Hey guys, new to this forum. Just recently brought a 97 TF Magna and I'm looking to do it up a little bit! I was just wondering about opinions on replacing all of the interior lights to LED's. What kind of LED lights should I be looking at?

I also want to install an LED light bar underneath the glovebox and what not, is it a hard/costly process?

Cheers :)

The most common will be a T10 Wedge LED Globe, ones with a single LED don't disperse much light so you might want a T10 with multiple LED's, or you can use LED strips and use double sided tape.

http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_odkw=t10+cob+led&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xt10+cob+l ed+panel.TRS0&_nkw=t10+cob+led+panel&_sacat=0

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x112/micpea/Jacob%20VRX/IMAG0418_zps77a8acb1.jpg (http://s184.photobucket.com/user/micpea/media/Jacob%20VRX/IMAG0418_zps77a8acb1.jpg.html)


http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x112/micpea/Jacob%20VRX/lhffootwellandmainfront_zps920aec02.jpg (http://s184.photobucket.com/user/micpea/media/Jacob%20VRX/lhffootwellandmainfront_zps920aec02.jpg.html)

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x112/micpea/Jacob%20VRX/bootshot_zps83b2e2ae.jpg (http://s184.photobucket.com/user/micpea/media/Jacob%20VRX/bootshot_zps83b2e2ae.jpg.html)

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x112/micpea/Jacob%20VRX/footwellonly_zps634f588e.jpg (http://s184.photobucket.com/user/micpea/media/Jacob%20VRX/footwellonly_zps634f588e.jpg.html)

If you are after straight swap ones, then get ones that use the 5630 or 5730 or newer LEDs. These are a lot brighter with less LEDs. See my current ride thread (Pajero) for pics.

Thanks for your reply guys!

I've done one little change, the number plate lights are now Ice Blue LED's and it looks alot better than the old yellow globes haha!

Next question, what kind of LED should I put in the Interior light as I'm pretty sure it isn't a T10? :0

I can't remember the name for that globe, but just take it out, and go into Autobarn and have a look, they have many LED replacements for that globe too.

Seriously, dont pay $22 for SMD5050 LED festoons at autobarn etc. Ebay is the place. I got mine from Australian sellers for quicker delivery and costs a little bit more than from China. Interiors are either festoons, 38mm or 40mm, cant remember. c-pillar ones are T5 or T10, again, I cant remember.

I will link you mine later.

The festoon ones I bought were the following.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/121585533721?_trksid=p2060778.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

You could go more LEDs in a more square/matrix layout if you want. However they were bright enough for me as my Pajero has two of these up front, two on the sides for second row and one at the back.

I feel like I need to chime in here and clear up some mixed communication and avoid possible confusion. The numbers used to describe SMD LEDs are not "types" or "versions" or some arbitrary model code determined by the manufacturer; they are a measurement of the physical size of the LED's package (the plastic casing), ie: its overall dimension. A 5630 SMD LED is 5.6 mm long and 3.0 mm wide. Same goes for the 5730, as well as 5050, 3528, etc, etc... Luminous efficacy (the measure of how well a light source produces visible light; not luminous efficiency) is independent of the package size, unless it is too small to handle the heat produced. Specifically, the die inside the package (the tiny little electroluminescent component) is what produces the light. It is the design and quality of this die, as well as the material that is placed over it to spread the light emission, that defines how good the LED is, and this varies between brands and models. Admittedly, the 5730 and 5630 LEDs are newer (as in they have only recently been developed) and are considerably more powerful than the classic 5050 and 3528 versions (some of the oldest SMD LED designs), but this is due to the fact that they draw a considerably higher current (3 to 5+ times more) and have a large lighting surface. Again, the brand and model have a large impact on their performance and lifespan.

With that said, choosing between an SMD-array or COB LED solution depends on your application. COB (Chip on Board) LEDs do away with the packaging, as shown by Maggie in Post #3 (http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106049&p=1631965&viewfull=1#post1631965), and instead mount numerous dies to the surface and coat them all in with a phosphor slurry, allowing uniform light emission across the entire device. This provides for a "wide cone" of light to be produced. SMD LED boards can also do this, but can also produce narrow-beam lighting and omnidirectional lighting by changing their design; you could say SMDs are more "versatile" due to their small form factor. Both are highly energy efficient, however COB LEDs tend to be cooler than SMD-based designs. Don't get me wrong, properly designed and manufactured SMDs are perfectly fine at dissipating heat from their package, and poorly designed COB LEDs will burn up after a short while, but the shared layout of COB LEDs does away with a lot of this heat altogether, or rather they dissipate it easier. I personally would recommend COB LED boards for interior lighting upgrades such as the dome light, maps lights, etc. You want to flood the car with light, rather than have a direct beam. Plus the uniform light output from the COB structure helps maintain a certain consistency and original feel in the car; it's not glaringly obvious you have LEDs in your dome light without the tell-tale array of dots in there. Also, they're just so damn bright, they do an amazing job.

The dome light is a festoon connection as has been stated, and the rest I am almost certain are 10mm wedge. I try to avoid using the term T10, as that measures the diameter of the bulb (for incandescent globes) rather than the base, as sizes ranging from T8 to T15 utilise the "T10 socket" (to confuse things, T20 bulbs use a 16mm wedge). If you get an SMD-array or COB panel from places such as eBay, you will likely get an interchangeable spring-loaded "one size fits all" festoon connector, a 10mm wedge connector, and a BA9S connector (9mm bayonet base, single contact). The 10mm wedge connectors are shown in Maggie's pictures.

I feel I should also point out that you may or may not have issues with residual current and interior LEDs. There may be a small amount of residual current the leaks through the system and will dimly light the LEDs due to how they work — this residual current is insufficient to overcome the resistance of a standard incandescent bulb. I believe this is more of an issue with SMD arrays, as I haven't personally seen it nor heard about it happening with COB LEDs, even though they are essentially the same, but the "problem" exists nonetheless. Don't stress though, they won't discharge your battery overnight or anything like that.

As for your footwell lighting endeavour (see Maggie's photos), this is a relatively simple process. All you will need to do is find a power source, as I can almost guarantee that your TF won't have connections for this purpose under there (later, more
expensive/luxurious models have them), and a method to mount the LED bar if you want to use that. Read up on how DC electronics and autoelectrics work if you don't know already, and/or grab a hand from someone who knows (a few frothies never hurt — except for me, I don't like beer).

Wow, Hyphen - change your name to LED "Hyphen" Education - thanks that was a great post