# WHITE LED INTERIOR LIGHTS



## holliett (Sep 17, 2010)

Heya can someone help me with my interior lights!!
I've bought a fair few White LEDs which have worked fine until I install the rest which causes the other to flicker or stop workin or come on when they shouldn't!

I want them for the visor mirrors aswel so I someone can please tell me where I can get the complete set which will all be compatible with no errors I would be very greatful!!


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## landwomble (Feb 9, 2011)

holliett said:


> Heya can someone help me with my interior lights!!
> I've bought a fair few White LEDs which have worked fine until I install the rest which causes the other to flicker or stop workin or come on when they shouldn't!
> 
> I want them for the visor mirrors aswel so I someone can please tell me where I can get the complete set which will all be compatible with no errors I would be very greatful!!


OK, it's a bit of a minefield this, but once you understand the principle behind it, it gets a lot easier.

On the coupe, when the interior lights are on, the center light comes on as well as the map lights. Now, the car needs a resistance similar to an original bulb to stop the flickering - LED bulbs have much lower resistance. If you just change the center light over then the original map lights are still there to act as a resistance and there's no flickering. Change the map lights, and there's too low a resistance and it starts flickering.

In order to fix this, you need to do some simple tinkering.
Remove the light fitting from the roof (unclips, then unplugs) and turn it over. You'll need to get a couple of suitable resistors (5W capacity, about 150 ohm I think - search the forum for the spec!) and solder them across the rear of the terminals from +ve to -ve for the map lights. This way the LED bulb you put in to replace the OEM one for the map lights now has a similar resistance. You don't need to solder anything for the center light, as when this is on it's always in conjunction with the map lights, which you've added resistors to.
Soldering it is easy - just scrape the metal contacts first to give the solder something to grip to.

It's a GREAT mod as it looks awesome when done. Well worth having a go at.

if you get stuck, PM me and I'll dig out my notes from when I did it...!


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## M1YK P (Jan 23, 2008)

holliett said:


> Heya can someone help me with my interior lights!!
> I've bought a fair few White LEDs which have worked fine until I install the rest which causes the other to flicker or stop workin or come on when they shouldn't!
> 
> I want them for the visor mirrors aswel so I someone can please tell me where I can get the complete set which will all be compatible with no errors I would be very greatful!!


Here u go.... I did mine couple of months ago....Give it a try - Be careful when taking out light housing - I snapped my tabs taking out incorrectly.....

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=147326&p=1510828&hilit=interior+led+and+bigsyd#p1510828


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## bak (Feb 10, 2010)

Wuoa!

It is perfect. I will bought them because I tride some LEDs but they do not work OK [smiley=bigcry.gif]


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## malstt (Apr 18, 2007)

I bought some from a forum member with a resistor soldered across the centre light, they seem to work ok but when you open the door the maplights dont come on. The map lights work ok when the centre light is off but not when it is on. Any ideas whats wrong anyone ? Tempted to remove the resistor and folllow sids guide and see if that works.


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## T3RBO (Dec 9, 2003)

I would follow Syd's guide... seems easy and works


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## malstt (Apr 18, 2007)

Ok cheers, was just wondering why it works the way it does. just need to find someone local to get resistors from.


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## Tritium (Apr 25, 2011)

I have been replacing the bulbs with LED's 
I read in Syd's guide that the map lights need reverse polarity bulbs (..ie outer case + and inner pin -) for the coupe - is that correct? Has any one a source for them? I searched but no luck so far.


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## Peeunit (May 22, 2013)

I just followed this to the letter.... Worked a treat. 
Brilliant write up, thanks


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## tommatt90 (Feb 2, 2012)

Fizzmo on eBay sell the reverse polarity bulbs needed, you have to message them however and ask for them 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## mullum (Sep 16, 2011)

What size resistors did you use ? Presumably you read the bit about the risk of fire if the original 3w bulbs were refitted (with too small resistors) ?


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## Tare071 (Oct 27, 2011)

All those mods are nice and easy but why not just buy central LED map light with resistor?
Why tinkering with whole map system and/or soldering resistors over LED which will heat up the whole case when you can buy already flicker free LED over ebay for 3 pounds.....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2PCs-36mm-3SMD- ... 43b52a0238

i have these no flicker no problem what so ever !


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## mullum (Sep 16, 2011)

Do you have LEDs in the map lights at the same time ?

I bought these ones, with 6 LEDs instead of 3 - price for a PAIR from Asia :
http://bit.ly/1hruarf
Or from the UK :
http://bit.ly/1hrtJwZ

These ones have 9 LEDs - price for a PAIR from Asia :
http://bit.ly/180ulmQ


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## Tare071 (Oct 27, 2011)

mullum said:


> Do you have LEDs in the map lights at the same time ?
> 
> I bought these ones, with 6 LEDs instead of 3 - price for a PAIR from Asia :
> http://bit.ly/1hruarf
> ...


Sure all around LED, works like a charm, no flicker, working with no ignition contact. I have these also as an ambient light, all is good, not one died in past almost a year since i started fiddling with LED interior


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## Peeunit (May 22, 2013)

> All those mods are nice and easy but why not just buy central LED map light with resistor?
> Why tinkering with whole map system and/or soldering resistors over LED which will heat up the whole case when you can buy already flicker free LED over ebay for 3 pounds.....
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/2PCs-36mm-3SMD- ... 43b52a0238


Ah, whatever. I quite enjoyed doing it this way. Was like a bit of a physics lesson.

And yes read the bit about fires. Used nice big resistors, so will be fine


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## uv101 (Aug 17, 2013)

You know the resistors will get red hot right?

Even if they are nice and big, they will still generate the same amount of heat, they just dissipate it better. Make sure nothing combustible is touching them (and they will melt plastic!!)

Our of curiosity, what value resistors did you use ?


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## John-H (Jul 13, 2005)

Here's the work I did on this back in 2007. You can see, a 330 ohm 2 watt resistor *runs cool* as it only dissipates 0.5 watt in a 2W capable body and the resistance is still low enough to operate the load detection circuit.

viewtopic.php?t=80223&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=30


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## Tare071 (Oct 27, 2011)

Peeunit said:


> > All those mods are nice and easy but why not just buy central LED map light with resistor?
> > Why tinkering with whole map system and/or soldering resistors over LED which will heat up the whole case when you can buy already flicker free LED over ebay for 3 pounds.....
> >
> > http://www.ebay.com/itm/2PCs-36mm-3SMD- ... 43b52a0238
> ...


Before i bought the original LED with the resistor and with the heatsink i tried your way and it was pretty dodgy NHF and here is why.
1. It is fiddly to solder something to stick onto LED , not to fall off, not to peal off once you try and put it back in a socket. 
2. Also once you get pass the soldering part, you still need to jam it into socket with the resistor soldered at the back
3. Once you do all that there is a heat issue, and let me tell you it is substantial heat or at least not to be ignored heat

And once i summed that all up, i decided to buy the damn rather than to try to make it....we are talking about 3 pounds from china no shipment fee


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## John-H (Jul 13, 2005)

You've used the wrong value resistor if it's running hot. Did you use 100 ohms which would dissipate 1.44 watts?

330 Ohms works, only dissipates half a watt and runs cool in a 2W package - no need for a heatsink. Using an external resistor gives you more options for the LED lamp rather than restricting your choice to ones with a built in resistor which may not be the brightest - unless you can find a bright one with resistor built in.


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## Tare071 (Oct 27, 2011)

John-H said:


> You've used the wrong value resistor if it's running hot. Did you use 100 ohms which would dissipate 1.44 watts?
> 
> 330 Ohms works, only dissipates half a watt and runs cool in a 2W package - no need for a heatsink. Using an external resistor gives you more options for the LED lamp rather than restricting your choice to ones with a built in resistor which may not be the brightest - unless you can find a bright one with resistor built in.


Course i used right spec resistor, even tried higher and lower coz i wasn't to happy with either flickering or excessive heat.
Not wanting to be disrespective or taken in a wrong manner, but why taking the map light off where 50% of users will either break or bend at least one hook - when you can just buy the damn LED and install it in a second?
That is just me


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## uv101 (Aug 17, 2013)

At 330r that's going to be fine. I guess as you're not trying to fool a bulb warning you don't need to run very low ohms which will get hot (like you need for led brake lights)

I incorrect assumed that you'd be running a coupe of ohms which will get hot!!


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## John-H (Jul 13, 2005)

uv101 said:


> At 330r that's going to be fine. I guess as you're not trying to fool a bulb warning you don't need to run very low ohms which will get hot (like you need for led brake lights)
> 
> I incorrect assumed that you'd be running a coupe of ohms which will get hot!!


Yes, it's not a bulb warning but some sort of load sensing that will only apply full 12V supply if it detects a DC path. Very odd and I've not got to the bottom of the central locking controller's behaviour as to why it applies short duration low voltage spikes to the lamp like this. Anything lower than 500 ohms allows it to work.


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