# Brightest city lights - W5W?



## phatvw (Aug 29, 2001)

I got MkIV Golf OEM HID's. Woohoo! Now I no longer have fog lights to use as DRL's and I don't want to use the HID's as DRL. I do have the euro spec switch with the TFL pin taped over, so I can switch on just the city lights though.
What is the brightest bulb I can safely put in the w5w city/parking light socket?
Are there any good multi-led units that put out more light than the incandescent w5w units? I'm afraid that if I were to put a higher wattage incandescent, something might melt.


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

http://www.superbrightleds.com http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif
the best out there in my opinion.
and I've had every brand imaginable... 42DD, PIAAs, ebay brands, etc...
and the superbrightleds are by far the best i've had. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 


_Modified by sleepygti28 at 1:20 PM 12-15-2005_


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## phatvw (Aug 29, 2001)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

Thanks for the link. I'll have to figure out which one will fit. Those bulbs look bigger than the regular incandescent bulbs. Do you remember which ones you got?
I think This is the one:
WLED 6-LED bulb
12 VDC 6-LED Wedge Base bulb (194/168 type)
Our brightest bulb of this type
Non Polarized
$ 2.99 








Or this:
WLED 5-LED Wide Angle LED bulb
12 VDC 5-LED Wedge Base bulb (194/168 type)
Super Wide Viewing Angle bulb uses 4 radially mounted LEDs aiming out the sides and one High Flux LED on top
Non Polarized
$ 2.79










_Modified by phatvw at 2:42 PM 12-15-2005_


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (phatvw)*

its the first ones you posted. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
you won't regret it. very bright and can be seen at a distance.
or you can also get the PIAAs but they are way overpriced(around $20/pair). but they were really bright just for 2 leds.


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## GT17V (Aug 7, 2001)

Wait... since you said you have Golf IV OEM HID's... it takes a H6W bulb, not a W5W.
http://www.ledcreations.com/index.asp


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## phatvw (Aug 29, 2001)

*Re: (GT17V)*

Hey you're right. It is the H6W. I didn't een think to check. So would those LED's be any brighter than the regular bulb? I don't care about the colour, just brightness.


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## dennisgli (May 17, 2003)

*Re: Brightest city lights - W5W (phatvw)*

Three LEDs brighter than a halogen 6watt bulb? I doubt it.

_Quote, originally posted by *phatvw* »_I got MkIV Golf OEM HID's. Woohoo! Now I no longer have fog lights to use as DRL's and I don't want to use the HID's as DRL..

Why don't you want to use the HIDs as DRLs?


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## MEISTER (Nov 6, 2000)

*Re: Brightest city lights - W5W? (phatvw)*


_Quote, originally posted by *phatvw* »_I got MkIV Golf OEM HID's. Woohoo! Now I no longer have fog lights to use as DRL's and I don't want to use the HID's as DRL. I do have the euro spec switch with the TFL pin taped over, so I can switch on just the city lights though.
What is the brightest bulb I can safely put in the w5w city/parking light socket?
Are there any good multi-led units that put out more light than the incandescent w5w units? I'm afraid that if I were to put a higher wattage incandescent, something might melt.

You should have ask when you came and picked them up... I have a few sets of LEDs from SuperBrightLEDs.com. They are dope!


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## spkn^GRMN (Jul 25, 2002)

*Re: Brightest city lights - W5W? (MEISTER)*

superbrightleds *ARE* the best and brightest http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
that's all I use inside and out.
Here's a few pics of this bulb in super white...
WLED 6-LED bulb
12 VDC 6-LED Wedge Base bulb (194/168 type)
Our brightest bulb of this type
Non Polarized
$ 2.99









20 feet away...








it's hard to get the real color on camera. 
look how the one on the right is bright white and left comes out a slight blueish.
this is with the color turned down on the camera settings...








here is with vivid color camera settings...
















and again the *REAL* color, excuse the rock chips, new ecodes not on the car yet...








They are bright, cheap, and last a good while.











_Modified by SPKNGRMN at 8:42 AM 12-17-2005_


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## mitsui14sun (Mar 26, 2005)

*Re: Brightest city lights - W5W? (SPKNGRMN)*


_Quote, originally posted by *SPKNGRMN* »_superbrightleds *ARE* the best and brightest http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
that's all I use inside and out.
Here's a few pics of this bulb in super white...
WLED 6-LED bulb
12 VDC 6-LED Wedge Base bulb (194/168 type)
Our brightest bulb of this type
Non Polarized
$ 2.99








_Modified by SPKNGRMN at 8:42 AM 12-17-2005_

Interesting; are you running OEM HIDs? 
Because I thought only BA9s fits in the MKIV OEM HID Citylights...


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## thecreeper (Oct 26, 2001)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*


_Quote, originally posted by *sleepygti28* »_its the first ones you posted. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
you won't regret it. very bright and can be seen at a distance.


The webpage has a disclaimer under those bulbs:
"warning: do not use in headlamp housings - heat will cause LED failure and VOID WARRANTY!"
Have you seen any problems with heat? Just curious why they put that disclaimer on that style bulb and not any of the others?


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## phatvw (Aug 29, 2001)

*Re: Brightest city lights - W5W (dennisgli)*


_Quote, originally posted by *dennisgli* »_Three LEDs brighter than a halogen 6watt bulb? I doubt it.

Why don't you want to use the HIDs as DRLs?

Doesn't the oem DRL use some kind of PCM or weird voltage regulation to adjust the brightness down to 80%? I figure that the ballast will last a lot longer if it is run at spec voltage rather than shifting around like that.
I'm giving up on the LED's until I see them in person. I don't think its possible to fit enough LED's into the little package to make it brighter than the regular H6W/BA9 buibs.
BTW is the H6W/BA9 actually Halogen, or is it just regular vacuum incandescent like the W5W?


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## spkn^GRMN (Jul 25, 2002)

*Re: (thecreeper)*

No HID's, just ecodes for me. I thought HID's run h6w bulbs in the city lights.
Yes, I saw that about the warning and emailed them about it awhile back.
They told me the led's would last only for a short period.
Well, I'm here to say, I've had long periods, 6-8 months of use out of each bulb. When they burn out, I reorder. Only $4 a bulb. No problem http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

_Quote, originally posted by *thecreeper* »_
The webpage has a disclaimer under those bulbs:
"warning: do not use in headlamp housings - heat will cause LED failure and VOID WARRANTY!"
Have you seen any problems with heat? Just curious why they put that disclaimer on that style bulb and not any of the others?




_Modified by SPKNGRMN at 12:35 AM 12-21-2005_


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## GT17V (Aug 7, 2001)

I can only speak from the Golf side of the house, as heat isn't really a huge concern unlike Jetta E-codes. Jetta E-codes' Low/high beam and parking light occuopt the same place--where heat becomes a factor.
Golf/GTI... they are with the high beam chamber, and unless you drive with the high beams constantly, heat isn't really a concern-- that being said...I have a LED (a single LED...nothing fancy) in my Golf lights


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## dennisgli (May 17, 2003)

*Re: Brightest city lights - W5W (phatvw)*


_Quote, originally posted by *phatvw* »_BTW is the H6W/BA9 actually Halogen, or is it just regular vacuum incandescent like the W5W?

Yes, I believe that it is a halogen bulb.

_Quote, originally posted by *phatvw* »_Doesn't the oem DRL use some kind of PCM or weird voltage regulation to adjust the brightness down to 80%? I figure that the ballast will last a lot longer if it is run at spec voltage rather than shifting around like that.

Yes you should not run the ballasts at a reduced voltage. Best idea is to install a relay to power the ballasts directly from the battery.


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## a2gtinut (Dec 2, 1999)

*Re: Brightest city lights - W5W (dennisgli)*

I have halogen W5W in my GLI.


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## dennisgli (May 17, 2003)

*Re: Brightest city lights - W5W (a2gtinut)*

Uh, I don't think W5W are halogen!


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## a2gtinut (Dec 2, 1999)

*Re: Brightest city lights - W5W (dennisgli)*


_Quote, originally posted by *dennisgli* »_Uh, I don't think W5W are halogen!

But I have them, They are Osram Coolblue halogen.
I know what I bought.
They were something like double the price of regular W5Ws and are listed on osram.com.


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## phatvw (Aug 29, 2001)

*Re: Brightest city lights - W5W (a2gtinut)*

Are they much brighter than the standard bulbs? Or do they just look blue?
Might want to get those for the interior/map lights if they don't get too hot...


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## dennisgli (May 17, 2003)

*Re: Brightest city lights - W5W (a2gtinut)*

Interesting - I assume you mean these.








I'd be interested in the spec's also - didn't see anything on the Osram web pages.


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## a2gtinut (Dec 2, 1999)

*Re: Brightest city lights - W5W (dennisgli)*

this is it.
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
they are there.


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## EternalMind (Jun 8, 2005)

*Re: Brightest city lights - W5W? (SPKNGRMN)*


_Quote, originally posted by *SPKNGRMN* »_superbrightleds *ARE* the best and brightest http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

maybe for what is available in that specific "package" configuration, but certainly not as far as LEDs in general go.


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## spkn^GRMN (Jul 25, 2002)

*Re: Brightest city lights - W5W? (EternalMind)*


_Quote, originally posted by *EternalMind* »_
maybe for what is available in that specific "package" configuration, but certainly not as far as LEDs in general go.









Correct! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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