DIY, LED License plate lights

[krazyboi]

Step 1: buy LED (39mm festoon) bulbs from fleabay.
Step 2: buy (1) 15-25 watt 25 ohm load equalizer (tap splices included) - http://autolumination.com/equalizers.htm (i actually have one that i can sell)
Step 3 (optional): get some 14-gauge wire (about a foot or shorter) and (1) butt connector
Step 3 (optional, but more effective): remove license plate
Step 4: using a small phillips screwdriver, remove light housing...be very careful, these suckers strip VERY easily
Step 5: remove trunk cover. there are (4) 20-Torx screws. 2 are on the handle side, and 2 are inside the light bulb cover which you can remove using a flathead screwdriver. yank down on the cover to remove, there's about 6-8 clips holding it in place.
Step 6: On the power cable going to the license plate area, there's a plug w/ 4 wires. the power (+) you want to splice into is the Grey/Brown (i'm semi color blind and that's what it looks like to me)



Step 7: Attach spare wire and butt connector (unless you wanna be a real man and solder the wire together).
Step 8: Run wire and load equalizer behind the metal body panel. I only did this b/c the equalizer gets hot and this way it doesn't touch anything that can melt/burn.



Step 9: Strip the end of the wire and ground using the bolt pictured. It's located on the passenger side inside the black plastic protection cover.



Step 10: Test bulbs...if successful, reverse to put back together

Step 11:

[SoFresh]

Mods Sticky this!


I'll be ordering these parts soon :) thanks for the DIY

[adam's rotors]

if the spare wire is optional...where is the ground coming into play?

i have the equalizer/taps/bulbs ready to go, and im assuming i just splice it INLINE with the said power wire (black/brown) you mention and thats it no?

as grateful i am for this much needed DIY, this is a bit unclear and the pictures hard to reference...

[krazyboi]

i assume there is a wire within that 4-wire bunch that is a ground. i'm just not electrically educated enough to go and try testing which is the ground. i guess in other words, its probably required (at least if you want to ground it the way i did) assuming your equalizer wires are short like mine were.

and its the GREY/brown wire that you want for positive.

hope that clears it up a bit.

[adam's rotors]

not really...

you've described this as a plug/cable going to the license plate are behind the inner trunk panel, that breaks off into 4 wires, one of them (black/brown) being the power wire we are tapping into.
it would be assumed that you cut this wire, tap INLINE with the equalizer and the current is reestablished through.
where would an open loop wire come from to now be grounded?

i too am no electrician, but i mean you cut into/tap and thats that...
now creating a ground is introducing a new open line. are you taping into the equalizer with additional wire? if so, then that doesnt sound optional as step 9 wouldnt even be mentioned/required

[krazyboi]

power wire is GREY/Brown.

no need to cut the wire, splice one end of equalizer with tap splices:


to the GREY/brown wire in this bundle that is detached from the license plate area:


connect the other end of the equalizer to that ground point below (there's two wires coming from the black surrounding cover). add wire if necessary...which is more then likely.

[adam's rotors]

ahhh...
ok ok...i get it now...

thanks

[krazyboi]

cool

[Marks]

If you buy SMD Led bulbs like this:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-x-White-2-LE...3A1|240%3A1318

You dont need any resistor, because they are too powerfull :) I have it!

[krazyboi]

Do you get a bulb out indicator on your dash?

[adam's rotors]

^ pretty sure thats what hes implying

i got mine from superbrightLEDs and they say they have built ins...i might try it first, but will the bulb out go away once i fix or will it require VAG?

[SoFresh]

^^ Hes in Lisboa & Portugal, maybe their models are different there...? Cause I'm pretty sure all those LEDs will need a resistor one sort or another, if not now EVENTUALLY, I read on many forms without a resistor they sometimes dont last very long, and can sometimes have a dash light on, sometimes not... etc.

[krazyboi]

^^ i agree, from what i've read from others (US people), even if it claims to have resistors...they still don't work as well for us then installing equalizers

[SoFresh]

If you buy SMD Led bulbs like this:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-x-White-2-LE...3A1|240%3A1318

You dont need any resistor, because they are too powerfull :) I have it!

those are 42mm, I thought we needed 39mm?

[adam's rotors]

^ either work actually...its just a tighter fit

...well then how do you explain the ECS ones for ~$50?
they have built-in's and apparently work great

[Marks]

Yes, you are almost right... In Europe we use 36mm on license plate.
But if you want 39mm, its here...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WHITE-39mm-LED...742.m153.l1262

[Marks]

Mine..

[adam's rotors]

see i purposely went with NORMAL strength 6 diode bulbs
these HI fastoons are emitting way too much light and actually blow-out the plate...look at that

i dont need THAT much attention to my "AUDI FTW" plates, in fact i rock a tinted plate to mellow it out even more
...doing this is purley to match my non-halogen lighting system throughout the car

[krazyboi]

Mine..

Hot damn that's bright! I can see why you wouldn't need equalizers w/ that much power.

[SoFresh]

^ either work actually...its just a tighter fit

...well then how do you explain the ECS ones for ~$50?
they have built-in's and apparently work great

I know the ECS ones work and are $50, I was referring to ones on ebay, etc w/o the built in resistors. No resistor=bulb light thrown, the ECS ones have one built in

[poli84]

So the general consensus is to not go with the cheap ebay ones?
Too bright and throw a bulb out warning?

Such a big price difference with the Ziza ones from ECS...

[Fragment]

KB is it just your pic, or do they really give off that blueish hue?
Im about to just buy the incandescent hoens, ive heard they put out a pretty solid output of white light(nothing like leds of course).

Only thing stopping me is some dude with an RS4 on here told me it melted his plastic...

[Marks]

Hot damn that's bright! I can see why you wouldn't need equalizers w/ that much power.

Thats because i put 42mm instead of 36mm. Only that reason they became to strong, they are too large..

[mikevets68]

Do you guys have an cop trouble with these lights?

[SoFresh]

Do you guys have an cop trouble with these lights?

If you do WHITE LEDs, just say they came from the dealership that way, dont do blue

[adam's rotors]

Do you guys have an cop trouble with these lights?

why would you? it's not illegal
new bmws have em stock

[mikevets68]

why would you? it's not illegal
new bmws have em stock

idk ive just heard that people have been pulled over for these lights, maybe cause some are too bright? im not sure thats why i asked :-)

[fusionx]

kinda rice imo..

im more of a stealth guy so I mean if you like it thats all that matters

[Jefex]

I just got my LED licence plate bulbs from ECS Tuning and I love them! It took less than 5 minutes to install them and the effect is great. To me it's worth the money not to have to fool around with anything and just enjoy it. I'll post pics soon.

[simona]

cool mod, but why do anyone want the Po Po to see your plate clearer? Your tails lights are cooler!

[SoFresh]

I just got my LED licence plate bulbs from ECS Tuning and I love them! It took less than 5 minutes to install them and the effect is great. To me it's worth the money not to have to fool around with anything and just enjoy it. I'll post pics soon.

Sorry, I cant justify paying $50 plus shipping for 2 LED bulbs that cost about .30 cents to produce. ECS blows.

[adam's rotors]

so i just got my bulbs from superbright LEDs...popped em in and with or without the equalizer the bulbs light up for about 3 seconds and turn off. car on or off it doesnt matter...ideas?
im thinking the tap isnt doing well enough and might hardline splice into it with direct cut n splice???

[10MPG]

Adam - if you used the tap that I gave you, if you recall, I told you that those came with the equalizer and may be too big for the gauge of wire in the cluster so it's possible that you got a bad tap as a result. If you switch them out to a smaller gauge wire tap, it may work better. Or - you can just go hardwire and solder it together like I did.

[adam's rotors]

i sure did...but fuck it, why cant i cut into the line and tap in the wire directly to ensure a good tie in?
thanks nelson

[kwanja_a3]

i sure did...but fuck it, why cant i cut into the line and tap in the wire directly to ensure a good tie in?
thanks nelson

Adam, you can! I'm going to do that. Tap splices don't contact the wire evenly or securely enough for my liking, and soldering is too permanent, so yea

[adam's rotors]

im cutting brown/grey in half. stripping the ends.
meeting both with one stripped end from the equalizer, and putting the other stripped end on said bolt...electrical tap and tuck...
...this better work

the weird thing is...both light up, but they both also go out very soon after. normal?

[kwanja_a3]

im cutting brown/grey in half. stripping the ends.
meeting both with one stripped end from the equalizer, and putting the other stripped end on said bolt...electrical tap and tuck...
...this better work

You don't have to cut the brown/grey in half......... I just took a utility knife and shaved an inch of the plastic covering the wire to expose it, then twisted the new wire around the exposed area, then taped it back up. But your will will technically still work, you jsut don't have to sever the wire if you do what I did.

the weird thing is...both light up, but they both also go out very soon after. normal?

this is normal if the equalizer is not used or not connected properly. I monitored this in real-time using vag-com while driving............. the voltage starts out at like 84-86% capacity, then slowly dips, until it reaches below 80%, then that's when I got the bulb out error and both license plate bulbs go out.

I really want these equalizers to get shipped to me so I can finally do this mod and not have to deal with the headaches anymore! Plus these Hoen blue filament bulbs, although clearly whiter than stock lic plate bulbs, are still too yellow, especially when you compare them to LEDs. Here are both bulbs for your reference:



and what it looks like before the bulbs go out, lol:

[adam's rotors]

...great, that confirms everything
im going to hit the hardware store on the way home and get an additional set of screws cause these are on there last leg. i HATE messing with these!

[krazyboi]

...great, that confirms everything
im going to hit the hardware store on the way home and get an additional set of screws cause these are on there last leg. i HATE messing with these!

Let me know what screw size you get and how they work out. Mine are pretty much done as well.

[adam's rotors]

oh ive done it 2 times now...they are only good for about 2 installs
just take one to the store and look for a match