[r.johnson]

my first DIY mod lolz

nothing to write home about really lol

i thought the light bulbs are halogens since the interior lights are a warmish color, but seems like the interior cabin lights are already LEDs (i see circuit boards) so there is no need to change them. if someone thinks otherwise please let me know

license plate lights are also LED according to the manual, so no need to change them either

the trunk light, however, is still a halogen light bulb

i happen to have a few matching LED license plate lights i got a while ago for my lexus. so i tried them on, they fit but the ambient light in my underground parking is too bright to see any difference. will take the car out for a spin tonight and see if it's any brighter in the trunk at night time

i have white and blue LEDs to play around. if it's not bright enough then i may consider getting even more powerful SMB leds off ebay

 

[andre12dbsi]

One of the first DIYs!

Depending on how many DIYs people do maybe we'll need a specific section in the forum.

I swapped the trunk light in my current car to an LED and it was a lot brighter.

Good to hear that the interior bulbs are already LEDs.

 

[r.johnson]

the LEDs i had arent any brighter than the halogen, maybe because the trunk is abit on the spacious side to be filled with light. but then my LEDs were license plate lights and they aren't particularly strong either

but i have opted for the blue LED light, mainly because it goes well with the blue lights that come on in the interior at night (door handles, USB area, homelink area, dual screen default color is also blue)

i will see if i can find an even more stronger blue LED

 

[r.johnson]

so my bigger 28SMD LED light came in finally, abit more brighter now, brighter than the default halogen



halogen:


smaller blue led shown in first post:


bigger blue led (28SMD):


and looks like the trunk light compartment still has a little bit of room to house an even longer and bigger led module. should i try a 68SMD led? lol

 

[HAx5]

Keep us in the loop. Agree a seperate section too!

 

[andre12dbsi]

Looks good. You know you're going to try the bigger light.

 

[Esrever]

I find it to be a kinda funny mod. Its not like many people are seeing the inside of your trunk and i'm sure that the other light was illuminating it fine. But whatever makes you happy.

 

[andre12dbsi]

I find it to be a kinda funny mod. Its not like many people are seeing the inside of your trunk and i'm sure that the other light was illuminating it fine. But whatever makes you happy.

I have it done in my current car and it lights up better than the stock light. LEDs seem brighter.

 

[r.johnson]

i find my previous 2000 EL to be brighter in the trunk than the TLX. either the bulb they use is too weak or the trunk space got alot more spacious for the bulb to light up. prolly the former

and plus, with the extra storage compartment at the spare tire area in the TLX, i like my light to be bright so i can dig into the bottom. i like to keep my trunk free of junk, at least on the surface

had i use a white LED, it would be brighter than the blue i have here. im picking blue to match the blue LED lights in the interior

 

[TeeElX]

It's why in almost all my vehicles i convert all lighting to LED... that's of course if i plan on keeping the vehicle for a long time.

 

[SameButDifferent]

Looks like something fun to do if you are a hands on type person who likes to work on your car. I think for many others this type of mod seems like a lot of work for just a little reward. Thanks for sharing though. Do you have any other mods planned for your TLX now that you've got the ball rolling?

 

[r.johnson]

its alot of work?

- buy matching LED on ebay for 2 bucks
- wait for it to arrive
- pry off the light housing with a flathead screwdriver
- swap lights
- put back housing

done. 2 bucks and 5-10 mins of your time.

there are plenty of tutorials and takes zero effort to swap interior light bulbs

 

[Summest]

its alot of work?

- buy matching LED on ebay for 2 bucks
- wait for it to arrive
- pry off the light housing with a flathead screwdriver
- swap lights
- put back housing

done. 2 bucks and 5-10 mins of your time.

there are plenty of tutorials and takes zero effort to swap interior light bulbs

How you thought about or have you done it already; replacing the backup lights? Seems they could be brighter.

 

[r.johnson]

not really, i find the exterior lights to be okay for my needs

on a side note, i just tried driving on the highway with no street lights (ie no ambient light) in a VERY foggy nighttime environment (zero visibility). wow the led jewel lights work great; you dont really need LED fog lights installed

 

[r.johnson]

my big arse 68SMD LED light came in. i think this is the biggest size the housing can take; i had a little trouble inserting it in since it's getting quite long:


28SMD:


68SMD:

 

[r.johnson]

here's with a white LED, unfortunately it came with some defects as some of the SMDs do not light up:

blue LED before:

white LED:

 

[HAx5]

here's with a white LED, unfortunately it came with some defects as some of the SMDs do not light up:QUOTE]

Can hardly wait until a full matrix lights up. What were the exact specs you need in order to get LEDs like this?

i am now intrigued.

 

[r.johnson]

Can hardly wait until a full matrix lights up. What were the exact specs you need in order to get LEDs like this?

i am now intrigued.

honestly, as you can tell from the clear plastic light housing, the failed SMDs are not facing "down" towards the truck, so i dont think it will make much difference in terms of brightness even if i get a new one with perfectly working SMDs

but i'd say i think white is better for the trunk as supposed to blue

just search for "T10 68SMD LED white" on ebay and you will see plenty of results. costs a couple of bucks for one piece with free shipping (but expect to wait for a month for it to arrive)

 

[Summest]

I agree. White looks great in the trunk.

Maybe use the blue for the foot wells?

 

[HAx5]

honestly, as you can tell from the clear plastic light housing, the failed SMDs are not facing "down" towards the truck, so i dont think it will make much difference in terms of brightness even if i get a new one with perfectly working SMDs

but i'd say i think white is better for the trunk as supposed to blue

just search for "T10 68SMD LED white" on ebay and you will see plenty of results. costs a couple of bucks for one piece with free shipping (but expect to wait for a month for it to arrive)

Ty for the info, and agreed on white!