Blaze Led Car Interior Lights? 122 Most Correct Answers

Your car is equipped with adjustable interior lights to provide better visibility in different driving conditions. They turn on automatically when you turn on the headlights, but you can control their brightness manually using the panel dimmer control. Here’s how:

Turn the dimmer control down to dim the light. Stop when you reach the desired brightness.

Turn the dimmer control up to brighten the lighting. Stop when you reach the desired brightness.

Turn the dimmer control all the way up (beyond detent) to turn on dome lights and other interior lights not normally used while driving.

Tip

If your battery dies or is replaced, the dimmer switch will need to be recalibrated. All it takes is turning it from the lowest to the highest setting (past the detent to turn on the dome light).

Many new cars are showing up with LED interior lighting instead of incandescent bulbs. Do you want to retrofit the interior lighting of your existing vehicles?

Retrofitting certain components is a great way to modernize an older vehicle. And the fewer things you envy about newer vehicles, the less likely you are to give in to that envy and commit to a new round of car payments. So beefing up what you already have makes good business sense beyond the upgrade.

It depends on you!

For some, this will be purely a matter of personal preference and will amount to the cool but intense bluish light that LEDs emit. If you love the look and just have to have it, good news! It’s an easy upgrade. If you prefer the warmer, more yellowish glow of incandescent bulbs, good news too! You don’t have to change.

That leaves you – on the fence. You could go either way. You don’t hate either guy. You don’t love either guy. you are practical In fact, you want some facts to back up all of those emotions.

Good news again! We just have some.

LEDs vs. incandescent bulbs

The biggest advantage of LED interior lights is a long service life. Some studies show that LEDs last up to 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs. It’s a myth that they don’t get dimmer over time like incandescent bulbs, but that happens much later – we measure that in decades.

Since we’re talking about the long term here, this is a good time to point out that LEDs cost more than incandescent bulbs. But remember – they last up to 25 times longer. Especially if you want to keep your car for a long time, LEDs are cheaper in the long run.

Compared to other types of lamps, LEDs are efficient. Up to 90% of the energy used by a lightbulb is wasted as heat. Most of the energy fed into an LED produces only one thing – light. That’s because in an LED, electrons flow to create photons, and photons create very little heat.

And LEDs are configurable. Don’t you like that bright bluish light? The nature of LEDs makes it possible to change the type of light they emit. So you can buy LEDs that replicate the warmer glow you’re used to from incandescent bulbs if you want – or a virtually unlimited range of colors and intensities (which can be great for accent and ambient lighting in your car).

A modern touch

If it sounds like the facts are piling up in favor of LEDs, it helps to remember that the incandescent bulb is a 140-year-old technology. It took a while to top it, but LEDs have. Replacing your old incandescent bulb for an LED bulb will not only go a long way in making things brighter inside, but will also give your old car a modern look.

View all electrical system products available on NAPA Online, or trust one of our 17,000 NAPA AutoCare locations for routine maintenance and repairs. For more information on LED interior lights, speak to a knowledgeable professional at your local NAPA AUTO PARTS store.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The Best LED Headlight Bulbs to Light Up the Road Tired of your dim factory headlights? Upgrade with a set of bright LED headlight bulbs.

After completing a college project in automotive design, Dave wrote and photographed in print car magazines (remember those?) for almost a decade before transitioning to digital. Now he exposes a bunch of old high-performance cars to the streets and weather of Vermont and wonders why they always break down at great expense. Please stop if you see him crawling under you on the side of the road.

Whether your car came factory fitted with LEDs or halogens, there are dozens of options when it comes time to replace them or upgrade to a new set of the best LED headlight bulbs. Unlike the traditional halogen headlight bulb market, which is dominated by well-known names such as Philips and Sylvania, when you buy LED headlights you may be getting a new brand you’ve never heard of. The brightness of an LED bulb is measured in lumens, so this is an important factor to look for when choosing a replacement. You should also compare the advertised run times if you do a lot of night driving. LED headlights last much longer than halogen and HID bulbs, and most advertise a lifespan of at least 30,000 hours, which equates to more than 20 years of four-hour use per night. Most importantly, many LED headlight bulbs can be used to replace halogen headlights when you’re looking for a brighter, longer-lasting light. Many manufacturers supply plug and play kits with their products, so you don’t have to make any modifications to your vehicle. The brightness can depend both on the specific bulbs available for your car; and the different model series that the manufacturers offer range from 6,000 lm (lumens) to 12,000 lm. But even 6,000 lm is brighter than almost all halogen headlights. Can you upgrade your headlights? It may not make sense at first, but it can be easier to convert older vehicles to LEDs than newer ones because the CAN (Controller Area Network) bus ties the many computer-controlled components together. LED headlights often have their own CAN bus and should be plug and play, but it’s worth checking out the reviews for your specific model, and as you’ll see in our guide, before the final one Installation run a simple test. When in doubt, check our forums for first-person experiences with your car. Check out our table of contents for more information, including how to choose the right lightbulbs and how to install and check our editor’s recommendation.

1. Editor’s Pick: SEALIGHT Scoparc S1 LED Bulb Combo, Super Bright Cool White After extensive research, we chose SEALIGHT’s High-Low S1 Four Lamp Kit when we needed the factory halogen projector bulbs in one 2014 Mazda Mazda5 wanted to upgrade. 90% four or five star ratings from over 10,000 people convinced us; a great feature set; and light quality. Our size was the usual 9005/HB3 H11/H9/H8 form factor and required both high and low beam modules. We’ll need a similar 9005/HB3 9006/HB4 bulb when we do the same with the AutoGuide Dodge Magnum RT later this winter. The Scoparc S1 is their entry-level direct-match bulb, producing 6,500 lumens of light per bulb at a bright white color temperature of 6,000,000. While you can go all the way up to a Supernova of 15,000lm in your Scoparc S2, 6,500lm is still a huge improvement over the 1,350lm Sylvania Silverstars they replace, which were thought to be bright for halogens. The fanless design with an aluminum heatsink and fins runs much cooler than a halogen, and an inline CAN bus module ensures they work properly with modern vehicles. As you will read in our guide, installation on our test vehicle was easy. SEALIGHT says its Scoparc S1 LED floodlights are IP67 water and dust resistant, have a lifespan of 30,000 hours and come with a three-year warranty. Photo credit: David Traver Adolphus/AutoGuide

Pros / Bright, even light Cons / Expensive, additional cable

Advertised Product: XenonPro LED Headlights The premium option on this list, XenonPro LED Headlight Kits are the most expensive option to make the cut, but they’re worth the extra expense for the lifetime warranty that covers the bulbs, drivers and the accessory covers – we’ll talk it all. If a part fails, XenonPro will replace it for shipping cost only. We do not assume that you will make much use of this guarantee; XenonPro LED headlight kits are well built with solid aluminum bulb housings that absorb a lot of waste heat and equipped with a silent built-in micro fan for active cooling. They are designed to withstand the rigors of automotive use as they are 100% water, shock, dust and vibration resistant and rated for 45,000 hours of reliable use. As an upgrade over standard halogen bulbs, XenonPro’s LEDs offer up to 300% more brightness and put out a maximum of 9,000 lumens per pair, with advanced anti-glare technology to avoid dazzling other drivers. They can easily be installed in less than half an hour. Four different colors are available – 3,000K (amber), 6,000K (bright white), 8,000K (blue) and 12,000K (purple) – and there’s even a CAN-bus enabled option to ensure the bulbs communicate properly your vehicle’s computer system. *This is a sponsored placement.

Pros / Premium build quality, super bright output, easy installation, lifetime warranty Cons / Premium price

2. Cougar Motor LED Headlight Bulbs A good balance of price, performance and durability, Cougar Motor’s LED headlight bulbs offer up to 12,000 lumens per pair (depending on the specific bulbs for your car), which is 200 percent brighter than conventional halogen headlights. Running at a cool white temperature of 6,000K, they offer a great beam pattern with no dark spots or foggy light. Cougar Motor opts for an aluminum body with a 10,000rpm TurboCool fan to ensure the LED headlight bulbs can run for over 50,000 hours. The company says its lamps are plug-and-play and CAN-bus compatible with most vehicles. They’re also IP67 waterproof and each lamp comes with a three-year warranty and lifetime support. Each bulb is rated at 30 watts, comes in the most common H11 style and uses Cree LED chips. Installation is easy as the lights are CAN-bus capable and will work with most vehicles with ease. If you have questions about fitment, we recommend contacting the manufacturer to verify they are compatible with your vehicle. There are brighter options than Cougar Motor’s LED bulbs. So if you often drive at night or on dimly lit roads, you might want something brighter. However, if you’re looking for an all-around performer at a competitive price, these lights should be high on your list. Cougar Motor also offers a three-year warranty on its products.

Benefits / Reasonable price, three year warranty, 50,000 hours stated life. Cons / Not the brightest

3: AUXITO LED Headlight AUXITO manufactures a variety of automotive lighting products, including five different series of LED headlights, classified into 9005/HB3, 9006/HB4, 9007/HB5, 9008/H13, 9012/HIR, H11B, H4/ 9003 /HB2 and H9/H8/H11 sizes. There are many options for brightness and we found that among their many models with over 100 reviews they scored almost uniformly between 89% and 92% positively, an excellent score for any product. AUXITO claims outputs of up to 100 watts and 24,000 lumens per bulb, which are among the brightest on the market (and we think they’re too bright for everyday use). Their higher-end versions include 12,000 RPM fans to deal with the heat, and all models are rated to last 30,000 to 50,000 hours (30 years). AUXITO also says the company models its LED bulbs to mimic halogen output patterns with a sharp cutoff, meaning you should get the same beam spread from your headlight housings. This addresses a common problem with poorly designed LED bulbs, which can actually put less light on the road where you need it than traditional dimmer bulbs. A CANbus module is included if required, but you should always connect and test your lights before final installation – see our instructions below. AUXITO offers a two-year warranty on its headlight bulbs, and the auxito.com website has a local phone number, email address, and contact form for Kentucky.

Benefits / Wide range of sizes and colors including the brightest on the market, some models are fan cooled. Cons / Complaints about customer service and warranty support

4. Beamtech LED headlight bulbs Beamtech LED replacement bulbs are cheaper than Cougar Motor products, but don’t last as long. That’s because they’re slightly brighter at 8,000 lumens per pair with a color temperature of 6,500K. Their advertised lifespan is over 30,000 hours, or nearly 3.5 years of continuous use, but other brands advertise up to 50,000 hours. What sets Beamtech’s lightbulbs apart from many of its competitors is the lack of a fan, making them quieter than other products. Instead of a fan, they feature passive cooling with an aluminum case for improved heat dissipation. Beamtech also says the bulbs are almost the same length as a halogen bulb’s filament, resulting in a beam pattern you’d expect from a halogen bulb. These lamps are waterproof and dustproof according to IP65. Priced as a mid-range option, Beamtech’s lightbulbs are an interesting option since they don’t have a fan. The noise from the fan is not very noticeable to most drivers, but sensitive ears may find it annoying. They trade in longevity, however, as these lamps are rated at 20,000 hours less than some of their competitors. If bulb life is not an issue then Beamtech bulbs are ideal for you as they offer above average brightness with quiet operation.

Pros / Affordable, brighter than most LED bulbs, no fan means no noise. Disadvantages / Shorter lifespan than the competition

5. Driving LED Headlight Bulbs Another popular option, these LED headlight bulbs offer a bright 10,000 lumens per pair at a cool white temperature of 6,500K. The driving option delivers a focused beam pattern that offers a wider and wider range of illumination while being three times brighter than a standard halogen lamp. The company claims that these lamps, featuring an aluminum body with a unique hollow-carved heatsink design, last up to 50,000 hours. 12,000 rpm turbo fans add to their longevity, and these lamps are IP68 waterproof. These LED upgrades are designed to be very similar in size to the factory halogen headlight bulbs and should fit nicely into your headlight housing without modifications. To ensure you get the best beam pattern, these lamps use a 360 degree adjustable locking ring. They work flawlessly with about 98 percent of vehicles, although some models require an additional CAN bus decoder.

Pros / 10000 lumens per pair, 6500K temperature, focused beam pattern, 12,000 rpm fan, IP68 waterproof, unique heatsink design Cons / Some vehicles require customization for ideal beam pattern, not plug and play for some vehicles (requires additional CAN bus decoder)

6. Hikari Cree XHP50 A more expensive option comes from Hikari. These LEDs provide 9,600 lumens per pair at a temperature of 6,000K and can be used as headlights, fog lights and daytime running lights. Hikari offers a two-year warranty on its products, which is less than Cougar Motor but more than some others. Each lamp is equipped with TurboCool 9,000 rpm fans and is plug and play like most other LED lamps on the market. Hikari advertises that its lamps last around 50,000 hours thanks to a newly developed dual driver system used to safely power the LED lamp. The Hikari Cree XHP50 bulbs are also IP68 waterproof. Overall, the Hikari Cree XHP50 is a great option if you’re willing to spend a little more for a brighter, longer-lasting fixture. These are highly recommended for drivers who often commute at night and drive on dimly lit roads. Because it is one of the brightest LED lights available, they offer more visibility than other competitors.

Pros / Brightest bulb on our list, long advertised lifespan, two-year warranty Cons / More expensive than the competition

7. Auxbeam F-16 A nice mid-range option comes from Auxbeam, reasonably priced and putting out 6,000 lumens per pair. Color temperature is 6,000K, same as Sealight, Hikari Cree and Cougar Motor replacement bulbs. The LED bulbs feature a luxury aircraft-grade gold aluminum anodization and Cree LED chips, as well as an integrated CAN bus to avoid error codes. They’re also IP68 water and dust resistant, for those who want to go off-road. Each bulb has a built-in turbo fan, and because it uses aerospace-grade aluminum alloy, the heatsink stays 30 percent cooler than a standard bulb. Auxbeam bulbs come with a one-year warranty, which isn’t as competitive as other manufacturers. Auxbeam’s bulbs are the least bright of any bulb on the list, which may be preferred by some drivers. They are rated at 30 watts per bulb and come with an integrated plug and play control driver to avoid error codes. They are available in a variety of bulb sockets so there is likely an application to suit your vehicle. When you buy Auxbeam F-16 LED bulbs, make sure you are getting a product that is sold and shipped by Auxbeam. The company claims to be the only authorized retailer of its products, so keep an eye out for fakes.

Advantages / Reasonable price, Cree LED chips, IP68 waterproof and dustproof. Cons / Only 6,000 lumens per pair, one year warranty

8. LASFIT LED headlight bulbs The cheapest product on our list comes from LASFIT in the USA. The company’s most popular LED lamps offer 7,600 lumens per pair at a cool color temperature of 6,000K and a power rating of 30 watts per lamp. Like other LED bulbs, they are plug and play with a built in ballast to save space. Each bulb also features a 9,000rpm hydroid pressure fan with AirFlux Dual Cooling Technology for heat dissipation. There are brighter products from LASFIT, some offering up to 15,200 lumens, but they are more expensive and we think 15,000 lumens is too bright for highway use. Equipped with LASFIT’s new COB flip-chip technology, the lamps offer a perfect beam pattern without dark spots and foggy light. The flip chips also claim to have lower thermal resistance and are better at reducing power dissipation, allowing them to run cooler. The company offers a hassle-free 45-day refund policy and a one-year replacement warranty, which isn’t as competitive as some manufacturers, but LASFIT’s products are more affordable. These bulbs are ideal for owners who don’t drive often at night and are looking for an inexpensive way to either upgrade their halogen bulbs or replace their LED bulbs. Because LASFIT is based in the United States, the company offers pickup for customers in Ontario, California and even offers installation services.

Pros / Affordable, above average brightness, customer support available with California pickup. Cons / One year warranty

9. Nilight LED Headlight Bulbs Nilight offers LED bulbs in a wide range of sizes at competitive prices. Most put out a bright 10,000 lumens with a cool color temperature of 6,000K as a pair and are rated at 25 watts per bulb. The aluminum heatsink and 10,000 rpm fans dissipate heat efficiently. The lamps are designed for easy plug-and-play installation, aided by a compact 2.95″ length and an integrated driver. The manufacturer claims that its lamps have an improved beam pattern with no dark spots or shadows. These lights should work out of the box in 99% of vehicles, but are CAN bus ready for those who need it. Nilight offers a two-year replacement warranty for LED bulbs and hardware, but you’ll need to visit nilight.com for the details. Nilight bulbs offer another highly rated yet affordable LED option if you’re willing to swap out those old halogen headlights for something brighter.

Pros / Affordable price, strong light output, two-year warranty Cons / Warranty information only available on manufacturer’s website, some cars may require a CAN bus decoder

What are the differences between halogen and LED headlight bulbs? The vast majority of vehicles these days leave dealerships with one of three headlight bulbs: halogen, HID, or LED. Halogen lamps are the oldest of the three and are still widely used. They are extremely affordable and typically last around 800 hours. However, compared to HID or LED bulbs, halogen bulbs are the worst of the three. They also use more energy than LED bulbs and get hot. You can upgrade to brighter halogen bulbs, but the brighter they are, the shorter their lifespan. At the end of the day, halogen bulbs provide enough light for safe driving, but upgrading to LEDs will improve your experience noticeably. LED headlight bulbs are being used more and more by luxury car manufacturers such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. You may be using LED bulbs in your home, which provide equal or better lighting with less power consumption and longer lifespan. LED headlight bulbs are similar and offer better performance and durability at a higher price. Fortunately, they are so popular and common these days that they don’t cost significantly more than halogen bulbs. With a claimed lifespan of decades, they easily pay for themselves. Some will argue that LED headlight bulbs aren’t as bright as HIDs, but they are definitely brighter than halogen bulbs. They also don’t produce as much glare as HID headlights and don’t take a short time to charge. Equally important, LED bulbs don’t use a filament that will burn out or break, making them last much longer than halogen bulbs. They can also be more vibration resistant than traditional filament bulbs, which can help when driving on rough roads.

Can I convert from halogen headlights to LED headlights? Every vehicle is different so we cannot say with certainty that there is a kit for your Lamborghini Countach, but if your car was built within the last quarter century you can almost certainly convert to LEDs. The aftermarket and products in this list are designed as retrofit kits for vehicles with halogen headlights. Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Honda, Infiniti, Jeep, Lexus, Mercedes, Mini, Mitsubishi, RAM, Volkswagen and Volvo models require an anti-flicker module as part of the LED Circuit to prevent flickering and warning lights. Many lamps have this included in the CAN bus, but some may require you to purchase it separately.

Is an LED headlight upgrade legal? Technically yes. Possibly. Probably not. It’s complicated. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) prohibit any stock modification unless the replacement passes a complicated series of SAE testing standards and receives DOT approval. If your make, model, and year were offered with an LED option from the factory, even swapping that option would be illegal unless it has the correct SAE and DOT markings. In practice, we doubt a manufacturer would spend the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars required to obtain regulatory approval, and we have never seen an LED with the markings required to confirm that it is legal. At the same time, all kinds of modifications are illegal, including engine swaps, and that hasn’t stopped people from putting Chevy LSs in everything. Individual states may have additional regulations and fines (like Nebraska, where your headlights can’t be brighter than necessary to illuminate a pedestrian 200 feet away; $100 felony), but they can’t supersede federal law and make it legal. LED Brightness and the Law There’s also a federal standard for maximum brightness… which is complicated to translate to the real world because you need the luminous intensity (brightness) and the vertex angle (how the light propagates) and then a lot of calculations ( Φ v = 2πI v (1−cos α/2 if you’re playing along at home). If you had an LED with the same spread and intensity as an equivalent halogen bulb, they could be around 6,000 lumens per bulb. Since LEDs a Having a wider and more even pattern than halogen bulbs, however, it could be much higher because the total amount of light falling across the area is much greater and the difference between a hotspot and the drop is better (if you had a 40% peak angle, you would be it 28,000 lumens!). However, Section 24212 of the recently passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R.3684) instructs the Secretary of Transport to introduce new regulation before the end of 2024 for headlights, and many people expect replacement LEDs to be allowed*. How to avoid problems when converting to LEDs In the meantime, there are a few things you can do to ensure you’re staying within the law and avoiding trouble: Make sure your headlights are aimed correctly. Especially if you’ve upgraded to bigger tires or a hoist, you won’t be pointing down at the road anymore. This is dangerous for all road users, including yourself. It’s also a great way to get stopped and get a ticket for your illegal gear. Do not use 10,000 lumens or brighter fusion LED headlights. This is another great way to get a ticket, blind a pedestrian, or confuse a passing Boeing. On February 15, 2022, a new rule was released allowing adaptive headlights. There’s no word on LED upgrades yet, but we expect a wave of aftermarket adaptive headlights to come.

Do I have to replace both headlight bulbs at the same time? There really isn’t a definitive answer to this question, but we recommend replacing both headlight bulbs at the same time, even if only one fails. This is because replacing just one headlight bulb can result in a difference in brightness between the two. Depending on your vehicle, replacing your headlight bulbs can also be a tedious task – you’d better do it once and save yourself time later. And if your bulbs are the same age, they’ll probably die at the same time. We burned them out within a week. If you’re trying to be economical or more practical – if it ain’t broke, why fix it – then make sure you have a spare bulb handy in case the other one eventually burns out.

Upgrading to LEDs Part 1: Choosing the Right Lightbulb There are many types of lightbulbs out there, and their part numbers can be confusing. Our SEALIGHT Scoparc S1 LED bulbs come in sizes H13/9008, HB5/9007, HB2/H4/9003, HB3/9005, HB4/9006, HB3/H11/H9/H8/9005 and HB3/HB4/9005/9006 available . Luckily, you don’t have to remember dozens of sizes, just enter your make, model and year into an online configurator and let it choose the right part for you. To be sure, check your user manual or google it. Some cars have a high-low bulb, while many others have one for each. Then there are very similar fog light bulbs, so always check that you are getting the right ones. What cars need an anti-flicker module? As mentioned above, Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Honda, Infiniti, Jeep, Lexus, Mercedes, Mini, Mitsubishi, RAM, Volkswagen and Volvo usually require an anti-flicker module. It should be included in the CAN bus circuitry in most headlights, but you should make sure. This allows you to choose the type, color and brightness of your LEDs. Cooling and LED Life Older LED headlight bulbs almost all had fans, but the technology now makes them run well with heat sinks. We’ve found that all LEDs that advertise a 50,000 hour lifespan are still fan-cooled, but 5.7 years is a long time to expect a fan to be running. Fans can make a little noise, but more often than not it’s moving parts and complexity that can go wrong. Thirty thousand hours is still 20 years of average usage. LED Headlight Color and Brightness We like the 6,000K white range for visibility, but you can get LEDs from 3,000K amber to 12,000K purple. Some of these may be illegal in your area, or at least attract unwanted attention, so we’d stay in the 5,000-7,000,000 range. The 6,500 lumen LED headlights we’re installing here are as bright as you could ask for. The perceived brightness and usefulness depends a bit on how the beam propagates. LEDs generally have a much smoother and broader pattern than halogens. Photo credit: David Traver Adolphus / AutoGuide.com

Upgrading to LED Headlights Part 2: Removing Your Old Halogen Bulbs While some high-end cars may require removing the entire headlight assembly, one of the most common methods is a simple twist lock. While you shouldn’t touch halogen bulbs with your bare hands (the oils from your fingers will create hotspots on the quartz glass), you should be fine handling both HID and LED headlights. But we always wear nitrile gloves just in case. Also, it’s greasy there. If you have a twist-lock style headlight cluster like most Japanese and Korean cars, the back of it will look something like this 2014 Mazda. The hardest part is usually unplugging the socket. The base of most LED headlights has the same clip as this halogen bulb that you have to push in. Hold the lamp base with one hand while pressing the clip, then simply pull straight off. Pressing down on it with something hard, like the flat side of a small screwdriver, can help and you may have to gently wiggle it free. Make sure that no dust or moisture gets into the socket, as LEDs can be very sensitive. A piece of tape across the top is a good idea, and if you have a supercharger, give the entire area a puff of air before doing anything. The arrow on the snap ring has an arrow for the direction of tightening. You’ll probably need to push in slightly against a tension spring and then turn in the opposite direction. Pressed-in tabs help keep the bulb in place. Don’t twist too hard. The base of the bulb has tabs that match the notches in the ring. When they meet, just gently pull it out. And here’s our old 9005 halogen headlight bulb and you can look right into the headlight assembly. Credit for installation photos: David Traver Adolphus / AutoGuide.com

Umrüstung auf LEDs Teil 3: Einbau neuer LED-Scheinwerferbirnen Wenn Sie Hoch-Tief-Kombinationsbirnen haben, müssen Sie sich keine Gedanken darüber machen, welche welche ist, aber die meisten Autos haben vier, also müssen Sie Ihre alten Birnen herausholen und passen Sie sie an die neuen an. Denken Sie daran, während des gesamten Vorgangs Handschuhe zu tragen. Bevor Sie die neuen LED-Lampen installieren, ist es wichtig, sie zu testen. Alles, was Sie tun müssen, ist, sie in das Geschirr einzuhängen, sie an einem sicheren Ort zu platzieren (stellen Sie sicher, dass nichts den LED-Kolben berührt) und Ihre Scheinwerfer einschalten. Starten Sie Ihr Auto jedoch nicht. Wenn sie funktionieren, werden Sie es wissen. Als nächstes müssen Sie nur die LED-Lampen wieder in die Fassung stecken. Sie haben die gleichen Laschen wie die Halogenlampen oben, also müssen Sie sie mit den Schlitzen ausrichten. Die roten Dichtungen in unseren neuen Glühbirnen waren dicker und steifer als die von uns ersetzten Sylvania Silverstar-Glühbirnen, daher mussten sie sehr fest auf den Aluminiumkühlkörper gedrückt werden. Unsere Glühbirnen wurden mit einer zusätzlichen Verkabelung geliefert, die den CAN-Bus hielt. Wir haben die mitgelieferten Kabelbinder verwendet, damit es nicht klappert oder sich versehentlich löst. Nachdem wir alle vier getestet und installiert hatten, war es auf der Straße, um zu sehen, ob es einen Unterschied macht. Es war fast Tag und Nacht. Im Gegensatz zu unseren Halogenlampen werfen die SEALIGHT Scoparc S1 LED-Scheinwerferlampen das Licht gleichmäßig und breit und leuchten die Straßenränder sowohl mit Fern- als auch mit Abblendlicht aus. Besonders beeindruckt hat uns die messerscharfe Abblendung, die für den Blendschutz entgegenkommender Fahrer unerlässlich ist. Unsere einzige Beschwerde ist, dass die mitgelieferten Anweisungen beide in einem winzigen Büchlein geliefert wurden und nicht sehr detailliert waren. Der Unterschied zwischen den Fern- und Abblendlichtbirnen wurde nicht klar herausgestellt und sollte offensichtlich auf den Birnen gekennzeichnet sein, oder besser, der CAN-Bus hat viel Platz für große High- und Low-Texte. Wenn Sie Ihre eigenen Scheinwerferbirnen schon einmal gewechselt haben, wird dies kein Problem sein, aber wenn es Ihr erstes Mal war, könnten Sie einen teuren Fehler machen. SEALIGHT ist auch nicht sehr klar in Bezug auf ihre Garantie, aber wir glauben, dass es drei Jahre sind. Insgesamt sind wir begeistert und würden nicht zögern, diese in jedem Auto zu verwenden, das jahrelang eine hervorragende Sichtbarkeit bei Nacht benötigt. Bildnachweis: David Traver Adolphus / AutoGuide.com

Ever wondered if you could turn your car’s interior into a full-fledged light show? Well, that’s possible now because many modern vehicles offer cool ambient lighting, even on non-luxury cars. Read on to find out what ambient lighting is and which cars have the best ambient lighting systems.

What is ambient lighting?

The feature uses interior lights mounted around the cab to enhance the design and maybe even reassure the driver and passengers. In addition to the footwells, some ambient lighting systems often illuminate the door and instrument panel trim, cup holders, air conditioning vents, and speaker surrounds. Some cars offer the ability to customize the color of the ambient lighting, and some even allow the lighting to pulse to the beat of the audio system for additional customization options.

Every car manufacturer makes ambient lighting differently. Some are subtle, as with certain Nissan, Infiniti, Honda, and Acura products. At the other end of the spectrum are systems that can get very bright, as in new Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche models. More expensive vehicles even have the option of simultaneously illuminating the cabin in two colors, one main color and a second one that acts like a pipeline on certain parts of the interior. Then there are newer Mercedes cars that can slowly change the color of the cabin while driving.

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Why is ambient lighting only recently common?

Incandescent bulbs have long been the preferred choice for vehicle lighting. While it worked, element size was limited and the bulbs didn’t last long. LED technology has changed that, allowing automakers to use a solid-state electronic light source that can support multiple colors from a diode. This has allowed automakers to create all of the cool interior lighting patterns you see in vehicles today because LEDs are more configurable. They also last longer than an incandescent bulb.

Which cars have the best ambient lighting?

Among mainstream cars, the Kia Soul was one of the first to feature ambient lighting. The last two generations featured multicolored lights around the speakers that pulsed to the music. The current Soul adds new themes and illuminated interior panels, giving the car a more welcoming cabin. You can choose anything from a dance floor to a quiet café-like atmosphere to adapt the atmosphere to your mood. Kia’s flagship K900 sedan takes it up a notch with 64-color ambient lighting, including seven custom themes developed with the Pantone Color Institute. Sports cars like the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro also feature ambient lighting to brighten up the interior, with the former even allowing you to change the colors of the instrument cluster.

Luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and BMW have some of the most vibrant ambient lights of any modern car. High-end automakers like Bentley and Rolls-Royce take opulence up a few notches by using ambient lighting to create beautiful visual effects. Rolls-Royce, for example, transforms the headliner into a beautiful night sky using strands of fiberglass installed in the headliner. In Bentleys, high-end sound systems illuminate the door speakers to highlight intricate (and beautiful) details.

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What you should pay attention to when it comes to ambient lighting

Find out which fairing offers ambient lighting as an option or as standard.

Control whether you can change color or brightness and how you access this feature.

Cars with the best ambient lighting

Mainstream cars and SUVs: Kia Soul (GT-Line Turbo only), Mini Hardtop, Chevrolet Camaro, Volkswagen Jetta, Hyundai Sonata and Palisade

Luxury cars and SUVs: Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, BMW X7, Lincoln Navigator, Audi A7/S7, Lexus LS, Mercedes-AMG GT four-door coupe

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A motoring myth has been proven wrong – you CAN drive with the interior lights on.

Generations of drivers have grown up thinking that it is illegal to turn on the courtesy light.

But the RAC says it’s perfectly fine to drive with the white light on.

The automobile organization says it’s an old wives’ tale based on a misunderstanding of the law.

But there is one exception that may have led to the belief that the lights should always be off while the car is in motion.

The RAC said: “There is no law against this. However, if a police officer pulls you over and says your interior light is a distraction while driving, they have every right to tell you to turn it off.”

The road traffic regulations do not mention driving with lights on.

But drivers shouldn’t show anything other than a red light coming out of the rear window.

And the driver shouldn’t be distracted from the road by switching the car on and off.

(Image: iStockphoto)

Police say there is only an outside chance that the white light from an interior light will affect other drivers.

A police officer said: “The only chance there may be is for the interior light to be white AND facing backwards (which I would doubt) so that it is visible from outside the rear of the vehicle.

“The offense there is showing a light other than red backwards.”

“Considering that a car these days has numerous lights in the cockpit, another one in the roof probably won’t make much of a difference.”

He said navigation devices, instrument dials and radios also show lights.

So the general feeling is that turning on the light is legal.

Just don’t forget to turn them off when you get where you’re going or you’ll drain the car battery.

Are things starting to look a little grim in your car? It might be time to replace or upgrade your car interior light bulbs. The good news is that this is easy – even for a beginner.

Find your lights

Step one is to find out how many interior lamps your vehicle has and where they are located. Probably best in the evening, early morning or at least somewhere shaded. Once you’ve done that, open the passenger door, see the lights come on, and start searching and counting.

Most newer vehicles have at least one dome light located somewhere in the inner roof headliner and a pair of map lights, usually located near the rearview mirror. But many newer and higher end cars also have map lights for the rear passengers as well as lights in the lower part of the inside of the doors so there could be four or six more bulbs. And more and more cars in recent years have stepped up their style game by incorporating accent or ambient lighting that illuminates the footwell or console between the front seats.

You may have a dozen or more lightbulbs in the car interior. It’s probably best to have a piece of paper and a pencil, or maybe use the “notes” feature on your phone to keep track of how many you have and where they are. Once you’ve done that, you need to figure out what kind of lightbulb you’re dealing with in each case.

Wedge Base vs Garland Bulbs

There are two basic types. The type with a silver cap on both ends, like the one pictured above, is called a “garland” bulb. The other type only has metal at the bottom – it looks like the tip of a knife or closed scissors. This is a “wedge base” bulb. To figure out what you have you need to look at the bulbs yourself, so use your electric hand tools to remove all the covers, maybe use a flashlight on the under dash lights and see which ones you have (maybe you have some of them). both – but in different places) – and then add them to your notes. You need to know which is which and how many of them you need when you go shopping. They are not interchangeable.

If your car has incandescent bulbs (and most older cars do), you will likely see an improvement simply by switching to new bulbs of the same type. But – this can also be an opportunity to switch to LED bulbs. They give brighter light and last longer. Knowing what interior lights your car uses is also helpful if you encounter a problem with your car’s interior lights.

View all electrical system products available on NAPA Online, or trust one of our 17,000 NAPA AutoCare locations for routine maintenance and repairs. For more information on your vehicle’s interior lighting requirements, speak to a knowledgeable expert at your local NAPA AUTO PARTS store.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Chinese: Mandarin: 圓頂燈 圆顶灯 ( yuándǐngdēng )

Danish: Please add this translation if you can

Finnish: sisävalo

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German: ceiling light f , interior lighting f

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