Topic: Using LEDs with Joe's turn signal mod

[Sly Bob]

Well I got my HHR mirror installed the other day and that works REALLY well although I still have to calibrate the mirror to ensure it's accuracy. There isn't much that we can do to mod our cars that is much easier and cheaper than that was. Hooked the reverse wire to the backup lights as well and it works as it should.

I had bought a pair of LEDs to put in my old rear view mirror that I won't be needing in the new mirror as the new mirror has LEDs already built in so I thought that I would try the LEDs in the side marker lights. There was some thought at one time that the LEDs wouldn't work with this mod. They do in fact work very well.

I love the look of the lights now and the fact that they are instant on and instant off. They work so well that now I'm now on a mission to slowly change the rest of the lights in the car to LEDs.

[jonymac]

cool - which hhr mirror?  what does it do when hooked to the reverse lights?  any video of the side markers blinking? 

[TomatoSoup]

cool - which hhr mirror?  what does it do when hooked to the reverse lights?  any video of the side markers blinking? 

No video, but a photo at least...

I have been using the 921-A12 (Amber) LEDs from superbrightleds.com for the side marker lights.  They work well, giving almost exactly the same amount of light out as the standard incandescents.  I'd say these are particularly advantageous if you've done the 'turn-signal mod' since they will stress the flasher circuit less and have a much faster on-off time.  Here's a stitched photo showing a comparison (taken at the same aperture/shutter speed).  The original bulb is less bright in the center, but more diffuse... overall about the same light throw:


(taken/edited from my post on http://kappaperformance.com/forum/index.php?topic=3078.0 )

[Sly Bob]

  I knew I had seen that somewhere but couldn't find it when I was looking for it. Thanks TomatoSoup! I just used the white LEDs as the original 194 bulbs were white. They look about the same as what you illustrated in your picture.

And the mirror Jonymac? I used the HHR mirror that everyone else has been using once I snagged it on ebay. It has the compass, the autodimming and the the built in LED map lights as well as OnStar. When you put the car in reverse at night, the mirror isn't dark any longer and when you take it out of reverse, the mirror darkens again automatically. I had to rip the molding off around the windshield to run the power for the mirror anyway so it wasn't hard to add an additional wire for the back up feature while I was at it.

[LiquidPT]

I knew I had seen that somewhere but couldn't find it when I was looking for it. Thanks TomatoSoup! I just used the white LEDs as the original 194 bulbs were white. They look about the same as what you illustrated in your picture.

And the mirror Jonymac? I used the HHR mirror that everyone else has been using once I snagged it on ebay. It has the compass, the autodimming and the the built in LED map lights as well as QnStar. When you put the car in reverse at night, the mirror isn't dark any longer and when you take it out of reverse, the mirror darkens again automatically. I had to rip the molding off around the windshield to run the power for the mirror anyway so it wasn't hard to add an additional wire for the back up feature while I was at it.

I really wish I could get in there and change out the LEDs easily. The cool white LEDs I had in my original mirror throw a LOT more light than the warm white ones that are in the new mirror. And I have cool white LEDs to put elsewhere in the cabin...

[Sly Bob]

I haven't had the car out at night to see the difference in the built in LEDs compared to the old incandescent lights in the old mirror. I have footwell lighting and will likely add more in the cabin as well.

That LEDs that you sent here are the ones that I put in the marker lights.

[LiquidPT]

I haven't had the car out at night to see the difference in the built in LEDs compared to the old incandescent lights in the old mirror. I have footwell lighting and will likely add more in the cabin as well.

That LEDs that you sent here are the ones that I put in the marker lights.

The LED's in the HHR mirror and the incandescent are about the same. The cool white LEDs I had installed in my stock mirror threw a LOT more light.

[jonymac]

Sly Bob - or anyone - can you give me a model number / link for the mirror?  Does it have a temp gauge?  Thanks! (Sent from my CarPC!)

[LiquidPT]

Sly Bob - or anyone - can you give me a model number / link for the mirror?  Does it have a temp gauge?  Thanks! (Sent from my CarPC!)

The HHR mirror doesn't have temp... map lights, Onstar, auto dim and compass.

[DeepBlueGXP]

Jony,

The GENK30 has map lights temp and compass but no OnStar. 

[Carbon Sky]

The GENK30 is relatively plug and play for using the map lights as courtesy lights.  The GENK31 is identical, but has a different wiring harness, that does not come with a relay, that allows you to use the map lights as courtesy lights as well.

The Cipa 36500, from what I gather, does not even require a relay to have the map lights function as courtesy lights.

All come with temp, compass, autom dim, map lights, but no onstar.  Although you can get Gentex mirrors with onstar.  Or if you really wanted to, you could relocate the buttons for onstar, and just mount one of these mirrors, and have all the functions too.

Jony,

The GENK30 has map lights temp and compass but no OnStar.