CRowe14

Now that I've had a chance to see it in the dark, im honestly not all that impressed.
Perhaps I need a brighter bulb.
I mean, its brighter, don't get me wrong, but I was expecting something really white and bright, almost like a small spot light on the side of the car.
If I find a brighter bulb that's still small, i'll definitely replace it.

roadfrog

I can't remember what bulb I used, but mine seems bright enough.

CRowe14

[QUOTE=roadfrog;9218659]I can't remember what bulb I used, but mine seems bright enough.[/QUO

I'm trying to educate myself on how LED bulbs are rated and how sixe is determined.
I may actually have a pretty bright bulb and just not know it.
I guess the other thing I have to consider is the fact that the bulb is pretty small:

http://api.viglink.com/api/click?for...b-5db737d48dd8

These are the same bulbs I put in the Nike/corner light.
However, another member put these in his puddle lights, which can be found on Amazon:

194 168 T10 Wedge SMD High Power LED HYPER WHITE BULBS Dome Lights 12V)

dal20402

It's more voodoo than science. Type of LEDs, number of LEDs, exact positioning of the LEDs, and quality of construction of the bulb are all factors. Color is also inconsistent. And there's no standard for any of it.

The best you can do is learn about each type of SMD that is used in these bulbs and make educated guesses.

I'm thinking about a LED upgrade to my Nike lights but I can't decide whether to experiment with cheap eBay LEDs (and put up with skinned fingers and multiple grille removals) or just spend too much money on the very bright 5k 10w 921 vLEDs (that I also know are the right color).

CRowe14

Fantastic info, and thank you kindly for that.
Then perhaps we can embark on this together then, because the last post in the "Nike light/corner light" thread located in the sticky was in May of this year.
And to be honest, the description used to describe the process could be a bit more clear, but when I attempted it, and took a good look at what was going on, its a pretty easy mod.
As its known (regarding your comment about "skinned fingers"), it "can" be a hard mod to perform, and that's what I was told as well as prepared for.
However, it honestly took me longer to remove the engine covers and the grille (because I was trying to be as careful as I could as to not bend/crack/break the grille).
Once the grille was removed and I took about a solid 7-10 minutes to examine what was going on, I had the passenger side bulb swapped out in about another 7-10 minutes.
The most vital tool for the install is a long thin screwdriver.
So no need to worry about skinned fingers what so ever.
If and when your ready to do the mod, I'd be more than happy to share my experience.
I can be more specific, as there are a few small hang-ups, but they're quite easy to remedy.

dal20402

Good thinking, and thanks for your advice on the procedure (esp. the long screwdriver). It looks very simple conceptually, but I know the grille removal part has to be done gingerly.

I'm leaning toward gambling $45 on the vLEDs, even though that's extremely pricey for bulbs, because of the known color and build quality. Many of the Chinese LEDs, even advertised as "natural white," seem to be very blue in color temperature, and I'd like to match my low beams as closely as possible.

If I pull the trigger I'll post in that thread.

Edit: Just ordered. Now the challenge is to find time to do the mod.

CRowe14

NP!
Generally everybody is so helpful and full of advice, I just try to pay it forward.
Its quite simple conceptually and physically.
Please, I wish not to take credit for the screwdriver approach.
It was previously mentioned in the thread, but for me, I didn't initially comprehend how the screwdriver would be beneficial in this particular capacity.
I did go ahead and provide my experience in the thread.
Grille removal-ginger indeed but not too gingerly, as the tabs are in the bumper pretty good.
A little pulling while pushing the tabs will be fine.
I hadn't seen the vLEDS until I googled them after reading your last response. though a little pricey, if it'll provide that "big white light" I'd like from the lights (something similar to Shibumi1), then im all for it!
The cheap ones I got from ebay seem to shine bright white, but they're terribly washed out on bright days. I haven't really taken a look at them in my driveway, at night.
Ultimately, I'd like to get a hold of Carista, turn off my DRL's, install LED fogs-5K or 6K and use the Nike lights and/or fogs as DRL's.
If the Nike lights, or "park" lights aren't able to be on if the DRL are off, then i'll replace the DRL with LED's and loose the high beam functionality, and probably just keep the park light bulbs that are already in there (cheap ebay bulbs).