GS 450h Bulb Upgrades

[JoshW]

Hi all,

I have just purchased a 59 plate GS 450h, due to pickup Sunday  (upgraded from a Civic Type-R) and am looking at refreshing the lighting (LED) around the car. I am having a little difficult finding the correct bulb sizes, the american forums seem to be a little confusing. Would anyone be able to help me if they have done similar?

• Sidelights - 501
• Main Beam - HB3??
• Fog Lamps - HB4??
• Wing Mirror Puddle Lights - T10/194??
• Reverse bulbs - T15/921??
• Any interior bulbs like vanity mirrors that can be replaced??

 

Also on the point of wing mirror puddle lights, has anyone successfully replaced these with LED replacements? There seems to be varying approaches on the US forum, some saying to remove the mirror glass and others saying this isn't required? Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

Thanks guys,

Josh

 

[royoftherovers]

Isn`t all of this information contained within the Handbook Josh ?

 

Regards

John

[JoshW]

Quite possibly, however I haven't picked the car up yet (due to Sunday). I was intending to order the bulbs so I can fit them all on pick up day - maybe my impatience getting the better of me . 

The puddle light seems to be a bit of a grey area though, I would be interested to know if anyone has replaced these bulbs in the mirror?

[Britprius]

All the lighting apart from the main beam, fog, and front side lights are already LED's. Dip beam is HID D4S.

[Diesel Do Nicely Brian]

I am about to do all of this, this weekend, after Lexus fir a new complete headlamp/ballast etc tomorrow.

Will post up how I get on.

:)

[KentIS300]

I had put these on my Honda Legend when the Xenon bulb driver side was flickering
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Philips-Xenon-X-treme-Vision-D2S-Xenon-HID-Car-Headlight-Bulb-Single-Lamp-/262090277719?hash=item3d05cc4357:g:uJoAAOSwA4dWH62V

They were brilliant performers, I personally always go Philips when I need to install headlight bulbs. :)
I had managed to get a pair for £65 back in May,

[stormcracker]

this is the same way though its on the IS version to change the puddle lights

go straight to 7:15 on the video

 

 

[stormcracker]

or without removing the mirror

[Diesel Do Nicely Brian]

Well, managed to get some work done on the lights today, between chasing the 4 year old around - so not done anywhere near as much as planned.

Plan was to do:

HB4 LED's into fog lights
HB3 Osram upgrades into main beam
LED's into side lights
Chrome indicators into front lights

Here are all the bulbs set out:

After taking the engine covers off, quick brush of some dust with detailing brush and a wipe, out came the Kurust and touch up and attacked every bolt, bracket, hole or whatever I could find that had any trace of rust...  I keep the car well detailed and the engine bay is no exception!

Indicator bulbs first:

Installed and working:

Osram main beam bulbs to go in:

After much mauling around - no chance - the clips on the frames (2 big and 1 small lug) are the other way around so the wiring etc hits the inside of the light frame :(  First fail!

LED sidelights - issue being the standard bulb goes all the way into the holder, LED is too big!!!  Second fail!!

However, a bit of mauling about (some slight plastic being removed) and also used the smaller LED's I bought for the mirror puddle lamps and sorted!

Old bulb:

New LED:

Onto the fog lights.  Can either take off the under trays ( a gazillion bolts) or can remove the arch liner bolts etc - not many need to come off as I figured out as can get my hand in OK (and have already had these bolts off several times already!

Next issue came - fail three!!!!  The LED HB4's I bought - the polarity is the other way around, as Lexus/Toyota for some reason use + & - the opposite way around from everyone else!  Can't reverse them as the HB4 have a locking clip mount and won't go... However - currently useless Osrams HB3's to the rescue - these fit fine (although at £20+ a pair are pricey for fog light bulbs!):

Old bulb (although on a clearer lense - I need to polish both of these A LOT!):

New bulb (but very marked/cloudy lense - noticeably brighter):

Next up - some nighttime shots of all the light combinations.

After some research I have a plan now too:

I am going to clip one of the bigger lugs on the Osram HB3's (currently in my fog lights) and they should then lock in the correct position I need to allow me to use them for my main beam (as planned).

I intend to them do something similar with my HB4 LED foglight bulbs - they have a slot inside them and a clip to lock them in but I am going to cut the slot and the lock and they will mount up firm (but not 100% lock) for my fog lights to become LED's - a job for when I can grab half an hour to get the main beams apart, and get the arch liners open and into the fog lights (as well as adapt the bulbs).  That's the plan.

Then onto the rear - chrome indicator bulbs and LED's into my reverse lights (the other bulbs are all LED). Then I'll have a look at the puddle lamps on the mirrors for LED fitment (if not already LED).

[JoshW]

Great write up, thanks for this. I'm gonna do the same when I get a spare moment this week - from what I see I think the puddle lights may be LED but I don't think they are anywhere near the same level of brightness as the proper SMD/LED chip T5 bulbs. Wouldn't suprise me if they are the ordinary blue covered T5 bulbs.

[Hangie]

I always was curious what drives people's to spend so much time on bulbs or other such details. 

I can understand detailing and keeping car in proper technical condition - what I'm doing by myself. But bulb colour seriously it's a car to drive and enjoy not a Christmas tree :) of course if you are doing it professionally for some competition and are planing to win some prize then yes but I doubt it is the case here.

[Diesel Do Nicely Brian]

Today's progress...

Took off the inner boot lid cover to get to the reverse lights.  Discovered the LED's that all the guides told me were for my reverse lights were actually for my rear fog lights:

LED:

Original bulb:

Original brighter and better so back out came the LED's.

Luckily the bulbs I bought for the mirror puddle lamps were 10 LED and the correct size, so in they went for the reverse lights:

Originals:

LED's:

And at night:

Then did the de-tango of the rear indicators with some chromed bulbs:

Then came the next job...the rear lamp has water in it and misting, so out it came - forgot to take some before pics, but here is it almost dried out:

Issue was the top edge bonding was no longer effective - here it is opened up, before I run multiple lines of super glue down it (and one run inside!!!):

Should, hopefully, be no more water getting inside now!

Pic of the LED sidelights:

Pic of everything on - main beam, full beam, foglight etc:

New LED's for the vanity lights:

 

[Diesel Do Nicely Brian]

On 12 September 2016 at 10:16 AM, Hangie said:

I always was curious what drives people's to spend so much time on bulbs or other such details. 

I can understand detailing and keeping car in proper technical condition - what I'm doing by myself. But bulb colour seriously it's a car to drive and enjoy not a Christmas tree :) of course if you are doing it professionally for some competition and are planing to win some prize then yes but I doubt it is the case here.

The bulbs I am installing are brighter, sharper and better on the road for poor light and especially at night, where I do a lot of driving.

It's not decorative, although the interior vanity lights and the boot light (to be done) are.