Don't give me anything complicated to do / LED DRL update (1 Viewer)

[DavidG58]

Some time ago a thread talked about changing bulbs on base vehicle to LED

Great idea I decided, my DRL's are early spec and are still using standard bulbs 12V 21W, which also makes them very hot, so much so that the bulb holders are scorching and going brittle

Couple that with the known issue with Hymer lights shattering it seemed a no brainer

Two months ago I bought the LED bulbs from our local factors, with their assurance that they wouldn't cause bulb failure warning lights, as some LEDs apparently can, today I eventually get round to fitting them

The bulbs are not easy to get to, but compared to some other components (turbo) a relative doddle, provided you can do it by touch and guesswork. But I did find them and swapped the bulbs, turned the ignition on to check bulbs worked before I refitted them, then went to refit, as the bulb approached the holder (I was looking from the outside) I noticed the light flicker, had a combined thought of maybe it's not quite in securely and wouldn't it be a bugger if it fell off inside the light, then .....................

now that photo might not be obvious to all of you, but it is as bad as others of you might think, that is the bulb not connected to its holder sat in a sealed light unit, the bulb only just fitted through the hole so although I could get a finger in and rotate it that was never going to sort it

I have a magnetised screwdriver, more by incorrect use than design I think, tried that, nothing

Went round to neighbour who couldn't find his long magnet tool, but we decided double sided tape wrapped round a screwdriver would get it, it doesn't

So drove down to a mate who has one of everything ever sold to work on cars, long magnet first, bulb would appear not to be made of metal, checked with another on his bench, they aren't !! or at least not enough

He then found a grab thingy, I tried that but nothing to really get hold of

So now looks like we need to remove light unit and shake it out

Mark now takes control, comes out with the longest snipe pliers I have ever seen and gets it first try

He then offers to fit bulbs for me having watched me struggle to even relocate the loose cable, gesture gratefully accepted by me, all sorted 3 minutes after he gets involved, nearly 2 hours of my attempts just to get it back out, they look good too, brighter blue / white light, but less intense than 21W and no warning lights

Ours is an 06/07 Mercedes chassis

It really should only have taken me 5 minutes as well, I am constantly unimpressed by my own inadequacies

 

[davejen]

If I were you, I'd buy some long -nose pliers!
Glad you got it sorted
Cheers, Dave

 

[Chris]

Welcome to my world

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[Wilderbeast]

Glad you are sorted.
This is something I have been thinking about for a while but unsure as to the direct replacement type I need ,the bulbs fitted are 12v/21 watt which I assume are the same as yours.
What type are the ones you have fitted?
Thanks D

 

[Tea Bag]

And mine .
Un signed LOL

 

[DavidG58]

Glad you are sorted.
This is something I have been thinking about for a while but unsure as to the direct replacement type I need ,the bulbs fitted are 12v/21 watt which I assume are the same as yours.
What type are the ones you have fitted?
Thanks D

The package has 2 numbers

382 LED and BA15S

The young lad on the counter initially tried to pass me off with a 12V 21/5W equivalent which is the tail / stop light bulb and has different lug positions, telling me they were both the same, he knows differently now even I knew the difference

Brand - Guardian Automotive Ltd, I think I paid £5.50 for the pack of 2 bulbs, just cost me 2 bottles of decent wine to get it fitted, (actually to sort out my mess)

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[Wilderbeast]

Cheers for that.
D

 

[mitzimad]

lost me at DRL?

 

[DavidG58]

lost me at DRL?

That's probably because they are not really called that

Daytime Running Lights but you did know that really didn't you?

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[TheBig1]

volvo has been fitting day light running lights for donkeys years

 

[barista]

Some time ago a thread talked about changing bulbs on base vehicle to LED

Great idea I decided, my DRL's are early spec and are still using standard bulbs 12V 21W, which also makes them very hot, so much so that the bulb holders are scorching and going brittle

Couple that with the known issue with Hymer lights shattering it seemed a no brainer

Two months ago I bought the LED bulbs from our local factors, with their assurance that they wouldn't cause bulb failure warning lights, as some LEDs apparently can, today I eventually get round to fitting them

The bulbs are not easy to get to, but compared to some other components (turbo) a relative doddle, provided you can do it by touch and guesswork. But I did find them and swapped the bulbs, turned the ignition on to check bulbs worked before I refitted them, then went to refit, as the bulb approached the holder (I was looking from the outside) I noticed the light flicker, had a combined thought of maybe it's not quite in securely and wouldn't it be a bugger if it fell off inside the light, then .....................


View attachment 88317

now that photo might not be obvious to all of you, but it is as bad as others of you might think, that is the bulb not connected to its holder sat in a sealed light unit, the bulb only just fitted through the hole so although I could get a finger in and rotate it that was never going to sort it

I have a magnetised screwdriver, more by incorrect use than design I think, tried that, nothing

Went round to neighbour who couldn't find his long magnet tool, but we decided double sided tape wrapped round a screwdriver would get it, it doesn't

So drove down to a mate who has one of everything ever sold to work on cars, long magnet first, bulb would appear not to be made of metal, checked with another on his bench, they aren't !! or at least not enough

He then found a grab thingy, I tried that but nothing to really get hold of

So now looks like we need to remove light unit and shake it out

Mark now takes control, comes out with the longest snipe pliers I have ever seen and gets it first try

He then offers to fit bulbs for me having watched me struggle to even relocate the loose cable, gesture gratefully accepted by me, all sorted 3 minutes after he gets involved, nearly 2 hours of my attempts just to get it back out, they look good too, brighter blue / white light, but less intense than 21W and no warning lights

Ours is an 06/07 Mercedes chassis

It really should only have taken me 5 minutes as well, I am constantly unimpressed by my own inadequacies

Hope they're not too blue as need to be predominantly white to pass MOT!

 

[DavidG58]

Hope they're not too blue as need to be predominantly white to pass MOT!

I think in LED terminology they are daylight white as opposed to warm white

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[Mr Mousy]

David,
Thank you for the info.
I bought a pair of the same bulbs from eBay and fitted them this afternoon.
For anyone else thinking of swapping their bulbs here is the link...£7.34 including delivery.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GUARDIAN-...384645?hash=item2a5d909c05:g:nZIAAOSwnipWaq8O

Fortunately it was very straight forward as on my Moho the cable to the bulb fitting was long enough for me to bring it within view so I could make sure the bulb was secure in the holder before refitting.

I managed to do the job in about 10 minutes - a major result for me!

@DavidG58

 

[SandraL]

You prompted me to do the same, I was surprised to find the grey plastic bulb holder had discoloured quite badly due to heat from the original 21watt tungstun bulb. Changed in time to avoid changing the holder.

 

[laird of Dunstan]

Some time ago a thread talked about changing bulbs on base vehicle to LED

Great idea I decided, my DRL's are early spec and are still using standard bulbs 12V 21W, which also makes them very hot, so much so that the bulb holders are scorching and going brittle

Couple that with the known issue with Hymer lights shattering it seemed a no brainer

Two months ago I bought the LED bulbs from our local factors, with their assurance that they wouldn't cause bulb failure warning lights, as some LEDs apparently can, today I eventually get round to fitting them

The bulbs are not easy to get to, but compared to some other components (turbo) a relative doddle, provided you can do it by touch and guesswork. But I did find them and swapped the bulbs, turned the ignition on to check bulbs worked before I refitted them, then went to refit, as the bulb approached the holder (I was looking from the outside) I noticed the light flicker, had a combined thought of maybe it's not quite in securely and wouldn't it be a bugger if it fell off inside the light, then .....................


View attachment 88317

now that photo might not be obvious to all of you, but it is as bad as others of you might think, that is the bulb not connected to its holder sat in a sealed light unit, the bulb only just fitted through the hole so although I could get a finger in and rotate it that was never going to sort it

I have a magnetised screwdriver, more by incorrect use than design I think, tried that, nothing

Went round to neighbour who couldn't find his long magnet tool, but we decided double sided tape wrapped round a screwdriver would get it, it doesn't

So drove down to a mate who has one of everything ever sold to work on cars, long magnet first, bulb would appear not to be made of metal, checked with another on his bench, they aren't !! or at least not enough

He then found a grab thingy, I tried that but nothing to really get hold of

So now looks like we need to remove light unit and shake it out

Mark now takes control, comes out with the longest snipe pliers I have ever seen and gets it first try

He then offers to fit bulbs for me having watched me struggle to even relocate the loose cable, gesture gratefully accepted by me, all sorted 3 minutes after he gets involved, nearly 2 hours of my attempts just to get it back out, they look good too, brighter blue / white light, but less intense than 21W and no warning lights

Ours is an 06/07 Mercedes chassis

It really should only have taken me 5 minutes as well, I am constantly unimpressed by my own inadequacies

How many times did you use the "F" word and associated expletives David?

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[manda3000gt]

I had this happen the bulb fell inside sealed headlight unit so I used something we nearly all have after trying lots of different things, the Hoover, put the pipe over the bulb holder hole and it easily had enough suction to remove the bulb from the headlight and held on to it without dropping into the oblivion of the engine bay

 

[PeteH]

Welcome to my world

Jim Reeves Circa; 1962/3?

P.s as you may guess I am JUST back from the pub!

Pete

 

[Jaws]

And big headed techy bod leaps in with totally useless info..

The LED units you fitted have ( by the sound of it ) a colour temperature of 6000K
A more naturally white light would have been 4000k

magnets and lamps
Most lamps have a copper barrel that is then chromed.. neither of which are terribly magnetic ( at least not at about 25 microns thick ! )
Chances are the little attraction you had was the wires and gubbins inside the unit

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[DavidG58]

And big headed techy bod leaps in with totally useless info..

The LED units you fitted have ( by the sound of it ) a colour temperature of 6000K
A more naturally white light would have been 4000k

magnets and lamps
Most lamps have a copper barrel that is then chromed.. neither of which are terribly magnetic ( at least not at about 25 microns thick ! )
Chances are the little attraction you had was the wires and gubbins inside the unit

since when have any DRL's had natural light, stupidly bright in many examples, mine are on the white side of 'natural' but better than the 21W sat roughly at drivers eye line that were fitted from new

 

[Jaws]

Ahh.. It aint about brightness just colour
The human eye perceives blue as brighter thats all David