DIY: Amber Singals

[BndaAzn]

I have 916's and they aren't bright enough in the daytime for me..
(Night time they are fine with brightness)


My family has told me its dull in the daytime.
And I get assholes driving behind me so close, tailgating basically, when I'm braking and have turn signals on in the daytime..

that concludes, to me at least, that even the 916's are not bright enough.


I was also thinking of putting actual signal bulbs like T0neyDanza suggested, as I need brighter output.. I always get worried for being rear ended -.-

 

[T0neyDanza]

I have 916's and they aren't bright enough in the daytime for me..
(Night time they are fine with brightness)


My family has told me its dull in the daytime.
And I get assholes driving behind me so close, tailgating basically, when I'm braking and have turn signals on in the daytime..

that concludes, to me at least, that even the 916's are not bright enough.


I was also thinking of putting actual signal bulbs like T0neyDanza suggested, as I need brighter output.. I always get worried for being rear ended -.-

Try the 921NA wedge bulbs.

 

[BndaAzn]

Since I followed this DIY step by step.

I have put my taillights to LED settings via vagcom.
That being said.. would I be able to run LED 194 bulbs without getting thrown a code? For more brightness reasons.

 

[ik1015]

If built-in resistor in led, OK. Led uses low wattage, so Canbus throws bulb out message. I bought $20 canbus T10 amber led from amazon that works fine, but not really good in bright daytime.

If led consumes more than 5W or 6W w/o resistor, it will be fine because I am using 1156 7W cree led for reverse light and does not show bulb out warning.

 

[ckabin]

I have the same problem as someone on the first page.. nicholas I think.. I ran them for about a week (not coded) and everything was fine.. I was looking for someone to vag com them for me. rescently, (still looking for someone to vag com me) the left signal stopped working. Oddly enough if I plug the left bulb into the right wiring harness, it works fine. plug it back into the left one and nothing... I finally had it vag com'd today and still same problem. MFD still says left light not working. Any ideas??? Connections all seem fine (as it works in the left one) Maybe something didn't send through the vag com.. I'm going to get that checked out again on wednesday.

Chris

 

[Timpanogos Slim]

Considering doing this soon -- I absolutely want to run high power LED for the turn signal so i have a few questions.

1: Is there any kind of reflector behind the lens? I'm guessing there isn't.

2: What is the depth limitation for the bulb? the 5W Cree lights have that big heatsink. I guess i can always chop the plastic down further on the bulb holder plate?

 

[Rajini98]

I have the same problem as someone on the first page.. nicholas I think.. I ran them for about a week (not coded) and everything was fine.. I was looking for someone to vag com them for me. rescently, (still looking for someone to vag com me) the left signal stopped working. Oddly enough if I plug the left bulb into the right wiring harness, it works fine. plug it back into the left one and nothing... I finally had it vag com'd today and still same problem. MFD still says left light not working. Any ideas??? Connections all seem fine (as it works in the left one) Maybe something didn't send through the vag com.. I'm going to get that checked out again on wednesday.

Chris

If the bulb works on the other side, it's not the bulb. Recheck your connections and make sure you don't have a popped solder joint or short.

Considering doing this soon -- I absolutely want to run high power LED for the turn signal so i have a few questions.

1: Is there any kind of reflector behind the lens? I'm guessing there isn't.

2: What is the depth limitation for the bulb? the 5W Cree lights have that big heatsink. I guess i can always chop the plastic down further on the bulb holder plate?

There is no reflector. Also, width is going to be a bigger factor for you than depth. There's plenty of room in there but getting a bulb to fit through the opening is the hard part.

If these are similar to the cree LEDs you're talking about, I'm almost sure that they wont fit:

 

[Timpanogos Slim]

There is no reflector. Also, width is going to be a bigger factor for you than depth. There's plenty of room in there but getting a bulb to fit through the opening is the hard part.

If these are similar to the cree LEDs you're talking about, I'm almost sure that they wont fit:

no reflector = LED arrays that have emitters on the sides are right out. Good to know.

These are what I'm looking at:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170934798094

Listing states a 12mm diameter. But a 41mm length.

For the length, I could put the lamp holder in a vise under a drill press and just use a step bit to ream it out to the diameter of the T10 socket, etc. maybe.

 

[ik1015]

^I had that before and no fitting problem. However, do not expect huge different b/w led and 916 bulb.

 

[Timpanogos Slim]

Got my amber LEDs today and with just a 9v battery they are pretty bright.

Don't have the sockets yet.

Sent from my mobile thinger using the tapawhatsit

 

[Rajini98]

Got my amber LEDs today and with just a 9v battery they are pretty bright.

Don't have the sockets yet.

Sent from my mobile thinger using the tapawhatsit

Mine have been chilling in there without sockets. Yes, a little more permanent and not as pretty but serve the same purpose and not something I'm planning on reversing for a long time (also, soldering is no problem for me)

 

[Timpanogos Slim]

Got my sockets yesterday. I've also got a set of votex tails to install.

OTOH saturday i need to take my buddy shopping for an econobox and go look at an '80 fiat 2000 FI to try to talk myself out of wanting to buy it.

So, dunno. I may or may not find the time to take a dremel and a soldering iron to my bulb holders.

 

[Timpanogos Slim]

dremel schremel.

The sockets i got have a rectangular base. I just trimmed the plastic a bit and broke off that one side, and it wedges right in.

My Cree LEDs are effing bright but they only illuminate a dot in the middle of the lens. So I'm getting the 21w amber bulbs from pepboys.

992 aka 7440A. 465 lumens but only 810 hours at 14v.

The 921NA is rated 18w, 264 lumens, 1800 hours at 14v.

I'm hoping that the 7440A doesn't get superhot in turn signal use. I bought two sets ship-to-store just in case. I'll keep the other set in the hatch somewhere.

Maybe i'll set a turn signal and see what the temperature rise of the lens is over several minutes w/ my IR thermometer.

 

[Timpanogos Slim]

I'm an idiot - 7440 is an entirely different base. I bet we could make it work though.

 

[Timpanogos Slim]

Got a modified set going in my GTI now. Nice improvement. With 921's from autozone. Will still probably see if i can pull off a 7440a modification.