LIV. upgrading Żuk exterior lights

Some time ago, I switched a fiat 126p lights to full LED and the difference was really night and day. Much less electricity consumption, which matter of such a small vehicle, and proper modern headlamps efficiency. So there was no discussion about the upgrade of the Żuk exterior lights to LED.

Since the upgrade means that you’ll use less energy, there is no cable to change whatsoever, it is plug-and-play almost.

Żuk electrical system can be altered seamlessly with ring and blade connectors, colored cables (0,5mm², 1,5mm², 2,5mm2² – original system is mostly 1mm²), braided covers,  heat-shrink tubing and a heat gun.

The only delicate point in the law: even if the bulbs were allowed, you’d still breach the homologated vehicule lighting setup. So, besides cosmetics, in my opinion, what matters is that you should not distinguish the LED replacement from the original bulbs. So random odd LED bulbs are out of the question, we need at least products from brands with legal EU/USA representation.

Rear lights upgrade/fixes

Rear lights upgrade is not only a matter of changing the bulbs:

• I want an extra middle stop light: I think it makes truly a massive difference, security wise;
• I also want to double the position lights (as on Mercedes Sprinter) because the one bulb small lamp per side seems really not much (I think modern random cars got often 3 or 4 bulbs), not visible enough. Also, I have one of the retroreflector items that is broken and cannot find the same new.

It means that I’ll have to add more retroreflector later, required by law.

According to ECE Lighting Regulations (Hella “Legal Requirements for Motor Vehicles and Trailers according to ECE Regulation 48”), for the tail light: mounting width is max. 400 mm from the outmost point of the vehicle width, additional tail light mounting height is either max. 150 mm under the rear windshield or min. 850 mm above the ground, above the S1 and S2 brake lights. French regulation (Article R313-26 Code de de la route) tend to restrict this to heavy vehicules but I really do not picture it to be a problem.

Replacing a retroreflector by a position light, serving the same purpose, should not be a problem. Worse case scenario, 5 screws and it is removed.

Electricity is provided on the back of the vehicule by a single assembly of cables that splits in two junctions boxes that contains a blade terminal each.

Only 3 out of 8 connectors are used on each: blinking directional light, stop and position (anti-fog and moving backward connectors are directly on the relevant lamps, not in the junction boxes). So this allows to use the free connectors for each new lights, so each of them is attached exactly like the original ones.

I also found by random luck  cheap position light supports that, unlike originals, are for C5W bulbs (BTW, in this case cheaper than P21W or P21/5W) that can be installed to the previous position of retroreflector without creating a similar large hole like for other mounts, only three screw holes.

To connect it, one ring connector goes directy to the shell, a blade connector to the junction box mentioned early.

The extra stop light is also connected on the right junction box. Unfortunately, I did no pictures of the mounted stop. Little to say, it was just a matter of doing three holes, one of the cables, two for each screw. There was not much choice for it’s location, it had to be on top center, I considered the back doors but concluded it not be practical to install it.

Aside from that, the anti-fog light reflective surface was a bit off, so I repainted it with cheap metallic color spray (mirror-like paint would have been a better pick). I also replaced the plastic cover of the reverse motion light that was half broken.

Once done, it is only a matter of replacing the old bulbs, adding new ones:

• 2x BAY15d bulbs (stop+position) = Osram P21/5W LEDriving 6000K;
• 2x SV8.5-8 36mm bulbs (new position) = Osram C5W LEDriving 6000K;
• 2x BA15s bulbs (backward, anti-fog) = Osram LED P21W LEDriving 6000K.

I am not changing the direction blinking bulbs since that would mean changing the relays (otherwise the speed of blinking would be completely off) and I want to keep the vehicule completely regular bulbs compatible without fiddling much beside changing the bulbs.

Here is a test of only one new bulb. As you can see, it does not stand out as LED bulb.

Front lights upgrade/fixes

Lamp electricity is provided on the front of the vehicule by a single assembly of cables that splits in two junctions boxes that contains a blade terminal each.

My Żuk headlamps are H4, which is decent. Their chrome reflecting surface was quite rusted nonetheless, so I replaced them. But I also want to add to them extra H3 anti-fog light, Zelmot old looking (but not too old, a chromed one would look of for my Zuk that has mostly black metal/plastic parts) a bit like shipped on the/some fire-fighting models.

Same approach as for the extra position light: the new light will get a slot on the nearest  blade terminal. But, in this case, the main cable assembly going to the fuse box will be doubled, so the anti-fog light works autonomously.

The anti-fog light are directly attached to the shell. On fire fighting vehicule, it would have been attached on the bumper, but I wanted to distance them a bit from the bumper (yeah, not much difference). They get the negative (-) contact as other bulbs from the headlamp, via ring connectors on the headlamps (here in black) frame.

Then, finally, it is only a matter of adding the H3 LED bulb (whose design does not matter much, since the lamp glass is fuzzy).

For the main headlamp, I made no specific pictures:

• H4 bulb (dipped + high beam) = H4 LED X3 ZES 50W, 3000K with yellow cover;
• BA9s bulbs (position)  = Osram T4W LEDRIVING 4000K.

On purpose, I avoided cold front light colors that would feel anachronic. I even decided to use the yellow cover on the H4 bulbs, even though it was only something on old vehicles in France and not in Poland.

Test of all lights will be done later, once the fusebox will be in order, etc.

front bulbs:

zestaw H4 LED x3 zes 50w 12000lm homologacja = set of H4 bulb LED X3 ZES 50W bulbs (167,98 zł)

żarówka LED H3 28 smd = H3 bulb LED (2x 27,98 zł = 55,96 zł)

żarówki LED T4W BA9s LEDRIVING 4000K 2szt. = set of T4W BA9s LED bulbs (69,99 zł)

rear bulbs:

żarówka LED C5W LEDriving 36mm 6000K = C5W 36mm LED bulb (2x 34,99 zł = 69,98 zł)

żarówki LED P21/5W LEDriving 6000K = P21/5W BAY15d LED bulbs (89,99 zł)

żarówki LED P21W LEDriving 6000K = P21W BA15s LED bulbs (89,99 zł)

subtotal = 543,89 zł

element optyczny H4 nowy (0251.1.000.4) = headlamp H4 (2x 59 zł = 118 zł)

halogeny samochodowe przeciwmgielne H3 (0666.0.000.2) = (2x 86,5 zł = 173 zł)

klosz lampy cofania = lamp shade of the reverse lamp (32 zł)

lampa obrysowa czerwona = rear position light support and shade (2x 7,20 zł = 14,20 zł)

lampa 36 LED dodatkowy stop pozycja = additional stop light 36 LED (59 zł)

konektor żeński końcówka nasuwka f 4,8 100szt. / konektor żeński końcówka nasuwka f 6,3 100szt. / oplot peszel plecionka osłona canuflex pe-hb 3mm / oplot peszel plecionka osłona canuflex pe-hb 8mm / przewód kabel lgy h05v-k 1×0,5mm2 czerwony 10mb / przewód kabel lgy h07v-k 1,5mm2 pomarańczowy 10mb / przewód kabel lgy h07v-k 1,5mm2 żółto-zielony 10mb / przewód kabel lgy h07v-k 1×2,5mm2 niebieski 10mb / przewód kabel lgy h07v-k 1×2,5mm2 zielony 10mb / przewód kabel lgy h07v-k 750v 1×1,5mm2 czarny 10mb /przewód kabel lgy h07v-k 750v 1×1,5mm2 różowy 10mb / przewód kabel lgy h07v-k 750v 1×2,5mm2 czarny 10mb / rurka termokurczliwa koszulka 4,8/2,4 czarne mb / rurka termokurczliwa koszulka 6,4/3,2 czarne mb = connectors, colored cables (0,5mm2, 1,5mm2, 2,5mm2), braided covers, heat-shrink tubing (211 zł – only a small amount of these were used so far)

+ kosztuje = 1151 zł = 267 € ; Żukventure cost so far = 2633 + 267 = 2900 €