Cargo LED replacement

OBnube said:

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.

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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.


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 said:

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

Good LEDs run quite cool.

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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 said:

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?...

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It's REALLY white. Not blue at all.

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.

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Exactly. The light is only on when I have the rear hatch open, and I want to see EVERYTHING back there as well as possible. I was basically shopping to get as much light as I could get for under 13W

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.

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Especially if you consider that a large portion of the cost is stepping down from 12V. If car makers actually switch to LEDs throughout, they could do all the LED driving in one place, and just have simple LED bulb assemblies at all the fixtures.

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

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It takes a long time to ship, but once I get the replacement for this broken one, I'll be able to tell if it was a one-off failure or a design problem.

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.

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The center dome and map lights are "festoon" style. The front two are both 5W and the dome is 8W, IIRC. I bought some bulbs for those spots as well, but they haven't arrived yet, so I didn't review them. I intentionally downsized the map light to be only 0.5W so that it wouldn't kill a battery if left on accidentally. Once I get those bulbs I'll try them out and review them as well.

The Putco kit (p/n 980721) contains all 4 LEDs. You got me curious about the temps, so I turned on the center and cargo lights and left them on for about 15 minutes.

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So are those temps with the LEDs, or the stock bulbs, then? Did you take the measurements with the covers on or off? I only have a cheap harbour freight thermometer, but I'm sure it'll be accurate enough for this.

Se7enLC said:

So are those temps with the LEDs, or the stock bulbs, then? Did you take the measurements with the covers on or off? I only have a cheap harbour freight thermometer, but I'm sure it'll be accurate enough for this.

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The temps are for the Putco LEDs with the lens/covers left on. I tried measurements holding the thermometer at different lengths from the fixtures. The highest measure temp was from about an inch away directly at the diodes, with them on and immediately after turning them off. These LEDs didn't seem to add much heat, so I'm guessing their current draw is also fairly low compared to the factory incandescent bulbs. Best of both worlds: lots of light with little current draw or heat generated.

I should have also measured the temps before I swapped the old for the new LEDs, but didn't think of it and didn't know it might be an issue. The Fluke meter I'm using was their entry level model a few years ago, but seems to be reasonably accurate, especially for stuff like this.

If anything, the LEDs for the lamp lights in front might be too bright for my eyes and I leave them off. I'll have to remember to close one eye when I turn them on so as not to temporarily lose all night vision. Impressive. They light up the center and cargo areas really well.

I just got the Map and Dome LEDs in the mail. They seem to work great! Advertised as being 0.5W and 65Lumen and 6500K

SV85 31mm 0.5W 6500K 65LM 6-SMD LED White Lights for Car (Pair / 12V) - Free Shipping - DealExtreme

Drivers side is the LED, Passenger is the stock bulb.

The bulb might be a little longer than the stock bulb. It was easy to fit it into the map light, but the dome light it was a little tighter. The metal arms may have bent a little to get it in, but it fits.