Map LEDs

Mike.M said:
Can someone please confirm if these are the recommended map reading leds ?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12v-4w-BA...e-Interior-Lights-233-Pack-of-2-/261541850958


CHEERS!
Mike
Click to expand...
Hi Mike,

they look like they will fit, some are too long but these look short enough.
BUT some LEDs don't seem to work well in the Map lights.

I have had some that don't light at all when you press the switch, but light ok when the door opens.
Others have flickered a lot.

Strange how this only seems to be the map lights that have these problems.

Yours might be ok, it just seems that some bulbs are less problematic than others.

But in short these look like they will fit.

Steve B
 
Hi,

Also watch out for the polarity of these bulbs, some are the wrong way around and you MIGHT need to strip the bulb and swap the wires around (Led bulbs are sensitive to polarity.)

But these are the right end cap (BA9S) and so will physically fit.

Steve B
 
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The LED's in your link are unlikely to be very bright. You need CREE LED's or something claiming at least 50 lumen. As Birchall says, the front map lights on the A2 are wired differently to most cars (with filament bulbs it does not matter). I had to resolder my LED map bulbs. From memory I think the A2 needs them to be -ve on the pointy bit. I found I could test them for correct functioning with a 9V square battery. It gives enough voltage to light up the LED, and he press-stud bits are spaced so that you can try the bulb directly on the terminals.

I have ones similar to these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-Bright...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item27cf5058eb

But as said, I had to resolder the terminals (melt central tail contact and a swift pull on the cap... then reverse the polartity and resolder/assemble)...dead easy when you have done one!!
 
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chb said:
The LED's in your link are unlikely to be very bright. You need CREE LED's or something claiming at least 50 lumen.
Click to expand...
The LEDs you suggest appear to have the same values/rating to those in my link (4W = 250 Lumen?) or am I - most probably - missing something?


Cheers
Mike
 
Hi Mike,
can't see a lumen claim in the ebay link you originally posted, I was going on the look of the LED modules. As an owner of plenty of LED torches over the years, the LED's that are on those bulbs look like "old fashioned LED's of the type that are for switchboard panels, ie to light up rather than project light. You see a lot of cheap LED torches with arays of these LED's and they look impressive but actually give out very little light. A later generation Cree LED looks very different and has a yellow patch that generates the light and a lens directly over it to focus the light.
 
chb said:
Hi Mike,
can't see a lumen claim in the ebay link you originally posted, I was going on the look of the LED modules. As an owner of plenty of LED torches over the years, the LED's that are on those bulbs look like "old fashioned LED's of the type that are for switchboard panels, ie to light up rather than project light. You see a lot of cheap LED torches with arays of these LED's and they look impressive but actually give out very little light. A later generation Cree LED looks very different and has a yellow patch that generates the light and a lens directly over it to focus the light.
Click to expand...
Hi,

Yes, they would definitely be the "old" type of LED and the SMD ones (with the yellow blob) will be better, but the old type ones will still work ok.
So if you have a choice go for the SMD type, if you already have the old ones then they will be ok.
Steve B
 
Birchall said:
Hi,

Also watch out for the polarity of these bulbs, some are the wrong way around and you MIGHT need to strip the bulb and swap the wires around (Led bulbs are sensitive to polarity.)

But these are the right end cap (BA9S) and so will physically fit.

Steve B
Click to expand...

I tried to swap to LED lamps today but failed due to the polarity. But it seems as it is the lamp unit that has the wrong polarity when I measure. It´s a bot odd since there are no wires inside the unit, only metal conductors that cant be misplaced. I have to check the and measure on the pins in the connector that supply the interior light.
 
Hi just reverse the wires in the led unit---i did a how to somewhere, i will try and find it. Its quite simple if you have a soldering iron and thin wire. cheers mike
 
hi right first thing you need solder---soldering iron---sharp modelling knife---short length of cat5 wire.

do you have those? if yes carry on if no----go to ebay and buy bulbs that are not polarity sensitive.

1st thing remove "nipple" from end of bulb with iron
2nd cut the strand of wire free from the end using craft knife
3rd un bond the lens/led holder from metal base using sharp knife
4th bent long leg back to look like short leg---so it contacts the metal body when re assembled.
5th solder extension to short leg once you straighten it out to look like the old long leg
6th replace metal body trapping short leg and allow long leg to protrude through "nipple"
7th re solder the "nipple"
test with 9v battery

simples cheers mike
 
steaman said:
I tried to swap to LED lamps today but failed due to the polarity. But it seems as it is the lamp unit that has the wrong polarity when I measure. It´s a bot odd since there are no wires inside the unit, only metal conductors that cant be misplaced. I have to check the and measure on the pins in the connector that supply the interior light.
Click to expand...

It is not a fault in the lamp unit, they are deliberately wired that way for some reason. So there is nothing to change there, you need to change the polarity of the bulb somehow.

Steve B
 
I have now checked the wiring diagram and you are correct! This wiring is not according to normal electrical standard. As Electrician (in the beginning of my career) and MSc.EE I want it to be correct, and will correct to my liking before swapping to LED. Why else have an enthusiast car. :)
 
steaman said:
I have now checked the wiring diagram and you are correct! This wiring is not according to normal electrical standard. As Electrician (in the beginning of my career) and MSc.EE I want it to be correct, and will correct to my liking before swapping to LED. Why else have an enthusiast car. :)
Click to expand...

I think the designers wanted it to be different to other cars in so many ways that they got carried away!!!

I am sure that there must be a valid reason, but I have no idea what that would be.

Steve B
 
They took a shortcut to optimize the construction and at that time, the late 90's, polarity to accommodate LED were not on the radar.
 
iv noticed with the interior led bulbs that if you have the front and back switches in different modes to each other the back led's will light up ever so slightly?? Strange... Even when the car is locked...
 
I got these for my interior reading lights and reg plate lights. However the BA9S did not work, it is the link on the top, anyone have a clue why? Or which ones I should get? I am talking about the two on the front map reading light. (not the one in the middle)


The others worked just fine, the 42mm 8LED one in the front middle is awesome gives a really nice strong white light and dims nicely.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/331419846991
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/370946086169
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180864504400?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Daniel
 
On the A2 the polarity is the other way around on the map lights so you either need to get the LEDs that were specifically designed for the A2 or dismantle the ones you have and swap the connections around.

Steve B
 
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