Wipac LED kit

[Bigj66]

Anyone fitted the Wipac LED sidelight and indicator kit to a Series? I can only find ones for a Defender so presumably the Series loom plugs need changing to suit the lamps or vice versa?

[western]

I would guess the connections will need swapping over to bullet connectors to suit your vehicle or add the matching econoseal connectors to the vehicles wiring. 

the  RDX lights kit  has a option to add connectors

 

[Bigj66]

30 minutes ago, western said:

I would guess the connections will need swapping over to bullet connectors to suit your vehicle or add the matching econoseal connectors to the vehicles wiring. 

the  RDX lights kit  has a option to add connectors

 

I think I’d prefer to swap to the econoseal plugs as I’ll upgrade the headlight loom to relays at the same time.

[monkie]

10 hours ago, Bigj66 said:

I think I’d prefer to swap to the econoseal plugs as I’ll upgrade the headlight loom to relays at the same time.

Do that plus a nice thick earth wire to each corner going back to the battery. 

[Bigj66]

1 hour ago, monkie said:

Do that plus a nice thick earth wire to each corner going back to the battery. 

Already done 👍

[Anderzander]

Are there any that look like standard ?  Or is fitting bulbs the only option for that ? 

[Troll Hunter]

22 hours ago, monkie said:

Do that plus a nice thick earth wire to each corner going back to the battery. 

A big, fat earth to each corner is the way to go, and, of course a big, fat earth to the engine block and several to the g'box and t'box.  Since the original wiring spec includes more than one earth to the t'box I assume that various gaskets, etc., potentially prevent a single earth being effective, no matter how massive, serving all the systems.  Of course, a dedicated earth wire from each of the switches on the transmission to the main earth wire to the battery should suffice.

Mike

[L19MUD]

Funnily enough I did this yesterday. I only have half a Series 3 as it is my camping trailer. I always felt that the lights were quite dull on it despite having new lenses and was worried they could not be seen very well in sunlight.

 

New LED units fitted and they make a huge difference and really don't look that different to the standard units. I just fitted bullet connectors to the new units

[missingsid]

9 minutes ago, L19MUD said:

Funnily enough I did this yesterday. I only have half a Series 3 as it is my camping trailer. I always felt that the lights were quite dull on it despite having new lenses and was worried they could not be seen very well in sunlight.

Slightly off topic but related, have you noticed how many new cars have bright LED indicators but the fronts are totally invisible in daylight as they are located next to the daytime headlights!

[Bowie69]

8 minutes ago, missingsid said:

have you noticed how many new cars have bright LED indicators but the fronts are totally invisible in daylight as they are located next to the daytime headlights!

Yep, they are not good, however some vehicles do dim the DRL so the indicator is more visible.

I don't know if it is just my vision (I have a fairly significant astigmatism, but good spherical vision), but I do get significant 'blobs' around these very bright LED DRLs which is really distracting.

[mickeyw]

1 hour ago, missingsid said:

Slightly off topic but related, have you noticed how many new cars have bright LED indicators but the fronts are totally invisible in daylight as they are located next to the daytime headlights!

This has been a pet hate of mine for years re DRLs. There is a particular year of VW Golf that has the front indicator and DRL unit (non LED) right next to one another, and like you say, it may as well have BMW indicators for all the visibility they have!

I see that the latest cars with LED everything seem shut off the DRL while the indicator is operating (and about bluddy time too). Some even share the function of the LEDs, so it changes from a white emitter to blinking orange when indicating. A much smarter solution IMO.

[cackshifter]

You just need some robotic thing to smack the driver round the head when they are running round on DRLs when it is near dark or in daylight fog and they might be almost acceptable

[Snagger]

On 7/5/2021 at 9:03 PM, cackshifter said:

You just need some robotic thing to smack the driver round the head when they are running round on DRLs when it is near dark or in daylight fog and they might be almost acceptable

The automatic headlight switch on my Volvo prevents manual activation of the head lights and tail lights when it thinks it’s bright outside.  You wouldn’t know unless you checked for the reflection of the lights outside.  Disgusting piece of design.  DRLs also create enough light that they can convince drivers the headlights are on at night.  The old Volvo and Saab system of having the normal headlights and tail lights switch on automatically any time the engine is running was far simpler and vastly safer.

[Bigj66]

On 7/4/2021 at 8:43 AM, Anderzander said:

Are there any that look like standard ?  Or is fitting bulbs the only option for that ? 

I was wondering if you can just replace the bulbs with LED versions and keep the original lamp units? My lights are fairly new so I don’t want to buy new ones if I can avoid it. Or are the LED lens different?

I’d need a LED flasher relay for the indicators too but that too should be a straightforward swap.

[Anderzander]

Minefield warning ⛔️ 💣

There are definitely bulbs that fit - folk will say they aren’t type approved for those lenses, and thus not legal.

So, there is a personal judgement here on the risks associated with that - and that will be informed by how comfortable you are modifying your vehicle away from standard.

[Bigj66]

14 hours ago, Anderzander said:

Minefield warning ⛔️ 💣

There are definitely bulbs that fit - folk will say they aren’t type approved for those lenses, and thus not legal.

So, there is a personal judgement here on the risks associated with that - and that will be informed by how comfortable you are modifying your vehicle away from standard.

I thought that was just for headlights? Does it apply to the other lights too? I can’t see much difference between the lens of the LED and standard Wipac units if I’m honest.

[L19MUD]

8 hours ago, Bigj66 said:

I thought that was just for headlights? Does it apply to the other lights too? I can’t see much difference between the lens of the LED and standard Wipac units if I’m honest.

The bulbs you can fit are very different to the layout of the proper LED lights though. They are really not very expensive and are fit and forget so I dont think it is worth putting LED bulbs in the standard lights

[Anderzander]

I think there is type approval for all of them. 
 

Before I heard the furore about it I had (and still) use LED bulbs in a couple of British motorbikes. They have such weak electrics that a low consumption and bright LED bulb in the back is likely the difference between being hit up the back and not. 
 

If you know the bulb type - BA for example, then there are tons to be found. Just watch out for cheap rubbish.

[landroversforever]

3 hours ago, L19MUD said:

The bulbs you can fit are very different to the layout of the proper LED lights though. They are really not very expensive and are fit and forget so I dont think it is worth putting LED bulbs in the standard lights

The second biggest advantage to the one-piece units is the fact you do away with the awful lamp contacts in the standard housings.

[monkie]

9 minutes ago, landroversforever said:

The second biggest advantage to the one-piece units is the fact you do away with the awful lamp contacts in the standard housings.

The third biggest advantage is they are a sealed unit. Mine have been fitted a few months now and despite the rain we've had, I don't have a lense cap complete with aquatic wildlife in their own pond. 

[missingsid]

25 minutes ago, monkie said:

The third biggest advantage is they are a sealed unit. Mine have been fitted a few months now and despite the rain we've had, I don't have a lense cap complete with aquatic wildlife in their own pond. 

This is the most interesting part for me.

[Snagger]

51 minutes ago, monkie said:

The third biggest advantage is they are a sealed unit. Mine have been fitted a few months now and despite the rain we've had, I don't have a lense cap complete with aquatic wildlife in their own pond. 

They’re supposed to be, but I have heard of a few people having condensation or small amounts of water in them.  I think it’d be a good idea to thoroughly dry them in a box with silica gel or raw rice for a few days and then seal them up with RTV on the cable entry point and something like Captain Tolly’s Creeping Crack Cure where the lens meets the back plate, just in case the factory sealing isn’t perfect.  With that done, they should give very long and reliable service.

That said, the standard early Defender lamps on mine have been very reliable too, even though they do get a bit damp inside.  Painting the white plastic black seems to have helped reduce the lichen growth inside the lenses, and some Vaseline on all the contacts has assured 100% reliability over the past 25 years ( I reused the same units, just replacing the lenses during my rebuild).  I did replace the sidelight bulbs with LED bulbs because the incandescent bulbs would only last five years or so before they blew their filaments, but the holders have been spot on.  I still intend to fit the Wipac kit, though, just for their brightness and reduced draw.

[monkie]

Based on my experience of Wipac LED pack so far, I totally recommend them as a good value upgrade.

[western]

I fitted the RDX aka Bolt on bits led lights & they are as good as the Wipac units

[Mo Murphy]

On 7/11/2021 at 11:27 PM, Bigj66 said:

I thought that was just for headlights? Does it apply to the other lights too? I can’t see much difference between the lens of the LED and standard Wipac units if I’m honest.

As I understand it, the whole LED legality thing applies to post 1986 vehicles. 

So as I understand it Joe, you can use whatever you like on the series one.

Bulbs from Classic Car Leds, have, in my experience, outlasted cheaper offerings from ebay and Halfrauds (who were not cheaper and just sell cheap ebay carp at inflated prices) 

HTH

Mo