| C4 - DS4 Owners :: Forums :: Styling Performance and Upgrading :: Mods and Styling, Chassis, lowering, wheels etc. |
<< Previous thread | Next thread >>
|
LED Bulbs and a Citroën C4 - The Definitive Guide |
    Please Register to enjoy additional Member Benefits |
|
Top Thanked Forum Posts: Today | Week | Month | Year | All time | Most Thanks Given: To member | By user
|
| Author | Post | ||||
Bin-The-L-Plates
 
|
|
||||
   Member No: #1556
Joined: Nov 12 2007Location: Stoke-on-Trent |
This post is in response to my original post about LED Side lights. It will hopefully give some help to anybody looking to upgrade the bulbs in their C4. I was looking to go down the route of LED bulbs, especially after a few blown bulbs in my C4. As a driving instructor I can't afford a blown bulb before test as it could cost me a test fee (£56.50) if the examiner refuses to go out for the test. So was looking to spend a little to avoid a lot of hassle. A big thanks must go to Dave at Click-Parts, who has gone above and beyond the call of duty, as we played guinea pig with my C4. Here is what I've done, and what works and doesn't. All bulbs from Click-Parts. LED Side Lights - work perfectly and look very good. Give a bulb fault warning in the log, but otherwise OK Stop n Tail - Tried Standard LED Bulbs and 360' LED Bulbs. Both types don't work for various reasons. Normal LED bulbs just work as Stop bulbs and not as Stop n Tail. The 360' LED's flash twice then don't work. Reverse - Tried Standard LED Bulbs, they work BUT not as bright as normal bulbs and more IMPORTANTLY as they glow all the time at night it looks like the reverse lights are on all the time. So make them impractical. Indicators - Tried Standard LED Bulbs. Flash too fast, so resistors would be required (didn't bother trying). Like the reverse bulbs, not as bright as normal bulbs. Interior - Tried the same LED Bulbs as the Side Lights. These work really well, however, I have gone for the Osram Zenon bulbs as these are mega bright. I need to do paperwork etc.. in the car and when it is dark these are a fantastic choice. Common to the LED bulbs is the problem that they only give directional light. This means that they don't fully illuminate the light cluster and therefore unfortunately they not as bright as normal bulbs. There are also serious problems with them not working correctly, maybe if I had persisted with resistors for each bulbs I might have overcome some of the issues mentioned. If you are after LED bulbs, i would only recommend the Side Lights. It looks like the other LED bulbs are just not compatible with the C4, which is shame as i was after a brighter and more long lasting option to the old style original fit bulbs. Perhaps there is only so much technology the C4 can take. Dave at Click-Parts has now supplied me with the Philips extra quick response bulbs for Stop n Tail, Reverse. Also the silver look orange glow Indicators, which I have put at the front. These bulbs are a great improvement to the car, they do illuminate quicker, and so will be safer. The Indicator bulbs look great in the front light cluster, as the bulbs look silvery and not orange so compliment the headlights. Again, i would recommend these as a great option. I would also have no problem recommending Click-Parts, fantastic service and a pleasure to do business with. Hope this info proves helpfull. Regards Clive |
||||
|
|
|||||
|
blueclouduk
|
|
||||
|
|
I've tried LED bulbs on several cars - mainly indicators. I love the way in which the bulbs can appear to be clear and then glow in the proper colour. The only tip I can offer, if one wishes to use the bulbs is to match the colours correctly ie. use a red led bulb in place of a stop light/fog lamp and an orange led bulb for indicators. The directional problem is quite major. The BMW and VW lights had to have the lenses resigned so that the internal faces scattered the light more - not a cheap option if they eaver need replacing. Until an omni-directional led bulb is widely available then it will be a problem. Led bulbs and strips are great for highlighting/accenting, a bit like the Audi lights, but until problems are cured, I might just stick with the higher intensity traditional bulbs. |
||||
|
|
|
||||
|
Jacippit
|
|
||||
|
|
 Have tried LED's in the past and never got on with them, the theory is great but the technology is not quite there yet. The best course of action at the moment imho is the Philips Vision Plus for stop/tail and reverse and either the Osram Diadems or Philips Silver Vision for the indicators. I know none of these are cheap but they give outstanding results in terms of brightness. longivity and response. Dont be tempted to buy cheap silver indicator bulbs as they are very dim when comapred to a quality product.
|
||||
|
|
|
||||
|
furry
|
|
||||
|
|
 the brake and reverse light with led are ok fog light will throw fault code |
||||
|
|
|
||||
|
Lee9495
|
|
||||
|
|
Has anyone used LED bulbs for the rear number plate?? This is the only one that hasnt been mentioned. Glad i saw this thread nearly went out and bought some for sidelights. |
||||
|
|
|
||||
|
|||||
|
furry
|
|
||||
|
|
yes same as the ones for sidelights |
||||
|
|
|
||||
|
JonM
|
|
||||
 Member No: #211
Joined: Apr 06 2007Location: Redditch, Worcestershire |
Changed my back light cluster for black ones from Cituning they kept blowing standard lamps / bulbs cause the standard bulbs touched the side of the inside of the cluster. Got replacement Stop & Tail LED's and work they great. Thinking of getting reverse and indicator LED's soon |
||||
|
|
|
||||
|
furry
|
|
||||
|
|
never tried indicator led, using silvervision for those but reverse led works fine (as pic above), FOG led throws fault code dont try |
||||
|
|
|
||||
|
Jaff
|
|
||||
|
|
this bulb warning for the led side, is it like a constant thing, does it only pop up every now and again, or is is just something on the warning log. | ||||
|
|
|
||||
|
blueclouduk
|
|
||||
|
|
AFAIK, the warning just appears in the log. I have SMD sidelights installed in Busy Bee ATM just to see how they cope/interact with the car. Picassos use H6W sidelights not W5W like the roller skates. The numberplate lights are W5W but space is very limited and most LED/SMD substitutes are much bigger than traditional filament bulbs. Incidentally, the SMD replacements in Busy Bee also glow when the the doors are locked/unlocked on the blipper. |
||||
|
|
|
||||
|
Lee9495
|
|
||||
|
|
Ive fitted some LED for the rear number plate at long last, was hoping for better results like you see on Audis etc, ive gone back to my original the lights shine straight and light up the floor and miss majority of the numberplate. Just thought i would let you all know. | ||||
|
|
|
||||
iscom
|
|
||||
 Member No: #20936
Joined: Jul 21 2011Location: Ireland Fermanagh & Galway |
I have just been reading some of the postings on LED lights and many of the comments are fairly old now, some going back to 2008 so maybe the led's have improved since then . . . I am in the process of upgrading my bulbs with LEDs. I did the sidelights which are very bright but a little on the blue side for me so still looking for a whiter light LED. I fitted the reversing bulbs with led's but again a little on the blue side and not as bright as the standard bulbs so I bought a set of 9w LED's and they are a very bright white, they almost trow a beam just great for reversing down dark country lanes. . I am now about to replace all the interior lights with LED's the main reason for the change is to save battery power when parked. I have upgraded the Front Fog with 80% more light bulbs, and whilst they are extra bright, they don't seem light up the road, they are more like a bright driving light other cars I have driven had Fogs that gave a good strong beam but the Picasso does not. I changed the Main and dip bulbs with the Phillips 50% more light type lights but have seen other lights which claim to be legal but not sure how hot they become and what sort of heat the Picasso can take. |
||||
|
|
|
||||
|
Dave_Retired.
|
|
||||
 Member No: #1
Joined: Aug 07 2006Location: Northumberland |
iscom wrote ... I have upgraded the Front Fog with 80% more light bulbs, and whilst they are extra bright, they don't seem light up the road, they are more like a bright driving light other cars I have driven had Fogs that gave a good strong beam but the Picasso does not. They are not meant to be 'driving' lamps and are illegal to use here in the UK unless visibility is greatly reduced |
||||
|
|
|
||||
|
C4Darren
|
|
||||
  Member No: #13754
Joined: May 18 2010Location: Ayrshire, Scotland |
By interior lights I assume the ones above your head? The car has economy mode so no need to worry about a flat battery that way. Plus they're always be on slightly unless you fit resistors to them. As for the fogs, I never use them... Illegally or even in fog, my headlights are bright enough tbh. I use the Ring Xenonmax which were marketed as up to 100% more. They've since rebranded to some other fancy packaging that offer 110-120% now. |
||||
|
|
|
||||
|
iscom
|
|
||||
|
Member No: #20936
Joined: Jul 21 2011Location: Ireland Fermanagh & Galway |
C6 Dave wrote ... iscom wrote ... I have upgraded the Front Fog with 80% more light bulbs, and whilst they are extra bright, they don't seem light up the road, they are more like a bright driving light other cars I have driven had Fogs that gave a good strong beam but the Picasso does not. They are not meant to be 'driving' lamps and are illegal to use here in the UK unless visibility is greatly reduced I thought the original purpose of the fog light was to give extra light whilst driving in Fog, giving a strong bright light a few feet in front of the car so you can see the kerb or white line in the road also to stop glare, thats why they are low down ands using them in addition to using your normal dipped lights. On my 06 Zafira and 02 Passat they where great but not so on the Picasso |
||||
|
|
|
||||
Go to page >>
|
|
 User Colour Key:Head Administrator, Administrator, Forum Moderator, Forum Moderator, Premier Member, Technical Expert, New C4 and DS4 Forum Moderators, Member |
|
Site Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy |Contact Details | Car Warranty | Sitemap | RSS Feeds | C4 Insurance | Tutorials | Quick Facts | Used Car Guide | Re Call Info | Offers | Service Reviews | Technical Documents | Error Codes
Theme by e107wORks© 
With Graphics from: Dave Forum Icons by Axialis Emotes by Seb
