LED Numberplate Lights

trepasers

What are your oppinions on these (best ones to get , where to buy & Cheapest )
Is there different types....which look the best ?
Was looking at something like these

http://www.ebay.ie/sch/i.html?_nkw=37MM+LED+FESTOON&_sacat=0&_odkw=37MM+6+LED+FESTOON&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330584976093#ht_3396wt_1270

V480

I think the question we are all asking here is 'why bother?'

-Chris-

V480 wrote: »

I think the question we are all asking here is 'why bother?'

Why bother posting unhelpful garbage, or why bother fitting LED numberplate lights?

W.Shakes-Beer

V480 wrote: »

I think the question we are all asking here is 'why bother?'

Well rather than having a dull yellow "candle light" lighting the back of the car why not have something that looks crisp and clean.

Especially if the light happens to face up from the bumper like it does on mine, it lights up the whole back of the car with bright white light and put emphasis on the lovely Europe Blue colour.

That answer your question?

OP I would go for a LED bulb rather than SMD.

they look like this:

Berty

More importantly is:

What Make, Model and year of the car they are going into?

VAGs are now running on 12v not the normal 14v and may need to be Canbus friendly.

RE: Why bother?

BMW, Lexus and Mercedes have LEDs as standard so possibly their multi million euro design teams figured out it is a good idea, longer life, less battery consumption, lower carbon footprint etc.

challengemaster

Yeah, main thing to watch for is throwing faults / blown bulb lights on the dash - as they take lower voltages the car doesn't realise the bulb is working

savagecabbages

W.Shakes-Beer wrote: »

Well rather than having a dull yellow "candle light" lighting the back of the car why not have something that looks crisp and clean.

Especially if the light happens to face up from the bumper like it does on mine, it lights up the whole back of the car with bright white light and put emphasis on the lovely Europe Blue colour.

Just a personal opinion, but most of the aftermarket number plate lights I encounter seem to be too bright, and illuminate 'patches' of the bootlid/bumper while making other areas look dimmer. Most of the overly bright ones i see are on felt spec boras/golfs where guys think brighter = better for every light on the car. Surprised they haven't fitted HID numberplate lights:cool:

Guess different strengths and designs of bulb will look different on cars...
Subtle is king in my eyes

Ardennes1944

dont get led ones get smd lights. much nicer light from them. i got ones similar to these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-8-SMD-LED-501-T10-W5W-WEDGE-CANBUS-NO-ERROR-FREE-XENON-WHITE-SIDE-LIGHT-BULBS-/130591243207?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item1e67d83bc7
no errors or flickering, works perfectly

Gumbo

savagecabbages wrote: »

Just a personal opinion, but most of the aftermarket number plate lights I encounter seem to be too bright, and illuminate 'patches' of the bootlid/bumper while making other areas look dimmer. Most of the overly bright ones i see are on felt spec boras/golfs where guys think brighter = better for every light on the car. Surprised they haven't fitted HID numberplate lights:cool:

Guess different strengths and designs of bulb will look different on cars...
Subtle is king in my eyes

and most likely caused by them not fitted correctely. its not a first fit works with these. you need to fit them, connect them up and then judge on the best position for them and rotate to suit, this does away with the too bright problem and the not lighting evenly problem i find.

i think the OP needs to post up what car they may be going into also.

i took a set of LED and put them into my S3 and they worked perfectly, took the same set out and put them into an 02 320d and worked, then an 07 E90 and they caused errors and then my E39 and they caused errors too

W.Shakes-Beer

savagecabbages wrote: »

Just a personal opinion, but most of the aftermarket number plate lights I encounter seem to be too bright, and illuminate 'patches' of the bootlid/bumper while making other areas look dimmer. Most of the overly bright ones i see are on felt spec boras/golfs where guys think brighter = better for every light on the car. Surprised they haven't fitted HID numberplate lights:cool:

Guess different strengths and designs of bulb will look different on cars...
Subtle is king in my eyes

Indeed subtlety is the way. The main thing is dont buy ridiculously cheap ones. The type of car will also determine how bright things will get. My car only takes one bulb so isn't ridiculously bright but just looks neater and cleaner.

trepasers

cheers for all the helps lads....
Im driving a 05 ford focus zetec....I saw them on a car like mine and they looked really nice to all who are wondering why I want to get them !

Ardennes1944

cant vouch for these but just find the length of the festoon bulb and type it in with smd into ebay
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ERROR-FREE-3-SMD-NUMBER-PLATE-BULBS-FORD-FOCUS-MK2-/300550413717?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item45fa335d95#ht_2859wt_1185

mik_da_man

I have a focus, get the bulbs as advised above, fit them and test them.
I had to rotate mine a bit to get the proper light.

I bought mine from aceparts along with a good few other bulbs.
Their customer service is brilliant as one bulb failed after a few months and they replaced it no bother.
Not many local motor factors would do that!

bazz26

I've bought those cheap type numberplate LEDs from ebay in the past and they were junk. Lasted about 2 months, tried a few different types and the same result so ended up going back to the standard numberplate lights.

The OEM ones in my current car are of higher quality and I've had no issues with them.