Blue LED install
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 13,610
Likes: 1,356
From: Home of the VOLS ! Knoxville, TN. Tennessee
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13, '15, '16-'17-'18-'19
Blue LED install
I have bought and installed the blue LEDs with resistors from Oznium , ( great service BTW) for the interior , but was not very satisfied with the brightness of the lighting in the dash, doors , etc....
I have also played a little with the resistor values , but not much improvement . I believe the blue ones are rated at 4000 mcd .
drilling holes into the car other than using the existing sockets is out of the question .
the question is , has anyone tried with any success the higher mcd LEDs from Hong kong on the famous auction site ? the rated mcd is somewhere between 13,000 and 40,000
, and an angle of 25deg .
maybe that would compensate for any filtering GM has put into the lighting system , or is that too much light ?
thanks
I have also played a little with the resistor values , but not much improvement . I believe the blue ones are rated at 4000 mcd .
drilling holes into the car other than using the existing sockets is out of the question .
the question is , has anyone tried with any success the higher mcd LEDs from Hong kong on the famous auction site ? the rated mcd is somewhere between 13,000 and 40,000
, and an angle of 25deg .maybe that would compensate for any filtering GM has put into the lighting system , or is that too much light ?
thanks
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,112
Likes: 1
From: Torrance CA
I haven't seen the Oznium LED's in person, but I think this may fall along the lines of you get what you pay for. Most reputable sites (Digikey, etc.) sell blue LED's for $2 or more in large quantities. I personally bought all my blue LED's locally at Fry's for $18.99/5 and am very happy with the results. They are much brighter than stock and I would not want them any brighter.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 5,941
Likes: 281
From: Was New Orleans but swam to Baton Rouge LA
Cruise-In IX Veteran
I used the Ozium LEDS and they worked fine for me. As for the brightness I almost think they are too bright. I do need to play with the HVAC because it appears spot like due to the proximity of the LED to the actual button.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 13,610
Likes: 1,356
From: Home of the VOLS ! Knoxville, TN. Tennessee
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13, '15, '16-'17-'18-'19
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 13,610
Likes: 1,356
From: Home of the VOLS ! Knoxville, TN. Tennessee
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13, '15, '16-'17-'18-'19
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 5,941
Likes: 281
From: Was New Orleans but swam to Baton Rouge LA
Cruise-In IX Veteran
Well the HVAC has the bulbs sticking out because I did the resistor in line versus bending it off to the side to let the LED sit back. If I let the LED sit back from the display about another 1/4 inch it would be less focused and disipate better. Now all the other LEDs I dropped into the white sockets and pushed them all the way down into the socket. I used 3mm LEDs for everything in the car as well.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained
Joe Kucinski
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Verdad Gallardo
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 13,610
Likes: 1,356
From: Home of the VOLS ! Knoxville, TN. Tennessee
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13, '15, '16-'17-'18-'19
Well the HVAC has the bulbs sticking out because I did the resistor in line versus bending it off to the side to let the LED sit back. If I let the LED sit back from the display about another 1/4 inch it would be less focused and disipate better. Now all the other LEDs I dropped into the white sockets and pushed them all the way down into the socket. I used 3mm LEDs for everything in the car as well.
thanks
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,112
Likes: 1
From: Torrance CA
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,987
Likes: 18
From: DuBois PA
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1588861
I did my entire lighting swap for $15.00 (plus shipping and tax) BUT I did Red and there is a secret on that....
Also Carlton has one of the best websites for the LED mod;
http://www.spdkilz.com/techtip.html
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 5,941
Likes: 281
From: Was New Orleans but swam to Baton Rouge LA
Cruise-In IX Veteran
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 3,024
Likes: 18
From: DFW Texas
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 5,941
Likes: 281
From: Was New Orleans but swam to Baton Rouge LA
Cruise-In IX Veteran
that is my plan for the HVAC, but everything else is fine and the 3mm fit perfectly into the stock bulb sockets for the door panel switches, and buttons by the gauges.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 13,610
Likes: 1,356
From: Home of the VOLS ! Knoxville, TN. Tennessee
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13, '15, '16-'17-'18-'19
all done .
will post pictures later .
I had been happy with all the lighting mod with the exception of the menu buttons on DIC , way too dim .
then I modded them and got perfect results .
basically , did not have to change the LEDs , but the 1-5 and reset buttons can be pulled out , they are slipped on by about an inch and a half of clear rubber that slides into a socket. hard for the light to cut though that much filtering.
I cut out the rubber down to the lip of the buttons , then glued the buttons ( very carefully ) back on , and Voila ! bright lighting .
The HVAC was a breeze to do ! I left the original LEDs alone and just swapped the 14 light bulbs , cut the tips off the LEDs to spread the light evenly . turned out very nice .
will post pictures later .
I had been happy with all the lighting mod with the exception of the menu buttons on DIC , way too dim .
then I modded them and got perfect results .
basically , did not have to change the LEDs , but the 1-5 and reset buttons can be pulled out , they are slipped on by about an inch and a half of clear rubber that slides into a socket. hard for the light to cut though that much filtering.
I cut out the rubber down to the lip of the buttons , then glued the buttons ( very carefully
) back on , and Voila ! bright lighting .The HVAC was a breeze to do ! I left the original LEDs alone and just swapped the 14 light bulbs , cut the tips off the LEDs to spread the light evenly . turned out very nice .
