Cargo LED replacement

[Se7enLC]

960 Lumen 12000k LED assembly for $6.30:

24-5630 SMD LED White Light Car Indoor Lamp (T10 / SV85 / BA9S 12W 12000K 960-Lumen DC 12V) - Free Shipping - DealExtreme

FIts inside the light fixture just fine, puts out a lot of bright white light. The bulb adapter showed up broken and I had to re-solder it, but the assembly itself is well made. Overall I'm pretty happy with it. I tried to take comparison photos, but cameras mostly do light-leveling so it's hard to really tell. It's brighter, I know that much!

[OBnube]

In the past people have reported having to modify/trim for install. Any problems or is it plug-n-play? What about excessive heat? I too am interested in this mod.

[benamin]

PUTCO® - Subaru Outback 2011-2013 Interior Dome Light Replacement LED Bulbs

Anyone tried these before? I wouldn't mind a little more light in the cargo area as well.

[Se7enLC]

Originally Posted by OBnube

In the past people have reported having to modify/trim for install. Any problems or is it plug-n-play? What about excessive heat? I too am interested in this mod.

No modification of any kind needed, I just plugged it in. The size of the assembly is such that I was able to use the included peel+stick to stick it in (there's a kind of a "shelf" of sorts inside the light fixture). Hard to describe, but if you pop the cover off the cargo light fixture, you'll see what I mean. I will try to remember to snap a couple more photos.

Not sure about heat. Incandescent bulbs get really hot for the amount of light they put out. I mean, they are basically a toaster in a glass bubble! LEDs are much cooler for the amount of light they put out.

Chocolate Bunny Melts Under Incandescent Light, Survives LED Light - YouTube

Chocolate Bunny Melts Under Incandescent Light, Survives LED Light - YouTube

This isn't an equivalent amount of light, though - it's the most light I could get for the same power.. If the specs for the LED assembly are to be believed, it's 24 diodes putting out 960 lumens and drawing 12W. The stock incandescent bulb draws 13W (unknown how much light it puts out).

I imagine heat / melting problems have more to do with how the LEDs are mounted and less to do with how hot they actually get. The original bulb gets hot enough to burn you if you touch it. But it has a lot of air space around it, so while the bulb gets very hot, the fixture/cover doesn't. If you were to just set an LED assembly in there loose and let it rest on the cover, I could see it being a problem. But so long as the sticky tape works to hold it in place, there will be some space around the LEDs - hopefully enough to keep it from melting anything!

I have an IR thermometer, I'll measure how hot it's getting.

[Novablue]

Cheap LEDs have been known for getting too hot, even hotter than their incandescent cousins.

Good LEDs run quite cool.

[Se7enLC]

Originally Posted by Novablue

Cheap LEDs have been known for getting too hot, even hotter than their incandescent cousins.

Good LEDs run quite cool.

Ah, fair point! It's not so much the LED as the circuit to regulate current that are probably poorly designed / manufactured in those cases, too!

I haven't checked the temperature, yet, but nothing has melted or anything, and I know I've left the door open for 10-15 minutes at a time already while loading/unloading a lot of stuff. The lens cover didn't feel hot to the touch at all, either.

Here are some photos of the fit, as well. The photo with the LEDs "on" is interesting. The camera auto-adjusted the light down to that level. With the naked eye, you can't even see individual LEDs, you just see regret for looking directly at it :-) The second photo is blurry, sorry. You get the idea, I hope.

[Scorched]

I've been looking for something good to toss in the cargo bay of my Subaru to help light the place up as I am pretty regularly hauling stuff with it. The price is definitely right for this particular mod, but the color is not. 12000K? No thanks batman...

Se7enLC, is the color really white? Or is it really blued out?...

[SubeRupner]

Originally Posted by benamin

PUTCO® - Subaru Outback 2011-2013 Interior Dome Light Replacement LED Bulbs

Anyone tried these before? I wouldn't mind a little more light in the cargo area as well.

I just installed them. Easy to do and they're a much brighter white light than the dim yellow light from the factory light bulbs.

[AltaBrig]

Originally Posted by Se7enLC

960 Lumen 12000k LED assembly for $6.30:

24-5630 SMD LED White Light Car Indoor Lamp (T10 / SV85 / BA9S 12W 12000K 960-Lumen DC 12V) - Free Shipping - DealExtreme

FIts inside the light fixture just fine, puts out a lot of bright white light. The bulb adapter showed up broken and I had to re-solder it, but the assembly itself is well made. Overall I'm pretty happy with it. I tried to take comparison photos, but cameras mostly do light-leveling so it's hard to really tell. It's brighter, I know that much!

Like the LED mods for heat, power, and longevity. Don't really like the soft glow of the stock hatch light. If you need a light back there, it probably ain't for the mood.

Nice price on the link. When are auto manufacturers going to do away with incandescent lights in the interior? Cost should be down to make them affordable for the rear light assemblies on most vehicles IMO.

Just the one issue with the solder on an adapter would make me wonder about the wiring popping off. My solder skills are shite.

[AltaBrig]

Anyone know what are the replacements for the center dome and two front lights? Same bulb/adapter or a different one for the middle and the fronts? I would like to go all LED in the cabin if these LEDs don't run hot.