LED lighting
Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2016 5:03 pm
We took the four cars (that we're taking down to the LeMans Classic) for a spin last week. One hundred miles in rather changeable weather! Even without the cloudburst it was comical how period-correct Jon's lighting was. Both his tail lights and indicators were almost unnoticeable. Of course, when I commented on this, I was informed that mine were exactly the same! Ken, with his recently rebuilt MGB, was running with LED bulbs in all his secondary lights, and most effective they were too.
Upgradeing is very straightforward...... once you've found the correct bits. You'll need to upgrade the flasher relay as the current draw of an LED bulb is so low that a standard unit can't "see" it. The result is high-rate flashing (just as if you've blown a bulb). With LEDs all round, it won't flash at all!
The Eleven (or, at least my later car with hazard lights) uses a slightly unusual flasher relay. Whilst looking like a common 3-pin relay, one is earth. The pins are labled 31, 49 and 49a. It's not so easy to find a regular relay in this config, let alone one suitable for LEDs. After a bit of hunting around, I found just one supplier in the UK. I also bought most of the bulbs from him. His diffused amber indicator bulbs and red tail/brakelight bulbs are really bright and "smooth", by which I mean that the light output is cohesive, appearing to come from a single conventional bulb, rather than an array of LEDs. Basically, it looks "standard" but much brighter! To help decode the bulb nomenclature see the attached diagram at the foot of this post. Indicators are usually BA15s, and tail/brake lights are usually BAY15d.
http://www.dynamoregulatorconversions.c ... ds-etc.php
If you have standard front indicators, then you'll have no problem (again, BA15s). Mine, however, are in Lucas 1130-type bullet sidelight units mounted in front of the headlights. The bulbs are double-contact ones (BA15d) more usually found on boats! Diffused amber bulbs to suit are simply not available, so I've used white, surface mounted LED bulbs instead and whilst bright, it doesn't look particularly good (five seperate pinpoints of light). To fit diffused amber bulbs requires me to change the bulb holder inside the 1130 unit to BA15s spec, but I'm on to that!
I've also swapped the sidelight bulbs (pilot-light type, T10 wedge fit) within the headlamp bowls for LEDs which are much more effective. I've yet to decide whether or not to upgrade the H4-type headlamp bulbs to LED. I rarely drive the Eleven in the dark and the bulbs require small drive units (waterproof with waterproof flying leads) to be mounted near the headlights. But they're VERY effective!
Upgradeing is very straightforward...... once you've found the correct bits. You'll need to upgrade the flasher relay as the current draw of an LED bulb is so low that a standard unit can't "see" it. The result is high-rate flashing (just as if you've blown a bulb). With LEDs all round, it won't flash at all!
The Eleven (or, at least my later car with hazard lights) uses a slightly unusual flasher relay. Whilst looking like a common 3-pin relay, one is earth. The pins are labled 31, 49 and 49a. It's not so easy to find a regular relay in this config, let alone one suitable for LEDs. After a bit of hunting around, I found just one supplier in the UK. I also bought most of the bulbs from him. His diffused amber indicator bulbs and red tail/brakelight bulbs are really bright and "smooth", by which I mean that the light output is cohesive, appearing to come from a single conventional bulb, rather than an array of LEDs. Basically, it looks "standard" but much brighter! To help decode the bulb nomenclature see the attached diagram at the foot of this post. Indicators are usually BA15s, and tail/brake lights are usually BAY15d.
http://www.dynamoregulatorconversions.c ... ds-etc.php
If you have standard front indicators, then you'll have no problem (again, BA15s). Mine, however, are in Lucas 1130-type bullet sidelight units mounted in front of the headlights. The bulbs are double-contact ones (BA15d) more usually found on boats! Diffused amber bulbs to suit are simply not available, so I've used white, surface mounted LED bulbs instead and whilst bright, it doesn't look particularly good (five seperate pinpoints of light). To fit diffused amber bulbs requires me to change the bulb holder inside the 1130 unit to BA15s spec, but I'm on to that!
I've also swapped the sidelight bulbs (pilot-light type, T10 wedge fit) within the headlamp bowls for LEDs which are much more effective. I've yet to decide whether or not to upgrade the H4-type headlamp bulbs to LED. I rarely drive the Eleven in the dark and the bulbs require small drive units (waterproof with waterproof flying leads) to be mounted near the headlights. But they're VERY effective!
