Lexus/BMW Numberplate lights?

[WobGTI]

phil, go and blag the dude at autobulbs into trialling it on your car on behalf of the forums, if it works then group buy if it doesnt then we'll come up with some other plan!

[SteveP]

Have a look at the whiteness on these (from a post on golfmkv.com)



These are non-led bulbs 

[TagnuT]

Steve P are those the Polarg bulbs? I read a few posts where people were having problems with the heat they generated in the lamp housing resulted in a melted lamp housing!

The thing with the LED bulbs is that you need a resistor in line, so that a certain amount of current is drawn and the car thinks it has a normal bulb installed. Just as WhiteGTI said if you just have an LED bulb installed less current is drawn and the car thinks that it has a bulb out. There is a Japaenese company, can't think of their name at the moment, who do LED numberplate bulb with resistors built in. However, when I last looked they were around £50  So I left it.

Found it PIAA:--

License Plate Lamp Kit

Limited availability
USD$ 115.59

http://www.shopatron.com/product/product_id=PIA19325/353.0#longdesc19325

[Teutonic_Tamer]

are these lights def legal?

Providing the actual bulbs are "E" marked (and not counterfit), and they emit a "white" light, then they are completely legal.  For info, VW actually sell genuine OEM blue W5W bulbs for the sides.  None available from VW for the numberplate though.

EDIT:  the specific ones shown on the GolfMk5.com link are NOT UK/EU legal - cheap chinese/korean crap.

[TagnuT]

If anyone finds any "all in one" rear number plate bulbs please let us know.

Does anyone know if the BMW Leds have a resistor in-line or incorporated in its construction