Reverse/backup lights not bright enough. LED's?

Fishrule1

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2002 Protege 5 2008 CX-9 GT
Does anyone else think that the stock reverse lights are insufficient? I'm hoping to find that I'm not alone here, and I'm really hoping that someone has successfully swapped out the bulbs for brighter LED's. Other threads center on turn signal replacement or interior lighting, so this really hasn't been covered in any depth.

My research shows that most LED's are not brighter than the incandescent bulbs they replace, but instead offer other benefits (quicker lighting, lower draw, etc.). Some are brighter, however, and those are the ones I'm searching for. So, my questions are these: which bulbs (make and model #), and where did you get them? CX-9 community, don't let me down! (2thumbs)
 
i have LED replacement bulbs for my reverse lights, and they are weaker than the halogen bulbs. unless you do a full LED retrofit into the reverse area, you will NOT get better performance from an LED bulb.
 
i have LED replacement bulbs for my reverse lights, and they are weaker than the halogen bulbs.

Njaremka, thanks for the quick response.

Halogen bulbs? Are the stocks halogen, or are you referring to aftermarkets?
 
halogen = any bulb with a filament that heats up to produce light (ie, stock bulb)
 
Why do you need them brighter? They aren't there to provide illumination. They are there to show other drivers that you are in reverse and likely to be moving backwards.
 
actually, they do provide illumination at night.....


HID reverse lights FTW
 
Why do you need them brighter? They aren't there to provide illumination.

Seriously? Have you ever tried backing up at night without them?

They most certainly do illuminate the area at night, but not well enough as they come from the factory - in my opinion. In think an upgrade is a wise move from a safety standpoint.
 
I emailed two automotive LED vendors and asked them to give me their best shot from a brightness standpoint.

Tracy from autolumination.com said, "I think I would go with the Eagle Eye Tower bulbs. (http://autolumination.com/7443_7440.htm)
They have a 3 watt luxeon on the face of the bulb. That is equivalent to a 30 watt incandescent. I think you would be good with that."

And Jake from Velocity Distributing said, "We have a new 7440 High Power backup bulb, $49.99 not listed yet but I can
set you up with checkout. They are the brightest 7440 LED bulbs in the world
right now. (www.v-leds.com)

If anyone has purchased these bulbs, or purchases them in the future, please post your opinions here. Thanks.
 
I just did my first back up in the dark, I had to open the door and look out with this crappy illumination. In my last car I never gave it a thought, I had plenty of light.

May be worth tapping into that wire and adding a couple lights into the bumper.
 
you could always add some aux fog lights under the bumper, and tap those into the reverse lights. you'll have PLENTY of light then.
 
halogen = any bulb with a filament that heats up to produce light (ie, stock bulb)


Not really

http://home.howstuffworks.com/question151.htm

A halogen lamp also uses a tungsten filament, but it is encased inside a much smaller quartz envelope. Because the envelope is so close to the filament, it would melt if it were made from glass. The gas inside the envelope is also different -- it consists of a gas from the halogen group. These gases have a very interesting property: They combine with tungsten vapor. If the temperature is high enough, the halogen gas will combine with tungsten atoms as they evaporate and redeposit them on the filament. This recycling process lets the filament last a lot longer. In addition, it is now possible to run the filament hotter, meaning you get more light per unit of energy. You still get a lot of heat, though; and because the quartz envelope is so close to the filament, it is extremely hot compared to a normal light bulb.
 
Not really

http://home.howstuffworks.com/question151.htm

A halogen lamp also uses a tungsten filament, but it is encased inside a much smaller quartz envelope. Because the envelope is so close to the filament, it would melt if it were made from glass. The gas inside the envelope is also different -- it consists of a gas from the halogen group. These gases have a very interesting property: They combine with tungsten vapor. If the temperature is high enough, the halogen gas will combine with tungsten atoms as they evaporate and redeposit them on the filament. This recycling process lets the filament last a lot longer. In addition, it is now possible to run the filament hotter, meaning you get more light per unit of energy. You still get a lot of heat, though; and because the quartz envelope is so close to the filament, it is extremely hot compared to a normal light bulb.

blah-blah-blah...

my reference was in comparison with LED or even HID bulbs.

good idea, someone would need to find the wiring diagram since the reverse lights are in the tail.

if you get behind the trunk trim, the reverse light wire is the "Red/Yellow" wire.
 
I have a cx5 and I also feel the backup light is inadequate. Let me know if find a solution.
 
I have a cx5 and I also feel the backup light is inadequate. Let me know if find a solution.

I have a CX-5 and use JDM ASTAR 1000,

trust me just get these,

https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

you won't regret it, bright as hell, no mod required, just plug and play, they fit the CX-5 perfectly,

sorry not sure about the CX-9

search youtube videos: JDM ASTAR 1000 lumens (tons of videos on them)


 
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tomcat, thanks for posting. This is exactly the ones needed, LED replacements are not brighter than the OEM units.
 
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