Side Light Replacement

Hi guys,

I am thinking of replacing my side/park lights with M-TECH W5W LEDs. Question is should I be looking at Cam Bus options or Non Cam Bus options?

Also, will replace all internal bulbs at the same time, again with M-TECH C5W bulbs. Does anybody know if I should be buying a different size to 36mm, M-Tech come in two sizes 36mm and 41mm? I have three lights throughout the length of the roof...

Advise, answers massively appreciated!

What model of Discovery ?
The difference between CAN Bus and non is that LED bulbs use much less electrical current and a CAN bus equipped vehicle will see that as a fault. So CAN bus LED bulbs are made to take this into account. LED indicator bulbs will not work on older vehicles as the "Flasher" unit usually requires more power to be drawn to operate. For interior lamps just access your bulbs and measure them. Note that LED bulbs will only work one way round (festoon and wire ended bulbs) just fit the opposite way round if they don't work first time

@PaulJM ... You'll get a strobe light/hyper flash from the LED bulbs as indicators for either of the older Discos. I had to solder in parallel a 50 watt/6 Ohm resistor on both sides to stop the hyper flash.

PaulJM said:

What model of Discovery ?
The difference between CAN Bus and non is that LED bulbs use much less electrical current and a CAN bus equipped vehicle will see that as a fault. So CAN bus LED bulbs are made to take this into account. LED indicator bulbs will not work on older vehicles as the "Flasher" unit usually requires more power to be drawn to operate. For interior lamps just access your bulbs and measure them. Note that LED bulbs will only work one way round (festoon and wire ended bulbs) just fit the opposite way round if they don't work first time

Click to expand...

Hey, thanks for the reply. It's a 2004 Facelift Discovery 2. I'm not going to bother with indicators/signals, only interior bulbs and side lights. Should I be looking at LED without CAMBUS - will it make a difference?

I don't think it has CANbus system. I did have an Early disco 2 (2001) for a while which didn't. I'm mostly familiar with RRC and I have a Disco 1 now.

DSY1984 said:

Should I be looking at LED without CAMBUS - will it make a difference?

Click to expand...

CAN BUS compatibility is a misnomer. What it refers to is the LED bulb has a similar current draw as a standard bulb (using resistors), so won't trigger a bulb monitor system. A D2 or even a D3 doesn't have a bulb monitor system, so you don't need an LED marked as CAN bus, which is good as CAN bus LEDs overheat and fail.

You do need to keep in mind, that LED replacement bulbs aren't often "E" marked, so technically make the vehicle un-roadworthy, and could also fail the UK MOT, if the tester doesn't like the look of them, or doubts the bulb is "E" marked.

Nodge68 said:

CAN BUS compatibility is a misnomer. What it refers to is the bulb has a similar current draw as a standard bulb (using resistors), so won't trigger a bulb monitor system. A D2 or even a D3 doesn't have a bulb monitor system, so you don't need an LED marked as CAN bus, which is good as BAN BUS LEDs overheat and fail.

You do need to keep in mind, that LED replacement bulbs aren't often "E" marked, so technically make the vehicle un-roadworthy, and could also fail the UK MOT, if the tester doesn't like the look of them, or doubts the bulb is "E" marked.

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E mark is a certification, not an actual mark on an item, so your MOT tester would have to know the manufacturers brand and part number of ‘any vehicle part’ they don’t like, then go and look it up... best of luck with that.

discool said:

E mark is a certification, not an actual mark on an item, so your MOT tester would have to know the manufacturers brand and part number of ‘any vehicle part’ they don’t like, then go and look it up

Click to expand...

Every vehicle after 1986 will have "E" marked lights, as the lamp manufacturer is mandated to mark a complaint lamp unit, normally on the lens cover.
However if you install an off the shelf after market LED bulb, then the lamp's "E" mark is effectively voided, as the LED bulb installed isn't E marked.

You are quite correct though. The MOT tester will basically check the lights are actually on, and if they are the correct colour.
If the tester is an arse or particularly suspicious ans doesn't like the colour of the bulb, then he could fail technically the vehicle on lighting colour.

I know of one such tester locally who fails every LED bulb he finds, on the grounds that the light is the wrong colour.

He failed my LED light bar once, as I'd forgotten to switch it off for the MOT. I got a fail for incorrect colour main beam lights.

The problem with the legality of LEDs is the legislation was written long before such things existed, so they're simply not part of the legislation, and so can't be "E" marked to show compliance.

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Ive a Disco 2. I replaced the two sidelight bulbs with those fLED replacements rom Halfords. No flash, no faults., no MOT fail. Disco 2 doesnt have a facility for checking if the light has blown, so get any LED bulb. Canbus option bulb wont make any difference.


Inside ones, replaced with these....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4X-38mm-39mm-C5W-16SMD-White-LED-Car-Interior-Dome-Festoon-Light-Lamp-Bulb/371323886742?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649