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Blue sidelight lens make LED's look blue!

23K views 64 replies 14 participants last post by  cowboy 
#1 ·
I got some white LED's to replace my sidelight bulbs.

I can't believe how blue they look behind the blue lenses. Outside the headlight, they just look white.



 
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#2 ·
Yep - that is what happens unfortunately as the blue lens is to whiten up a 5w dull yellow bulb. Have tried them all and they all look blue. Mine aren't as blue as that though but look more blue when the HID's are on. Am trying some soft white LED's as soon as they arrive so will let you know if these are any better but not holding out much hope.
 
#3 ·
I have recently changed my sidelights to LED's and also am surprised how blue they seem! Not been pulled for it though and not sure if I will as offically the LED's are pure white so the blue tint comes from the actual headlights. I have also changed the number plate lights to LED's and they look the dogs danglies very bright and even shine on the road behind the car!
 
#4 ·
Smirnoff said:
I have recently changed my sidelights to LED's and also am surprised how blue they seem! Not been pulled for it though and not sure if I will as offically the LED's are pure white so the blue tint comes from the actual headlights. I have also changed the number plate lights to LED's and they look the dogs danglies very bright and even shine on the road behind the car!
Nice theory but unfortunately not going to cut it with a strict Plod! The bulb may well be white but it's the colour that shows that is the offence. You have a white light behind a red tail light so you'd loose your argument there. The problem is the blue lens and some LED's make it appear more blue than others. It looks worse from the side normally but head on the blue isn't as noticable and the reason is the blue is "thicker" at the edges of the lens. I've tried to source Canadian lenses as theres are white because they are the indicators over there with orange bulbs in them. Difficulty is though you have to take the headlight apart to change them and I can't source just the lens.

Options are: stick with the 5w standard bulb and accept it's yellow looking or use an LED bulb and if stopped, tell Mr Plod he must be colour blind! Suggest first option :lol:

It's been pointed out on here before though that the offence would probably be having a non "E" marked bulb, rather than the colour.

Hope this helps?
 
#5 ·
Vandy said:
Smirnoff said:
I have recently changed my sidelights to LED's and also am surprised how blue they seem! Not been pulled for it though and not sure if I will as offically the LED's are pure white so the blue tint comes from the actual headlights. I have also changed the number plate lights to LED's and they look the dogs danglies very bright and even shine on the road behind the car!
Nice theory but unfortunately not going to cut it with a strict Plod! The bulb may well be white but it's the colour that shows that is the offence. You have a white light behind a red tail light so you'd loose your argument there. The problem is the blue lens and some LED's make it appear more blue than others. It looks worse from the side normally but head on the blue isn't as noticable and the reason is the blue is "thicker" at the edges of the lens. I've tried to source Canadian lenses as theres are white because they are the indicators over there with orange bulbs in them. Difficulty is though you have to take the headlight apart to change them and I can't source just the lens.

Options are: stick with the 5w standard bulb and accept it's yellow looking or use an LED bulb and if stopped, tell Mr Plod he must be colour blind! Suggest first option :lol:

It's been pointed out on here before though that the offence would probably be having a non "E" marked bulb, rather than the colour

Hope this helps?
Yes very good points, shame really that they are blue to start with, as the LED's are extremly effective bulbs!
 
#7 · (Edited by Moderator)
Wow... they really do look blue! I don't understand, maybe my blue lenses aren't quite as blue as yours but mine (with 5 bulb LED's in) are no where near as blue... just a hint of blue on mine really. I had to just go and check, have taken a picture with my phone... not brilliant but you can see that the light is bright white with a hint of blue round the edge :-?

photo3.JPG

photo.JPG


As I had mentioned before, it seems that the brighter the LED, the less blue it looked I found after trying 2 different kinds of LED
 

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#10 ·
Vandy said:
Hi Shay. Can you post the details of your LED's? I've got the 13LED in mine and they aren't as white as yours and I don't think as bright either.

Oh it's pathetic isn't it, "yours are brighter than mine" How old are you Vandy :lol: :lol: :lol:
Hi Vandy, checked back through my eBay purchases and found them. Bought them (via Ebay) from CS-Automods but when I try to type the name in (copied and pasted from the purchase history) it says "can't be found"... very strange.

This is the name of them 12v 501, W5W LED 360° SIDELIGHT BULBS ULTRA BRIGHT

I have found them on another site though http://www.phoenixautobulbs.co.uk/pr/50 ... ree-bulbs/

I can't understand how you have 13 LED lights in each bulb and yet they aren't as bright as these :-?
 
#12 ·
shaymeboy said:
Vandy said:
Hi Shay. Can you post the details of your LED's? I've got the 13LED in mine and they aren't as white as yours and I don't think as bright either.

Oh it's pathetic isn't it, "yours are brighter than mine" How old are you Vandy :lol: :lol: :lol:
Hi Vandy, checked back through my eBay purchases and found them. Bought them (via Ebay) from CS-Automods but when I try to type the name in (copied and pasted from the purchase history) it says "can't be found"... very strange.

This is the name of them 12v 501, W5W LED 360° SIDELIGHT BULBS ULTRA BRIGHT

I have found them on another site though http://www.phoenixautobulbs.co.uk/pr/50 ... ree-bulbs/

I can't understand how you have 13 LED lights in each bulb and yet they aren't as bright as these :-?
Hi Shay.

These are the LED's I'v got in my puddle lights and the larger 13 led version in my headlights. Could be the photo bu they just looked much brighter than mine and not as blue. Will have a look tonight and see if I can get a photo of them.
Cheers :thumbs:
 
#13 · (Edited by Moderator)
Vandy said:
shaymeboy said:
Vandy said:
Hi Shay. Can you post the details of your LED's? I've got the 13LED in mine and they aren't as white as yours and I don't think as bright either.

Oh it's pathetic isn't it, "yours are brighter than mine" How old are you Vandy :lol: :lol: :lol:
Hi Vandy, checked back through my eBay purchases and found them. Bought them (via Ebay) from CS-Automods but when I try to type the name in (copied and pasted from the purchase history) it says "can't be found"... very strange.

This is the name of them 12v 501, W5W LED 360° SIDELIGHT BULBS ULTRA BRIGHT

I have found them on another site though http://www.phoenixautobulbs.co.uk/pr/50 ... ree-bulbs/

I can't understand how you have 13 LED lights in each bulb and yet they aren't as bright as these :-?
Hi Shay.

These are the LED's I'v got in my puddle lights and the larger 13 led version in my headlights. Could be the photo bu they just looked much brighter than mine and not as blue. Will have a look tonight and see if I can get a photo of them.
Cheers :thumbs:
Hi Vandy,

Took a couple of pictures of my sidelight lenses today for you to compare to. I have seen other XT's (later models) and the lens seems more blue to me which would be a contributing factor maybe??? I wouldn't even call mine blue really... more of a turquoise :-?
Shays XT lens.JPG

Shays XT lens 2.JPG
 

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#14 ·
Had a look at mine earlier and realised the problem - I've got a Ford Focus :lol:

Yours look about the same as mine I think. I wonder if the extra LED's running down the side of mine is reflecting through the edge of the lens more as it spreads the light out? I'm now wondering if front facing LED's would send more light straight forward, more like a spotlight rather than a foglight. Yours definately look less blue so I'm going to whip out one from my puddle lights and compare it to the 13 LED. I'll put one in each light and take a photo.

Would be a damn ssight easier just to hang a torch out the window ....................
 
#17 ·
Vandy said:
How much do you want for your headlights :lol:
:lol:

Talking of which Vandy... received my cheaply purchased headlights yesterday... hmmmm, as yellow as mine, maybe even a bit more as I've already had a go at restoring mine. A bit gutted :roll: but for what I gave for them, not going to whine, instead I'm going to experiment on them with a refurb kit which includes various grades of sandpaper and polish/plastic restoration gunk and see what the result will be. If that doesn't work, gonna crack the seals open and see what else could be done.
 
#18 ·
The LEDs I got are very bright. They have 36 smd LEDs!

The second photo is taken next to a main beam, so the camera brightness has adjusted the light.

Your blue lenses look a lot less blue than mine (in daylight) however at a guess, this is more to do with using different cameras than manufacturing differences.
 
#19 ·
bugone said:
The LEDs I got are very bright. They have 36 smd LEDs!

The second photo is taken next to a main beam, so the camera brightness has adjusted the light.

Your blue lenses look a lot less blue than mine (in daylight) however at a guess, this is more to do with using different cameras than manufacturing differences.
I couldn't put my main beam on, (They're HID's)... you wouldn't have seen anything... ever again :biggrin:

As explained before, my lenses really are more of a turquoise (closer to green) rather than a blue and the pictures I posted are a very good likeness on screen to the actual colour seen with my eye... even though it was taken with an iPhone4 :shock:
 
#21 ·
Hello Shay,

Vandy said:
Same as mine I think sShay. Sorry to hear about those headlights you got. If you can't clean them up it would be a good chance to take them apart and see if you can come up with a good idea to stick an LED in the bubble :smile: :thumbs:
I agree with Vandy - there could be an opportunity here for you to Experiment with these headlights... :thumbs:

I have a Dremmel type multi-tool which takes many different kinds of saws and cutters - Using something similar I am sure you could experiment on taking the headlights apart - without risking having to take your Exxy off the road... Out of the two pairs you should be able to make something useful. :thumbs:

Then when you have learnt you can tell us, or maybe offer a "conversion" .... :biggrin:

Best wishes, John
 
#22 ·
I'm sure there must be a way to drill through from the back of the headlight and straight into the bubble. You'd need to get the lens off to see what's what and where but when this has been worked out - bingo. If Shay doesn't want to destroy his lights (if he manages to clean them up) then I'lll get one from a breakers and take it apart as sure this can be done somehow?
 
#24 ·
Talking about light... (won't steal this topic)
@ Vandy. Vandy, you have HID's? How did you do that and how you manage with the fact, the original bulb is a duplo (Normal and beam in one bubble) The HID's I've seen are (I think...) more for cars with 4 reflectors such as a Golf. So you need four bulbs then. Do you have duplo's and which one?
 
#26 ·
Wimbo said:
Talking about light... (won't steal this topic)
@ Vandy. Vandy, you have HID's? How did you do that and how you manage with the fact, the original bulb is a duplo (Normal and beam in one bubble) The HID's I've seen are (I think...) more for cars with 4 reflectors such as a Golf. So you need four bulbs then. Do you have duplo's and which one?
Check on ebay mate - I got mine from there at a pretty good price. They have a standard halogen main beam bulb combined with an HID dip. :) I'll see if I can find a link to the ones I bought.
 
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