Nissan LEAF Light Bulb Mods: LEDs Anyone?

My Nissan Leaf Forum

Help Support My Nissan Leaf Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Thanks. :)

It appears that mogur's 2-lights max in front is incorrect. I find a 4-light rule, with a dual-headlight pair (Low & High) counted as one light.

So, two highs, two lows, and two fog (or passing, or driving) white lights would be OK.

Apparently if the fog lights are yellow, they are (MAYBE) not counted in the 4-white-light limit?
 
Apparently you could save a bit of power by using hand turn signals.. :shock:

and you can always add some bling with a Rolex or rings.
 
I agree 110% with NOT using fog lights except in fog. There are two reasons for headlights....to see and to be seen. In 99% of the cases two headlights are sufficient to be seen. With four there is a high risk of blinding on coming drivers and that is RUDE. :mrgreen:
 
Note that while it is legal to have 287 lights if you like, only two forward facing white lights may be illuminated when driving closer than 500' to other vehicles. I don't remember if the rules make a specific exemption for yellow lights such as some fogs... As an aside, true fogs used to be yellow until research showed that yellow had no advantage over white and actually was inferior to white in some circumstances.

In any event, when I am approached by someone at night who has particularly offensive driving or fog lights on along with their regular lights, they DO get a flash of MY high beams in response.

OK, moving on to something more important now... :D


garygid said:
Thanks. :)

It appears that mogur's 2-lights max in front is incorrect. I find a 4-light rule, with a dual-headlight pair (Low & High) counted as one light.

So, two highs, two lows, and two fog (or passing, or driving) white lights would be OK.

Apparently if the fog lights are yellow, they are (MAYBE) not counted in the 4-white-light limit?
 
Bumped:

I like the look of cool white led license plate lamps such as what Lexus and some others currently use. Anyone have a cross reference from the Leaf for those?
 
Herm said:
Apparently you could save a bit of power by using hand turn signals.. :shock:

and you can always add some bling with a Rolex or rings.


True, about 1 foot of range saved.
 
Skywagon said:
EVDRIVER said:
Why do you want to change these to LEDs? The locations that would benefit already have LEDs.

Well I, for one, did not like the front with incandescent and LED's on (headlights and parking lights). Also, I like to run the "fog" lights for added visibility (people seeing me) and they are 55w halogens; I would much rather run LED's all the time. From the front my car now looks like the ad/website car with it's lights on, all have the white (with a tint of blue) cast. Also, the license plate lights run with the parking lights and they were incandescent as well. Most of the bulbs I already had around from other projects in the past so I put them in. I also happen to like the white look of an LED rather than the yellow push of an incandescent, especially against a pearl white paint.


Which replacements did you use for the fogs, exactly?
 
My favorite is this review from Amazon on the device: "Watchout and make sure your installer doesn't put an offensive message on when he installs it. Mine did and that didn't leave me realy happy."


Googler said:
I ordered a scrolling message LED license plate frame to install on the Leaf. It's programmable and I was planning on wiring it into the brake lights. We'll see how that goes...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MTSSIK
 
garygid said:
Is such a scroling display legal in CA?
It's a little unclear, and in any case it will depend upon interpretation by the officer and the court (this is true for almost every law). If they are in any color other than red they would be forbidden. I figure by wiring it into the brake light it will just look like another brake light. See http://law.justia.com/california/codes/2009/veh/25250-25282.html

In the worst case I figure I'd get a fixit ticket, and the state would get $25 of much needed funding.
 
I wonder how long it takes to boot up... The description seems to indicate it is meant to be wired to an always-on power source. It may take long enough to wake up and start working when first powered that the brake light circuit might not be feasible.

Also, for all tickets, remember that, in California, there is now almost a 100 percent add-on for "fees..." Thus, the actual ticket amount is almost twice the face value.


Googler said:
garygid said:
Is such a scroling display legal in CA?
It's a little unclear, and in any case it will depend upon interpretation by the officer and the court (this is true for almost every law). If they are in any color other than red they would be forbidden. I figure by wiring it into the brake light it will just look like another brake light. See http://law.justia.com/california/codes/2009/veh/25250-25282.html

In the worst case I figure I'd get a fixit ticket, and the state would get $25 of much needed funding.
 
Quick update:

Personally, I'm probably going to start out by installing the "3rd Brake PULSAR" from GoMiniGo.com since they are legal in Oregon. I've seen similar things on other vehicles and it really grabs my attention when driving.
UPDATE: Well, strike that! Even though Oregon law doesn't prohibit the third brake lights from blinking, federal law trumps all! Specifically, section S5.5.10 of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108. ("All stoplamps must be steady burning when in use. Steady means free from change or variation. This means that they must not modulate, flash, or vary in size, area, intensity or appearance.")

The scrolling license plate frame would be out too... :(
 
EVDRIVER said:
Herm said:
Apparently you could save a bit of power by using hand turn signals.. :shock:

and you can always add some bling with a Rolex or rings.


True, about 1 foot of range saved.


Now your going to start another thread like the "AC on windows up or AC off windows down" argument about range. Only this time its "Windows up blinkers on or Windows down, arm out the window" argument. I vote windows up blinkers on. oh wait, when your using the signals your going to be going very slow, so maybe it is better to put the window down and use hand signals. In fact, you could turn off the air conditioning when you want to make a turn, and lower the window and use hand signals...that has to be the best way.
 
mogur said:
As an aside, true fogs used to be yellow until research showed that yellow had no advantage over white and actually was inferior to white in some circumstances.
I would certainly like to see that research. A yellow filter is used in black and white photography, as well as in ski goggles, to add contrast. Of course, the difference is that with filters and goggles, the light is filtered through a yellow filter, whereas a yellow fog light would result in yellow light being reflected. I am willing to believe yellow fog lights do diddly to add contrast, unlike yellow filters and goggles, but it'd be better if I have the scientific reasoning.

Foglamps

24403. (a) A motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than two foglamps that may be used with, but may not be used in substitution of, headlamps. emphasis added!
The intention of this may have been "When it's dark outside and you need your headlights on (emphasis mine :) ), you cannot use foglamps as substitution for headlights."

Finally, I would like to point out that "fog lights on" and "blinding oncoming traffic" are independent things. Anecdotal evidence aside, all poorly aimed lights blind oncoming traffic, regardless of whether they're foglights.
 
DarkStar said:
section S5.5.10 of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108. ("All stoplamps must be steady burning when in use...
The scrolling license plate frame would be out too... :(
I understand that brake lights could not vary, but why does that have anything to do with the scrolling licence plate? It is not a brake light and would not be covered under this law. Did you see something that more specifically applied to the LED plate?
 
Back
Top