Got some LED license plate bulbs

[99C280Sport]

Ok so I got the LED license plate bulbs in... no resistors required, and no "light out" indicator! Just plug, and play. They are 39mm 6LED "super white" festoon bulbs

As you can tell, we got a little rain tonight!

Before
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/ltrain300d/C280/IMG_1189.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/ltrain300d/C280/IMG_1190.jpg

During
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/ltrain300d/C280/IMG_1192.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/ltrain300d/C280/IMG_1191.jpg

After
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/ltrain300d/C280/IMG_1194.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/ltrain300d/C280/IMG_1195.jpg

Looks 100% better IMO.

[Denlasoul]

Why would you want people to see your plates better? ;)

[chewiguy]

Originally posted by Denlasoul
Why would you want people to see your plates better? ;)

Maybe if your plate said something cool like "WIKED202" or "OCKLAS" or "M3 LOL"

Obviously W03 UGX means "I RACE IN SLOW MOTION" :D j/p

The lights look great! Don't forget to link us to where you got them!

[OCKlasse]

From my experience with LED bulbs, if they're bought on eBay, they'll last you around 4-6 weeks before one starts to flicker. I definitely recommend buying the ones off superbrightleds.com as I have had them now for four months now with no flickering!

[AirPost]

I got mine from superlumination.com but I have replaced mine twice already since it would do the strobe effect after 2 months or so. Just ordered my third set and next time, will try getting it from superbuyleds.com. Me and my mods....could have fed a family for Christmas already... :bored:

[predrag1]

put "202 FTMFW"

I thought cali was the sunshine state :D

[OCKlasse]

Originally posted by AirPost
I got mine from superlumination.com but I have replaced mine twice already since it would do the strobe effect after 2 months or so. Just ordered my third set and next time, will try getting it from superbuyleds.com. Me and my mods....could have fed a family for Christmas already... :bored:

my bad, it's actually superBRIGHTleds.com!

[99C280Sport]

Thanks for all the replies... they are just some ebay ones - I got them for 8 bucks shipped - so I'll probably get what I paid for - maybe I'll get lucky, we'll see!

As for where I got them, I got them from a seller called "cal-motor" on ebay.

[jnolte]

wild guess, but is the brand fetsoon? is that the brand? the site that ocklasse mentioned has the same brand.

also it wont show a bulb out light because the lisence lights are not connected to that sensor

[dantedawg]

Originally posted by OCKlasse
From my experience with LED bulbs, if they're bought on eBay, they'll last you around 4-6 weeks before one starts to flicker. I definitely recommend buying the ones off superbrightleds.com as I have had them now for four months now with no flickering!

hey budy can you give me the exact specs, size for the 202?? i want to get the white one..but i dont know which size..i just checked the website but there's 3910x4, 3910x6 sizes, etc etc..

let me know thanks!

[99C280Sport]

I bought 39mm bulbs, and I had to bend the tabs a little bit - but they fit. I think stock size for the license plate bulbs is 36mm.

[97C28O]

Originally posted by OCKlasse
From my experience with LED bulbs, if they're bought on eBay, they'll last you around 4-6 weeks before one starts to flicker. I definitely recommend buying the ones off superbrightleds.com as I have had them now for four months now with no flickering!

Funny that you said that. I bought my bulbs from SuperBrightLEDs.com and I got the 6 LED 39mm Festoon bulbs about 5 months ago. Now, one side is flickering. My friend's set on his A4 flicked after 2 months. On AudiZine, people said the flicker is caused by moisture because of the holes on the bulb casing.

I think I will probably change them out into my interrior and get some Polarg M-28 bulbs for the License plate. I have them in my GTI and they look great!

[C230KSPORT00]

So is 36mm definetly the size of the stock bulbs? Thanks

[Kropf]

Originally posted by jnolte
wild guess, but is the brand fetsoon? is that the brand?.

Festoon is not a brand, but the style of lamp - that of 'hanging between two points'.

[Logic]

the only thing that those lights are doing when your driving fast will catch the eye of the police officer and he will be able to get your numbers from a long distance LOL

[99C280Sport]

Originally posted by Logic
the only thing that those lights are doing when your driving fast will catch the eye of the police officer and he will be able to get your numbers from a long distance LOL

Good thing I don't speed then, huh!

[ron]

I personaly have never understood the point of LED license plate lights. First off, they make your plate more visible, and 2nd they stand out so much itsn as if you have put a big sign on your car that says "LOOK AT ME, I HAVE LED LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS".

Reminds me of the ricer LED washer nozzles that blink.

But hey, if they make you happy, that's great! Just not for me :)

[jstrat85]

i got them on my car and i love the look!!!

[99C280Sport]

Originally posted by jstrat85
i got them on my car and i love the look!!!

Me too man... people seemed concerned that it is going to make my license plate more visable... what does that matter to me? I have nothing to hide, and I don't drive like an asshole.

Plus they just look better than those stock crappy yellowish lights, especially on the white paint.

[C230KSPORT00]

Hey, so whats the stock size of the bulbs, 36mm? anyone know?

[99C280Sport]

Yeah 36mm, but 39mm will fit.

[W202fanatic]

so im thinking about getting LED bulbs for my license plate, how do you replace the bulbs?
do you take out the carpeting from the back of the trunk?

[99C280Sport]

Originally posted by W202fanatic
so im thinking about getting LED bulbs for my license plate, how do you replace the bulbs?
do you take out the carpeting from the back of the trunk?


No, you don't need to go into the trunk.

Look here:
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/ltrain300d/IMG_1166.jpg

Above the license plate there should be three screws (about where the arrows are)

Remove these screws and the piece that is circled will drop down, exposing the two bulb housings. You can then pull these out and will be able to replace the bulbs.

If you get 39mm, it is going to be a bit of a squeeze but they will work.

Stock bulbs are 36mm.

[C230KSPORT00]

ok

[W202fanatic]

i was looking at the three screws earlier today, and i saw that the middle screw was just a round screw, unlike the other two which were philip (+) screws.
how would you take off the middle one.

[Kropf]

Originally posted by W202fanatic
i was looking at the three screws earlier today, and i saw that the middle screw was just a round screw, unlike the other two which were philip (+) screws.
how would you take off the middle one.
Interesting...
My '99 C43 has 3 similar Phillips head screws.
My '99 C280 Sport has a Phillips head screw on each end and a round headed one in the middle (like W202fanatic's). Checking the back side (after removing the carpet looking shell), the 2 Phillips head screws screw into anchored rivet-nuts. The center screw has a conventional nut, so I would say that you WILL need to remove the carpet looking shell from your trunk lid to remove the center screw by removing the nut. However, once you have the inner shell off, you'll have access to the bulbs and you won't need to remove the outer piece after all. You might want to check into getting a 3rd Phillips head screw and matching rivet-nut installed to replace the round headed one now in case you want/need to change the bulb(s) in the future without removing the inner shell again, but you'll probably need a special tool to install the rivet-nut in the center location (probably the same tool that's used to install the rivet-nuts that your rear license plate screws screw into).

[99C280Sport]

Originally posted by Kropf
Interesting...
My '99 C43 has 3 similar Phillips head screws.
My '99 C280 Sport has a Phillips head screw on each end and a round headed one in the middle (like W202fanatic's). Checking the back side (after removing the carpet looking shell), the 2 Phillips head screws screw into anchored rivet-nuts. The center screw has a conventional nut, so I would say that you WILL need to remove the carpet looking shell from your trunk lid to remove the center screw by removing the nut. However, once you have the inner shell off, you'll have access to the bulbs and you won't need to remove the outer piece after all. You might want to check into getting a 3rd Phillips head screw and matching rivet-nut installed to replace the round headed one now in case you want/need to change the bulb(s) in the future without removing the inner shell again, but you'll probably need a special tool to install the rivet-nut in the center location (probably the same tool that's used to install the rivet-nuts that your rear license plate screws screw into).

Hmm.. I guess whoever had the car before me decided to put a phillips head in the center spot!

[W202fanatic]

does anyone know what kind of tools you would use to get the "button" looking screws out of the carpet behind the trunk?

[C230KSPORT00]

Just use a screw driver or a poclet knife to prye the black pieice out of the other black piece.