^ I think I've heard that before too. Same lenses in the ES350's also.

 

Hey, a few questions for ya.

My 08 IS250 awd didn't have the oem hid's, i know i can put an aftermarket kit in but don't really care for it and the halogen bulbs are decent. But, i do want something better than the regular halogen bulbs, are there any performance bulbs you'd recommend that are fairly priced, looks better than stock and keeps functionality?

The oem fog lights are decent as well but i'd like something better, i'm also not really into putting an hid kit in them. Any suggestions for a "better than stock" looking bulb while keeping functionality for the fogs? i know you've mentioned (or somewhere i've read) that there are led's for the fogs but i've read through so many threads/posts that i've lost track lol.

I've followed this thread and its fantastic. I just received my led's for the interior domes, courtesy doors, and puddle lights and will be putting them in sometime this week. I will also be getting the parking lights you've recommended on the first page, some fog lights/leds and low beam lights once i figure out which ones i should get, rather than an hid kit (which i know i can get from vendors). Also, i was looking into getting the rear brake and reverse bulbs replaced with brighter led's but not sure which ones are recommended (this is a maybe as i just looked at my rear lights in the dark and they're pretty bright as is).

One last thing, i saw another thread about the radio/dash/temp control panel lights replaced with bright led lighting. I like that setup and would prefer it over the ugly greenish coloring that the car comes with. How easy is it to change out and whats the cost to it? i'll probably try and find that thread as i randomly found it through numerous pages of these led threads

Any and all advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

P.S. My car came with license plate 6k led's and the interior dome lights (smaller individual side lights) came with 6k led's too, just not the rest of the car.

 

For your lows and fogs, I'd recommend either PIAA Xtreme White or Silverstar Ultras. They're plug and play replacements (obviously, being bulb swaps), they'll be a little bit whiter and brighter. The only downsides are cost and possibly shorter operating life (since they're high performance bulbs).

I think you may have confused "LEDs for fogs" with the LED DRL's strip I use, which is separate. I have 6000K HID fogs in a custom projector housing, as seen below (fogs aren't on):



Honestly, I don't think messing with the brake lights and reverse lights is worth it. The brake lights are LEDs and soldered onto an assembly, making them very difficult to change out. The reverse lights are easier to change out, but how often do you use them? Only when you're going backwards.

The dash lights are NOT easily changed (certainly not plug and play). You have to take apart the dash, remove the LEDs and individually solder on new ones. The results are pretty nice though:



For details on this mod, PM Tim (2slow).

The license plate lights and reading lights (that's what those cluster of LEDs next to the dome lights are called) are actually closer to 5000K I believe, but they match the 6000K replacement I list in my guide very well. These LEDs too are NOT easily changed, and certainly not worth it IMO.

Hope this helps!

 

Hey, Send me a PM here or @ 2slow. I can help you with your radio/dash panels.

-Tim

 

Thanks for the helpful responses guys. Not sure if i want to tackle the dash/heater control panel lights as it does seem like a pita to do. I dont have the patience lol

Will probably stick with getting some different headlight/fog light bulbs once i do some searching around.

hopefully the 6k leds that i just got from vleds.com will match the othe lights...we'll see

Thanks again

 

Quick question guys.. I've got a 2011 350 and want to do the interior lights, in the front it looks like only 2 slots, is it still the same bulb? I haven't had a chance to open it and look and figured someone on here would know. The manual just says wedge base bulb 5w for the front and double end bulb 3w for the rear.

 

Someone else on CL confirmed it is indeed that same bulb type.

 

thank brociouz! i'm about to place my order now!

 

do you have a link to the license plate lights?

 

^ Like I said, the license plate lights are not easily changed. There is no plug and play solution. You'd need to take apart the whole assembly and solder on new LEDs, and I don't know what type you'd use for that either.

 

When you guys are talking about HID fog lights, you're really just saying that you take some LED towers and stick them in there?

Parking lights (or city lights) are just a tiny LED in the same housing as the DRL light?

I want some BLUE tint DRL lights and some Fog lights that match the HID regular lights.

I assume that I need to:

1. get the dealer to disable the DRL

2. Get a blue LED that replaces the "parking light" (or city light)

3. Get a 6k LED tower for the fog lights?
( http://www.v-leds.com/Exterior-LED/D...22474-3-3.html ) <-- is there a cheaper alternative? Does this throw the same amount of light or just look cooler

Does that sound right - I just read this whole thread and all the threads that were linked through out it.

 

No, we're talking about actual HIDs in the fog lights. Read the respective Wikipedia articles to better understand the difference between HID and LED.

Correct. And the DRL is the same bulb as your high beams (a 9005).

Blue or blue-tint DRLs? Be careful with blue, you could get slapped with impersonating an officer because blue is reserved for police.

Leave your DRL's enabled and get these for a 6000K (white with a hint of blue) look: http://www.v-leds.com/Vehicle-Specif...-p9167453.html By doing so, you will effectively lose your high beams. This isn't that big of a deal because the low beams are bi-xenon.

In general, as you move toward more toward blue, you lose light output. 4100K-4300K (the color of your stock HID bulbs) is the color that emits the most light.

If you replace your fog lights with LEDs you will lose pretty much all light. You'd be better off getting an HID conversion kit, or doing an HID retrofit like in my case. Fog lights are 9006 by the way.

 

Just updated the guide (first & second posts). It now includes a recommendation for a reverse/backup light LED replacement, along with an output shot comparing it to the stock halogen bulb. I also fixed the link to my trunk light recommendation.

I also tried several different LEDs recently, but have yet to find anything better than what's already in my guide. For those wondering, the trunk light does appear to be a 29mm festoon bulb, but I still prefer the LED board because it is MUCH brighter, and the light fires straight down since the board lays flat against the lens. Also, there is no direct replacement for the glove box light, but it comes LED stock anyway so no biggie.

 

Thanks for the V-LED write up!! I just installed all the interior led's that you recommended and i wish that i could have read your post before ordering Putco led's and installing them a month ago! The V-LED's are alot brighter than the Putco's. Now i need to get something for the trunk.....

 

^ You're welcome. V-LEDS has apparently discontinued the 6000K version of the trunk light I originally recommended. Here's the 5000K version though: http://www.v-leds.com/Exterior-LED/C...00874-1-3.html Make sure you select the 31mm festoon base for it.