Thanks ,how easy was it to change them,is it easy to get to them when cover is taken off.
Technical Anyone on here changed the DRL lights for LED ones yet
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Technical Anyone on here changed the DRL lights for LED ones yet
Thanks ,how easy was it to change them,is it easy to get to them when cover is taken off.
twobigdogs
Member
What bulbs did you get and do they effect the lights out warning display?
You are correct and I guess we have to get used to new terminology / separation of function WITHIN a combined unit.
i.e. The front side lights are also the DLRs. Similarly the rear side lights are also the brake lights.
Then we have cornering lights which are also fog lights.
I've yet to investigate if there is a beam/power difference in cornering verses fog. If not there should be.
It is currently illegal to run front/or rear fogs except in fog/reduced visibility (and certainly not in the rain). Front fog lights are low and their beams have a low angle of incidence on the road surface so have a low bounce/reflection angle so when the roads are wet the can actually dazzle an oncoming driver long before headlights do.
All very complicated.
The DRL's are pretty easy to change. About 10-15 mins a side.
pop the two plastic clips. open the flap and reach in.
The indicator, DRL and fog light are all accessable and all require leass than a quater of a turn and they pull out. you do work blind and obviously a bit more tricky for those who have hands like shovels.
Anyone with hands like jeremy beadle will be absolutely at an advantage lol
pop the two plastic clips. open the flap and reach in.
The indicator, DRL and fog light are all accessable and all require leass than a quater of a turn and they pull out. you do work blind and obviously a bit more tricky for those who have hands like shovels.
Anyone with hands like jeremy beadle will be absolutely at an advantage lol
twobigdogs
Member
Cornering fog lights are legal in the UK as they meet EU Whole Vehicle Type Approval which overrides the individual countries regs etc.
VeneziaBlue500x
Member
Hey guys, second post for me. yey.
The first thing I did when I got my car, was to change the yellow-ish day lights to proper LED ones (CAN-BUS ones too, so the car isn't confused).
Now other owners ask me if their cars have something wrong and why theirs didn't get those LED lights from the factory, they look so matching with my bi-xenons that people think they are originals!
FIAT has changed the new small 500 to use LED lights, so maybe in a future cosmetic upgrade of the 500X they'll add factory LEDs as well.
The first thing I did when I got my car, was to change the yellow-ish day lights to proper LED ones (CAN-BUS ones too, so the car isn't confused).
Now other owners ask me if their cars have something wrong and why theirs didn't get those LED lights from the factory, they look so matching with my bi-xenons that people think they are originals!
FIAT has changed the new small 500 to use LED lights, so maybe in a future cosmetic upgrade of the 500X they'll add factory LEDs as well.
twobigdogs
Member
What bulbs did you get?
VeneziaBlue500x
Member
To be honest, I don't know because a friend of mine who's a mechanic got them for me (he also did the installation).
But I'll ask him in the next couple of days, maybe even take a photo for your pleasure.
But I'll ask him in the next couple of days, maybe even take a photo for your pleasure.
twobigdogs
Member
Thanks
VeneziaBlue500x
Member
twobigdogs
Member
Thanks they look really good. Do they dim when the main headlights are on like the standard bulbs?
VeneziaBlue500x
Member
To be honest, I have no idea if they dim or not.
I can clearly see their reflection on the car in front of me, so they are definitely on when the main headlights are also turned on, but I haven't noticed if they dimmed.
I can clearly see their reflection on the car in front of me, so they are definitely on when the main headlights are also turned on, but I haven't noticed if they dimmed.
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twobigdogs
Member
The reason I asked is by law they have to dim when the headlights are on otherwise they are to bright and dazzle. They dim with the original bulbs.
I hope the DRL goes off when you indicate. Otherwise the brighter LED DRLs may "wash-out" the indicators making them less visible. If there was an accident and the other party claimed you did not indicate, the investigation might identify the non E marked bulbs and this could leave you liable.
Robert G8RPI.
Just another thing I was wondering about,i thought if your car had bi zenon headlights it had to have a headlight washer,i have them on my Vauxhall,which has bi zenon headlights,just curious if anyone on here who has the bizenon headlights knows if they have a headlight washer or not,thought it was a legal requirement.
I've followed this up with my local council MOT testing station who looked at my 500X with interest. It was clear I had no headlamp washer/wipers. The presence/absence of a self levelling mechanism was not determined as the inspection/review was a car park examination. What was noted was the presence of the *manual* levelling device.
So off they went to the MOT manual which states:
Criteria: Where HID or LED dipped beam headlamps are fitted, ..... and check the operation of any headlamp levelling and cleaning devices fitted.
Failure: Levelling or cleaning device inoperative or otherwise defective.
The 500X has no *fitted* washer/wiper so is not testable/failable on this count.
Self levelling if fitted (I'm not sure the 500X has this) would be subject to inspection & failure if not working.
For manual levelling/height adjustment (which the 500X has) their take was that this is possibly a grey area however as long as the headlamps pass the test at maximum / 0 level dip then this would be OK in their view.
Finally, formal MOT manual, aside then if they see and believe a vehicle has not been modified from its UK road sale / homologated standard and is road worthy in all other respects then they will pass the vehicle and follow up with VOSA to ensure clarification of testing details etc.
This lighting stuff is complicated and it behoves anybody thinking of changing their vehicles lighting needs to be 100% educated on current regulations and if in doubt consult VOSA / VOSA representatives. Any modification / lighting change that does not comply with the VOSA regs / Road Traffic Act / or has your Insurers approval then you can very easily find yourself in an UNINSURED situation. A criminal offence and for anybody harmed in any incident (your fault or not) then you will be paying huge amounts of your families income for potentially the rest of you life.
I doubt any insurance company will object to incandescent / halogen lights being replace with LEDs etc. but you have to advise and ask them UP FRONT. And of course given approval the new LED lights MUST operate exactly as the original lights operated.
So off they went to the MOT manual which states:
Criteria: Where HID or LED dipped beam headlamps are fitted, ..... and check the operation of any headlamp levelling and cleaning devices fitted.
Failure: Levelling or cleaning device inoperative or otherwise defective.
The 500X has no *fitted* washer/wiper so is not testable/failable on this count.
Self levelling if fitted (I'm not sure the 500X has this) would be subject to inspection & failure if not working.
For manual levelling/height adjustment (which the 500X has) their take was that this is possibly a grey area however as long as the headlamps pass the test at maximum / 0 level dip then this would be OK in their view.
Finally, formal MOT manual, aside then if they see and believe a vehicle has not been modified from its UK road sale / homologated standard and is road worthy in all other respects then they will pass the vehicle and follow up with VOSA to ensure clarification of testing details etc.
This lighting stuff is complicated and it behoves anybody thinking of changing their vehicles lighting needs to be 100% educated on current regulations and if in doubt consult VOSA / VOSA representatives. Any modification / lighting change that does not comply with the VOSA regs / Road Traffic Act / or has your Insurers approval then you can very easily find yourself in an UNINSURED situation. A criminal offence and for anybody harmed in any incident (your fault or not) then you will be paying huge amounts of your families income for potentially the rest of you life.
I doubt any insurance company will object to incandescent / halogen lights being replace with LEDs etc. but you have to advise and ask them UP FRONT. And of course given approval the new LED lights MUST operate exactly as the original lights operated.
The problem is that no LED or HID replacement for a filament lamp can be E marked. This is becuse it is not a filament lamp and the approval is based on the lamp type (the H in H1, H7 etc stands for Halogen). On a practical note it's hard to make an LED lamp with the same optical characteristics as the same size filament lamp. A filament radiates in all direction (apart from shadows from supports and connections) but an LED only radiates from one surface (or possibly edge). This means you need at least two LED chips back to back. LEDs also need a heatsink to conduct heat away and this also takes up space. All in all a bigger light source. As the light assembly optics are designed for the filament source, they cannot be assumed to give the correct light pattern with an LED. Thus they cannot operate exactly as the originals. Basically any LED replacement for a filament lamp exterior light is illegal. The fact that the law is not well enforced does not make it OK. Blue LEDs on the front of trucks are a particular bug bear of mine.
I'm suprised that your 500 with HIDs does not have washers, I understood the EU regulations required them. Might have been missed by Fiat.
Robert G8RPI.
That surprised me too ,not having washer`s ,even my smaller 500 twin air xenon's has washer`s, it sounds like cost cutting to me ?
VeneziaBlue500x
Member
Interesting discussion about the legality and insurance issues. Of course those things apply to civilised countries and not in the cesspool of corruption and sodomy that I live in. At least today it was nice and sunny with 22C degrees and I had a great ride with my 500X and my LED day lights 
My next improvement will be the white reverse light at the rear of the car. It produces so little light that I thought it wasn't working at first. Also, the rear view camera requires a lot of light, otherwise the image is a big blotch of greyness.
My next improvement will be the white reverse light at the rear of the car. It produces so little light that I thought it wasn't working at first. Also, the rear view camera requires a lot of light, otherwise the image is a big blotch of greyness.
