Hey Guys, I recently did a full LED swap for my sonic, it's a pretty simple swap altogether, so here's a comprehensive list of all the bulbs you'll need for a full LED swap! :banana:
FRONT
Low Beam:
Bulb H11
For these, due to our stock housings being halogen and not projectors, I wouldn't recommend HID. LED works fantastically though, since they shoot light sideways into the housing so there's no upward glare that will blind other drivers.
Bulb Used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018SV3OUK?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00
High Beam:
Bulb 9005
LEDs will work well here just like the low beams, but not HIDs since they need to warm up for a second, you want instant light for your high beams.
Bulb Used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018SV3OV4/ref=s9_dcbhz_bw_d0_g263_i1_sh
Fog Lights:
Bulb H11
HID or LED works great for these housings, get any set that will project as much light as possible.
Bulb Used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0125AQ5VA?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00
Front Turn Signals:
Bulb 7444
These light function as your sidemarkers and turn signals, so there's a lot of visible area with these bulbs. Get something that shines a lot into the housing, but you do NOT need bulbs with projectors on the end of them, that could blind other drivers.
Load Resistors are required for these, see installation instructions below.
Bulb Used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RV4BOGM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s02
Interior
Map Lights:
Bulb 2825
These are the lights for the front of the car, just grab a nice set that shines light in all directions.
Bulb Used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JIEX722?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01
Dome Light:
Bulb 6411
Only one bulb is needed, and if you happen to get ones that are too long or short to fit (I got 1.5", they were slightly too short) you can just bend the tabs that hold the bulb in place to make it fit, so it's very forgiving.
Bulb Used: https://www.amazon.com/JDM-ASTAR-Extremely-Bright-211-2/dp/B00NTOJU28
Trunk/Hatch Light:
Bulb 175
One bulb is needed here for hatchback or sedan, they both use the same bulb. Just get one that shines bright in all directions.
Bulb Used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014K7F2SI?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s03
Rear
Brake Lights:
Bulb 7443
One pair is needed here, you just need some that shine light in all directions to fill the housing, you don't need ones that project forward to blind people behind you.
Bulb Used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HJEXEF8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s03
Rear Turn Signals:
Bulb 4157
One pair is needed here, you just need some that shine light in all directions to fill the housing, you don't need ones that project forward to blind people behind you.
Load Resistors are required for these, see installation instructions below.
Bulb Used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HJDI22E?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s03
Reverse Lights:
Hatch: Bulb 921
Sedan: Bulb 3157
For these, get a pair of the brightest bulbs you can find that project forward, this will illuminate as much as possible behind you while reversing.
Bulb Used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FTDJ9FA?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s01
Sidemarkers:
Bulb 194
These are the little bulbs that illuminate sideways, just get ones that illuminate in all directions.
Bulb Used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JIGZXMC?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s03
License Plate Lights:
Bulb 2825
One pair is required, get a pair that shines light in all directions to make sure the entire license plate is illuminated.
Bulb Used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JIEX722?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s01
Load Resistors
Basically if you don't get these, your turn signals will flash really fast to say you have a bulb out.
You need one pair of 6 ohm resistors for the front turn signals, and one pair of 6 ohm resistors for the rear turn signals as well.
Resistors Used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VCSRI4A?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00
Install
Installing the bulbs is as simple as removing the stock ones are putting the LEDs in place, nothing more complicated than that.
As far as the turn signal load resistors, you need to splice the resistors into the turn signal circuit or else your car will think the bulbs are out and they'll blink at twice the speed. This picture shows how they end up looking:
For the front turn signals, the bulbs have 3 wires but you only want to splice the Black and Blue/Yellow on the driver's side, and the Black and Green/Purple on the passenger's side.
On where to mount the resistors, a good place on the driver's side is the metal bracket holding the fender in place behind the headlight. A good place on the passenger's side is under the intake on the metal above the wheel well.
For the rear turn signals, the bulbs only have 2 wires so just splice into those and you'll be set.
As for location, it's a little harder to get a good location for them. The best way is to run the wires from the resistors up from behind the rear bumper through the hole water can drip through, and attach the resistor to the rear crash bar. I'll have a picture of this uploaded soon.
And there you are! Feel free to ask any questions you have, this works 100% with no problems, looks great, and is using less power on the alternator (lower wattage) So i'd like to think it's helping my MPG by a solid .1 MPG
Enjoy and happy modding!
FRONT
Low Beam:
Bulb H11
For these, due to our stock housings being halogen and not projectors, I wouldn't recommend HID. LED works fantastically though, since they shoot light sideways into the housing so there's no upward glare that will blind other drivers.
Bulb Used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018SV3OUK?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00
High Beam:
Bulb 9005
LEDs will work well here just like the low beams, but not HIDs since they need to warm up for a second, you want instant light for your high beams.
Bulb Used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018SV3OV4/ref=s9_dcbhz_bw_d0_g263_i1_sh
Fog Lights:
Bulb H11
HID or LED works great for these housings, get any set that will project as much light as possible.
Bulb Used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0125AQ5VA?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00
Front Turn Signals:
Bulb 7444
These light function as your sidemarkers and turn signals, so there's a lot of visible area with these bulbs. Get something that shines a lot into the housing, but you do NOT need bulbs with projectors on the end of them, that could blind other drivers.
Load Resistors are required for these, see installation instructions below.
Bulb Used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RV4BOGM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s02
Interior
Map Lights:
Bulb 2825
These are the lights for the front of the car, just grab a nice set that shines light in all directions.
Bulb Used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JIEX722?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01
Dome Light:
Bulb 6411
Only one bulb is needed, and if you happen to get ones that are too long or short to fit (I got 1.5", they were slightly too short) you can just bend the tabs that hold the bulb in place to make it fit, so it's very forgiving.
Bulb Used: https://www.amazon.com/JDM-ASTAR-Extremely-Bright-211-2/dp/B00NTOJU28
Trunk/Hatch Light:
Bulb 175
One bulb is needed here for hatchback or sedan, they both use the same bulb. Just get one that shines bright in all directions.
Bulb Used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014K7F2SI?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s03
Rear
Brake Lights:
Bulb 7443
One pair is needed here, you just need some that shine light in all directions to fill the housing, you don't need ones that project forward to blind people behind you.
Bulb Used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HJEXEF8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s03
Rear Turn Signals:
Bulb 4157
One pair is needed here, you just need some that shine light in all directions to fill the housing, you don't need ones that project forward to blind people behind you.
Load Resistors are required for these, see installation instructions below.
Bulb Used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HJDI22E?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s03
Reverse Lights:
Hatch: Bulb 921
Sedan: Bulb 3157
For these, get a pair of the brightest bulbs you can find that project forward, this will illuminate as much as possible behind you while reversing.
Bulb Used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FTDJ9FA?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s01
Sidemarkers:
Bulb 194
These are the little bulbs that illuminate sideways, just get ones that illuminate in all directions.
Bulb Used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JIGZXMC?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s03
License Plate Lights:
Bulb 2825
One pair is required, get a pair that shines light in all directions to make sure the entire license plate is illuminated.
Bulb Used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JIEX722?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s01
Load Resistors
Basically if you don't get these, your turn signals will flash really fast to say you have a bulb out.
You need one pair of 6 ohm resistors for the front turn signals, and one pair of 6 ohm resistors for the rear turn signals as well.
Resistors Used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VCSRI4A?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00
Install
Installing the bulbs is as simple as removing the stock ones are putting the LEDs in place, nothing more complicated than that.
As far as the turn signal load resistors, you need to splice the resistors into the turn signal circuit or else your car will think the bulbs are out and they'll blink at twice the speed. This picture shows how they end up looking:
For the front turn signals, the bulbs have 3 wires but you only want to splice the Black and Blue/Yellow on the driver's side, and the Black and Green/Purple on the passenger's side.
On where to mount the resistors, a good place on the driver's side is the metal bracket holding the fender in place behind the headlight. A good place on the passenger's side is under the intake on the metal above the wheel well.
For the rear turn signals, the bulbs only have 2 wires so just splice into those and you'll be set.
As for location, it's a little harder to get a good location for them. The best way is to run the wires from the resistors up from behind the rear bumper through the hole water can drip through, and attach the resistor to the rear crash bar. I'll have a picture of this uploaded soon.
And there you are! Feel free to ask any questions you have, this works 100% with no problems, looks great, and is using less power on the alternator (lower wattage) So i'd like to think it's helping my MPG by a solid .1 MPG
Enjoy and happy modding!
Last edited:
