So...I've converted all 4 of my 355's side marker lamps with LEDs, and it's great...great brightness, great color, and hopefully long life. Now I want to do all the rear bulbs and front park/turn bulbs. I have selected the correct bulbs for reverse, tail, stop, park, and turn. I have the correct flasher in order to avoid hyper-speed flashing due to low load. Is there anything else I should know? I've talked to lighting engineers at work, and they warn that, if lights are CAN-bus controlled, there could be issues. Are F355 lamps under CAN-bus control? Any input would be appreciated.
I had a custom LED board created for my friends old car. It plugged into the standard light bulb socket. I think if you're going to do it, you might as well go the extra mile and buy a spare set of tail lights and put in custom LED boards. It will look great if that's what you're into. Personally, I like the glow of the old bulbs in the old cars.
I did a plug and play swap to LED on my rear bulbs years ago, my original tail lights were literally melted from the heat of the OEM bulbs. no issues, just plugged them in. I'm sure if you search here the p/n's will come up. Edit: here it is: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/348-355-sponsored-bradan/165925-melting-cracking-rear-tail-light-lenses-355-360-550-575-575sa.html
CAN-bus controlled F355 lights? The F355 was designed in the early 90s not in the 2010s ...I don't think there's anything in the lights that is CAN-bus anything.
Thanks Robb! I'll post when done...probably next week the way things are going! Also, I haven't forgotten your Sportiva frame, if you haven't already got one.
Second that... in fact, can you post *all* part #s you purchased and which bulbs they correspond to? I replaced my backup lights with LEDs a few months ago and have been very happy with them, but all the discussions I've read through seemed mired in "fast flash" for turn signals so I haven't done them since it seems to involve swapping out relays, etc. Brake light replacements also seemed to discuss concerns over the LED lights not changing much in brightness/intensity when the brakes are applied (at night when driving with the lights on) which raised the issue of not being clear to drivers behind you that you've actually hit the brakes. Be great to get some actual real-world info on any bulb/boards that rectify these issues (if they are indeed issues)
I have a source for LED bulbs that I used in my 993TT. I cannot say enough good things about them. bright, lens filling light, modern look, good contrast between park lights and brake light brightness. If I can find the correct relay for US spec cars, combined with these bulbs, I believe we will have the definitive 355 upgrade kit for a very reasonable price.
So, here they are: (All parts ordered from superbrightleds.com) Brake Lamps: 1156-x27-T-CAR (RED); 320 Lumens, qty. 4 Tail/Turn Lamps: 1157-x45-T-CAR (RED); 220 Lumens, qty. 4 Reverse Lamps: 1156-x3W-G-CAR (WHITE); 270 Lumens, qty. 2 Flasher: EP27L, qty. 1 I haven't installed yet; won't have time until Wednesday.
I used the same source for my 993 LEDs which were awesome. If he'd be willing to make a kit, I bet he'd get tons of interested buyers.
Haha...and...let me guess...you're not going to share either? My angle here is to share so that users of this site can benefit, much like all of us have from many helpful technical articles presented here, with better solutions for keeping our cars at their best. Fancy that...
Nothing to share yet. I've been talking with the supplier about offering a kit to the 355 community. The issue is the flasher. The EP27 is not the correct flasher for the U.S. Spec cars. The EP27 only has 5 pins,the OEM has seven. I do not know what effect if any the EP27 will have. I started a thread year ago about this but got no new info.
Maybe we talk to a Mod and have them combine threads? I agree that, for lots of reasons, many folks are trying to solve this. My car has 5-pins. It's a 1999. Hmm. I work at a US OEM. I will talk to some electrical guys. Might take a few days, but worth a try.
Here's an interesting procedure by which you can modify the resistance of your existing flasher: Automotive electronic flasher rate modification. - All
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/348-355-sponsored-bradan/468044-help-make-definitive-led-upgrade-thread-need-info.html here is my thread. there are pictures of the flasher relay. maybe the one in your car is not the original? compare to the pics (marking, brand, etc) and let us know...
I'm pretty sure that the part you show (found by following the click) is simply the "clicker". The actual flasher relay is in the small box near the Washer reservoir. There is a removable cover, but once you get that off, you'll need to pull 4 screws for your trunk liner to get at it. Once that's pushed aside, unscrew the cover with the two knobs; pull the cover off, and you'll see the fuse/relay box. The flasher relay is at the end of a row of 4 relays (the only such row that exists in this box), and is the furthest inboard cross-car from the fender. Pull it out, and you will see a 5-pin Bosch 0 332 209 159-type relay (many other generic equivalents available). This is the Flasher Relay, and this is the one you will replace with the EP27L electronic relay. Check the pin-outs for the 0 332 209 159; they look identical to those for the EP27L. Illustration for Bosch part and EP27L are shown; Bosch part illustration uses symbols and shows numbers 30, 85, 86, 87, 87a.
Dad always taught me; when you make a mistake, 'fess up quick, before someone acts on bad information. Brake lamps are 1157, not 1156. Use 8 1157's for tail/turn and brake. Almost any 1157 LEDs will do it, but it's a matter of taste regarding output and pattern. By the way, the double filament is what makes the brightness differentiation between tail and turn, and provides the higher brightness for brake. Brake lamps always light both filaments, and tail/turn light one filament for tail, and two for turn. Sorry for any inconvenience my mistake may have caused.
