Aipex8

iTrader: (1)

Fogs aren't hard to install at all. I don't even have to jack the car up. Just unscrew two screws and reach up in there. Takes me maybe 10 minutes total for both.

S1lveRx8

iTrader: (1)

Looking good. Makes me want to redo my bulbs...

Jungleagent

HOw do you get resistors? Also are these the replacement bulbs for the headlight if I wanted to go 6000k?

http://www.v-leds.com/Shop/Control/P...id/0/SFV/32481

Aipex8

iTrader: (1)

Autolumination sells something called an "LED protector" which I found out is just a resistor soldered to some wire with some wire taps. They provide too much resistance for the higher output bulbs, so I went to Radio Shack and picked up some different resistors and made my own. Requires cutting the power lead to the light.

If you have HID headlights already and want to change to 6000K, all you need is bulbs. The link you posted is for a whole kit. What you want is a D2S bulb. I recomend Philips because they are high quality (OEM bulbs are 4300K Philips). But if you're looking for a cheaper bulb, check out Apexcone at the RPM store:

http://www.therpmstore.com/product_i...roducts_id=177

Only $55 for a pair and they may even match the LEDs a bit better than the Philips which have a bit more purple to their hue. Maybe I'll pick up a pair, damn that's cheap.

Decat

D2S bulbs, $69 each:

http://www.xenonrider.com/products/b...s_wiring.shtml

I would go ahead and get the 8k's to match with the Pure White LEDs. I have 6k bulbs in my non-projector headlights on my other vehicle and they look identical to the 8k bulbs in the RX-8's projector Headlights:

The guy at Xenonrider is AWESOME!!!!! I have ordered 5 sets of HID conversion kits, and many many bulbs from him and as of today everything is up and running perfect as the day I got them from him, and this was years ago! He has great prices for some quality stuff, and always answers his calls and gives discounts often.

Decat

I have been running LEDs in the fogs for over a year with no resistors at all and they are just like new.

I of course had to put resistors on the blinkers for the LEDs to work back there, and I had to custom make a type of resistor to make the Brake Light LEDs work without getting the DSC/ABS lights.

Jungleagent

$55!!!??!!! Wow thats cheap. And thats a pair as well. HMMMM I wonder what quality that is.

I have replaced my corner lights and my marker lights about 5 sets already and they do not last longer than 5-6 months. I was told it was the heat from the HID bulbs but I am curious how these resistors work?

Is there a DIY for these resistors?

lilring

iTrader: (11)

ok since we are on the light questions and stuff. I have an 04 rx8 non HID.. and my driver head light burns out about once a year. anyone know the answer to this? and also does anyone know a place where i can buy a HID kit? and please no ebay crap

Aipex8

iTrader: (1)

I've heard nothing but good things about Apexcone, I guess a lot of BMW guys use them too.

Your LEDs are most likely burning out because of voltage spikes, not heat. HID bulbs burn cooler than halogen and are pretty far from either the parking or corner lights. Adding a resistor will probably solve your problem. I know next to nothing about electronics, so I don't know if what I've done is technically correct, but it seems to have worked since I haven't had an LED burn out since implementing it. First, go to:

http://autolumination.com/equalizers.htm

Scroll down until you see "LED protector". That is what I started out with. If you look at the installation diagram, it shows you how to install the "protector" on the ground wire. This has changed on their site, it used to instruct you to install it on the possitive wire (which I did). At the time I was running pretty wimpy LEDs and it worked fine. The problem was when I upgraded to higher powered LEDs they wouldn't light up all the way... too much resistance. Maybe this is why they switched their instructions, but it seems to me you'd want the resistor on the possitive wire to protect against spikes, but I could be totally off here, like I said I know nothing about electronics.

Anyway, I fixed the problem by making my own "protector". Autolumination's is just a 1 watt, 100 ohm resistor soldered to wire on either side with a little shrink tubing and some wire taps. I basically just made my own with 1 watt, 10 ohm resistors instead. I've done this for parking, corner and my rear plate light . I'm still running the resistor on the positive wire. Still haven't had a burn out.

Any electronic gurus here care to explain which makes more sense... resistor on the positive or ground wire?

EDIT: Was just talking with Rotary Rasp via PM and he said that it makes no difference which wire the resistor is on, it works exactly the same. He also said that a resistor will offer very little protection against a voltage spike. They have solved the burn out problem for me, so maybe it was just very small fluctuations in voltage that were causing the burn outs. Small enough that the resistor actually did help. I don't know. They are cheap so it's worth a try if you are having burn out issues.

Aipex8

iTrader: (1)

Again, I've heard good things about Apexcone, and the RPM store also sells kits, you'll want H7 for headlights:

http://www.therpmstore.com/product_i...products_id=38

lilring

iTrader: (11)

wow. thank you. they have lots of good stuff there are a fair price. thanks again

Aipex8

iTrader: (1)

I haven't purchased any lighting stuff from the RPM Store, but I did get my AudioLink for the iPod from them and can tell you that their customer service is excellent. I started getting a short in the wire connecting to the iPod, probably just from normal wear and tear, over a year after purchasing it. I contacted them about just buying a new cord and they replaced the whole unit for free! Highly recomended vendor.

arr ex eight

while we're on the topic...i have leds in my parking lights as well and they flicker when the car motor is on but are stably lit when the motor is off? will adding resistor fix this or what could be the problem?

Aipex8

iTrader: (1)

I would guess that they may already be damaged. Usually when I had a failure they would flicker, not just burn out completely. I'd replace them and add resistors.

lopezian2004

I just recently purchased an HID conversion Kit with 6000k bulbs from them.. very very easy to do.. its all plug and play.. my only issue now is the output of my bulbs being off. I've had no such luck as to figure out why its like that, but I assume its due to my bulbs just not being in straight. My cutoff line is way jacked up so we'll see what happens when I try to adjust them


EDIT: Here's the thread.. good output, my bulbs are just off i assume? But yes therpmstore is AWESOME

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-exterior-appearance-body-kits-27/hid-conversion-need-help-158108/

Mazurfer

^+1...............I can speak for myself here and probably for Swoope as well. When they start to go, they tend to flicker. I've only ever had one do it though.

lopezian2004

Did you do the HID conversion too?

Footman

iTrader: (2)

To resist sharp voltage spikes, what you want to use is a choke. Essentially an inductor. If you use a resistor only, it would limit the final voltage going to the LEDs, but it would not reduce the rate of change of voltage. Put a an inductor in series with a resistor and you will get both effects.

A transorb would be useful in this case as it would protect sensitive LED's from spiking transient voltages.

r0tor

iTrader: (1)

Damn I want to get those parking lights...

I'm just a bit worried. The last time I tried LED's was a few years ago. They burned out quickly. I took them apart (back then they weren't SMT LED's) and analyzed it and found out the company designed them for a 12V circuit when a car really runs at 13.5-14V. Therefore a larger resister should have been used to burn off the extra voltage - and now I see mentioned in here about putting a resistor in line and its making me wonder if the dumbasses are still designing for 12V circuits.

L337fpc

iTrader: (4)

So how many Ohm's are we talking about here?

Boyd

Silly n00b question, but do you have to adapt anything to run LEDs? Pretty much buy them and swap out the old lights for these?

Rotary Rasp

iTrader: (2)

That's correct, unless you're installing led turn signals.

REV_ME_62

Are there any color options (Yellow prefereably)? If not, I suggest you make some nowwwwwwww ! LOL

Let me know if possible.... Thanks!

REV_ME_62

Danggit found my answer!

BBQdDude

Fog light question...

Mine, just put on OEM ones this last weekend, they have a "bulb" cover (for lack of a better term). My fogs are yellow but the bulb is clear. So the cover is what is coloring them yellow.

Question, did you take the fog light cover out or just swap the bulbs?

Thanks,

Brian