Date:         Sun, 31 Oct 2004 23:37:08 +1300
Reply-To:     Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject:      Re: Want an Easy Rear Light Upgrade?  Bulbs Available.
In-Reply-To:  <418433FB.6080005@earthlink.net>
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=us-ascii

>Tabe, that 'Ebay guy' also sells and presumably uses headlight relay
>kits to greatly reduce the current flowing through the switch.
>
>In any case, over the years there have been several reports on this list
>of people who MELTED their rear light assemblies after installing high
>wattage bulbs.

Note that a 50W halogen will run MUCH hotter than an ordinarty 50W
incandescent bulb. This is how it makes its brighter whiter light.

>
>I think a modest increase in the 5 watt tail light bulb may be ok. There
>is a 10 watt Sylvania bulb #5008 that can replace the 5 watt #5007. I
>have them in one of my Syncros.

You could put relays into the taillight circuits...

Or fit off-the-shelf LED truck lights...

>What about trying a brighter "led" brake bulb?  I have seen these in
>Wal-mart and I was thinking of trying one on my Vanagon.  They are about
>$6 each, but the wattage should be very small and also the lifetime of
>led lights is usually measured in decades.  Just a thought.

These apparently are no good, according to the websites I've looked
at (don't ask me for links please... just Google LED taillight. I was
thinking of this too, but the truck lights seem a good idea.
--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin
New Zealand
Fossil preparator
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut