LED help please

Eastep

True Classic
I'm looking for assistance in LED selection. My car is a '79 with full Euro exterior lighting. I believe they are 194 style bulbs. I've found 194 equivalent LEDs and several LED turn signal relays and electronic relays. My concern is: is this process as easy as swapping the bulbs with LED, and adding the correct relay to the fuse block? Or is there more to it? I also need clarification on front and rear led bulbs. (Turn, brake and reverse)
Do I simply purchase the equivalent bulb type LED for those as well?
Appreciate the help.
 
is this process as easy as swapping the bulbs with LED, and adding the correct relay to the fuse block?
As for the side marker bulbs, with the equivalent socket size/type replacements, yes just install the LED's.
As for "adding the relay", I believe you are referring to the 'flasher', in which case also yes. You do not need to "add" one, just replace the existing flasher with the same socket type but for LED bulbs. The regular relays do not need to be touched.
As for taillights and turn signals, etc, same as with the side markers - get the same socket size/type in LED bulbs and replace them. The turn signals are the only ones that require any other items to be replaced, that being the 'flasher' due to the lower amp draw of LED's. Which was covered in the second statement about 'relays'.
So to review for all exterior lighting. It's very easy and straightforward, swap bulbs and flasher to LED types. Done.

For interior lighting it is a little different. The '79's fiber optic dash lighting can be done two ways; replace the single bulb that feeds the existing fiber optic system with a LED bulb, or completely replace the fiber optic system by adding individual LED bulbs to each item where the fiber optic reaches. The first approach is easier, assuming the fiber optic system is working (they tend to fall out of place). But both methods require some minor modifications to get a LED bulb to fit. Search for some great tutorials by people like Bob Brown on how to do it. Also there two types of dimmer switches. You will need the one that can control LED's, again look for the tutorials.
The rest of the interior lighting is like the exterior stuff, just swap the bulbs.
 
There are two other possible pitfalls when converting to LEDs, in addition to the flasher/turn signal relay.

Most LEDs have different light distribution compared to regular bulbs. Some send almost all light upwards, some almost all light to one (or two) side, and some have pretty uniform distribution. You have to look at the reflector and/or lens to know which type looks best.

It's also important to select the correct color for each position. Amber LEDs behind amber lenses, red LEDs behind red lenses, and white color temperature of your choice for the uncolored lenses. Some prefer very cold white LEDs, but I think warm white or neutral white looks a lot better for these older cars.

Are you sure the 194 style bulb is used in the exterior lighting of your car? At least in my '80 most exterior bulbs are bayonet BA15s (aka 1156) bulbs.
 
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There are two other possible pitfalls when converting to LEDs, in addition to the flasher/turn signal relay.

Most LEDs have different light distribution compared to regular bulbs. Some send almost all light upwards, some almost all light to one (or two) side, and some have pretty uniform distribution. You have to look at the reflector and/or lens to know which type looks best.

It's also important to select the correct color for each position. Amber LEDs behind amber lenses, red LEDs behind red lenses, and white color temperature of your choice for the uncolored lenses. Some prefer very cold white LEDs, but I think warm white or neutral white looks a lot better for these older cars.

Are you sure the 194 style bulb is used in the exterior lighting of your car? At least in my '80 most exterior bulbs are bayonet BA15s (aka 1156) bulbs.
Thanks for the reply and assistance. The front side marker lights at a 194 style Bulbs. The rears haven't any bulbs, as they are just plastic dummy covers. Thanks for the reminder on how LEDs sometimes send light directionally. I'll be sure to get the appropriate patern.
 
Thanks for the reply and assistance. The front side marker lights at a 194 style Bulbs. The rears haven't any bulbs, as they are just plastic dummy covers. Thanks for the reminder on how LEDs sometimes send light directionally. I'll be sure to get the appropriate patern.

I plan to replace the front side marker lights (turn signal indicators on my car) with the Osram 2855YE-02B bulb. I believe the lens-like top on those spreads light the right way for that position. They are unfortunately not available in a BA15s/1156 version, and I haven't found an alternative that looks better than regular bulbs in every way.
 
Hey Mike, some of the mass merchandisers (Walmart, Target, etc) stock Sylvania brand LED bulbs on cardstock/blister pack at very good prices, so no need to order online unless they are out of stock. NAPA stores have VERY high quality flashers, you can't go wrong with their stuff.
 
Hey Mike, some of the mass merchandisers (Walmart, Target, etc) stock Sylvania brand LED bulbs on cardstock/blister pack at very good prices, so no need to order online unless they are out of stock. NAPA stores have VERY high quality flashers, you can't go wrong with their stuff.
Thanks, Dan. That was sort of the inspiration for my query, lol. Anything else I should know or do, before I make the conversion?
 
The other consideration IF you change the illumination at the instrument gauges to LED's, might be to make sure you have the correct type of dimmer control that will allow adjustment of the brightness. I find LED lights in the gauges to be too bright and need to dim them for my personal comfort level. But I'd rather have to dim ones that are too bright than to have the stock ones that do not allow me to see the gauges even at full brightness. There were some great examples (pics) of all this in prior posts about changing the gauge lighting.
 
Here is the LED order I made from SuperBright LED. All of the large bulbs have been swapped on my car and the FL3 was a flasher I found recommended on another thread. It swapped perfectly with the 3 wire connector on the car. A direct replacement. The lights flash a steady strong flash. My only issue with the system is the front 1157 duel amber bulb for my front turn signals. No fault to SBLED. I only wish the flashing bulb would turn off and on and not on and ON when flashing. That's a wiring set up that's needed. Also this list doesn't include side marker lights as I would like to figure out what to do to make them flash when turning like modern cars.

Check your bulbs to verify but my car is a '78.
LED Purchase.PNG
 
The other consideration IF you change the illumination at the instrument gauges to LED's, might be to make sure you have the correct type of dimmer control that will allow adjustment of the brightness. I find LED lights in the gauges to be too bright and need to dim them for my personal comfort level. But I'd rather have to dim ones that are too bright than to have the stock ones that do not allow me to see the gauges even at full brightness. There were some great examples (pics) of all this in prior posts about changing the gauge lighting.
After checking out the dimmer control for the console lighting, I discovered that it is basically wired as a voltage divider. I was thinking that it might be a better way to control the console and the instrument panel lights (which use the 2 position switch) together, especially if converting to LEDs. Depending on the current required, it might need to be buffered with an NPN power transistor in an emitter follower configuration but that would be cheap and easy. However, converting the interior lights to LEDs is still way down my X to-do list.
 
Not sure if I'm misunderstanding some of what you said Don, but keep in mind there are two types of dimmers in X's (depending on the year). One of them works on LED's, the other does not.
 
Not sure if I'm misunderstanding some of what you said Don, but keep in mind there are two types of dimmers in X's (depending on the year). One of them works on LED's, the other does not.
I was looking at the thumbwheel dimmer on the 74.
 
Yes, I think that thread covered most of the issues. If you have a car with a resistor type dimmer set up as a voltage divider, it should dim LEDs effectively. Since it is capable of driving the incandescent fiber optic illuminator bulb, there is a good chance that it could handle an LED replacement for that bulb as well as LED instrument panel lights. From that other thread, it sounded like there may be some resistor dimmers that are not set up as voltage dividers. In that case it is likely that the resistor value may be too low to effectively dim LEDs.
 
And adding resistors to make it work completely negates one of the biggest benefit of having LEDs.
 
And adding resistors to make it work completely negates one of the biggest benefit of having LEDs.
Well, it depends where you add them. These so called LED bulbs are actually an LED and a resistor to limit the current to a safe value at 12V. Without a resistor, the LED would draw enough current to vaporize the LED chip.
 
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