Comprehensive LED Upgrade Guide with Photos

[Patsfan29]

Am I correct here is saying if I am getting an SX. Model the only lights that are not LED are back up white lights and rear license plate lights?

That would be correct

 

[Kia2020TB]

Can you share which exact reverse lights are and which ones you purchased? Or alike model?

Post in thread 'Comprehensive LED Upgrade Guide with Photos'
Comprehensive LED Upgrade Guide with Photos

This should take you to my post in this thread from August 2021. Sorry for the delay but hope this helps.

 

[WolfGrayKirkland]

Post in thread 'Comprehensive LED Upgrade Guide with Photos'
Comprehensive LED Upgrade Guide with Photos

This should take you to my post in this thread from August 2021. Sorry for the delay but hope this helps.

Super helpful. Thanks.

 

[NCB]

Will these bulbs you’ve posted work in a 2022

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[Chicago Brandon]

The other thing to consider is I think it was the Lasfit that wont fit inside the headlight housing without removing a desiccant packet that is installed from Kia to reduce moisture in the lamp assembly. I personally did NOT want to remove it, so that factored in to paying more for the Lucas brand. It may or may not be a big deal, but They put it in for a reason, they would have left it out to cut down on cost if it was meaningless or useless I would think.!

For your Lucas L2 forward lighting, have you experienced any flicker/turning off with auto start/stop?

 

[ritters_ride]

Will these bulbs you’ve posted work in a 2022

Curious about this too I have the S model.

 

[SVoigt]

Any mechanic should be able to. I doubt the dealership woukd because it would be an aftermarket part they sell and not willing to risk it possibly doing something to the system. Aside from the headlight cost, if would assume a shop woukd charge there hourly fee, which shoould be on more than 1 hour. Also, never assume your questions are ignorant, everyone here is mostly on top offer advice, been there done it tips and answer to their best. Helping is what makes this community great

My dealer was more than happy to replace bulbs and it was fairly inexpensive to do when I was doing a fluids change.

 

[Sly_Telly]

Eastern Washington. I made sure I paid MSRP, and well I actually paid 55K and change with taxes and licensing. But nonetheless, I got an 22’ SXP NF/T in Gravity Grey at MSRP. I contacted several dealers throughout WA and all had crazy markups. From what I gathered on this forum over the last year, it isn’t easy finding MSRP but I happen to have a local dealer offering it. Although I did also wait 9 months…so there‘s that.

Any chance I could get the dealer name? I live in Wenatchee and we are looking aggressively right now. Thanks!

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[guti27]

View attachment 13511

Let me see if I can explain.

The tail assembly has a total of 4 bulbs.
1 and 2 - tail lights
3 - tail + brake light --> this is the only bulb in the assembly that lights up when the brakes are tapped
4 - side marker

Although bulbs 1 through 3 are the exact same bulb (21/5W), only bulb 3 lights up further when braking. Bulb 4 (side marker) functions in tandem with bulbs 1 and 2, but does not light up further when bulb 3 does.

This is true for both the LX and S trim. Believe that EX and SX have a completely different tail light assembly that also includes the rear indicator lighting (LX and S have separate rear indicator lights).

I have an 20 S just like yours, and I really hate the rear brake light its like a square at the bottom of the light housing. what did you do to your rear lights to make it light up the whole light fixture. I was going through the post and links, but haven't found any instructional steps as to what you did to yours. Any help will be much appreciated.

 

[Patsfan29]

I have an 20 S just like yours, and I really hate the rear brake light its like a square at the bottom of the light housing. what did you do to your rear lights to make it light up the whole light fixture. I was going through the post and links, but haven't found any instructional steps as to what you did to yours. Any help will be much appreciated.

I had a 20 S and this was one feature that just annoyed me tons. Unfortunately, the only thing you can do is change out the bulbs for a brighter, led style. The problem with that is they are so bright, you can barely tell when the brake is depressed. I changed out ours and ended up switching them back to the incandescent because when I followed my wife, it looked like the she was on the brakes the entire drive home. Maybe they have a better selection now, but I tried 2 different brands and both yielded the same results. Just drive around during the day with the headlights on and the taillight housing will be lit up.

 

[bluedevil]

Just completed LED upgrades across all the lights on my S Trim and confirmed that it all functions without error codes and hyperflash.

tl;dr
- Front lights changed includes 1) Headlamps, 2) Turn Signal, 3) Side Marker
- Rear lights changed includes: 4) License Plate, 5) Back Up / Reverse, 6) Tail, 7) Brakes, 8) Side Marker, 9) Rear Turn Signal
- Total cost was just over $200, and about 2 to 2.5 hours of work (excluding failure to find the right bulbs)
- On hindsight, I would have not done the side markers (little visual difference) and the rear turn signal (really difficult to install)

Thought I'd document my entire journey here to make it easy for others who might want to embark on a similar journey. Each section includes:
a) LED Bulb Purchased + Cost
b) Ease of Installation
c) Installation Guide
d) My Personal Take
e) Before / After Image

----------------------

1. Headlamps
a) LED Used: 9005 LASFIT headlights from Amazon ($54.99)
b) Ease of Installation: 5-10 mins
c) Installation Guide: LASFIT YouTube
d) Hot Take: No issue with hyperflash or error codes, would def start with this install as it gives the greatest bang for your buck (visually and ease of installation)
e) Left - Original Halogen, Right - LED

View attachment 13006View attachment 13007

2. Front Turn Signal
a) LED Used: 1157-A Everbright from Amazon ($16.99); H/T: Cacalon on this forum
b) Ease of Installation: 10-15 mins
c) Installation Guide: LASFIT YouTube
d) Hot Take: Use an adjustable wrench to get leverage to twist out the housing
e) Left - Original Halogen, Right - LED

View attachment 13008

3. Front Side Marker
a) LED Used: 194 LASFIT from Amazon ($10.94)
b) Ease of Installation: 10-15 mins
c) Installation Guide: H/T Jazzyone
d) Hot Take: Lowest bang for the buck with very limited visual difference (hence the lack of photos)

4. License Plate
a) LED Used: 194 LASFIT from Amazon ($8.89)
b) Ease of Installation: 5 mins
c) Installation Guide: LASFIT YouTube
d) Hot Take: Easiest installation
e) Left - LED, Right - Original Halogen

View attachment 13011

5. Backup / Reverse
a) LED Used: 912 Auxito from Amazon ($13.99)
b) Ease of Installation: 20-25 mins
c) Installation Guide: LASFIT YouTube
d) Hot Take: It looks more intimidating than it actually is. The visual difference does justify the work required, imo
e) Left - LED, Right - Original Halogen

View attachment 13012

6. Tail
a) LED Used: 1157-R 2 sets of Oxilam on Amazon ($16.99 per set)
b) Ease of Installation: 10-15 mins
c) Installation Guide: H/T itsal
d) Hot Take: Tail lights were easy to change out as part of the "Tail Lamp Assembly" that includes the next 2 lights (Brake and Rear Marker).
e) Left - LED, Right - Original Halogen

View attachment 13014

7. Brake
a) LED Used: 1157-R LASFIT on Amazon ($45.95); Tried ~10 different bulbs on Amazon in the <$20 price range and every single one of them triggered an error code. LEDs tested and failed includes: Oxilam (linked above), 1797, Vehicode, Alla, Phinlion, Auxlight, Auxito, iBrightstar, Luyed, Katur)
b) Ease of Installation: (included in Tail lamp install); Caveat that finding a bulb that worked without triggering error codes was the single most difficult part of replacing this light and took me a full month of back and forth.
c) Installation Guide: H/T itsal
d) Hot Take: Invest in a CANBUS / Error Free bulb as this was the most problematic bulb by far. Luckily this was by far the easiest bulb to swap in and out to test!
e) Left - LED, Right - Original Halogen

View attachment 13015

8. Rear Marker
a) LED Used: 194 LASFIT on Amazon ($10.94)
b) Ease of Installation: (included in Tail lamp install)
c) Installation Guide: H/T itsal
d) Hot Take: Similar to Front Marker, the visual difference is minimal and you'd be swapping out for completeness sake, not for any actual benefits.

9. Rear Turn Signal
a) LED Used: 1157-R Oxilam on Amazon ($16.99)
b) Ease of Installation: 45-60 mins. By far the most difficult to switch out.
c) Installation Guide: H/T firedawg
d) Hot Take: This was REALLY difficult to install and had to be done almost entirely by touch and feel. The screws you have to remove to access the driver side lights are really difficult to remove. I personally would not have done it if not for the time I had already invested and my OCD to complete the project. Use a adjustable wrench to get some leverage to turn the housing, and leave this for last to get familiar with how to install 1157 bulbs by practicing on the other bulbs. I'd also consider installing each bulb in a separate session to avoid driving yourself crazy!
e) Left - LED, Right - Original Halogen

View attachment 13016

I just did this upgrade in my '20 EX (or at least the areas that Kia hadn't already converted to LED) and all went fine except for the front turn signals.

I bought the 1157-A Everbrights noted in the guide and I get an error to "Check Front Turn Signals". They seem to be working though. Any ideas?

 

[Patsfan29]

I just did this upgrade in my '20 EX (or at least the areas that Kia hadn't already converted to LED) and all went fine except for the front turn signals.

I bought the 1157-A Everbrights noted in the guide and I get an error to "Check Front Turn Signals". They seem to be working though. Any ideas?

More than likely the bulbs is throwing codes. It may not have built in canbus and the car is reading an error. Is there a hyperflash inside the car? I woukd turn the car in park and turned on the signals and see if everything is correctly working on the outside of the car, if it is, then you can run them, just have to get past the annoyance of seeing the message. We had an S and I had the worst time finding a led set that consistently worked with no error messages. I finally took them out as a blinker had stopped flashing when the code was thrown

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[bluedevil]

More than likely the bulbs is throwing codes. It may not have built in canbus and the car is reading an error. Is there a hyperflash inside the car? I woukd turn the car in park and turned on the signals and see if everything is correctly working on the outside of the car, if it is, then you can run them, just have to get past the annoyance of seeing the message. We had an S and I had the worst time finding a led set that consistently worked with no error messages. I finally took them out as a blinker had stopped flashing when the code was thrown

The turn signals are working but seem to be throwing those errors. I'm not familiar with hyperflash...

I just used the same link to Amazon to buy those Everbrights. Perhaps someone else has had better luck with a different 1157-A that avoids the error codes in the turn signals?

 

[JF22GGTelly]

These are not the best photos and not even taken in the same spot, so not the best for comparisons, but the dim orangish headlights are the stock S, and the two bright white images are the Lucas L2's installed, one with High beams on. A major improvement from the OEM headlights. They were like $180 for the L2's, I think they go up to L4's but those are extremely bright and not intended for road use. Many people use them but I purposely went with the L2's as to not piss every driver off on the road that is anywhere near my car at night.

Hi - I have a 2022 LX and have seen postings that say that the LASFIT LED headlight replacements were only compatible with the 2020 and 2021 models. This site lists availability for of the Lucas L2-H11 for only the 2020 and 2021 models. Lucas Lighting L2 Series Headlight Pair (2 Bulbs), 5X Brighter, it appears that this another source is selling a pair for $90.27 which is about half the price of all other sources. What year is your model and Is this the same item you purchased? Thanks for your help. Lucas Lighting L2-H11 Series Headlight Bulbs - Pair (White)

 

[bluedevil]

The turn signals are working but seem to be throwing those errors. I'm not familiar with hyperflash...

I just used the same link to Amazon to buy those Everbrights. Perhaps someone else has had better luck with a different 1157-A that avoids the error codes in the turn signals?

A reply to this... I went back and bought some Lasfits for the turn signals and they work like a charm and no error codes.

 

[elmuchachos]

So accidentally left the Lasfit LED laying on a old shirt when I turned on the car to make sure the bulb worked before installing. Had no idea these LEDs get that hot. Is that normal? Little worried about how quickly the LED gets that hot.

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[ritholtz]

What is difference between,

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081BDS6RC/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A182XCUDGZ5CBS&psc=1

vs

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FQNC285/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_2?smid=A208NATLN9W7P5&psc=1

Also what is the listing for rear licene plate lights?

Thanks

 

[ritholtz]

What is difference between,

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081BDS6RC/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A182XCUDGZ5CBS&psc=1

vs

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FQNC285/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_2?smid=A208NATLN9W7P5&psc=1

Got below explanation from seller/manufacturer.
"lasfit la plus 9005 is an upgraded version of lc plus9005 (b07fqnc285) with the following differences in parameters. lcplus9005: 55W/set, 5500LM/set, 6000K, IP67 laplus9005: 60W/set, 6000LM/set, 6000K, IP67 etc. In addition, the laplus series has adopted a more advanced cooling method - dual ball fan and flip chip, etc. The appearance has also been optimized to make it more aesthetically pleasing and easier to install"

 

[JF22GGTelly]

Got below explanation from seller/manufacturer.
"lasfit la plus 9005 is an upgraded version of lc plus9005 (b07fqnc285) with the following differences in parameters. lcplus9005: 55W/set, 5500LM/set, 6000K, IP67 laplus9005: 60W/set, 6000LM/set, 6000K, IP67 etc. In addition, the laplus series has adopted a more advanced cooling method - dual ball fan and flip chip, etc. The appearance has also been optimized to make it more aesthetically pleasing and easier to install"

I bought the upgraded LA Plus about 3 weeks ago from Amazon. They installed very easily and I did not have to remove the white desiccant pack from the round black plastic cover as some videos recommended so I left it in place. The desiccant has a purpose of absorbing any moisture to prevent condensation. One thing I noticed is that the LED bulbs flicker once due to the brief voltage dip if the Auto Start/Stop function restarts the engine. As another Forum member noted, this brief flicker can be misinterpreted by another driver if you are at an intersection as if you are signaling them to go first when that is not necessarily your intention. I have circumvented that issue by disengaging the Auto Start/Stop function. I see the current Amazon listing has a checkbox to apply a 20% off coupon to the price. I also applied a similar coupon when I purchased mine.

 

[ritholtz]

I bought the upgraded LA Plus about 3 weeks ago from Amazon. They installed very easily and I did not have to remove the white desiccant pack from the round black plastic cover as some videos recommended so I left it in place. The desiccant has a purpose of absorbing any moisture to prevent condensation. One thing I noticed is that the LED bulbs flicker once due to the brief voltage dip if the Auto Start/Stop function restarts the engine. As another Forum member noted, this brief flicker can be misinterpreted by another driver if you are at an intersection as if you are signaling them to go first when that is not necessarily your intention. I have circumvented that issue by disengaging the Auto Start/Stop function. I see the current Amazon listing has a checkbox to apply a 20% off coupon to the price. I also applied a similar coupon when I purchased mine.

Thanks for the information. I also ordered LA Plus using 20% coupon. Also ordered rear license plate and back up lights. I think, one needs to do this dipper more than once to communicate. I am not sure one quick flicker can be interpreted as right of the way.