I use these except mine are switchback, and the white running light is probably almost offensive to oncoming traffic. The same ones in the rear give me hella illumination as a reverse light. Just offering my opinion.
EDIT: and I actually linked the wrong ones. I use the 3030's http://r.ebay.com/fC8aDl
Ahh, the choices. I need to just pickone and try it. I got some el cheapo ones when I first got them and they are worthless. I was planning to switch to the original bulbs they came with, but really like the look of the LED if I can get the same light output.
I thought mine were OK until sitting behind my truck and my buddy's Tahoe and we both hit the remote and his factory reverse lights put out a TON more usable light.
But if I place an order...do I go with new shocks and the 42W LED driving lights for the new bumper as well?
Hey guys a few updates on my trucks. Got the envoy just about done in all 5mm flat tops blue. Gotta get a picture taken since I changed all the button faces tho. The cluster in this picture is my tb I just did last night, all 5mm flat top whites, I also put reflective tape in the plastic under the gauge face, it took any hot spots away, came out looking good IMO. Put a red led in the low gas light. Made the signals and Cruse blue in cluster. Also in the pictures are Philips LED for my plate lights for anyone looking to see how bright they are. Will post more next few days when I do some more in the tb.
Hey guys a few updates on my trucks. Got the envoy just about done in all 5mm flat tops blue. Gotta get a picture taken since I changed all the button faces tho. The cluster in this picture is my tb I just did last night, all 5mm flat top whites, I also put reflective tape in the plastic under the gauge face, it took any hot spots away, came out looking good IMO. Put a red led in the low gas light. Made the signals and Cruse blue in cluster. Also in the pictures are Philips LED for my plate lights for anyone looking to see how bright they are. Will post more next few days when I do some more in the tb.
That cluster looks fantastic. I so wanted to do stuff like this, but losing use of my dominant hand I can't hold a pen let alone a soldering iron/gun. I need to replace the bulbs in my steering wheel controls first. For now everything works in the cluster. But hey, if it ain't broke, improve it.
I'll ask here because I want to modify them with LEDs - does anyone know if the steering wheel controls are the same for all years/models/lines (if so equipped)?
That cluster looks fantastic. I so wanted to do stuff like this, but losing use of my dominant hand I can't hold a pen let alone a soldering iron/gun. I need to replace the bulbs in my steering wheel controls first. For now everything works in the cluster. But hey, if it ain't broke, improve it.
I'll ask here because I want to modify them with LEDs - does anyone know if the steering wheel controls are the same for all years/models/lines (if so equipped)?
Thanks man I like the white LEDs. Might take the time and sand the blue off and see what pure white looks like. The steering wheel controls work the same but the button faces are different for the newer years.
Finished. Don't know if I like it as much as the blue LEDs. Going to sand the blue backing clear as someone did back in this thread. Sorry forget who it was. Try purple and white with clear backing and see if it's closer to pink or at least brighter. Also if anyone was wanting red needles on their TB or pickups or orange on their envoys they are the same needles just different colours. Tried them out and snapped a picture cause I had them sitting around
What kind of leds are y'all running in the corner lamps on TB headlights? I see many willing candidates on eBay but not sure about where the length is capped in the headlights. Iirc, you can only get them so long until they won't fit.
Just go with anything that is close to normal 194 dimensions. If you dont, you risk breaking them if you try to force them in, in order to twist the bases. The LEDs I have in my corner lamps now are too long and I can't fully lock them in. They actually move a bit and are currently failing...
I just got tired of changing them out every few months when I got the cheapo dome lights. I wouldn't wanna be driving around with flickering park lights and not know it
I just got tired of changing them out every few months when I got the cheapo dome lights. I wouldn't wanna be driving around with flickering park lights and not know it
I feel you on that. It seems my 194 license plates lights are the only ones that burn out and have to be changed every 6 months or so. I use to only buy from VLeds until their prices got ridiculous, but I do not remember one of their LEDs ever failing though. 1 year warranty is not bad either.
Here lately, it does not seem to matter what brand/manufacturer I use for LEDs, the damn license plate lights eat them up. I use the same lights in my interior and they have well outlasted the license plate lights.
Every LED I have bought from EBay has been from the same seller, DT-Autotech. Their LEDs are hit or miss, but they do have really good customer service. Even though their warranty period is 60 days, they have still replaced my bad LEDs well after that period. Last set I had replaced, they only asked me to pay $2.00 for shipping.
You guys wanna know how to solve your quality control issues? Build your own lights!! Much cheaper in the long run, and if something does go wrong, you'll be the one best equipped to know what, why, and how to repair it.
I'm on my second set for plate bulbs and one just started flickering two days ago. First set was from superbrightleds and they wern't the color temperate they were advertised at and began to flicker less than 3 months after installation. These ones are about a year old from VLEDS. My only guess is that closing the liftgate puts more shock on them than they are designed to take. I paid about 35 dollars for them so I expected more...
Spotty luminescence mainly. The picture makes it look like a solid beam of light all the way around but actually you can see dark spots between the LEDs. Maybe I'm too hard on myself but I'm not happy with it.
I understand what you mean. When you make something and it doesn't measure up to your mind's eye, you're not as satisfied. But hey, you got your LED bowtie done way before I got mine done, so good on you for that!
I understand what you mean. When you make something and it doesn't measure up to your mind's eye, you're not as satisfied. But hey, you got your LED bowtie done way before I got mine done, so good on you for that!
I remember talking about it somewhere, but it looks like I never posted pics (at least in here).
But yeah, it is still unfinished, like my retrofit, and among many of the other bright ideas bouncing around in my head, that get pushed to the back burner, and eventually fall behind the stove.
Anywho, onto the good stuff. I ordered a couple of PCBs and opted for some Cree P4 (superflux) LEDs. Decided to step my game up in the quality department, and leave the cheap Ebay LEDs alone.
Took apart a donor bow tie, marked the pattern on one of the PCBs, sprayed it gloss black, and laid out the LEDs in sets of 4. The forward voltage of the LEDs was 3.x (don't remember exactly) This allowed me to not need to use resistors, as long as the alternator doesn't start cranking out more than it's usual voltage.
In hindsight, I should have at least used a small resistor, as insurance, but since it's unfinished, I can go back and change it if this gets jump started again.
I trimmed the PCB to the bow tie shape, and hollowed out the center area (didn't take pics, but I can take some at home later if people want to see it) Here's a low voltage test pic, just under 10V
Full power test pic, all of the living room lights are turned off. As you can see, it's bright as
Happy with the test results, at this point, the project stalled out. The plan from here was to build a silicone mold of the original bow tie, solder power and ground wires to the main traces, and have them pass through the mold where the bow tie's mounting studs are. Then fill the mold with a clear (possibly tinted) polyurethane resin. That would make it water proof, and give it protection.
Maybe after I get my retrofit done, I can look back into this. There were some people that did this on the OS, just took a different track. They'd take a piece of acrylic, and cut it down to the bow tie shape, sand the front to frost it. Then take a small LED strip, 3528s I believe, and run the strip around the edge of the bow tie area in the grille. Fit the acrylic piece in, and seal it. Then when the strip turned on, it lit up the acrylic piece.
The few that I saw were really good for viewing at night. But I wanted something that would be visible as a DRL during the day, that I could add a PWM circuit to it, to dim when the low beams come on at night, and be about as bright as the low power test pic.
This is the only incomplete lighting mod I have left after finishing my retro and redoing my mirrors. Just need to sit down and commit to making the mold somehow, adding the wiring to it, and casting it in resin.
Also need to put together the dimming circuitry for night driving, cuz it's stupid bright at full power.
Let me join in on the fun.
First tail light is cut open, second one will be later.
Plans for this will to be paint all the chrome on the inside of the tail black, and then wire up 120 LED's per side, and 15 white LEDS for the reverse lights.
Leds that are being used are red/orange lumiled hpwt-dh00. The reverse lights are Nichias.
Both top and bottom section of the light will have all 3 functions, stop/turn/running. I am going to achieve this by tapping into the stop/turn wire on the trailer harness, and the running wire on the trailer harness as well.
I will then be running the wires up into the storage compartment in the rear of the vehicle where I will be mounting and Opti-Drive PWM/Regulator, which takes all those signals, and outputs them to a single wire.
I will then most likely be painting the OEM tail light bulbs with high heat black engine enamel to prevent them from producing light and keeping them in the housing to prevent hyper flash. The LED boards will be mounted in the housing to give the space for that to work so the electronic flasher will not be needed (that is until I do the fronts)
Here is the controller board
I would provide a link from who I got it from, but they are long gone and not producing them anymore. I was lucky to get in contact with them.
I will keep you guys updated on this project as it progresses.
I was gonna say, those boards are pretty rare from what I remember. I don't think anyone has attempted custom tails around here with building their own LED arrays. People were waiting on me, but that's not a smart thing to do
Given I could get an OEM-looking full LED housing (aside from reverse, which I just stuck an LED bulb in) for cheap I never bothered trying. Plus... it took me 2 years to get my retrofit done up front, if I tried doing something with the tails that would take me at least as long I'm sure
I was initially going to do this without putting any type of light diffuser for the LED's.. I have changed my mind and am going to get the most cheap/best option for a light diffuser and get a light diffuser panel for fluorescent lights (ceiling lights) and cutting out the shape I need, boiling it in water to soften it and molding it to the shape of the tail light lens.
60 LED's down, 60 more to go for this tail.
The board is just sitting on top of the housing since I still need to paint it all black. but this gives you an idea.
Thanks!
I most likely am going to be going flat/semi gloss.
That is what I did on the last pair that I did for a first gen Jimmy, and it gave them a smoked appearance without losing the light output of actually smoking them.
60 LED's down, 60 more to go for this tail.
The board is just sitting on top of the housing since I still need to paint it all black. but this gives you an idea.
Much cheaper in the long run, and if something does go wrong, you'll be the one best equipped to know what, why, and how to repair it. 
I remember talking about it somewhere, but it looks like I never posted pics (at least in here).
