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LED interior lighting conversion

20K views 49 replies 13 participants last post by  greatauror28 
#1 ·
Anyone replaced all their interior bulbs with LEDs? If so, who were the supplies and were you happy with the result?
 
#2 ·
BECKia has and posted before & after pictures in this thread. I'm looking to do this too, but 60 bucks seems a bit high for 3 bulbs (the place BECKia ordered from even wants an extra $10 for the cargo light).

I also want to replace the vanity bulbs. I PM'd Diode Dynamics (forum sponsor) and was told they have all the separate bulbs, but I'd have to e-mail the customer support people for specifics. Truthfully, with all the bump-ups on a daily basis from this sponsor that says "PM me for details" and then to be told I'd have to contact someone else without any said details I asked about kinda left me underwhelmed as to their idea of customer service. :huh:
 
#7 ·
We want to make sure we send you a list with the correct bulbs to reduce confusion and inconvenience. That's why we try to have every vehicle in for testing to ensure the bulbs listed will fit.

Unfortunately we haven't gotten a Sorento in for testing, so we can only pull up information from the owner's manual and other online resources, but that doesn't tell us if the LED replacements will be too long or fit in the stock housing.

I'm sorry that I wasn't able to provide you with more information via PM, but our customer service team is there to generate these lists and send you bulbs that will fit. If you can send pictures of your stock bulbs it really makes it easier for us and prevents headaches from you.

I understand that you are upset with the bumping, but don't mistake my PM for a lack of care or poor customer service. I asked you to email us so we could provide you with the best service possible rather than rushing out some bulbs to you that "may" fit vs. bulbs that we can guarantee will fit.

Customer service is our biggest priority at DD, and as a lifelong car enthusiast myself, I know what it's like to order something with excitement and then be disappointed when you don't receive the right product.

Hopefully this clears things up a bit for you and we can get you taken care of with some great products.

Thanks,

Nick C.
Sales Manager
Diode Dynamics
 
#3 ·
use 5730 leds.. brightest you will ever see.. my reverse are brighter than fog lights even.. but use canbus ones, they have resistors to keep the light bright and white and wont turn purple if left on for a while...
5630 is also ok, 5730 is just the newer ones.. a tad brighter
 
#4 ·
I bought my interior LED kit through xtralights.com and I'm happy with the results. Definitely has an upscale appearance versus the yellowish color of the stock bulbs.

I did run into an issue though where they didn't send the correct back passenger lights since I have the panoramic sunroof. Actually, the light that was included as the TRUNK light fits into those lights but there was only one of them. So they need to send 2 TRUNK lights, and the one that says DOME then fits into the TRUNK light for the back cargo area. So if anyone happens to order from them you need to tell them this or I'm sure you'll have the same problem. It wasn't an issue in the long run though--I contacted them and they sent out another at no cost. Here is the link below to what I ordered. It is a bit steep in price as someone else mentioned and there are probably better deals out there but I'm still happy with how it looks. They could be brighter though too--I think most of the bulbs have 2 LEDs on them.

07-up Kia Sorento Complete LED Interior Lights Upgrade Package Buy Online at Xtralights.com
 
#5 ·
Much thanks! I order a set of LED replacements for the interior and license tags. I also ordered some Blesk 5000K D3S lamps to replace the OEM 4300K units. In my dotage and as a photographer, I have gotten to hate the look of insipid yellow incandescent light. I already have LED bulbs all over the house. ha ha.

I will may get Sorento lamps all replaced by the ned of next week and will provide an update.
 
#6 ·
Today I got my package of interior and license plate LED bulbs and replaced the filament bulbs. I also received the Blesk 5000K D3S bulbs and replaced the stock 4300K bulbs. They are closer to the 5500K LED positioning lights and the LED fog lights than the stock 4300K bulbs. I like the look.
 

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#8 ·
On SX-L the two license plate are 36mm festoon. The one cargo and two passenger dome lights are all 31mm festoon. The driver and passenger map lights are T10. The passenger and driver vanity lights and glove compartment light are 29mm lights that look like fuses (they are not large in the middle life a festoon).

Not sure what testing is needed. If an LED lamp does not work, the polarity is wrong and you turn it around. Fiat lux!
 
#9 ·
We have different brightness stages available for almost every bulb. They are different widths, lengths etc.

Testing involves trying every single stage in every location, and also taking comparison photos so you can clearly see the differences in brightness.

Also, it's worth noting that owner's manuals can be incorrect and even online guides. That's why it's best to have this hands on testing done, so we can be 100% sure.

Thank you for providing me with that information though. Customer feedback and owner's experiences are always helpful for us.

Nick C.
 
#11 ·
COB stands for chip on board style LED vs. SMD which stands for surface mounted device.

The technology used in those bulbs is not indicative of the quality. You are just as likely to have a COB board fail as an SMD board from eBay.

They may appear similar, but the binning (color / brightness sorting), assembly, and construction are some of the biggest indicators of quality with LEDs. You won't have any details about this information on eBay, or a hassle free warranty should you have issues.

With that being said, I hope they work well for you and that you don't have to replace them.

Nick C.
 
#15 ·
Diodes are not likely to fail unless they get too hot. That is why I like festoons with heatsinks on the back. My 881 fog lamps and my T10 map lights have LEDs mounted in an aluminum housing that acts has a heat sink.

What we need to know is the lumens produced to pick the appropriate model that fits the location. There are sites that do quote lumens on their LED bulbs.
 
#16 ·
Diodes can fail for a variety of reasons, heat is the most common, but poor construction and cheap packing of the actual diodes can just as easily lead to failure.

Most lighting vendors provide an incorrect estimation of lumen output by giving the numbers at maximum output vs. operating conditions. They don't provide any information or do any actual testing themselves.

We have made a substantial investment in professional testing equipment and will provide accurate numbers and chromaticity charts for every bulb when our new facility is setup.

You can spend $12 on 4 bulbs now, and replace them every 2 months, or spend a little more for a higher quality product backed by a real warranty.

We are adding a "learn" section to our website soon, and it will answer many of the questions people often have about LEDs, and hopefully clear up many of the misconceptions passed around on forums.

Nick C.
 
#17 ·
Today's update:

Replaced the cargo light and two passenger domes that had 31mm festoons with 5w Cree high power (single LED) units with heat sinks. More light that filament bulbs and the dual SMD bulbs I had.

I thought the vanity lamps used 29mm fuse type bulbs. Nope! When I removed the units from the ceiling they had 31mm festoon bulbs. Am very glad I ordered extra 5w Cree 31mm festoons. So the vanity lamps now have much brighter lamps.

The map lamps are T10 and I put in some 5 segment SMDs that are OK. I will look for brighter replacements. Will advise when I try some.

The vehicle led me to think there were glove box lights that were 29mm fuse type. I could not find any glove box lamps in or above the glove box. So if that is the case, no need for fuse type bulbs anywhere inside my SX-L.


BTW, the Cree units work installed in either direct. You don't have to swap ends if they don't work. All 5 implementations (cargo, rear passengers, vanities) worked without problem.
 
#18 ·
Beware the map light T10 sockets. :eek:

Those sockets twist lock into position...and have to be put in from the back of the overhead console. So if you do have one come out you will need to remove the overhead console. The good news is that is not difficult. You remove the two phillips screws in the glasses holder area. Then from the glasses holder end pull down and towards the windshield. Reverse the process to reinstall the console.

Now....on to finding better T10 bulbs. ;)
 
#23 ·
Beware the map light T10 sockets. :eek:

Those sockets twist lock into position...and have to be put in from the back of the overhead console. So if you do have one come out you will need to remove the overhead console. The good news is that is not difficult. You remove the two phillips screws in the glasses holder area. Then from the glasses holder end pull down and towards the windshield. Reverse the process to reinstall the console.

Now....on to finding better T10 bulbs. ;)
Maybe it's because I'm not familar with the LED set-up or haven't seen it yet, but if they're a twist in bulb, why do you have to pull the console out and how exactly would they install from the back? :confused:
 
#22 ·
If I'm being honest, I used to buy all of my lights on eBay before I started working here at Diode Dynamics.

It's really hit or miss with the bulbs, but when you look at the actual construction of the bulbs you'll notice that the LED packaging is sometimes not straight, the bulbs can turn brown from cheap soldering, etc etc.

If you have a good set, I'm glad to hear it. I'll still be here if you ever decide to upgrade :)

Nick C.
 
#26 ·
If it's a factory soldered in LED, you would have to remove the current bulb from the PCB board and solder a new LED onto those same contacts.

The halogen "twist" style bulbs are usually very easy to remove and replace

Here's one example of easy replacement LEDs inside those twist style connectors:



Nick C.
 
#29 · (Edited)
The T10 bulbs in the map lights housed in the overhead console simply slide in/out of their socket like any good wedge bulb. It is the socket itself that locks into place with a quarter turn. To change the bulbs you use a very small flat screwdriver, like a jewelers screwdriver, and pry off the cover....from the hinge side first. Then you slide the old bulb out, the new one in, and replace the cover. You do NOT remove the overhead console from the ceiling unless you have managed to unscrew the bulb's socket from the rest of the console.


BTW, none of the 5w Cree 31mm festoons has died yet and and drove around with all the room lamps on to check if they would die in the first hour or so.
 
#30 ·
(This is my first post, correct me if I made some mistakes.)
I replaced my incandescent ceiling lights and some GU10 bulbs to LED lights. I initially find those LED lights from Amazon, but my final supplier is lighting Ever They are very bright and the light is pretty clean and descent I think. I bought them like 9 months ago, really save me some money on electric charge. They don't like my old incandescent bulbs that the brightness will become weaker and weaker. just so far so good!
 
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