Map light replacement
10-21-2017, 06:03 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 64
Map light replacement
I’m lookig for an LED light replacement for the map light in my 95 Maxima. I have the LED bulb for the courtesy and step lights but have been unable to find the LED bulb for the map light. Would anyone know where to go for that bulb?
10-22-2017, 07:44 AM
#2
The incandescent map light bulb used by Nissan is a non-standard lamp not available anywhere except Nissan. There are similar size & shaped lamps that are available, but they are not as bright. Since the Nissan lamp is proprietary and does not have a number, this is probably why you cannot find a listing for a led replacement.
You need to look for a lamp that has a BA9 base. There are many. But the only thing that makes it difficult is that Nissan wires the lamp socket in reverse of most everybody else. This is an irritating point; the led itself is polarized, therefore the led lamp is also polarized. There are a few lamp makers that make the lamps in such a way that the lamp is not polarized. So you need to ask about polarity. The cheap led lamps for $2 will be polarized and won't work.
You can re-wire the light fixture in the car. It is not that complicated and many people have done just that. But that is all predicated on how comfortable you are working on electrical stuff.
two big makers/sellers of led lamps are superbrightleds.com and vleds.com. you may want to talk to their support people to make sure they have what you want.
You need to look for a lamp that has a BA9 base. There are many. But the only thing that makes it difficult is that Nissan wires the lamp socket in reverse of most everybody else. This is an irritating point; the led itself is polarized, therefore the led lamp is also polarized. There are a few lamp makers that make the lamps in such a way that the lamp is not polarized. So you need to ask about polarity. The cheap led lamps for $2 will be polarized and won't work.
You can re-wire the light fixture in the car. It is not that complicated and many people have done just that. But that is all predicated on how comfortable you are working on electrical stuff.
two big makers/sellers of led lamps are superbrightleds.com and vleds.com. you may want to talk to their support people to make sure they have what you want.
10-22-2017, 01:56 PM
#3
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 64
I was able to find a replacement LED bulb with a BA9 Base but it would not light up when I installed it. I’ve spent the past week climbing the walls wondering why it would not work and now I know why. Nissan decided to wire that particular base backwards. How irritating. Thanks for the info.
10-23-2017, 12:00 PM
#5
I was able to find a replacement LED bulb with a BA9 Base but it would not light up when I installed it. I’ve spent the past week climbing the walls wondering why it would not work and now I know why. Nissan decided to wire that particular base backwards. How irritating. Thanks for the info.
