LEDs. Which T10’s work best?

[Chris_D]

Many forum members have done LED replacement/upgrades and after having replaced my own sidelights a while back with LED’s and seeing how bright they look now after having refurbed the headlights I was inspired to get cracking and replace the other small lamps around the car.

I have a big selection of various fitment LED’s for some reason. I think I won an ebay auction ages ago for a big grab bag assortment that someone put together and never used. In any case, after rifling through them I filtered out quite a few assorted T10 jobbies and set about swapping them in and out of the interior lights, boot and rear numberplate lights.

Result is a bit ‘meh’ if I’m honest and while the LEDs are undoubtedly brighter I think I actually prefer the warm glow of halogen lamps for the interior so I might swap them back in. If anyone has used LEDs that can replicate the colour temperature of the interior lamps please let me know!

The boot lamp is improved no end with the added brightness of the LED as are the numberplate lamps. But the real stars of the show are the sidelight LEDs. These are multiple smd’s arranged in a 360degree pattern and are pretty impressive. Just a shame the HIDs don’t match for colour but I might replace these at some point if I can be @rsed...

Which T10’s did you use?

 

[Chris_D]

On a sidenote, does the E85 glovebox have a light? I couldn’t find one.
Also looks like my ashtray lamp is a goner. Is it also t10 fitment?

 

[Jakg]

I've used loads over the years but sidelights never seem to last for me, no matter what type I tried.

I gave in and bought "expensive" Osram ones off Amazon (like £10-£15) and they're still going a couple of years later.

 

[steveanders0n]

I bought QTY 10 bulbs for £14 - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0728J4FQZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Completely transformed the car

 

[Silverstar]

If you want LEDS in the same colour tone as the halogens you need warm white but more specifically the colour temperature around 4000K most LEDS sold are around 6000K which are a neutral white whilst some vendors sell around 7000K to 8000K or more which gives off a blue tone, which to me looks crap.

In my mrs car I have used very basic T10s with 5 SMD 5050 and have had them in there for around 3 to 4 years and they are still going strong. You can see them here although right now it seems they are out of stock:

https://www.amazon.es/dp/B01MSA7HKT?ref=myi_title_dp

You will find loads of these on the net but be careful since although they may look the same they are not all built the same. The vendors won't tell you this but the better quality ones come constructed with a resistor per SMD LED chip whereas the crap ones have just one resistor for all 5 SMD chips and inevitable burn out after a few months.

 

[Chris_D]

I bought QTY 10 bulbs for £14 - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0728J4FQZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Completely transformed the car

Those look pretty decent.

If you want LEDS in the same colour tone as the halogens you need warm white but more specifically the colour temperature around 4000K most LEDS sold are around 6000K which are a neutral white whilst some vendors sell around 7000K to 8000K or more which gives off a blue tone, which to me looks crap.

In my mrs car I have used very basic T10s with 5 SMD 5050 and have had them in there for around 3 to 4 years and they are still going strong. You can see them here although right now it seems they are out of stock:

https://www.amazon.es/dp/B01MSA7HKT?ref=myi_title_dp

You will find loads of these on the net but be careful since although they may look the same they are not all built the same. The vendors won't tell you this but the better quality ones come constructed with a resistor per SMD LED chip whereas the crap ones have just one resistor for all 5 SMD chips and inevitable burn out after a few months.

Thanks, yes already wise to the dodgy quality ones. Naff connector wires are also a bit of a giveaway too.

 

[steveanders0n]

Also, ignore the reviews about the 11mm sizes being too big to fit in the interior centre light and reading lights.

Just install them from the front instead

 

[Motionblurrr]

HA!!! I just did the same thing yesterday--I reinstalled brand new incandescent bulbs in place of the white LEDs I had before. Even the bulbs in the footwells.

I thought I liked white LEDs but I actually kind of disliked how 'cold' and 'clinical' it made the interior feel at night. I rode in my buddy's E46 330Ci and he still has all incandescent lighting inside and I absolutely loved how inviting, warm, classic it made the interior feel. It also matched all the orange in the gauge clusters and stereo.