9 replies to this topic

[TeddytheSpoon]

Hi all

 

Looking for a bit of info on fitting some LED bulbs into my '96 SPI Mini. There's a few great threads on here already about this topic, but none that seem to answer what I'm wondering...

 

I'm planning to mostly use Classic Car LED kit, among which is their switchback indicator light, since I want to fit daytime running lights and this seems like the neatest way of doing it. Mechanically, I know this requires changing the fitting, and I know the LED indicators need dedicated flasher units.

 

What I'm wondering is if using the switchback needs anything funky doing on the wiring side. I assume these need an additional power connection to either ignition or alternator, but does that go straight to the bulb itself or somewhere else? And will the normal LED flasher unit (I think this is the right one for SPI but do correct me if that's wrong!) be all I need for this particular application?

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

(And if anyone has fitted DRLs into the indicators and has pictures of how they look turned on, I'd be interested to see how it looks!)

[DeadSquare]

I know that this doesn't help you with your problem, but when I thought of fitting LEDs all round, I came to the conclusion that the power consumed over the lifetime of my Mini while the Indicator bulb is flashing, didn't amount to "a hill of beans", and that throwing away good bulbs and a flasher unit wasn't going to help the world,

[IronmanG]

Hi all

Looking for a bit of info on fitting some LED bulbs into my '96 SPI Mini. There's a few great threads on here already about this topic, but none that seem to answer what I'm wondering...

I'm planning to mostly use Classic Car LED kit, among which is their switchback indicator light, since I want to fit daytime running lights and this seems like the neatest way of doing it. Mechanically, I know this requires changing the fitting, and I know the LED indicators need dedicated flasher units.

What I'm wondering is if using the switchback needs anything funky doing on the wiring side. I assume these need an additional power connection to either ignition or alternator, but does that go straight to the bulb itself or somewhere else? And will the normal LED flasher unit (I think this is the right one for SPI but do correct me if that's wrong!) be all I need for this particular application?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

(And if anyone has fitted DRLs into the indicators and has pictures of how they look turned on, I'd be interested to see how it looks!)

I used classic car led for mine. Really good kit. Easy to fit. Makes a massive difference to the brightness. Really helpful on the phone. 5 stars

[timmy850]

I added some switchback LED bulbs to my Mk1. In Australia the indicator lenses are clear and shared with the running lights. The problem with this is:
The indicators flash white instead of amber
The indicators are difficult to see with the running lights on
These days with the careless drivers around you need as much visibility as you can

Our minis have twin filament bulbs and matching twin filament bases. They take 1157 base bulbs. Essentially you just swap the bulb and the flasher to a “non-load” type flasher and that’s it. The existing wiring for the running lights turns on the bulb. If you are adding the wiring to a car that doesn’t have them, then run the 12v to a source that turns on when you want - eg ignition on or with a switch

Somehow there’s enough smarts just inside a bulb to turn off the running white LED’s when you turn on the indicators, then once they finish flashing the running light comes on again

Bases are here (to suit earlier cars than an SPI)
https://www.minispar...s/1B9100MS.aspx

There’s some photos and a video on my instagram page here:
https://www.instagra...zRlODBiNWFlZA==

Edited by timmy850, 18 August 2023 - 10:14 PM.

[TeddytheSpoon]

I know that this doesn't help you with your problem, but when I thought of fitting LEDs all round, I came to the conclusion that the power consumed over the lifetime of my Mini while the Indicator bulb is flashing, didn't amount to "a hill of beans", and that throwing away good bulbs and a flasher unit wasn't going to help the world,

Indeed. But since I'm bringing my Mini to a country where some form of daytime running lights is required by law, having LEDs on all the time instead of the headlights (which are staying as filament for now) should at least add one or two beans to the hill. And changing the indicators to combined DRLs is a damn sight cheaper than buying E-marked LED headlights, at least as far as I've seen!

 

 

I added some switchback LED bulbs to my Mk1. In Australia the indicator lenses are clear and shared with the running lights. The problem with this is:
The indicators flash white instead of amber
The indicators are difficult to see with the running lights on
These days with the careless drivers around you need as much visibility as you can

Our minis have twin filament bulbs and matching twin filament bases. They take 1157 base bulbs. Essentially you just swap the bulb and the flasher to a “non-load” type flasher and that’s it. The existing wiring for the running lights turns on the bulb. If you are adding the wiring to a car that doesn’t have them, then run the 12v to a source that turns on when you want - eg ignition on or with a switch

Somehow there’s enough smarts just inside a bulb to turn off the running white LED’s when you turn on the indicators, then once they finish flashing the running light comes on again

Bases are here (to suit earlier cars than an SPI)
https://www.minispar...s/1B9100MS.aspx

There’s some photos and a video on my instagram page here:
https://www.instagra...zRlODBiNWFlZA==

That's super useful, thanks! Nice to see how they look in operation too. No running lights on mine but I'm thinking of hooking the 12V up to the alternator output, so they come on when the engine is running.

[KTS]

not sure if it's strictly necessary, but if you need the DRL's to be disabled when sidelights/headlights are on you can use a changeover relay driven off the sidelight circuit to interrupt the supply to the DRL's

[timmy850]

I don’t know about all switchback bulbs, but mine automatically turn off the sidelight (DRL) white LED when you activate the indicator amber LED

[KTS]

I don’t know about all switchback bulbs, but mine automatically turn off the sidelight (DRL) white LED when you activate the indicator amber LED

Yep, got that, but do your DRL's remain lit when the headlights are on ?

[timmy850]

I don’t know about all switchback bulbs, but mine automatically turn off the sidelight (DRL) white LED when you activate the indicator amber LED

Yep, got that, but do your DRL's remain lit when the headlights are on ?

Mine are in the location our factory placed the sidelight, so they come on with the headlight switch position 1 & 2 and stay on

[KTS]

I don’t know about all switchback bulbs, but mine automatically turn off the sidelight (DRL) white LED when you activate the indicator amber LED

Yep, got that, but do your DRL's remain lit when the headlights are on ?

Mine are in the location our factory placed the sidelight, so they come on with the headlight switch position 1 & 2 and stay on

Gotcha, so they're sidelights rather than DRL's