Author Topic: Bulb upgrades assistance please  (Read 1337 times)

stevieboyyyy

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Bulb upgrades assistance please
« on: October 02, 2021, 05:13:43 PM »
Hi Folks,

I have a 2012 1.4 CVT, I think it is an EX with the Sat Nav thingy.

Had it since just before lockdown, it was going to be temporary for a few months, but due to house extension which meant no driveway for 9 months and  haemorrhaging of cash, found it more than capable for a family of 5, and also for moving large items of furniture  :o

Last week drove it as night for the first time. The two geriatric glow worms at the front didn't illuminate anything (didn't help as better half had accidentally set the headlights to position 3), so replaced with some OSRAM Night Breakers to keep it legal (and at £18 was a bargain). Was simple to change even with my great bit mitts.

May I ask the folks here for advice on which LED bulbs can serve as brake light, reverse light, tail lights and the difficulty from 1 to 5 of changing each of these (1 easy, 5 hard, I'd rate the headlights as a '2').

Might be back once the rear is done for indicator bulbs, and the front side lights.

Many thanks for all and any assistance!





culzean

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Re: Bulb upgrades assistance please
« Reply #1 on: October 02, 2021, 06:47:57 PM »
Hi Folks,

I have a 2012 1.4 CVT, I think it is an EX with the Sat Nav thingy.

Had it since just before lockdown, it was going to be temporary for a few months, but due to house extension which meant no driveway for 9 months and  haemorrhaging of cash, found it more than capable for a family of 5, and also for moving large items of furniture  :o

Last week drove it as night for the first time. The two geriatric glow worms at the front didn't illuminate anything (didn't help as better half had accidentally set the headlights to position 3), so replaced with some OSRAM Night Breakers to keep it legal (and at £18 was a bargain). Was simple to change even with my great bit mitts.

May I ask the folks here for advice on which LED bulbs can serve as brake light, reverse light, tail lights and the difficulty from 1 to 5 of changing each of these (1 easy, 5 hard, I'd rate the headlights as a '2').

Might be back once the rear is done for indicator bulbs, and the front side lights.

Many thanks for all and any assistance!

The 2008-2015 Jazz already has LED rear lights / brake lights.  If you decide to change the direction indicator bulbs be prepared for all sorts of issues as the LED ones do not draw enough power for the thermal relay ( depends on the load of 2x 21watt bulbs or about 3.5amps to give correct flash rate, fit LED that draw maybe 25% of that and the indicators will flash way too fast to be legal, so you will end up looking for an electronic LED compatible flasher relay - don't be fooled by the canbus compatible bulbs with built in resistors,  they will also flash too fast as the resistors are always too small, otherwise the bulbs overheat ).   Personally I can only remember ever replacing 1 flasher bulb in all my years of driving - they seem to be indestructible.  Bear in mind that LED bulbs also produce interference as well,  when I replaced the rear bulbs on my Civic with pretty good quality LED bulbs I noticed that they affected the radio,  so I took them all out except for reversing lights - I reckoned I could stand the radio going a bit fuzzy for the short time I was reversing.  To be fair the Civic uses the rear screen heater element as a radio antenna and the tailgate on Civic is plastic, not steel, so maybe with the separate stubby antenna on Jazz with the steel roof in the way it may not be so bad.
Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

John Ratsey

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Re: Bulb upgrades assistance please
« Reply #2 on: October 02, 2021, 09:55:50 PM »
LED indicator bulbs are available. See https://www.hrvforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=6963#p6963 which links to https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/582-twenty20-HF0-LED-indicator-bulbs.html (check, but your bulbs probably have the same fitting).

For reversing light bulbs look for something with a good LED on the end. I put these in my Crosstar https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114467956864 (take out a bulb and check the fitting - most likely the same). One of these in the boot made a big difference https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133643068608 .
2022 HR-V Elegance, previously 2020 Jazz Crosstar

stevieboyyyy

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Re: Bulb upgrades assistance please
« Reply #3 on: October 03, 2021, 12:15:49 PM »
The 2008-2015 Jazz already has LED rear lights / brake lights.  If you decide to change the direction indicator bulbs be prepared for all sorts of issues as the LED ones do not draw enough power for the thermal relay ( depends on the load of 2x 21watt bulbs or about 3.5amps to give correct flash rate, fit LED that draw maybe 25% of that and the indicators will flash way too fast to be legal, so you will end up looking for an electronic LED compatible flasher relay - don't be fooled by the canbus compatible bulbs with built in resistors,  they will also flash too fast as the resistors are always too small, otherwise the bulbs overheat ).   Personally I can only remember ever replacing 1 flasher bulb in all my years of driving - they seem to be indestructible.  Bear in mind that LED bulbs also produce interference as well,  when I replaced the rear bulbs on my Civic with pretty good quality LED bulbs I noticed that they affected the radio,  so I took them all out except for reversing lights - I reckoned I could stand the radio going a bit fuzzy for the short time I was reversing.  To be fair the Civic uses the rear screen heater element as a radio antenna and the tailgate on Civic is plastic, not steel, so maybe with the separate stubby antenna on Jazz with the steel roof in the way it may not be so bad.

Doh! Now I have taken a look, indeed the rear brake lights are LED! Thank you for this and the other advice.

stevieboyyyy

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Re: Bulb upgrades assistance please
« Reply #4 on: October 03, 2021, 01:04:32 PM »
LED indicator bulbs are available. See https://www.hrvforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=6963#p6963 which links to https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/582-twenty20-HF0-LED-indicator-bulbs.html (check, but your bulbs probably have the same fitting).

For reversing light bulbs look for something with a good LED on the end. I put these in my Crosstar https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114467956864 (take out a bulb and check the fitting - most likely the same). One of these in the boot made a big difference https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133643068608 .

Thank you.

Two reversing bulbs ordered - and have lost most of the skin off my hand checking I could get them out and in the process - haha. 

Boot bulb checked (and found that there is a compressor and tyre repair kit on the opposite side ... only had it since Feb 2019) and ordered as well :o

Will go for indicators and halogen white side lights once these 3 bulbs are in, and perhaps front fogs.

What was going to be a temporary runabout after the lease on my Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV expired, I'm getting quite fond of it, so will keep it for the foreseeable future :)

Thank you for all the help folks!

stevieboyyyy

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Re: Bulb upgrades assistance please
« Reply #5 on: October 08, 2021, 05:49:16 PM »
Well - the boot light has 100% WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) as was pleasantly surprised when shopping at the crack of dawn this morning - many thanks!

I was also surprised when she reversed back onto the driveway a bit later that the reversing lights lit up our bedroom on the first floor :D

LED indicators next, along with some white halogen sidelights! Then just front fogs for a white halogen, the rear fog seems bright enough in bulb incarnation.

culzean

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Re: Bulb upgrades assistance please
« Reply #6 on: October 08, 2021, 06:18:39 PM »
For me the only bulbs really worth upgrading on the jazz are the headlights   - with classiccarleds LED  https://clubjazz.org/forum/index.php?topic=8738.msg94072#msg94072

These bulbs are literally night and day with even the best of the filament bulbs I had tried ( I tried plenty,  I had an 80 mile round trip commute every day mainly on 'B' roads, with a short stretch of 'A' road ), the higher power filament bulbs did not have a long life.  The beam pattern on the classiccarleds H4 is much better than any filament bulb I ever tried.  Been using the classiccarleds LED H4 in Jazz since 2017 and still on first set I bought.   Also using the classiccarleds H7 bulbs in our Civic,  don't use main beam much so dips get all the usage, on Civic when switching to main beam the dips stay on, so plenty of light,  but rarely need main beam.  Got the same H4 LED bulbs on motorbike. 

The front sidelights I just fitted Osram W5W LED for a bit more light and reliability,  and reversing lights, again Osram because the reversing lights as standard are pants.   
Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

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