Anyone else converting car lighting over to LEDs? If so, are you getting modules that just replace the existing "bulbs" (that's the approach I've been doing BTW), or do you replace the entire light assembly with a specially designed LED lens assembly?
FWIW: I've been gradually converting almost all my car light bulbs (except for the few that can't be converted, such as the headlights) over to LED modules (while leaving the stock OEM light lens in place), and I'm really pretty happy with the results.
As I see it, this has several advantages:
1) LEDs use a lot less power. And while most people don't think about how much car electricity you use, the truth is that the more electricity you use, the more the alternator needs to put drag on the engine to generate that power (and therefore the more gas you use). While this effect isn't great, it is a real effect. So lowering electrical loads can save a little gas (probably not much of an issue on a car that's already a heavy gas guzzler, but on an efficient small car the effect can be surprisingly noticeable).
2) While many of the older (not to mention smaller/cheaper) LED modules weren't as bright as the stock bulbs, many of the newer LED modules actually produce more usable light than the stock bulbs. So LEDs can be easier to see, if you select your modules carefully!
3) LEDs produce a more "pure" color. For example, my tailights look a lot more "red" with the (red) LEDs behind them, than they ever did with the stock (incandescent) bulbs on them.
4) Normal incandescent bulbs take a short time (maybe 1/8 of a second) to "warm up", whereas LEDs turn on (or off) almost instantly. This might not sound significant, until you realize that it means that your brake lights will come on (after stepping on the pedal) just a little bit quicker (and therefor the person behind you will see them turn on slightly quicker). And if you have someone tailgating you on the highway (it happens way too often, IMHO), that could easily make a difference of several extra feet of "stopping distance" (which might be just enough difference, to avoid getting hit in the rear of your car)!
5) With LED modules, reversing the process (if you should ever want to go back to stock bulbs), is as simple as unplugging the LEDs and plugging back in (cheap) stock bulbs. For example, if you are selling the car, you could put stock bulbs back in, and use your LEDs in some other car...
6) While the LED modules are still a lot more expensive then stock bulbs, they are still a pretty cheap DIY "upgrade" to your lighting. And they do last a long time, so the "lifetime cost" (compared to stock bulbs you have to replace more often) is not really that high.
7) And, of course, the final advantage is that LEDs are unlikely to burn out at inconvenient times. Before I started converting over to LEDs, my wife was unlucky enough to get tickets for a burned out light (which she hadn't even realized had gone out) on two separate occasions! While both of those tickets were dismissed (without a fee) after she fixed the burned out bulb, and had a police officer verify that the light was now working, it was still a PITA (travel delays while being stopped by the cop, having to quickly buy/install the replacement bulb, having to make a trip to the police station to get the "repair" verified, etc.)! Now that we are converting over to LEDs, this problem should become a thing of the past...
BTW: You can put white LEDs behind a colored lens, and it will work (for example, you could use a white LED behind an amber turn signal lens). However, the color will be a lot more pure/crisp, and the effective light will be much brighter, if you match the LED color to the lens color. This is because if/when you match the LED color to the lens, almost all the light is usable. But when you put a white LED behind a colored lens, you throw away a lot of the light to switch it to color (which is what happens with stock incandescent lights as well). For example, when replacing a 1157 brake/tail bulb with LEDs, you will get much more pleasing results if you use a RED 1157 brake/tail module (because the lens color is red), even though the stock bulb you are replacing was white...
OTOH there are still a few "gotcha's" with LEDs:
1) You do have to do your homework, as not all LED modules are as bright as stock bulbs. The better LED modules are actually BRIGHTER (at least in terms of usable light) than stock bulbs, but you have to choose carefully.
2) Many turn signal flashers require the greater current draw of stock lights, and don't work well with LEDs. I had to upgrade my turn signal flasher (an extra $13 expense), before I could convert my turn signals to LEDs.
3) It wasn't a problem with my car, but some cars try to detect burned out lights by looking at the current draw. With such cars, the lower power/current draw of LEDs, can result in a constant "burned out bulb" warnings...
4) And finally, some "bulbs" are easier to get to than others. So some lights could be a real PITA to convert over to LEDs. For example, in order to get to my dash lights, it's necessary to totally unbolt the instrument panel from the car...
FWIW: I've been gradually converting almost all my car light bulbs (except for the few that can't be converted, such as the headlights) over to LED modules (while leaving the stock OEM light lens in place), and I'm really pretty happy with the results.
As I see it, this has several advantages:
1) LEDs use a lot less power. And while most people don't think about how much car electricity you use, the truth is that the more electricity you use, the more the alternator needs to put drag on the engine to generate that power (and therefore the more gas you use). While this effect isn't great, it is a real effect. So lowering electrical loads can save a little gas (probably not much of an issue on a car that's already a heavy gas guzzler, but on an efficient small car the effect can be surprisingly noticeable).
2) While many of the older (not to mention smaller/cheaper) LED modules weren't as bright as the stock bulbs, many of the newer LED modules actually produce more usable light than the stock bulbs. So LEDs can be easier to see, if you select your modules carefully!
3) LEDs produce a more "pure" color. For example, my tailights look a lot more "red" with the (red) LEDs behind them, than they ever did with the stock (incandescent) bulbs on them.
4) Normal incandescent bulbs take a short time (maybe 1/8 of a second) to "warm up", whereas LEDs turn on (or off) almost instantly. This might not sound significant, until you realize that it means that your brake lights will come on (after stepping on the pedal) just a little bit quicker (and therefor the person behind you will see them turn on slightly quicker). And if you have someone tailgating you on the highway (it happens way too often, IMHO), that could easily make a difference of several extra feet of "stopping distance" (which might be just enough difference, to avoid getting hit in the rear of your car)!
5) With LED modules, reversing the process (if you should ever want to go back to stock bulbs), is as simple as unplugging the LEDs and plugging back in (cheap) stock bulbs. For example, if you are selling the car, you could put stock bulbs back in, and use your LEDs in some other car...
6) While the LED modules are still a lot more expensive then stock bulbs, they are still a pretty cheap DIY "upgrade" to your lighting. And they do last a long time, so the "lifetime cost" (compared to stock bulbs you have to replace more often) is not really that high.
7) And, of course, the final advantage is that LEDs are unlikely to burn out at inconvenient times. Before I started converting over to LEDs, my wife was unlucky enough to get tickets for a burned out light (which she hadn't even realized had gone out) on two separate occasions! While both of those tickets were dismissed (without a fee) after she fixed the burned out bulb, and had a police officer verify that the light was now working, it was still a PITA (travel delays while being stopped by the cop, having to quickly buy/install the replacement bulb, having to make a trip to the police station to get the "repair" verified, etc.)! Now that we are converting over to LEDs, this problem should become a thing of the past...
BTW: You can put white LEDs behind a colored lens, and it will work (for example, you could use a white LED behind an amber turn signal lens). However, the color will be a lot more pure/crisp, and the effective light will be much brighter, if you match the LED color to the lens color. This is because if/when you match the LED color to the lens, almost all the light is usable. But when you put a white LED behind a colored lens, you throw away a lot of the light to switch it to color (which is what happens with stock incandescent lights as well). For example, when replacing a 1157 brake/tail bulb with LEDs, you will get much more pleasing results if you use a RED 1157 brake/tail module (because the lens color is red), even though the stock bulb you are replacing was white...
OTOH there are still a few "gotcha's" with LEDs:
1) You do have to do your homework, as not all LED modules are as bright as stock bulbs. The better LED modules are actually BRIGHTER (at least in terms of usable light) than stock bulbs, but you have to choose carefully.
2) Many turn signal flashers require the greater current draw of stock lights, and don't work well with LEDs. I had to upgrade my turn signal flasher (an extra $13 expense), before I could convert my turn signals to LEDs.
3) It wasn't a problem with my car, but some cars try to detect burned out lights by looking at the current draw. With such cars, the lower power/current draw of LEDs, can result in a constant "burned out bulb" warnings...
4) And finally, some "bulbs" are easier to get to than others. So some lights could be a real PITA to convert over to LEDs. For example, in order to get to my dash lights, it's necessary to totally unbolt the instrument panel from the car...
