1996 GMC 5-speed

[Barry Donovan]

Can you post some pics of the bulbs...and part numbers if it's not too much trouble?

can do.
superbright leds dot com had 2 of the 194, they are 7 years old now. I simply stole them from my subaru, to gain all lights up front. (I had two blown corner lights.)

the other ten 194 LED and the 1157 should be here within a week.

I also noticed this trucks sockets up front can do the "68 smd" (tall 1157 LED), and beyond guessing it should not need the ep29 electronic flasher to stop hyperflash. Hooking up a trailer with LED lights verified my theory...something regulates in this gmc, as all vehicles should since the middle 80s, and even older.

Not sure where the hyperflash errors invade anybody..must be stuck coils in old relays or something...those rigs would have needed a flasher for other reasons soon anyway.

21 below last night, truck sitting for a couple of days.
Started right up. The oil pressure with the billet filter is gaining some old nitrates random, it shreds the particles. I loved that event on my old subaru when it got the billet for the first time. That needed some real oil filter indeed. I am so very familiar with this routine and the oiling..not just for this gmc. Engines with the nitrate seals do not do synthetic. Now would be the time to check for leaks on the two piece seal engines of old, after the big oil flow change. This one is ready to go...as the 96 is one piece, I am sure that helped this subject. 40psi nominal (full warm running down the road).

Took a ride to the nearest town, where the school was, and every memory seemed to be a bad one..as if I bit my tongue and joined a war if it meant dying to get out of here. All the vehicles sucked... my school level was way off the wavelength, my social skills being that of a new yorker more than a lumberjack. The ride to school on that damn buckboard yellow bus in the cold like today. 7f and snowing, I feel I conquered something on this one ride. I used to come flying through with my monte carlo SS in the 90s.. but winter is something I seemed to have avoided during those years... only to visit grandma (rip).

The heater is excellent. The 20 below needed a 15minute warmup, to be sure of heat moving correct, and no thermostat getting confused. That is a battle that can still happen today. The wall of cold up front is so contrasted, the engine tries to be aircooled for too long, battles the thermostat. The american stuff knows how to keep feeding the heater as a priority. Very glad I got this truck. Made a record breaking cold seem simple. A little more aggression on the brake pulling back in, and found how cold the tires are...a slight bouncy wiggle of a mud truck, but still very good. The 16 inch tire, and sidewall is great for going down the road, snow etc.. but on brakes in the cold..the 17 inch or bigger would be better. I do want more highway superstar on the 5 speed 3.73 combo, and will keep an eye out for the next generation chevy wheels. Exact fit, and correct.

The 96 is still impressive in the steps of evolution for the complaints that lingered for decades... I have no problems at all, just adding extras in this extreme place. This year of truck onward could have decades to go, and be surreal at it...every situation maine has to offer.

[Barry Donovan]

a pile of led
this truck has a lot of lights.

I got just 2 LED in, up front, the corner 194 lights.




this is for instrument panel and wherever else. I will check ash tray, glove box. Should be four left over.. maybe not.



reverse, these sockets showed up in 1988. My 1996 is in the years that has two different bulb sockets to check for.. I guess sockets overlapped for 10 more years. Check your own truck before buying old or new.



The lenses for this one are very dark. gobbles up white 3057 easily. So, i got the xenon white.
The smd count is the same as the front.(easy on flasher relay)



here is the front.



my license plate is hidden by a hitch and wire cable, and just the design blocks half of it. I'll keep it bright there as well.
This may be the monster 194 that has lingered for decades. Salt does not melt bumpers. electricity being a cathode/anode does.

I decided I love the injection, the non california poppet version, and I know computers. This will keep it good.

24 lights changed..
a round about figure for watts dropped is 500 peak. 400 nominal.
that is 33amps and a tungsten mig weld frequency, gone with the past.


The larger truck in steel amount over my subaru hides the strain of oem incandescent.. until changing the positive side draw. The ground is always plenty with two hefty frame rails. I was playing with the headlamps swapped to cheap LED, and the alternator let out a noise like a power steering pump going dry as it let it go to less watts...

..and that was just the headlamps.
I am keeping the headlamps as the only incandescent. The design of the socket for this one has no real led that I like..and HID brings tickets here.

given my years miles and maine with gm stuff.. my theory before changing them and knowing...is the 194 LED dash lights doing something very good. the gauges, pcm, injectors, coils, relays, switches and where the heater duct will leave the heat.

that is on par with those old bleeding 1157, except even more important because of location. Not many good spots for 194. LED is a great change. They send them to the corners and frontlines of every battle for a very long time now. The poor runted grunted 194 bulb.

its like being an air guard crew chief.

[Barry Donovan]

damn cold..and some v8 power epiphany..
snow blowing, decent drifts..went for a ride. This place was worse way back when, but the full size is a good thing to have right now. Like a forgetful disabled person, I forgot the dash cam to record what I used to drive through for days on end. I noticed the oil gauge blippiness is nearly gone, and a few whiffs of sulfur after shutdown. The billet for the win..yet again. That one fact is all these v8s death. The tin can oil filters with paper elements are assholes. I also figured out the dash bezel removal, with cup holder slot to turn. That dash light chore will be minutes. The last smoother for gauges is the lights. This routine is not just gm trucks.

The hefty drama for this, was the filter being real...and waiting for what got conquered. The balancer of oil cooler made the filter very important. Shame no one talks more on the L30 and L31..but it does allow me to weed idiot from masochist and from those who listen. A lot of it is deionizing a fake reality (odor). the real flow is the real gain...of course.The LED is an awesome setup for that deionize stuff...only have two bulbs in right now. The aluminum on the billet filter is the engine deionizer. Anyway, I was thinking what would I have done with no billet option..and found the k&n oil filter with the 11-17 psi relief. This is dumb for filtering, but pressure is more important.

I also despise plastic side tank radiators. The only good thing for this is to help dummies like me determine a cool running 305 from the 350. The L30 305 gets the same smaller radiator as the 4.3 v6. I found an all aluminum with oil cooler implemented, for 136 bucks. That will be my other extra for this one.

I got to thinking as I went to sleep. The next town over has many round trips, a store, and some gas. 7f and snowing..slowing down to the 35mph last stretch into the towns center is about 1 mile or more. I used to hate that stretch, as the road is big enough to just sail in at 70 and stomp on the brakes when the time comes...
anyway, I lugged way down in fifth, 900 rpm. Thumping along like a locomotive at just over 35mph. I am really falling for this one.

I have concluded this one is at least 250hp. I have also found, I have not gone to max torque at 2800 very often. That is near 300ft/lbs for sure. The new venture tranny is very slippery. This is one of those vehicles that go by you before you think the exit ramp has ended.

This truck is allowing me to reel in where most of my time and happiness was. It is my fifth 305. I have more than 150000 miles on highway and backroads, from my days of busting butt to work. The pause is a veterans story, and a lot of people understand for sure. I will never be able to explain the subaru exactly..some day it will speak for itself. My exact build.

I and a little help in 1996, took my last 305 to 300hp, with the advice of a guy named bill (rip). It allowed the one run we got in for hardly any money. To feel this one out, right out of the box..the robustness down low that was missing in all the wheezing carbs, it is my time frame to keep. Matches my age and history. More than a coinicidence to find the 5 liter sizing is the prevailing numbers today. Reality of every day set the 5 liters into motion.

It is odd not to have a long to do list. I am going to bang on the drivers door for the pillowy perfect dent down low, and see how it comes out.. with a truck like this, door shells for less than 300 is very easy to do as well. I also found rockers are solid, all the way back to cab corners. Great candidate for the 10 foot long stainless I gained for free, that can get the whole lower in one shot.

sun is out, and weather is going to break with a vengeance this year.. I can tell already. Another sun cycle...and those are 15 years or so apart. I must be old to remember 3 of them.

[Barry Donovan]

Nerdy LED insight

---

720watts equals one hp apparently.
I chuckled. I am approaching 30 something light bulbs swapped, 25-30w, and bleeding double filaments..and smoothers of gauges.

that is a lot of lights. gain an entire horsepower with LED swapping.

Beyond the hp gains is the frequency the engines run. Carbs even have one. Lights on or off in the tungsten realm do not stop the ground side they are attached to.. fluttering buzzing tig welding noises of a guy flying a kite in a thunderstorm.

I figured more than a single mpg, it is the precision of controls to gain, like city off and on throttle constantly. Imagine a strong focus for the computer..
If I hung out at the econerd forum, I'd mention this truck.
Another factor to allow feeling out the change.. manual tranny is direct gear between you and all your senses. You cannot take those LED away from me now. My subaru did the same things...with less bulbs. But 3 times less the liters is a little more sensitive.

My dads rigs at 60-70 feet long, led from one end to the other today. 2007 was my first influence of how serious that evolution is... the light bulb.

I just ordered 20 more 194 that can pass as several other part numbers this truck uses. 168 I think.. etc etc.

I also found the flasher relay by just stooping down and listening. I do not even need to remove a cover to change the flasher..its right there for anyone to see. I am guessing it may need one, its an old noisy one, nothing stating electronic. That too is a huge suck not measured: relay coils. Today, even those can have a diode to stop bleeding run ons.

[Beagle]

746 w = 1 hp, but yeah...that's why I laugh at "5 HP compressors" with 15 amp 110v electric motors, or the "20w RMS Per Channel" amplifier I bought with a 2a 12v power supply. What, are they producing their own current midstream? Hell, at that rate, they should power themselves!

[Barry Donovan]

746 w = 1 hp, but yeah...that's why I laugh at "5 HP compressors" with 15 amp 110v electric motors, or the "20w RMS Per Channel" amplifier I bought with a 2a 12v power supply. What, are they producing their own current midstream? Hell, at that rate, they should power themselves!

it has been way off the invisible numbers for a long time.
A rig or larger vehicle, maybe a bus..well lit. If to have lived through the transition over to LED, one can only nod their head on how long stuff went on..its like witnessing a miracle.

A cool item to gain a measure of just the smoothing effect for this gmc.. the oil pressure gauge. I remember them blipping around even in my 79, and a friends 1984. Strangely light bulb related, or oil cooler engine with those stupid tin can filters...all electric/static pressures or dirtiness.

I am loving the '96. OBD2. I was informed a cheap scan tool is at harbor freight. Never had a desire to keep exactly factory until this 1996.
By the end of the week, should have a pile of 25 LED bulbs or so...
I won't forget that light outside the cab up top either.

Getting to know my gmc a little more. I found a new line in the back seat, mystery line, not brakes, too short for oil cooler, this is a manual tranny..so no lines for that.

power steering.

Someone was going to replace the one that was in it due to being too long and a kink. Stainless steel no less.. mystery solved. I'll get that in on a nice day. Engine is very quiet. Very sweet engine. I am opting for all aluminum radiator, but I may go single row believe it or not...but have the two row in my favorites as well. I also found this has a power steering cooler. This explains the delta88/cadillac feeling box.

Adjusted new headlamp on a wall of a building. 25 feet out should be level with the floor. Strange to read for instructions, but made sense when I adjusted. I had driver side quite high I guess.

looking over interior bulbs, it is a good thing I went for the 20 pack of 194 LED. This will gobble up 14 so far, first checks. There is two map lights over head, that my make 16 of the 20..and a few more in the dash where it may fit, beyond the 6 there I know already will. Need to check it when time comes.

That is a big chunk of amperes..just 194 bulbs.
My favorite swap via subaru lessons learned..any bulb with a double filament. ..194 is a close second. That is a reason I am leaving the hot headlamps of old alone..this design is single filament per bulb, and the swaps add an HID effect with hertz increased. Must be the computer finding the mother load of resistance.

just gotta get it away from the little bulbs..with LED.

the other followup I wanted to mention.. as I am a nut with metal. You might think I was savant at my pauses and staring and needing moments of silence when it comes to body working. I have dumped 50 pounds or more of weld into a chassis, awd no less.
Aligning for the 88-present doors is a frustration for some. Just a thump into a light pole at a parking lot can do something terrible for all the seams spanning 20 feet.
I aligned the passenger door, as it was way off at the door latch pin. It then seemed out at the bottom. I knew to drive around, check it later. Been a week or so now. In the middle of winter, 24 below gone by after the chore of aligning door seam..I found yesterday it is with 1 mm of brand spanking new. Will get a photo. I am enjoying being back in the 16 gauge american, with a pcm precisely lit as the biggest hammer of all.

the drivers door needs a pin bushing, and dent fix..for now, just making sure bottom seams keep crap out. Plenty good enough shape for that, had to do nothing so far.

[Barry Donovan]

24F..the salt is actually melting some snow today. Warmest it has been in quite some time.
grabbed some photos.


The new lamps. One might guess why i did not use the whole clear crystal bling circus that came with blinker lenses and corners where the orange is. Really silly to look at. The headlamps are very nice as crystal lenses however. All these trucks right into the 2000s here in my locale are dim head lamped. This one is nice and bright.

yes my subes rear bumper sits higher than the z71. My little subaru of masochist love.




nice low miles, like a good kenworth.





this is like a big rig too... am loving it.





my first body chore, I had to align this passenger door seam. Pins were good, door and jam was good...this meant hammer on the shell side and loosen torx screw for door latch pin adjustment. I am finding one anomaly in the salty slush..it gathers on both doors on the lower rear corners. I'll add stainless this summer. This design reminds me of the 96 corsica me and my bro n law hammered back to shape some years ago... the way the doors line up. The steel is like play doh in a way. Set what you want, drive around.



the pillow perfect dent in driver side. This will be a warm weather chore.

I did not get engine photos, nothing broken cracked in the plastics, in fact it was dressed up to be looking like a shown engine bay when I got my first look.

the 200 mile ride home was the sure seal of the deal.

the double filament bulbs will be all led after tomorrow. On the old numbers that is the 1157, this truck uses both 3157 and 1157. Only 8 of those monsters. The rest is hunting down a large number of 194 bulbs to swap, mostly interior. I have 30 LED 194 on the way. My sube needs a few as well.
so far, not much for modding. Is quite content.

billet oil filter, and headlamp casings.

The weld chores.. I expected to be doing a lot more than my short list..
make tire hanger area pretty again, rear hanger where it rivets to frame.

the center beam on the bed needs a 3/16ths layer of flat..still holding up normal, just ugly beaten, some holes.

very low on rockers, below doors.. only to be custom and conform to maine salt/slush.

my greatest fun for this one is obd2, no hacks. The little extras I learned over the years of making the tin can on the right computer worthy..this truck will get the same treatment. Computer aides and tricks.

all the steel is good, inspection worthy. It is my hobby to go at it further. I did not get a photo of the genuine rhino lining on the bed. Inside bed is near perfect...I might even say perfect. No errors at all on the interior bed, the polyurethane coating. That may be part of the bright headlamps..but I'll stop talking.

The overall goal is letting it sit the way it does. Tall geared and simultaneous a granny 4 lo when wanted. The duality, like the subaru on the right, is in place just right to me.

[Barry Donovan]

lamp swap in the snow

---

Front lamps went right in..and the 194 acts off when parking lamps are on for the blink.. a little extra I did not expect. They alternate in the blinking. When they are all incandescent up front, those 194 corners just sit there..and stay on, while just parking does the blinking. Anyway, new led parking/blinker is very yellow, no orange at all, and a bit dimmer.

The tail lamps was a problem. Reverse is lost without incandescent..no known fix. That is ok, as reverse is only used... wow. in reverse.

I mixed and matched the tail lamps bulb combo. No function at all trying as all LED.I know of the load resistor fix.. blah blah bah. That would be silly. So, I added one normal bulb and one LED, and it accepted it. Incandescent remains as the blinker (middle bulb) and the top bulb accepted the led. The top is just a parking light, does no blinking.
Took a big heat load as well as amps away from that circuit board these have for tail lamps.

6 of 8 bulbs swapped brought the smell of the battery accepting the load change. My subaru did this too, right after swap.

A lot of watts dropped, I am feeling it is just in time, as the wet season is going to be very nasty this year.

I also gained the hyper flash problem and have an ep29 electronic flasher on the way.

..and the engine fan winds up like a tractor trailer. I'll know when the surge of dispersing the 60 year old design is calm..the fan will calm as well. I do now know without any doubt the 1157 was the culprit. The newer socket 3157, nothing to notice. Something about 1157 incandescent.. not good for much.

20 LED 194 due tomorrow, and will have some fun swapping at least 14 bulbs of the 194 size that I know of in the interior, dash... it may be 16 or 18.
As it is right now, the alternator still acknowledges a hefty load for parking when turning on, even after dropping 120-160 watts. That is a big circuit indeed. I know I am doing good, one just has to smell for the battery, after first swapping this stuff out for light weight.

I also noticed a ride in clean snow, metal looks like its ready for waxing, rejecting more stuff than attracting. I learned the bulb stuff a very long time ago. It does a lot of unmeasured things.

The A body in fact (more than one). The gm truck is similar..but bigger.
The swap total just might meet the theory of 750 watts equaling a horsepower. I know my own attack has at least 400w nominal dropped..and that is just parking lights on.

bye bye incandescent. If america would step up with a brand at 75% less in cost, I'd be going for those. I am forced due to the sheer number of bulbs to go chinese...6 weeks shipping on one of them, and no reply yet. The 20 bulb set is coming from seattle, should be here soon.

[Barry Donovan]

a ride at night.
this is the last 5 minutes into the first city exit.
impressive cheap camera called a "gw1" from ebay. I pressed the wrong button after this clip, and muted sound..but got an idea of how it works.

not sure if it is still processing, looks nothing like original. Original vid is impressive.

I also got a look at the LED swap and the front looks like one big parking light for each side..they are all the same exact color. The corner matches the parking/blinker. Nice to see. they alternate now as part of the blinkers, back and forth, a fancy extra I did not know was going to happen. The volt gauge is a smidge above 14, it used to be just below that at night. Noticable gain, and the truck measured it. Dash lights tomorrow, and the electronic flasher will slow the hyper flash blinkers. Hyperflash is a relay that gets too excited, so that will be yet another amp gain unmeasurable. The dash lights, I am sure to see that show up on the volt gauge. The interior of this truck as quite a pile of 194 bulbs. I will reveal how I install all 20.

This was the longest I had it in 4x4, sailed up to 70 on slickery stuff. It was not until after getting off the highway to go home, I realized the front end needs to warm up like the rear end of my subaru. I noticed a gain in power, and steering felt lighter. I know the cv on these was frustrating, we used to cheat the rules for some customers and give new CV joints grease on these chevies. The dealer I bought from , he spoke up before I never thought to ask. The front end is all young, and he checked new cv joints for grease himself. I can agree after this evenings ride.

I am only at 550 miles with it thus far. The fuel mileage definitely went down to 18 or so, staying in 4x4 highway. Well worth it. That confidence is priceless...heading into the darkness of alton maines rte 16, and beyond that to go home. it is not just driving down the road..I could go baja rally fast with it. I'll probably gain the fuel back in just led and relay swapping...(don't laugh.)

Already noting exhaust, less crackle, heading towards whistle. That is a vortec. I am stubborn enough to make carb engines go there too..electrical is only half of it.
So far, just the front bulbs swapped, is 110 watts dropped. The tail lights have dropped 50 watts. At 160 watts dropped as of now, the lights that stay on when switch is on..it is 13 amps less nominal at all times running...13 amps gone. That is noticable indeed.

by the time I am done it will be near 500 watts, in 12volts, that is a nominal 41 amps. nominal means lights on all time, this is not counting blinker indicator, or how smart the electronic load balancing flasher keeps out.

two license plate lamps.. I bought those special different, a xenon white, extra bright. Still in the mail. The third brake light, I forget the story on those, but i'll dig into it. Normally a 921 bulb, a 194 fits it.
just those three is another 40 watts.

[Barry Donovan]

dash led swap

---

I used 12 of 20. Eight on the dash and two lower interior. Two license plate. So, for parking light circuit, there is only 4 bulbs left as incandescent. One is in heater control cluster, and that is permanent. The other one is on the light switch, also permanent. Can't swap those. The other two are in the tail lamps, and it seems i need to leave those to make the relay gain a load resistance. Saved a tremendous amount of power anyway. No flicker on the alt gauge to turn on parking lamps. Very nice color. I don't even want to turn them down on the dimmer.

One doubt left is seat belt light..I have no clue when the pcm triggers that... I hope I have the new bulb in right direction.

Something I was looking forward to seeing is if the LEDs in photo was really dioded, as their ad stated. This means one has to insert into plug correct direction. This is a huge power saver..and real meaning light emitting "diode". On circuits, negatives can be positives, and people throw lights that work in any direction at them.

I had to remove the dash cluster twice to gain the right direction..that was awesome.

The dash on the 96 is super easy to remove, and once I saw how dainty the circuit board was, I am glad to have gone LED.

In total, for the parking circuit, lights that stay on when switch is on ..

6 dash, 6 lights exterior up front, 4 more in the back. 16 lights, all parking lamp circuit.
The biggest savings was 1157/3157. That was 6 of them.

ep 29 flasher on the way, to slow the blinking down.

update:
found the 4x4 lever had 194 bulbs. One was blown, and I swapped both. That had a parking light switched function as well. This makes 10 interior. Interior is really nice to look at, night time, parking lights switched on. Opening the doors to the under dash courtesy is a white xenon. tha alpine head coincidentally matches the led color on its buttons. That was a nice surprise.

the ep 29 did not get here fast enough, I fused one of the tail lamp bulbs.. seems a familiar routine on the pickups, 1157.. another reason for LED. It is the only incandescent bulb left on the parking circuit, and I am shorting it.

checked the door bulbs, both blown, and my LED 194 is too fat. Will hunt down some 161. That will be the escalade icing on the cake.

the last one I dug into today was the 921 bubs for third brake light. One got so hot the glass melted a bubble. An infection prone spot, the 921 up high on the back of the cab. I removed the blown pair easy enough, and found dielectric grease between the prongs. Left the bulbs out. Will find the LED version of 921.. I do not want the 194 there, even though they fit.

the engine sounds really nice right now. No crackles in the y-pipe.

So..the total has been bumped 3 more parking bulbs swapped. I'll get a picture of dash at night, interior lights on etc.

more than 150 watts dropped, and to see something so much better. The headlamps have a hint of the xenon LED for reasons I could easily babble, but won't. The high beams are something to see coming down the train tracks or the autobahn....

[tardis454]

the pillow perfect dent in driver side. This will be a warm weather chore.

You can fix that^^^^


With this...

[Barry Donovan]

You can fix that^^^^


With this...

that is clever.
A -25F this winter.. It would have to be a crazy hot solstice to think of the steel getting soft. I am counting on a big hammer. I have a lower trim kit and stainless steel to help with mistakes.

I despise the rocker design, but did figure out why they did it. I do not even notice 0F at 75mph. It is the low cabin vent...it uses this flapping rubber gasket at the bottom door seam. What comes back up due to debris of slush.. I will fatten rocker out some.
that is the measure that might be altered bringing the dent back out. A new door shell is not out of the question.

That same vent they built on pirpose. I let my subaru rust its own way to that same area. More than a coincidence.

Those GM people, it's like they've built cars for some time now.

this evening, after a few hours around the city, roads tightened to snow, playing with inches like a rig on a train bridge in pennsauken. It is my nature. That manual tranny leaves me in a league alone.

I was leaving a parking lot, tire spun a little. Next thing I know, an escalade, which must have been behind me, comes barrel assing around me. It then occured to me as we both boarded the onramp...

by the time I hit fifth, fourth would have left the escalade behind. I backed way down, those days are gone for me. Very nice engine..the L30. Does not even care it was 8F getting on the highway. Still getting to know it, my awe for almost 25 years is conquering physics. Nerdy and boring I have become.

I sat back to xenon blue dash at 5watts total, cruise control on 75 and listened to the alpine. The v8 in the tallness, goes back to the original intent with a 265.. 3k rpm max torque and strong tune to keep it. Do not encounter that much anymore. Real shame.

I also am figuring out tricks to the air bypass, engine braking. I am used to a carb and a real throttle down hard. Let off throttle, just tap the brakes..with enough rpms to notice engine braking. This would be a very classic sound on duals...with the modern bypass. I am really getting to like this.

[G-Motive]

That fooball thing is definitely one of those "why didn't I think of that" things but that dent looks like it'll pop from the inside fairly easy and look presentable enough. I'd try to stay within the molding piece with whatever I tried to pop it with.

[Barry Donovan]

That fooball thing is definitely one of those "why didn't I think of that" things but that dent looks like it'll pop from the inside fairly easy and look presentable enough. I'd try to stay within the molding piece with whatever I tried to pop it with.

That is what I spotted as well. The lower area is getting my welds below door, so some lines are going to change, hide things. Given the robustness of a square truck.. I am thinking one long run of square tubing from home depot, right below door seam. I love that flapper design for cabin venting, tells it like it is on how much air was needed falling out to keep a fresh environment flowing from heater and a/c. So..below doors will be my only hack, where someone would put hundreds of designs in different steps bolted in anyway.

I want a tall rocker as oem. I can see now how those dents come about.. 141.5 inch wheelbase goes forgotten and a prking lot mishap in more ways than can count is easy to unfold. I bought it dented, as I am always working something anyway. I did a 3 way back up to get out of sams club parking spot last night.

I also figured out exactly what I have done so far with lamps. The focus is lights that stay on at all times right now, with parking switch turned on.I did do a lot. Now within just one 15 amp fuse..the whole truck at the parking light level. The alternator gauge does not even wiggle to turn on parking.

oem at 17 bulbs, t10 194 = 136 watts (11 amps)
LED at 17 bulbs, t10 194 = 17 watts (1.4 amps)

oem at 6 bulbs, 3157/1157 = 168 watts (14 amps)..and proven bleeding error, at all times. This leaves power suck unknown.
LED at 6 bulbs, 3157/1157 = 30 watts (2.5 amps)

21.1 amps saved.

parking lamp runtime was a focus..
lights on at all times with parking switched on:

194 is now .33 amps (was 6.6 amps)

1157/3157 is now 2.5 amps on the high side (was 14 amps)
the low side was 4 amps, now that is 1 amp.

In total for parking,
3 amps to run all the new and old bulbs low side, (on at all times with parking switch on)...that used to be 12 amps+ on just the low side.

My other hack is sacrificing two gutted 194 LED shells to act as plugs on the 921 third brake bulbs at top of cab. My locale and those two bulbs specifically, are insane trying to run.

update..
all interior changed accept overhead festoon bulbs.
I only have two of the 20 LED 194 left. Swapped out 18 bulbs..just the 194 , and 6 at 1157/3157.
26 bulbs swapped. I had two 194 LED from my subaru for the front corners already.

got a look at the door bulbs, and simply opened the hole to accept the LED. snapped back in. Passenger side had an error, one half of the snap in plug is not there. Not broken, seems a modular snap something or other...just missing the right end for it. I simply pulled wires down for the 194, plugged it in, silicone stretch tape. All these are directional, and am liking them. The passenger side door let out some creaking once I got that one going. Changing the frequency of where it left off... who knows when. The led can take a lot of door slamming.

I also remembered these are waterproof. The license plate light covers always look sealed but when you take lights out later on, full of dust. The back end only has two incandescent bulbs left, and that is to precharge the "brake relay" underhood. Going all led in the tail lamps does not even kick it on. No known relay for the swap. (I bet there will be some time)

Awaiting the new flasher in the mail, "ep29" to slow the flash, (load balancing electronically), and calling this good. I was actually surprised to find the old rock flasher in this year of truck. Maybe someone swapped it. Hard telling, as this is a crossover year, LED was just invented for mainstream when this truck was sold in 96/97. The inventor of the white blue xenon LED necessary for normal lighting got the nobel prize for physics this year. 20 years later.

[Barry Donovan]

LED summary, once and for all

---

I have gone as far as I am going. Only 6 bulbs left to remain incandescent,
and that will be two in the tail lamp, (3157)..and 4 headlight.

upper tail lamp is a parking mode only for this 1996.. those are led.
reverse
four 1157 up front.
two 194 at the corners.
two 194 license plate

external = 12 lamps swapped.

8 dash lights
4 courtesy lights
glove box
4x4 shift lever area, 2 more

internal = 15 lamps swapped.


3 more to go, called festoon in the interior up top, dome lights, map lights.
no big rush.

cargo light remains a a pair of incandescent 921, and third brake goes unused. In fact if I can find a diagram, I am going to unhook it if convenient, right near where it gets its power from. that light has been a nightmare for a very long time in my locale. Terrible. Just not worth it.

Other than that, the same success emerges in anything that tries this. Anything double filament to LED is a huge power saver. Reverse is always the stinkiest, it does something backwards.

The dash and interior swaps is a first for me, and love the sight of it.

The benefits up front include keeping a plastic abs grill happy, let the headlamps be the only heat to set into the shape of the truck...and those are not mounted in the grille as support.

OEM tail lamps get very warm, they are not in the wind..but if you leave the middle bulb as the hot one, all kinds of room to stay cool with the top bulb being led. The slight difference in colors coming from that long lamp is cool to look at.

reverse is a unique "cree" magnifying lense on the end of the bulb, looks like a flashlight aiming out at you through the lense. Those were sold specifically as reverse lights, and look as rugged as they are. Photo is in previous post.