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Hi, has anyone replaced their non headlamp bulbs with LED replacements. I can think of a few reasons why it would be a good idea if a bulb of the right size would be available.


LED bulbs are instant on so for something like a turn indicator or a stop lamp it would be a safety advantage.
LED bulbs are brighter so would make our favourite roadster easier to see.
They use less power so should be less of a drain on the battery. So if they are left on by mistake they should last longer before you have a flat battery.
They run cooler and so the housings should theoretically last longer.
They have an almost indefinite life and so should not burn out.

Currently I only used them in my parking lights. As I like them white (as opposed to yellowish outputs of normal incandescent bulbs).

I once replaced my stop light with LEDs but they (LEDs) were weaker (not as bright) so I reverted back to the normal incandescent bulbs.

But that was three years ago and LED technologies have come a long way since. But since my existing bulbs in my car haven’t blown yet, why change. I’ll probably reconsider LEDs if and when my existing bulbs blow.

none of the points actually amount to much.
1. they use less power- so what - how many watts is a turn signal or a stop light- it will have no effect on how long the battery will last - that's what alternators are for and 10 years is not uncommon for an agm battery
2 brighter - all lamps on any car are covered by ADRs' and brightness is actually restricted. try driving behind some dim wit who is operating a rear fog lamp in normal conditions. That's what optics are for in lenses and the bulbs themselves are standardised. You will have no problem in seeing a turn signal or stop light in any well designed lighting system and that certainly applies to MX5
3. run cooler- yes they do but all your signal lamps and headlamps of course are designed for the heat that bulbs emit- ie housing /lenses/ bulbholder. Thats what lamp makers and car makers do- testing under rigorous conditions for long term durability and light output Holden Commodores of a certain vintage have badly faded rear lenses because the acrylic was not of the right standard- MX5;s look good to me.
4. Last longer- yes they do but how often does one replace a turn sign or stop lamp bulb and how much does it cost- a cup of coffee every pancake day or never. If bulbs are being replaced regularly there is a some other fault.
5. Leaving lights on flattening battery... well probably the bulb that is lit by mistake is the interior lamp ( 5W- festoon?)Parkers - yes possible - I have done it for interior light but I now keep it switched off and have never done it for parkers- chime on my car!
6.All bulbs are designed for specific base types so when buying a bulb in the backblocks you can get the bulb type. LEDs use different bulbholders so they are not interchangeable unless they are semi hand made hybrids which may be rubbish quality.If you have a BA15 bulbholder as an example it will only accept a bulb of the same config. Do not expect to buy leds off the shelf in the back of beyond.
7. LEDS can play havoc because relays etc are not rated to use them- so odd flashing or other gremlins are common
8 LEDS were first introduced for high mount stop lamps and look crap when some of them fail. Still it is a good idea as they do work faster than incandescent If the circuit is separate and a lamp fits straight in then its not a bad idea- but I would not bother- my 3rd stop lamps works very well. Insofar as turn sigs are concerned you are supposed to use them before making a turn- not one blink and turn.
Some new cars are designed with leds- thats fine -it is an integrated design. These lamps did cost more - probably still do - but it is hidden in the car price.
The MX5 is a pretty good jigger and fiddling with non standard bulbs to me is not improving the breed but in fact possibly compromising the design.

snshami wrote:LED bulbs are instant on so for something like a turn indicator or a stop lamp it would be a safety advantage.

this is the only reason i would like LED brake lights.

but there are too many compromises.
- LEDs, especially high intensity ones, generally have a narrow angled light output
- cheap high intensity LEDs have a limited lifespan due to low quality manufacturing processes
- expensive high intensity LEDs are... well, too expensive

if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
you can buy drop-in replacements for most automotive incandescent bulbs on ebay.

IMO the best option at the moment is to buy the IL motorsport LED 3rd brake light.

I can't believe this. I agree with Morlock on everything.

I don't know if any of you will remember this (although I'm sure Miata will), but in the old days, many American cars had what they called "sequential" turn indicators.
They had a long strip of lights at the rear (usually going from one end of the car to the other), and when you put on your indicators, these lights used to light up in a sequential manner.
One after the other, making it look like the lights were moving in the direction of the intended turn.

These were always illegal in Australia, as the in the US they could use red bulbs for their indicators, whereas here, they must be amber coloured, but I have often thought that with LED's, they could easily use this system using amber EDS, and I think it could look pretty cool.

This is what they look like on some American cars:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpJtxo2-MyE&playnext=1&list=PL263AB3655F3B7CCE

Imagine a strip of LEDS going from one end of the car to the other flashing in sequence..........