Scott17

Well, after much searching and buying many that were the wrong color, I finally found a cathode that is ORANGE! Not kinda orange, not sorta orange, ORANGE! Go here http://www.xoxide.com/secredcat.html I am not sure if the dual or single kit has the exact same bulbs so thats why the bulb only link. just buy the inverter also and it will run two of these. These bulbs are fairly bright but on mine I have been putting two bulbs in one tube and they are really bright. The bulbs are secured in the tubes with hot glue on the end so I dip the end in boiling water for a few seconds and slide the bulbs out of the tubes and then open the hole in the end of an empty tube to full tube diameter and then slide 2 bulbs in one tube and then seal them in with a hot glue gun. These would work well under seats and dashes or on the roof.~scott

LavaScionSouthernArizona

let me just make sure here, even though it is a red cathide..it is orange? if so, awesome find and thanks a million

Scott17

Yeah, it glows ORANGE. I got a few other brand red ones and they looked pink . I was going to try putting a red bulb and a yellow bulb in one tube to experiment to see if I could approximate orange. The yellow was barely yellow and other brand red ones were pink, but this red one glows as orange as orange can be.

erikcooper

Think you can get a pic or two??

Scott17

When you click the link there is a better picture than I could take right at the top.~~~~~~~~~~~scott

rhinonabox

Does this plug in to the dealer install or is this a seperate unit?

Scott17

No they plug into this: http://www.xoxide.com/inverter.html

foxSCION

So what was your total cost to set yours up? Also any pics of them in your ride?

Scott17

The actual parts in my car now were under $20, the total parts bought to find this color- way too much Look on this site for LEDs, cold catodes, etc... best prices I have found anywhere.

WagenMaster

Would you say that this color compliments the Hot Lava color well?

You say that they're only "fairly" bright, but they're obviously much brighter than the amber LEDs we all have right?

Thanks for going through all the trouble of sampling many colors to find the truest orange. It's something I've often thought of doing but didn't want to spend the $$ required for R&D.

I've been planning on installing some next week, so I may have to switch my plans to these CCs.


*The other option is getting red cathodes (that glow pink) and using Pebeo Vitrea Paprika #03 transparent orange paint found at Michael's craft store to paint them with. This is what 'ncscion' did and they glow extremely orange.
If you have any of those red cathodes (that glow pink) left you might wanna do that and use them in your engine bay or something.

Scott17

They are about as bright as the blue ones and the color is the same as the orange LEDs. Much brighter than the stock hot lava luxauras. And the price is right.

bartender_angel

I actually wanted the pink ones, can you tell me what brand were the pinkish ones? Thank you!!

Scott17

Those I got at Fry's. They were their standard red ones.

Max2k

SVC brand red ones are pink. Anything labeled as red with a clear tube will be pink.

bartender_angel

thanks guys!!

WagenMaster

I bought these last week and finally installed them last night. Thanks a bunch 'Scott17'!! These emit a perfect orange glow, even better than the OEM amber ones we all have, and much much brighter.

I got four interior, and two for the engine bay. However I bought my inverters from www.elwirecheap.com 'cause they are enclosed in stainless steel--waterproof, weatherproof, will not catch fire, and put out more power. Read THIS for a horror story of a cheap inverter.

They easily install in replacement of the cheap LED tubes, and you can utilize the same wiring and illumination switch.

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

rhinonabox

Can you give us a how to on this? What to buy, and how to install. I suck at this stuff, but really want to get away from the LED's I have.

Scott17

If I knew how to post a picture I would do a how-to but I in't too sharp at that.

WagenMaster

You basically need six items--power inverters, cold cathode lights, small zip ties, wire connectors for .22 guage wire, electrical tape, and a pair of electrician's wire cutters.
The power inverter is a little box that takes a standard 12volt source (a black & a red wire) on one side, and out the other side of the box comes two white wires which powers the cold cathode light.
You can also get inverters that take a single 12volt source like above, but instead of powering just one cold cathode with two white wires, the other end of the box provides four white wires able to power two cold cathodes. Some inverters provide more power than others and thus make cathodes brighter. Also, the longer the wires are, the more power is lost. This is why you don't see cold cathodes with 20ft. of wire.
Cold cathode lights are very durable and resistant to vibrations. Sunbeam cathodes are said to be the best brand.

If you just want to replace your current LEDs with cold cathodes you will need 4 cold cathode lights and 2 dual inverters, which provide four white wires and are capable of powering two cathodes each, as mentioned above. 12" cold cathode lights are the exact same length, size, and shape as the LED tubes so they replace them perfectly.

Basically, you're just taking the wires that are going to the LEDs, cutting them, and wiring them to the inverters instead, which will power the cold cathodes. It's that simple.

I bought my dual inverters from www.elwirecheap.com and my cold cathodes from www.xoxide.com


I didn't take pics or anything, but here's a synopsis to do the front two lights. Repeat the same process to do the replace the rear two LED lights. If you print this it will walk you thru the simple process:

1. Take a look at how the LED tubes are mounted--by zip ties. The actual LED modules just slip off the ends of the tubes.
Take off the LED modules, remove the plastic tubes, and cut off the zip ties.
Take note to how the zip ties just go thru the holes in the mounting tabs, you'll want to mount the cold cathodes the same way. If you need to you can remove the glove box by simply opening it and then pulling hard at the bottom. It just snaps into place on a simple hinge.

2. Remove the plastic cover from the base of the dash, in front of the cupholders--on the passenger side there is a plastic button to remove, the other side just pulls off.
To lift up the center floor console, simply grap the cupholders and pull up while moving it side-to-side.
Now you can see how the LEDs are wired to the front. The red & black wires travel from the 'illumination' switch, under the center console, under the carpet, behind that plastic cover you just removed. The wires are then spliced so that each side can receive the power/ground to the LED modules.
*Also notice the 2amp fuse that is under the center console in a yellow cap. This will need to be replaced if you somehow blow the fuse.

3. Now mount those cold cathode tubes in the same way the LED tubes were using the zip ties. When they are tight, cut off the excess portion of the zip ties.

4. Since I bought my cold cathodes and inverters from different companies, the wire connectors on them did not match, so I went to Radio Shack and bought male/female wire connectors for .22 guage wire. To do this, cut the white wires necessary, strip a portion of their insulation, and crimp the new wire connectors on. Now the wires from the inverter and the cathodes should connect to one another.

5. Now, you just need the red & black wires from the original LED kit to be connected to the inverter right? Cut one of the LED modules off, and do the same as above to connect the red wires together, and the black wires together, using the male/female wire connectors. This will leave one of the LED modules remaining, with no tube to attach to. You can either cut this LED module off as well, or do whatever with it...

6. Wrap all portions of exposed wires with the electrical tape. Place the lil' inverter in the area previously hidden by the plastic cover.

7. Put the key into the ignition and press the 'illumination' button to be sure the lights are working properly.

8. Tuck the wires, and replace the plastic cover and center floor console.

9. Follow same procedures to replace rear LED lights located under the driver/passenger seats.

10. Sit back and enjoy a cold one while enjoying your new BRIGHT lights!

PM me with any questions, I'll help the best I can but I'm no expert.

-Robert
:D