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Converting Side Markers to LED

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has anyone done this? the license plate lights are easy but i don't see a simple way to extract the housing for the side indicators (do you go from the frunk and get behind it?)

seriously, incandescent bulbs should be banned... (oh wait! they already are in other parts of the world)
 
the incan should have never existed in the first place and will die and need replacement approx 3-4 years (its already banned in europe, even as slow as the US is, they have already banned 100+W incan bulbs), the LED should last the life of the car.
that's less waste in the long run.

same argument with house lights, i converted my entire house to LED/CFL and only 1 bulb has died after 7 years of constant use. How many bulbs didnt have to end up in the trash, and how many kWh have i saved?
 
the incan should have never existed in the first place and will die and need replacement approx 3-4 years (its already banned in europe, even as slow as the US is, they have already banned 100+W incan bulbs), the LED should last the life of the car.
that's less waste in the long run.

same argument with house lights, i converted my entire house to LED/CFL and only 1 bulb has died after 7 years of constant use. How many bulbs didnt have to end up in the trash, and how many kWh have i saved?
In think what Amped is hinting at is that it's probably useful to evaluate "Should I replace the incan bulbs after they die out rather than immediately?" And I think he means "in environmental terms" not "in financial terms".
 
the incan should have never existed in the first place and will die and need replacement approx 3-4 years (its already banned in europe, even as slow as the US is, they have already banned 100+W incan bulbs), the LED should last the life of the car.
that's less waste in the long run.

Do you really think they'll last only 3-4 years? My old car is 12 years old, and I've only ever had to replace the headlights.
 
Mod Note: This thread is going waaaay off topic. If there's desire to continue discussing bulb life, carry on and I'll clean it up later. However, the OP asked if anyone had converted the side markers to LED and how he/she could access the housing? Anyone know the answer?
 
In videos where I've seen the side indicators blinking they were definitely incandescent, "slowly" lighting up and dimming down rather than instant on/off. Quite a while ago I saw this, but presumably they haven't changed. Always found it quite odd that they were not LED.
 
The side blinkers are incandescent and they're one of the first things I thought about replacing.

I made a post a while ago asking if anyone knew how to properly remove the side blinkers, but no one knew I guess; no one responded.

The detailer who installed my xpel told me that they can just be popped off, but I tried. I was able to pry them up partially from the bottom, but I couldn't figure out how to remove it completely, and since I don't know exactly how they are constructed and attached, I don't want to force it and risk breaking it.

I have been meaning to take the car back to the detailer to see if he will show me how he removed the blinkers, but since I started working in a different city, I just haven't had the time. He did warn me that you can break them if you don't do it properly.

So if anyone can describe how the side blinker is attached to the body, or better yet, has a picture of one of them removed, that would help.
 
What kind of LED bulb do we need to purchase?
They are probably T10/W5W sized amber bulbs (available from eBay), but we won't know until someone removes the side marker. I've replaced these kind of bulbs with LEDs in several cars, and the most critical part is to make sure the bulb will fit lengthwise into the opening. Many LEDs are longer than the equivalent incandescent bulb.

Speaking of side marker removal: After spending 30 minutes and getting blistered fingers trying to remove the side markers, I gave up. I was able to push down from the top and unlatch the plastic hooks that were on the markers, but when I examined the markers with a flashlight, I could see there was a metal clip that held them on the bottom to the body panel. Maybe there were two clips, but it was hard to see since it was nighttime. It appeared that to install the markers, one needs to clip them onto the bottom of the opening and then snap them into the body. Maybe a plastic spudger could be jammed under the bottom of the side marker to release the bottom clips? I would try again today, but I will have to wait for my fingers to heal.
 
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