Improve Reversing Lights

Talk about the 406's electrical system, what wires do what, how to add extra functionality, etc.

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lozz
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Re: Improve Reversing Lights

Post by lozz »

:lol:
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steve_earwig
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Re: Improve Reversing Lights

Post by steve_earwig »

Not Croatian Man Fits Smaller Fuse To Reversing Light Circuit On Ford Transit :P

...and wonders why the fuse blows every time he puts the air con on... Damn, damn, damn :oops:
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CBDSonline
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Re: Improve Reversing Lights

Post by CBDSonline »

Are we any further forward on the better reverse lights ?.. My 406 d9 is a taxi and i seem to do quite a bit of reversing in and out of punters gardens/drives so need to see whats going on. Reversing sensors seem to help when the windows are all misted up and trying to reverse blind (ish) out of tight spaces. But i would still like to be able to see out on my wing mirrors and see the light (oooo the magic light of reverse) :cheesy: as countryside is quite dark in the dead of night up her just now.

I did have a bad earth on one side so maybe the feedback was comming from the bad earth lighting my china led reverse lights up ?? i will try them again poss tomorrow and see if they still stay on when the sidelights are on..

Chris
406 D9 2002 in Met blue . Full leather interior. Fully working puddle lights (LED's). Both interior lights work from the front switched light (LED's). Door handle Lights (internal LED's). Yup i love LED's but not as much as the BSI does .
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Doggy
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Re: Improve Reversing Lights

Post by Doggy »

I may be proven wrong, but while I accept that LED's can be very bright to look at they generally aren't great for seeing by. I think you need to look at additional lights, (unless there's anything wrong with your original filament lamps / lenses / wiring).
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trem1
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Re: Improve Reversing Lights

Post by trem1 »

what about something like this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Super-Slim-8- ... ed7&_uhb=1


theres a 406 estate i see regularly with a pair of slimline fog/spot lights boltef under his rear bumper, obviously because of this issue. i will try and get a sneaky pic sometime when i'm passing it


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CBDSonline
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Re: Improve Reversing Lights

Post by CBDSonline »

I have just tried the LED's i bought a few months ago with the bad earth now fixed the LED's stay off. Light is not any better than the 21w normal bulb so i have also orderd 2 new 43w LED lamps t give them a try.

They should be here tue or wed this week coming so will find out if they are any better.
If so i try and grab a few pics in the dark to show off what they are like :cheesy: If they are just as pants as the 21w normal bulbs then its back to the drawing board again in a search for bright reverse lights :mrgreen:

Cheers

Chris
406 D9 2002 in Met blue . Full leather interior. Fully working puddle lights (LED's). Both interior lights work from the front switched light (LED's). Door handle Lights (internal LED's). Yup i love LED's but not as much as the BSI does .
CBDSonline
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Re: Improve Reversing Lights

Post by CBDSonline »

New LED's arrived and seem to be bright. :cheesy: but alas just the same once in the rear cluster. :cry: pish poor light coming out of the smoked light cluster so it looks like its back to the drawing board. I have a few pics to show the difference in light but not had time to upload them yet. I will get round to it soon tho :lol:

Any one know if the cluster will tear down. Maybe i could line the reflector area with silver foil to try and reflect the light a bit better just like i done on the door card puddle lights :mrgreen:

Updated with pics. (a few and big)

G4 43w LED
Image

P21w Style LED
Image

Standard Lamp
Image

G4 43w LED
Image

P21w style LED
Image


Standard p21w Bulb
Image

G4 43w LED
Image

P21 style LED
Image


Standard p21w
Image

G4 43w led from about 3 meters
Image


G4 43w Leds from about 8 meters
Image
406 D9 2002 in Met blue . Full leather interior. Fully working puddle lights (LED's). Both interior lights work from the front switched light (LED's). Door handle Lights (internal LED's). Yup i love LED's but not as much as the BSI does .
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steve_earwig
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Re: Improve Reversing Lights

Post by steve_earwig »

Bugger :( At least you tried. I need to get on and order those Crees.

I reckon the problem with the G4s is there's no reflector so all the bulbs on the sides won't be doing much, and perhaps the P21 styles just don't have enough LEDs.

I was also wondering if it helped to turn on the fog lights while you're reversing. Maybe it would even be possible to wire in some diodes so that the fogs and brake lights come on at the same time as the reverse lights. Or maybe that would give the BSI a nervous breakdown :?
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Doggy
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Re: Improve Reversing Lights

Post by Doggy »

Some possibilities, (which may not be practical)

Adapt to take a twin filament 6/21W & use both filaments
Think I've seen some 24W filament lamps, intended for DRL's
Could a 12V PAR38 (or similar), be adapated to fit - at least they've got decent relectors

Taking steve's suggestion a morsel further - maybe the unused L/H fog could be pressed into service, perhaps witha modified lense?
2002 HDi 2.2 Exec Estate, (2008-12) (wonderful)
2003 HDi 2.2 6-speed Exec Estate (2012-19) (also a gem)
2009 Citroen C5 2.0 HDi VTR+ Estate (godawful heap)
2008 BMW E91 330i touring (great fun - murdered by a reversing SUV)
2007 BMW E91 325i touring (slower smoother quieter)
CBDSonline
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Re: Improve Reversing Lights

Post by CBDSonline »

I tested the g4s out on a country car park last night at the edge or town and due to the poor camera on my hd7 could not get a picture of the road or the bushes beside the car park. The only thing i noted was that everything was a cleaner light :idea: The light was just like fitting blue headlight bulbs so i could see a bit better thru wing mirrors.. This weekend is due soon so will give them a good try in the country and see how they get on.

I have thought about adding DLR led strips either under the spoiler (prob look naff) or between the number plate lights facing the rear and wired up to the reverse lights.
406 D9 2002 in Met blue . Full leather interior. Fully working puddle lights (LED's). Both interior lights work from the front switched light (LED's). Door handle Lights (internal LED's). Yup i love LED's but not as much as the BSI does .
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steve_earwig
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Re: Improve Reversing Lights

Post by steve_earwig »

steve_earwig wrote:Look http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-1156-BA15 ... 337d14dc47 It even has free postage to Croatia :shock:
I bought some of these a while back (the ones in the link have gone but it still brings up similar lights) but I finally had a chance to look at the these in the dark the other night, I had one standard 21w and one Cree bulb in the car.
Image

Can't see much difference in the daylight:
Image

Image

Not really much at night either:
Image

I did take some pics with the mobile but, as there's not much I can do with the settings on it, all I got were two black jpegs :roll: All I can say is standing in front of one bulb and then the other, there was a noticeable improvement but it's still nothing to write home about. I'll stick the other in there anyway but, without modifying the light clusters somehow, I don't think changing the bulbs is ever going to be effective. Ah well, the bulbs cost less than a fiver :|
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azazel
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Re: Improve Reversing Lights

Post by azazel »

Very interesting thread. DO you think the LED made a worthwhile improvement? Can you get two, one either side into an estate? My reversing lights are rubbish and only any good as a warning to thers that Im reversing.
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Re: Improve Reversing Lights

Post by steve_earwig »

Improvement, yes. Worthwhile, dunno. I'm not driving the Pug much at the moment but I did notice a great deal more light as I backed it into the shed the last time.

We seem to be having a parallel thread to this one here viewtopic.php?f=3&t=21486&p=216357#p216357
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azazel
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Re: Improve Reversing Lights

Post by azazel »

Thanks, thats how I found this thread. I have some 12v led clusters which I might fit somewhere.
gumby6371
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Re: Improve Reversing Lights

Post by gumby6371 »

I was just thinking could the reflector from a cheap torch be fixed to the bulb to force more light in the right direction?

I can see a trip to the shed with a pound shop torch and some masking tape coming on!
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