MustangBobby 28]

If you are talking tail lights, I found this video a couple of days ago. It makes up my mind.

 

 

[Raven R code 281]

i got a pair for the courtesy lights in the deluxe door panels and wasn't impressed. The color was correct but very dim. I'm researching bulbs for the whole car.

[69RavenConv 286]

I used LEDs in my dash, my side markers and my interior courtesy lights and they are nice. But a 3-bulb LED taillight assembly I designed didn't work out so well so I went back to the normal 1157 bulbs (I know you can buy expensive LED tail lights but that's not my style). The thing about LED's is that they are very directional - they are very bright if you are looking right at them, but not if you are at an angle. You need a multi-LED, multi-angle array or a diffusing lens to spread the light out. I experimented with several different bulbs before I found the ones that worked well for me. West Coast Classic Cougar just sent me an email about LED tail lights with a big diffuser lens that looked interesting but I'm sticking with the conventional bulbs for my tail lights.

[69 red fastback 20]

Thanks for the replies, I thought maybe the direct replacement LED bulbs would be a good way to go, because that way I wouldn't have to add any resistors

[69RavenConv 286]

They're not a bad way to go, and you can get a solid state flasher if you don't want to add resistors. Normal LEDs don't draw enough current to work the stock flasher.

[SA69mach 39]

I replaced all the instrument gauge bulbs in my dash with LED bulbs. Much brighter and definitely a big improvement.

Cons - many folks don't drive their Mustangs at night so it is a bit of a wasted effort

Cons - you need to take the dash out and that is not a common thing. It is good to have them on hand for if and when you need to take the cluster out. As a direct replacement they are a decent upgrade to the stock bulbs.

Cons - expensive for what they are.

[SA69mach 39]

I replaced all the instrument gauge bulbs in my dash with LED bulbs. Much brighter and definitely a big improvement.

Cons - many folks don't drive their Mustangs at night so it is a bit of a wasted effort

Cons - you need to take the dash out and that is not a common thing. It is good to have them on hand for if and when you need to take the cluster out. As a direct replacement they are a decent upgrade to the stock bulbs.

Cons - expensive for what they are.

[69 red fastback 20]

Thanks guys for all the info, much appreciated

[69 red fastback 20]

Thanks guys for all the info, much appreciated

[danno 128]

I went to a bone yard once and grabbed a whole bunch of used bulbs. They old ones are usually free at a bone yard. If, and when, one of my existing bulbs ever dies, it is a real simple and free thing to fix. For as often as they fail, and as much trouble as getting LEDs to work is, I would stick with factory bulbs. They work, they are simple and cheap. The only advantage of LED's is that instead of them failing in 5 years, they fail in 10 years.

[danno 128]

I went to a bone yard once and grabbed a whole bunch of used bulbs. They old ones are usually free at a bone yard. If, and when, one of my existing bulbs ever dies, it is a real simple and free thing to fix. For as often as they fail, and as much trouble as getting LEDs to work is, I would stick with factory bulbs. They work, they are simple and cheap. The only advantage of LED's is that instead of them failing in 5 years, they fail in 10 years.

[70769 18]

If you are talking tail lights, I found this video a couple of days ago. It makes up my mind.

 

 

Great video

[70769 18]

If you are talking tail lights, I found this video a couple of days ago. It makes up my mind.

 

 

Great video

[SM69Mach 68]

Great video

 

 

+1 :punk:

[SM69Mach 68]

Great video

 

 

+1 :punk:

[buening 63]

LEDs have come a long way. Early on I had purchased the inverted single LED bulb for my dash and it sucked. Now you can buy multiple SMD lights that can produce more lumens than a standard bulb, depending on what bulb you are wanting to replace. The lower lumen bulbs like the 194 (dash and turn signal bulb) are easily outshined by multi-SMD LED bulbs. There are also different kinds of SMD LED modules, like the 3528, 5050, 5730, etc. See here for difference in lumens and intensity: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMD_LED_Module

 

For example if you went on ebay and got a 9-LED with the 3528 modules, it would not be as bright as a 4-LED 5630. The higher the lumen per module, the brighter the light.

 

 

 

I have been experimenting with 194 bulbs for the dome light in my F150, which are the same bulbs used in our mustang instrument clusters and turn signals. I've bought the following three to test: 10SMD LED 5630 Non-Projector , 10SMD CREE 50watt LED, and 10SMD LED 5630 Projector

 

The projector one hasn't shown up since I didn't pay attention and its come from Asia, but the non-projector one is definitely brighter than the 194 standard bulb it replaced (has a typical LED bluish hue though). The "50W" CREE one, which I expected to blow others out of the water, was only marginally brighter and one of the two I bought failed within 5 minutes. CREE are typically quality modules but its likely the chinese assembly that caused it to crap out on me.....or they may likely be fake CREE modules. The CREE one did have more of a white light instead of the blue hue, if that matters. There are much cheaper alternatives out there as well if you shop around, for example: Projector and non-projector, but they are just overseas and take forever to ship.

 

I will note the ones above are too deep to use in the instrument cluster if you keep the light diffusers. Be sure to measure and compare dimensions. Also keep in mind that buying a "kit" from a parts supplier doesn't give us enough info as to how many SMDs it has or what type they are, and as you can see from the Wiki site I linked to at the begining, the difference can be huge! If you want to skip the kits and buy bulbs, I recommend getting 5630 modules and getting ones that have the most SMDs as will fit.

[buening 63]

LEDs have come a long way. Early on I had purchased the inverted single LED bulb for my dash and it sucked. Now you can buy multiple SMD lights that can produce more lumens than a standard bulb, depending on what bulb you are wanting to replace. The lower lumen bulbs like the 194 (dash and turn signal bulb) are easily outshined by multi-SMD LED bulbs. There are also different kinds of SMD LED modules, like the 3528, 5050, 5730, etc. See here for difference in lumens and intensity: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMD_LED_Module

 

For example if you went on ebay and got a 9-LED with the 3528 modules, it would not be as bright as a 4-LED 5630. The higher the lumen per module, the brighter the light.

 

 

 

I have been experimenting with 194 bulbs for the dome light in my F150, which are the same bulbs used in our mustang instrument clusters and turn signals. I've bought the following three to test: 10SMD LED 5630 Non-Projector , 10SMD CREE 50watt LED, and 10SMD LED 5630 Projector

 

The projector one hasn't shown up since I didn't pay attention and its come from Asia, but the non-projector one is definitely brighter than the 194 standard bulb it replaced (has a typical LED bluish hue though). The "50W" CREE one, which I expected to blow others out of the water, was only marginally brighter and one of the two I bought failed within 5 minutes. CREE are typically quality modules but its likely the chinese assembly that caused it to crap out on me.....or they may likely be fake CREE modules. The CREE one did have more of a white light instead of the blue hue, if that matters. There are much cheaper alternatives out there as well if you shop around, for example: Projector and non-projector, but they are just overseas and take forever to ship.

 

I will note the ones above are too deep to use in the instrument cluster if you keep the light diffusers. Be sure to measure and compare dimensions. Also keep in mind that buying a "kit" from a parts supplier doesn't give us enough info as to how many SMDs it has or what type they are, and as you can see from the Wiki site I linked to at the begining, the difference can be huge! If you want to skip the kits and buy bulbs, I recommend getting 5630 modules and getting ones that have the most SMDs as will fit.

[69 red fastback 20]

Thanks for the info

[69 red fastback 20]

Thanks for the info