LED Bulbs installed!

[Lawstargate65]

Just installed LED bulbs for the front, rear turn signals and back up lights, and interior lights. Looks much better than boring old incandescence bulbs. Plenty of options for LEDs but just be sure to get the CANBUS built iN ones.

 

[theothertom]

I'm not sure what "canbus" is but some cars (maybe the Bolt?) measure the resistance in the light circuits and if it's too high, it throws an error code thinking there's a burned out bulb. To fix that, some people add resistors in the line when they install LEDs. Does "canbus" fix that?

 

[Oistein]

Lawstargate65 - would you please elaborate which brand/model of LED’s you used, and where they were purchased?

I was following another forum which stated that a Philips 921 was needed for the reverse lights. Unfortunately, that was incorrect. LED replacement will not fit in the socket in the same way the stock incandescent does.

TIA

 

[josephsuk]

It sounds like you've made some great updates to your vehicle's lighting! LED bulbs not only enhance visibility but also give a modern and stylish look compared to traditional incandescent bulbs. Plus, opting for CANBUS-compatible ones is smart, as they help prevent flickering and error messages on your dashboard.

If you're also considering adding some personalized touch to your space, Oasis Neon Signs UK offers fantastic options for custom-made LED neon signs. Whether you want Bedroom Neons for a cozy vibe, Birthday Neons for an unforgettable celebration, Wedding Neons for a special day, or Love Neons to express your feelings, they can create the perfect custom sign that matches your vision. It's a great way to complement the sleek LED upgrades in your vehicle!

 

[BillM]

CAN bus compatible refers to the fact normal LEDs draw less current and may trigger warning messages as mentioned above because the computer detects less current consumption. The compatible lamps have resistor is in parallel with the LED to increase current consumption to mimic an incandescent lamp.

Luckily, there isn’t anything digital about the resistor, so anything cloce which gives the appearance of an old school lamp will suffice. There isn’t a direct association with CAN bus other than the computer module which detects the burned out lamp is most likely attached to the vehicle’s diagnostic CAN bus.

The one thingI would be concerned about with using the LED lamps with the built in resistor is that they’re generally smaller than a glass envelope lamp where the hot filament is a a centimeter or two away from the socket. The resistor in the LED replacement is probably in the base of the lamp, so the heat generated is going to be much closer to the socket. I suggest monitoring for a while after doing the lamp swap to be sure the socket is not being distorted or melted by the heat from the resistor.

 

[xgashole]

If a resister is needed to increase the current, sounds like there's no saving of energy compared to incandescent and I bet those LEDs cost a lot more. I wouldn't bother, especially if there's a chance the socket will overheat.

 

[BillM]

That’s true. LED lamps won’t save much energy, and it isn’t like the lamps are a large part of the vehicle’s energy budget in the first place.

There are a few benefits from switching. LEDs typically have a longer service life, which saves labor changing bulbs. For a private owner, changing bulbs isn’t frequent, but car makers often make it a pretty annoying experience when you have to do the job. Fleet operators probably care more about labor saving. The other LED benefit is the ability to tune the lamp color over a wider range. LEDs are also pretty resistant to damage from vibration.

A downside of LEDs is that the high brightness viewing angle is narrower for individual LED chips. The work-around is to use multiple chips facing in different directions in the drop-in replacement bulb. It is tough to pack the multiple LED chips into as small a space as the original tungsten filament. The result is that even with multiple chips to distribute the light better, LED tail lamps might not look as bright because the LED chips in the bulb aren’t as optimally placed at the focus of the tail lamp reflector.

LED replacement headlights - not that a Bolt needs that - aren’t a great idea unless you replace the entire headlight assembly with an approved aftermarket LED assembly. The reason is the same as the tail light bulb issue. It is difficult to get the multiple chips to focus correctly. The focus issue is even more evident with headlights because they’re critical to be able to see where you’re diving at night. A work-around is to replace the factory halogen bulbs with high performance halogen bulbs - the problem there is that a factory halogen bulb may be rated for a 1,000 hour life while high performance replacements are more expensive and might only last 200 hours. You’ll be replacing more expensive bulbs more often.

 

[mgoleta]

The only advantage I see for the LED replacements is lifetime. Having a headlight fail at night can be very annoying. A couple of decades ago I had both headlights fail while driving one night (not at the same time). It is easy for me to change the bulb but I think for most people that isn't true.

 

[timc]

A work-around is to replace the factory halogen bulbs with high performance halogen bulbs

I believe the factory bulbs are HID, not halogen.