Yaris 2014 Courtesy Lights

[brutus-1965]

My Yaris only hase a single interior courtesy light by the interior rear view mirror.

While I could change the bulb for something brighter I doubt it would cast any significant light into the back seat area of the car for passengers.

My question is this; do all Yaris' only have a front courtesy interior light and nothing in the rear and if this is the case has anytone fitted additional lights for the back seat passengers.

Thank you

[flash22]

you can change the bulb for a LED, base models got the single light, higher spec cars had map lights as well

[Mojo1010]

I changed mine to led, it's so much brighter. Don't have a requirement to install lights for the back seat area, do not have the know how either. 

[brutus-1965]

I'm fitting some small LED lights in the back to help with illumination.

The front centre light has 2x 5w 501 capless wedge bulbs fitted which would benefit from being upgraded to LED and making them brighter at the same time.

What are other members recommendations for bright 501 bulbs ?

 

I am sure I used to have some 10w 501 capless bulbs in the garage but must have used them and now when I search eBay I can't find anythinhg except 5w.  Have I gone mad or are 10w bulbs available ?

[flash22]

W5W (501) are 5W that is the specification of the code designation

changing the bulbs to 2w LEDs will give a higher light output (lumens) then you can use any colour temperature you like (kelvin)

[Mojo1010]

These are my led bulbs 6000k temp colour. Any standard bulb isn't going to be bright enough. I got it from eBay, shipped from China for under £5 for 10 bulbs, that was about 4 years ago. 

[MikeSh]

1 hour ago, brutus-1965 said:

when I search ebay I can't find anythinhg except 5w.

I've had 10W in the past but they weren't the same as the 5W. They used the same base, so would fit the same socket, but they had a larger 'balloon', so wouldn't necessarily fit in a housing designed for 5W. And you need to consider where the extra heat will go.

Can't for the life of me remember what they were for but I'm sure they were to replace failed OEM (not necessarily Toyota) lamps and not an attempt by me to upgrade.

Probably called W10W ...

[brutus-1965]

1 hour ago, MikeSh said:

I've had 10W in the past but they weren't the same as the 5W. They used the same base, so would fit the same socket, but they had a larger 'balloon',

Thanks Mike,

At least I'm not imagining I had 10w wedge bulbs.  I used them when I had a 4x4 with poor side light bulbs and replaced them with the 10w I had in the garage.

Checking the dimensions of the 501 in the Yaris interior light they are about 28mm from tip to tip so I have ordered a pack of 10 LED from eBay.  Interestingly it was the same price to order a pack of 10 from the UK as it was to order from China but without the extra delivery time.

[flash22]

iirc 921 (w16w) 2.1 x 9.5mm (same base as a w5w) 16mm dia used on some cars for indicator, side, rear fog, reverse and brake, these come in a non standard 10w

10w in the interior will likely deform/melt the plastic of the housing

[brutus-1965]

501 LED's fitted to the front interior light and they do look whiter, see the visible change in one of the pictures which has x1 of the old bulb and x1 of the new bulb.

While they are better the rear is still not so good so I stuck in some 12v strip light I had spare in the garage which is wired to the front interior light.  I was going to use warm white but given the change in the front lights I decided on cool white for the back.  They look more blue in the pictures than they actually are in real life.  There are x6 cobs on the strip on each side which now gives a nice balanced light around the interior.