Since one of my 1996 C4 CE underhood light bulbs was missing and the other was not the original GM bulb anyways so I decided to replace them both with LED equivalents.
The OEM bulb is 12.8v and 10 watts and 1.72” long. While I was social distancing in line at my local auto parts store I noticed that the Sylvania Zevo LED bulb designed to replace a standard 578 bulb matched those specs (obviously the LED bulb pulls considerably less power at 1 watt).
Grabbed two for $18 total adding to the EP moly grease and Bleech-White Tire Cleaner I already had in hand.
Installation took all of 10 mins for both and that would have been half that if I didn’t keep dropping the mounting screws into the dark recesses of the engine compartment.
Comparable brightness to the old filament bulb and a color temp around 4500k if I had to guess (no annoying blue tint).
Since one of my 1996 C4 CE underhood light bulbs was missing and the other was not the original GM bulb anyways so I decided to replace them both with LED equivalents.
The OEM bulb is 12.8v and 10 watts and 1.72” long. While I was social distancing in line at my local auto parts store I noticed that the Sylvania Zevo LED bulb designed to replace a standard 578 bulb matched those specs (obviously the LED bulb pulls considerably less power at 1 watt).
Grabbed two for $18 total adding to the EP moly grease and Bleech-White Tire Cleaner I already had in hand.
Installation took all of 10 mins for both and that would have been half that if I didn’t keep dropping the mounting screws into the dark recesses of the engine compartment.
Comparable brightness to the old filament bulb and a color temp around 4500k if I had to guess (no annoying blue tint).
I have them also on my 96 and what is really nice besides all the nice clean light they put off is they don't drain the heck out of the battery when you leave the hood open for a good bit.
Yea, lots of Chinesium options out there considerably cheaper but I was not wanting the LED's exposed to make them look more OEM and I was literally standing in line to check out at the auto parts store when I saw them (so very high impulse purchase factor).
Just personal preference thing, nothing wrong with exposed LED boards.
I found these and no charge for shipping !!!
these were for the interior lights (4)
Are you John or Bill?!?
Jokes aside, I've got a set of cheap Amazon chinesium ones that have worked great for a few years. Way brighter than stock and didn't cost much. Hard to complain about that.
Does anyone have a source for a used OEM replacement drivers side underhood light. I don't need the lense just the plastic housing the lense screws into that's bolted to the hood. Thanks
Since one of my 1996 C4 CE underhood light bulbs was missing and the other was not the original GM bulb anyways so I decided to replace them both with LED equivalents.
The OEM bulb is 12.8v and 10 watts and 1.72” long. While I was social distancing in line at my local auto parts store I noticed that the Sylvania Zevo LED bulb designed to replace a standard 578 bulb matched those specs (obviously the LED bulb pulls considerably less power at 1 watt).
Grabbed two for $18 total adding to the EP moly grease and Bleech-White Tire Cleaner I already had in hand.
Installation took all of 10 mins for both and that would have been half that if I didn’t keep dropping the mounting screws into the dark recesses of the engine compartment.
Comparable brightness to the old filament bulb and a color temp around 4500k if I had to guess (no annoying blue tint).
Thanks for the inspiration. These look great! It is also much more useful if you ever find yourself under the hood on the side of the road. You almost don't need a flashlight.
Another great place to shop for LEDs is superbrightleds.com . The under hood lights come in various color temperatures, including 4500s (example shown in the thread), but also in different colors too, if you so desire. (I LIKE the blue! But, I keep a ultra bright LED "flashlight" in the console for when/if I really need to see something beside the top of the engine!)
Does anyone have a source for a used OEM replacement drivers side underhood light. I don't need the lense just the plastic fixture the lense screws into. Thanks
PM me. I'll have to look, but I replaced my hood and still have the old one. If I haven't given that part to someone else, you're welcome to it!
Changed the lights under my 1996 hood today to these 6411 LED lights. Burned the fingerprints off my thumb and index finger getting the old bulbs out. Glad I found your post. Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by RC4G
Since one of my 1996 C4 CE underhood light bulbs was missing and the other was not the original GM bulb anyways so I decided to replace them both with LED equivalents.
The OEM bulb is 12.8v and 10 watts and 1.72” long. While I was social distancing in line at my local auto parts store I noticed that the Sylvania Zevo LED bulb designed to replace a standard 578 bulb matched those specs (obviously the LED bulb pulls considerably less power at 1 watt).
Grabbed two for $18 total adding to the EP moly grease and Bleech-White Tire Cleaner I already had in hand.
Installation took all of 10 mins for both and that would have been half that if I didn’t keep dropping the mounting screws into the dark recesses of the engine compartment.
Comparable brightness to the old filament bulb and a color temp around 4500k if I had to guess (no annoying blue tint).
I replaced the underhood lights in my Z with LEDs 3 years ago and the difference in light output is amazing. Just be careful you do not drop the lens because it is made of glass, not plastic, and it will shatter when it hits the garage floor. And no, I did not do that, just warning someone else not to.
Of course, I was unable to remove the covers without dropping them, so they both shattered. I got new ones, and I broke one of those when I dropped it installing it.
So, $18 in bulbs has cost me over $100 in replacement glass. Take that into account before grabbing the screwdriver. maybe drape a blanket over the engine bay so they don't make it to the ground when you drop them.
I just got 2 bulbs from my local Canadian Tire for $20 CAD, and they work great , much stronger light than stock. A word to the wise, both screws do not need to come all the way out. Back out the bottom one a bit and remove the top screw, that way the lens comes out when you are ready for it!
On my 87 I replaced both of the housings due to the heat of the stock bulb melting the housing so badly that the bulb mounts were either loose or detached. This is actually the main reason I swapped to LED.
