Brighter front side marker lights

jeober

jeober

New member
I run my parking lights on during the day for increased visibility. I don't have DRL and I have made the modification to the lower rear lower reflectors to add parking, brake lights.

The front marker lamps are not too visible in daylight. So I changed out the 168 (5 watt) bulbs for amber colored 921 (15 watt). The wedge bulbs interchange perfectly and the larger 921 bulb does go through the headlamp hole fine.

I made amber 921's by using Kapton tape [3M ] that I had. Kapton is a polyimide and handles high temperature. It just happens to act as a good yellow filter. The tape seems to hold on even though the adhesive is very soft at the high temperature. Maybe amber 921 are available on the market.

The increased brightness seems to be OK at night. One also needs to be careful about heat build up. So, as always, do this at your own risk. Also take care that you don't accidentally loose the bulb from the socket into the headlamp cavity. Removing the side market lights tests your finger strength, esp on the battery side.

Here are some pics. The driver's side is stock, the other side has the 921 bulb: In bright sunlight>>>
 

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Is the marker light portion completely sealed off from the headlight? You'd think that the entire thing would be vented pretty well given the heat put out by the headlights too.
 
Didn't someone do this replacement with blue lights?
Would it be legal to do the mod in superwhite or blue?
.... or do these constitute the real parking lights (supposed to be amber by law) even though 4R's have the lower amber lights on all the time? (with DRL)
 
jeober said:
I run my parking lights on during the day for increased visibility. I don't have DRL and I have made the modification to the lower rear lower reflectors to add parking, brake lights.

The front marker lamps are not too visible in daylight. So I changed out the 168 (5 watt) bulbs for amber colored 921 (15 watt). The wedge bulbs interchange perfectly and the larger 921 bulb does go through the headlamp hole fine.

I made amber 921's by using Kapton tape [3M ] that I had. Kapton is a polyimide and handles high temperature. It just happens to act as a good yellow filter. The tape seems to hold on even though the adhesive is very soft at the high temperature. Maybe amber 921 are available on the market.

The increased brightness seems to be OK at night. One also needs to be careful about heat build up. So, as always, do this at your own risk. Also take care that you don't accidentally loose the bulb from the socket into the headlamp cavity. Removing the side market lights tests your finger strength, esp on the battery side.

Here are some pics. The driver's side is stock, the other side has the 921 bulb: In bright sunlight>>>
Click to expand...

How in the world did you get them in there. I have a set and cant seem to get them in there without having to take out the whole headlight assembly.
 
I have hyper white corners but the cops in Colorado aren't too big of car nazis so I haven't had any problems but blue definetly will attract the negative attention and IMO looks tacky and has already been played out by the car crowd.
 
rl4u2002:

Getting in there with a hand is touchy, pardon the pun. Your hand can't be too bulky, nor fingers too short, and you need some reasonable finger strength. I'm strong but hand strength is not my forte. The bulb sockets will turn with enough force. Grab the larger round diameter, not the rectangular end of the socket. The battery definitely limits access so practice on the right side first. I came close to removing the battery.

Actually, the installation is tougher because it is difficult to assure that the bayonet base of the bulb is properly aligned before you crank on it with some pain.

Btw, the 921 bulbs draws 1.3 amps at 12v. I have substituted 912 bulbs drawing 1.0 amps to reduce heat build up!
 
I run my parking light often as well and would love to try this mod with the LED's from the link.

What size should I replace them with 168 or 921? If I read correct you had to rig or modify the 921's to fit?

Would a 168 be a direct replacement and have much of a diff?
 
168, 921, and a bunch of other numbers all seem to share a common wedge base and socket. So these bulbs plug interchangeably. What you need to look out for is the diameter. The 168s are quite small, and then there is the 902, 912, 921, and the rest with a larger bulb. I know the larger bulb diameter just passes through the provided reflector opening for the marker bulb. Make sure the LED version doesn't exceed this bulb diameter.

The LEDs should emit in all directions since the market light is for the front and the side.
 
viper4evr2001 said:
FYI.. i dont know the law in other states but in california it is illegal to have just ur parking lights on. DRL are ok.
Click to expand...

You talkin' about day or night? You must mean night, because what is the problem with having just your parking lights on during the day?
 
in california .....day or night. doesnt matter. its a california penal code. not sure the number but i read it under one of the lighting codes.
 
I have some hyper white type LEDs in mine. I made them myself using 3 5mm LEDs.

headlightsandleds.jpg


My camara makes them out to be brigter then they really are.

If I ever do the HID retro that others have done. Since I'll have the headlights open, I'll do an actually LED retro for the parking lights. but for now the wedges I have look pretty good.
 
Those sidemarker LEDs look great dude. Excellent job. Probably makes your 4R look better when the headlights are NOT on and oncoming cars only see the HID look of the sidemarkers.

LED retro for the parking lights? You mean in yellow? If so, why go through all the trouble - for brightness?
 
atomic punk said:
Those sidemarker LEDs look great dude. Excellent job. Probably makes your 4R look better when the headlights are NOT on and oncoming cars only see the HID look of the sidemarkers.

LED retro for the parking lights? You mean in yellow? If so, why go through all the trouble - for brightness?
Click to expand...

Thanks,
the wedges are nice, but because they are LEDs and they have a fairly narrow beam. so they don't quite fill up the parking light area evenly.

What I would like to do is, actually put a couple rows of LEDs inside there, on a circuit board. I would go with hyperwhite again, I think it would look really good.

but that's only if I ever do the projector HID retro.
 
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