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Complete LED conversions?

Discussion in 'Tips and Tricks' started by HapaSambar, Apr 18, 2015.

  1. HapaSambar

    HapaSambar New Member

    I want to convert all lights in my 1993 Subaru Sambar DiasII to LED's.
    Has anyone done this or does anyone have any tips/ideas?
     
  2. kane

    kane New Member

    One of my favorite mods aesthetically
     
  3. ttc

    ttc Active Member

    lol i have watched all his videos. with a 40 amp alternator every little bit helps.
     
  4. Jun tecson

    Jun tecson New Member

    Converted my headlights to LED h4 with some minor modifications to the wiring...it has broke my set of HIDs...and 1 pc of LED h4..its a negative trigger hi and low..;)..but finally..success!:D 20150825_162155-1-1.jpg 20150825_162223-1-1.jpg
     
  5. Jun tecson

    Jun tecson New Member

    I also installed a digital voltage meter to the temp gauges, at the same time i can monitor if my radiator fan is working.. 2015-09-23 22.47.33.jpg
     
    installater and BL4KKAT like this.
  6. So far I have replaced every bulb on my HiJet with WalMart LEDs except the front blinkers (sockets need modding because bulbs are too square or I need a more tapered bulb), headlights and the plate light (need an 89LL bulb replacement).

    So far total cost was abour $110 US for direct swap bulbs.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 5, 2016
    PhilMitsu likes this.
  7. com1

    com1 New Member

    The biggest benefit would be the headlights and going with a relayed harness and upgraded bulbs.
     
  8. airboss20

    airboss20 New Member

    I purchased a set of Hima H4 9003 LED replacement bulbs for my 91 Carry DD51T. No adapter harness needed. These LED bulbs work normally and even fit within the small confines behind the headlight fixture. Completely plug-and-play. $29.99 on Amazon (ASIN: B0897H19R4)
     
  9. t_g_farrell

    t_g_farrell Active Member

    I just did all the signal/dome/brake/backup/city lights as LEDs on my van. Headlights are fine as is so far. I need to polish the lenses before deciding the lights there. My blinkers go faster, didn't get a digital flasher yet. Need to research a bit more.
     
  10. Jigs-n-fixtures

    Jigs-n-fixtures Well-Known Member

    When I converted my Hijet, I installed a variable rate flasher. I ran a pair of jumper wires from the socket in the fuse block where the flesher mounts, and up-to where I mounted the switch I mount in one of the black switch locations on the dash. The adjustment sticks out just about 3/8th of an inch, and I can vary the flats rate if I tow one of the trailers.
    534DCCF5-2851-416C-84D1-47379A6C77BD.jpeg
     
  11. t_g_farrell

    t_g_farrell Active Member

  12. Jigs-n-fixtures

    Jigs-n-fixtures Well-Known Member

    40681BA7-43C7-47E5-8208-EFD2B16B3BA5.jpeg 1E413590-1DD2-4232-8148-1CB15210221D.jpeg
    When I mount the winter light bar, that I have when the snow plow is mounted, that adds more turn signals, because I have the ones built into the Plow headlights, and mounted some LED ambers on the side of them to increase visibility. And a rear bar with turn signals. So, i effectively double the wattage every winter. I installed a 90-amp alternator and some times if I am running the plow pump a lot, it is hard pressed to keep up with the demand.
     
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2021
  13. Kody902

    Kody902 Member

    What's the deal with upgrading alternators? Just use whatever one you want and make a bracket?, line it up with how the old pulley goes?
     
    CVP33 likes this.
  14. CVP33

    CVP33 Active Member

    I ordered the LED headlights and adapter connectors……looked at what I was in for and returned them. The connectors are fine, but the rewiring needed to make DRL’s and turn signals work made me back out. So far the only thing I want to tackle myself but haven’t.
     
  15. t_g_farrell

    t_g_farrell Active Member

    LED headlights are over rated IMHO. Doing all t he other lights as LEDs is easy, most are 194, 1156 or 1157 (get the red ones for best results) and a couple of special ones for dome lights. Easy to do and makes a much brighter interior and signal/parking lights. Oh and you will need to get a digital flasher which may or may not fit the OEM flasher socket but its easy to make jumper wiring to connect it up.
     
    CVP33 likes this.
  16. CVP33

    CVP33 Active Member

    Agree, it was definitely just the cool factor of DRL’s, Turn signals and headlights all incorporated. The headlights below have the correct connector, but w/o rewiring everything you don’t have bright lights, turn signals, etc.

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CXWCHX1?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_DFBDMSBMB7QAJTA83AJN

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M6W1PMK?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_B0J1FKKW3FBZ4YJH2EBW
     
  17. Jigs-n-fixtures

    Jigs-n-fixtures Well-Known Member

    On the Hijets it is easy to swap the alternators. The stock alternator, the factory installs is the ‘Mini-Denso”, which is in a lot of small gas powered equipment, and the race car folks run them because they are light and small. As a consequence you can get them for $150 or less, while the “correct” one costs $250 or more used from Japan.

    I had to add a #4 feed back to the battery in parallel to the stock wiring, and add a #12 line back to teh battery, so the alternator senses voltage at the battery instead of at the alternator. But all in it took a couple of hours.

    To the folks saying you don’t need to change the headlights: If you do any on road driving you need to change out the headlights if you can. The beam pattern on low beam is always down and to the outside of the road, to reduce glare for oncoming drivers.

    Since the stock lights are for Japan where they drive on the left side of the road, they point down and left, increasing the glare for the oncoming drivers in countries where we drive on the right.

    You have to be careful when you pick LED replacements because a lot of non-DOT approved lights point straight ahead, and still cause quite a bit of glare to oncoming drivers. Particularly if you have gone up in lumens.

    And, the ones I got have twice the lumens of the stock units when measured at twenty feet away on a flat white surface.

    Edit to add: You don’t need the adapter relay setup on all minitrucks. Some manufacturers, Daihatsu among them, use a switched ground to control the lights, and some don’t. So, on a Hijet you need the relay set up.

    But the other advantage of the headlight relay setup is that you get the headlights set up with a direct feed from the battery, instead of the wimpy wire used by the factory. So, if your new lights will increase the Amp draw, you will want to install teh relay setup. It is lots easier and less expensive than rewiring the dash, after the stock harness burns up.

    And, the less expensive LED lights may or may not reduce the power load. They all list “wattages”. On expensive lights that tends to be the actual wattage and you can use it to calculate Amp draw, and size wires. On less expensive lights they are talking about lumen equivalencies, like they do in household lights. So, you have no actual idea until you measure the Amp draw, how many Amps they will draw.
     
    Last edited: Jun 16, 2022
    t_g_farrell likes this.
  18. t_g_farrell

    t_g_farrell Active Member

    Yeah, I've done the relay setup of headlights on a number of vehicles and it makes a huge difference in illumination and draw on the system. For old, weak wiring and switches it can solve problems like overheating highbeam switches (looking at you Ford Explorers) and burning out stalk switches etc. Most vehicle manufacturers route all the power up to the switch and then back to the option being driven, which works fine when new but as wires and switches age you start seeing voltage drops and heat build up in switches.

    I saw that Holley has these LED headlights now that plug n play with standard square and 5/7 in round headlights and the best part is they look period correct for older vehicles. Might explore those for one of my other cars, doubt they have the shape for my van headlights. Not cheap but for you guys with round headlights they may be a solution (wiring might need to be tweaked a bit as mentioned above).

    https://www.holley.com/products/lighting/headlights/
     
    fmartin_gila likes this.
  19. fmartin_gila

    fmartin_gila Well-Known Member

    Also a big believer of relays in lighting circuits. In the past years, I have done a number of older vehicles and was always impressed with the difference in illumination.

    Fred
     
  20. Kody902

    Kody902 Member

    Any suggestions for a 93 Carry dd51t wiring/alternator/etc? I'm learning as I go and looking to slowly make improvements on it
     

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