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where would be a good place to go to to convert ALL the bulb numbers in the owners manual to led numbers
incandescent to led
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375 Posts
Marketplace, vendor forum, diode dynamics right here or https://www.superbrightleds.com/
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18,158 Posts
It isn't as simple as swapping out your halogens for LEDs. If you don't get the right LEDs, they'll burn out much faster than the halogens, or not be bright enough, not light up their housings, cause rapid flash, or interfere with the car's electrical systems.
As far as bulb numbers go, they should be the same as their halogen variants. Visit Evilution - Smart Car Encyclopaedia for a guide on bulb numbers.
As for the right LEDs:
- For the turn signals, brake lights, taillights, third brake light, and turn signals on the door, you'll want CANBUS LEDs. They're LEDs that have resistors in them so that the smart's computer doesn't panic at the low voltage. A BIG note for these is that the brake light bulb needs to have a repeater function, or else it would not work in your smart.
Also, failure to get CANBUS LEDs will lead to your turn signals hyperflashing. If you're okay with that, then you can get any LED you want.
- For your reverse lights and your parking lights, you can use any LED so long as they are the correct bulb number.
- For your dome light, that thing will take any LED as well. However unless you get a CANBUS LED in there, it will have a dim glow while turned off.
- For your fog lights, you can get any LED that fits, however if you want to see with them I would get a proper LED kit. Same goes for your low beams and high beams. Poorly designed bulbs won't work or won't last long here.
For your license plate lights, you can put any LED in those. However I've found that with my car, any non-CANBUS LED only lasts for a month or two before blowing. Meanwhile the CANBUS LEDs I have in there now have been working fine since 2014.
Here's what I bought for my 453's headlights. I've tested them to work absolutely gloriously, but I don't have them installed right now because I want to buy spare grommets to fit the heatsink and create custom venting.
https://www.amazon.com/Auxbeam-8862...1353&sr=8-3&keywords=led+headlight+auxbeam+h4
Good luck! Send me a PM if you need any help.
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869 Posts
These are the LED bulbs I plan to buy for our new 2017 smart ED when it arrives.
X-treme Ultinon LED car headlight bulb 12953BWX2 | Philips
Neon, how much space is available at the rear of the bulb?
The rear of the Philips bulb requires room for the 1.75" heatsink.
X-treme Ultinon LED car headlight bulb 12953BWX2 | Philips
Neon, how much space is available at the rear of the bulb?
The rear of the Philips bulb requires room for the 1.75" heatsink.
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1,237 Posts
It's a tricky thing with LED bulbs. I, too, want to modify the rear grommets to feed the wires for the LED bulbs i have (and also don't have installed) through. But for venting... i'm not sure if that's really the BEST idea. Yes, keeping LED's cool is a concern. But you'd be regretting it in the colder months. For the short time i had mine installed to test them, at one point i had to drive during a snowstorm. When i was getting closer to home, i noticed visibility was decreasing. When i got home, i realized that was because there was snow and ice building up on the headlight lens.
Halogen bulbs get incredibly hot, but the radiant heat of the light itself rapidly melts any frozen things that may cling to the lens. LED's don't really project a lot of heat compared to a halogen. Not saying they DON'T project heat... it's just not nearly as noticeable. A flashlight with a high lumen output, for example, can feel like it's going to burn your hand if your hand is close enough. But they also tend to have multiple LED's with a reflector focusing the beam they create into a fairly small spot.
Halogen bulbs get incredibly hot, but the radiant heat of the light itself rapidly melts any frozen things that may cling to the lens. LED's don't really project a lot of heat compared to a halogen. Not saying they DON'T project heat... it's just not nearly as noticeable. A flashlight with a high lumen output, for example, can feel like it's going to burn your hand if your hand is close enough. But they also tend to have multiple LED's with a reflector focusing the beam they create into a fairly small spot.
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389 Posts
Perhaps you don't want to do this.... read this other forum post.
http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/forums/f27/heeeeeelllppppppp-135602/
http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/forums/f27/heeeeeelllppppppp-135602/
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IIRC, there's only about an inch or so of free space behind the factory bulb. I'm also having an issue with the clearances too, as the extra connector is too big to fit in the very tiny open space next to the bulb. The 451 has a cavern surrounding its bulbs, not so much for the 453.
That's a problem I already have with my 451. I think I made a thread on it back in 2012 when I first took this picture.
My HIDs are powerful, but due to sitting inside the projector pod with the digital ballast attached to the grommet (sealed, of course), most of the heat radiates back and not forward. This means in the winter fog will sometimes creep up on the inside of the headlamp housing. The only way to clear it is to turn on the high beams...they aren't hindered by a projector pod (and of course, it's a reflector).
However, there's usually just enough heat coming off the HID to keep the fog from truly getting too far. I predict some LEDs will give off just enough heat to do the same. The LEDs I have get crazy hot. My plan is to create a tiny vent onto an extension of the grommet. But I don't want to ruin my factory grommets to do it...been 3 months, still can't get my dealer to even recognize that they exist. *smh*
Indeed though, LEDs come in SO MANY different varieties that your concern is definitely valid. That's why I was hoping to do a bunch of tests to see which ones actually work and which don't, but I'm stalled by my dealer right now.
So long as you install the right ones, that shouldn't happen...if that's what the issue is. The LEDs may be unrelated.
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Thanks Neon, I was afraid of that.
I guess I'll wait until our car arrives
and go from there...
Rick
I guess I'll wait until our car arrives
and go from there...
Rick
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1,237 Posts
Well, aside from needing to modify the dust cap to feed the wires through, the OTHER reason i'm not currently using the LED bulbs i have is because they're one of those with the metal ring that can be turned after loosening two screws to adjust the beam pattern. The downside is that those two screws are EXACTLY where the metal clip holds the bulb in place. Actually had to use a small flat-nosed pliers to get enough grip on the top part of the clip to be able to get enough leverage to get the bulbs out when i took them out of the car.
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