LED lamp to replace interior under dash Courtesy Light lamp

harlansmart · Post by **harlansmart** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:31 pm

Just looking on TM, which are the best LED's lampsets to order... I've today thrown those old skool lamps away into the bin at Wendy's, both had faulty end pieces/contacts and in any case they put of almost no useable light even though I popped a decent reflector behind them?

Something like this I guess right?

Angreal · Post by **Angreal** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 8:01 pm

Since doing the nb/na interior swap I don't have any lights. I've been meaning to install some strip led lights to light up the footwells when the door is open and some form of light higher up top with a switch to allow me to read or find stuff but I dont know what lights to do up top. Possibly that number plate light behind the mirror as per the miata.net lighting mod

Don't think I was any help to your initial question though

Mad Kiwi · Post by **Mad Kiwi** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 12:08 am

If you have a hard roof, I bought two suction cup led spot lights from Kathmandu. One for each car, they are great. the spotlight can rotate to inserting keys to reading etc...

But wont work with a soft top i don't think.

Supercheap have LED lights that fit straight in to the sockets for the footwell lights in the dash. The ones you show Harlan look like a pain to re route and mount..

The supercheap ones are the same as just the adaptors you have (as a complete unit) and are quite bright....

harlansmart · Post by **harlansmart** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 9:50 am

Cheers Dude,

I was hoping they'd (the 12 LED unit above) just fit in the lamp holder with the adaptor and for the LED Module to sit behind the lens w/out any mods except maybe some sticky to stop the thing rattling and secure/position it.

You can get ones (I assume like you mean?) which fit straight in but then they will come only with I think 2 LED's (like beneath)?

Mad Kiwi · Post by **Mad Kiwi** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 11:26 am

I can't quite recall but i think they had a couple of options 2 and 4 led....maybe...?

They were quite bright....but not like that 12 led one I am sure.

What are your plans...moving lighthouse?

warrior · Post by **warrior** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 11:47 am

I put in 4 led ones in mine and they are heaps better........

harlansmart · Post by **harlansmart** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 3:51 pm

4 LED's, what does this lamp look like?

warrior wrote:I put in 4 led ones in mine and they are heaps better........

Ian · Post by **Ian** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 4:09 pm

Ross at MX5 Mart is now selling LEDs for interior replacements...easy swap.
Another way(not as good) is to turn the existing lights through 180 degrees and you get a much more useful light at no cost at all!

warrior · Post by **warrior** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 6:26 pm

I got them from supercheap.....not sure if they still sell them

Ben.Nakagawa · Post by **Ben.Nakagawa** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 6:54 pm

Another option... They have heaps of kind...

http://ledstuff.co.nz/index.php?cPath=4 ... 5cf7209877

thebears · Post by **thebears** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 9:11 pm

http://www.mx5forum.co.nz/viewtopic.php ... highlight=

tomtikki · Post by **tomtikki** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 9:07 am

The interior lights have been bugging me for a while and upgrading the factory ones just ment i could see my shoes better, which is nice but not the result i was hoping for.
So why not have the light where every other car has em... above your head!
It would make reading a map at night a hell of a lot easier!
Ledstuff.co.nz was selling 5 pre-wired led's on trademe for a couple of bucks plus i got some holders.
I used the white diffused ones as the light wasn't as harsh as the brights.
Granted it isn't a warm light and it looks more blue in the picture but im pretty happy with the results:

Angreal · Post by **Angreal** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 9:50 am

That is pure genius!! I think I'll give it a go and hide the switch for them behind the mirror

tomtikki · Post by **tomtikki** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 10:02 am

Shucks, it was nothing.
Actually it really was pretty easy, hardest part was getting the trim off - man those clips really hold on for dear life! i thought i was gunna break something!
I hooked it to the passenger side light switch so it operates the same and can they can be turned on/off anytime.
Now i just got sort out my driver side door switch which has just started playing up - sometimes i think my car does things just to mess with me!

Angreal · Post by **Angreal** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 10:22 am

Yeah I don't have any interior lighting post-NB interior swap. So where'd you pick up the LEDs from and did you need to put a resistor inline?

tomtikki · Post by **tomtikki** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 12:37 pm

Got them from www.ledstuff.co.nz , they sell them pre-wired so no mucking about!
They were selling 5 at a time on trademe for $5, so I got both clear and diffused to try them out. I installed the diffused as they have a wider " beam" and felt a little softer than the clears but personal taste eh.
I've used the spare LEDs but I have some of the black plastic holders spare If you want.

tomtikki · Post by **tomtikki** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 1:18 pm

Still doin the same deal:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/electronics-ph ... 575222.htm

Angreal · Post by **Angreal** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 1:36 pm

Cheers. I'll get these done in the next weekend or two since this is nice and simple. Might tie it in with finishing the wiring on the electric mirrors after having them not wired for the past year

warrior · Post by **warrior** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 5:22 pm

Where did you buy the plastic holders from?

tomtikki · Post by **tomtikki** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 5:37 pm

Ebay dude.
I got 10 for a grand total of $2.15 Inc shipping! Haha
Although LEDstuff sell black plastic holders aswell, they were a little smaller and didn't float my boat.
To be honest neither type actually held in place very well, perhaps the trim is to thick.
But a wee dab of glue did the job.

Euen · Post by **Euen** » Sat Sep 22, 2012 8:26 pm

You might find some suitable mounts at Jaycar.

na6*dori · Post by **na6*dori** » Sat Sep 22, 2012 8:33 pm

http://www.dx.com/c/car-accessories-799 ... -bulbs-712

this should help, free shipping and everythings cheap.

MrGrey · Post by **MrGrey** » Wed Jan 30, 2013 12:22 am

I was wondering if any one knew the size of the festoon bulbs used in the under dash Courtesy Lights?

I would like to replace the stock ones in a 1990 mk1 but am unsure if mine uses 31mm, 33mm, 37mm or 42mm bulbs.

thanks in advance

authentic · Post by **authentic** » Wed Jan 30, 2013 10:45 am

I just replaced mine and they were about 30mm, but the tips are slightly melted so the 31mm length would be correct.

It doesn't matter if you get them a little bit bigger or smaller though, you can just bend the metal tabs inwards or outwards to make them fit.

Benicetome · Post by **Benicetome** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 5:40 pm

This is a good idea, the light is very poor at night with the tiny bulbs.

LED lamp to replace interior under dash Courtesy Light lamp

LED lamp to replace interior under dash Courtesy Light lamp

All of eBay, shipped from Hong Kong for around $10

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