Anyone heard of automative lighting manufacturer TME?

[belfert]

The brake/tail/directional lights on my bus are made by a company called TME.  Anyone ever heard of them?

I've been web searching for an hour and can't find anything about them.  They might be Mexican or Brazilian since the bus was made in Mexico with body parts from Marcopolo out of Brazil.

I need new light sockets due to corrosion, but MCI lists them as out of stock which likely means they can't get them.  The sockets look like 100 other automotive light sockets, but they have two mounting tabs instead of three mounting tabs like all the other sockets.

[Blacksheep]

Sounds like the perfect time to upgrade to LED's like I did!
texmood.com is a good source and best pricing for complete sealed units!

Ace

[belfert]

Good idea Ace.  I had almost dismissed the idea of LED lights, but you have rekindled my interest.

I have contemplated the idea of putting flat LED lights on the door kinda like a Prevost H3.  I am wondering if I could get in trouble with the law since it states that lights must be "as far apart as practicable"?  I never have been and never intend to be stopped by law enforcement, but I don't want some officer to find things to write tickets for if the old lights are covered up.

Prevost on the H3 has their lights in basically the same place as mine would be so I guess I won't worry about the law.

I can't just replace the existing lights since they are part of the body kinda like a SUV (see picture).  If I add LED lights I would get a friend who owns a sign shop to cover the existing lights with vinyl the same color as the bus.

Are the Bargman lights really better than Peterson, Trucklite, and others?  So far I haven't found surface mount lights from Bargman, but I haven't checked their website either.

[belfert]

I'm still going to contact MCI to see what the availability of the light sockets is.  I can go LED in the back, but the front could be a trick.

MCI shows the lens portion to be available, but there are six of them total in the rear and they cost $72 each.  It is not even clear if the socket is included or not.  The part number called the light assembly that includes everything has been obsoleted. and they refer you to the lens part number.

[Jeremy]

Regarding possible LED lights - Covering the existing lights with vinyl and attaching surface-mounted LED replacements elsewhere sounds like a very clumsy way of doing it. My first inclination would be to remove the existing incandescent equipment and mount either white or coloured leds beneath the existing lenses. Alternatively, it would be fairly easy to mould up a couple of fibreglass panels to replace the existing lighting assemblies and mount the LEDs onto those. If done properly either of these solutions would totally 'OEM' and not give the authorities or any future buyers of your bus cause to look twice.

Jeremy

PS. Your bus needs a wash!

[JackConrad]

what about removing the existing bulb holder (socket) from the housing and replacing it with a "standard" replacement socket available at any auto parts house? The new socket could be glued or fiberglassed into the OEM housing.  Jack

[belfert]

Wouldn't LED bulbs in the existing housings still require use of the existing sockets?  Removing the existing light housings would probably be better I suppose.  My friend might be able to get me rolled aluminum to fit the hole.  Fiberglass wouldn't be a terrible option either.

Yes, the bus needs a wash, but I don't do the yearly wash until after the trees quit dropping stuff in May and June.  I haven't been able to get all the oil from a few years off the white even using the stuff Busted Knuckle recommends.  The bus really needs a paint job.

Jack, I went to several auto parts places today looking for sockets.  They all have three mounting tabs instead of two tabs like mine.  I really thought the sockets would be pretty easy to replace, but not so.

[Blacksheep]

The Bargman LED's I put in mine would not fit the exact oem hole from the existing Prevost light so therefore I made a polished SS panel that houses all 8 surface mounted LED's on each side. They come with a dummy plug that is supposed to just plug into your existing incadescent socket but with mine the sockets were pretty old so I just clipped them and hard wired them. They work fine with no extra added electronic gizmo's to make them flash slow or faster. They light up and blink normal rate!
Not sure how the Bargman compare to the others but these were the closest to original I could find for a decent price!
Ace

[Busted Knuckle]

Brian,
I'd look at using a piece of "rolled" sheet metal and cut out an opening for whatever lights you decide to use, thus making it appear "OEM".
FWIW the LEDs I get from Setra are almost identical to "OEM" for a Setra or Prevost and cost me $84 dollars each per complete stop&tail, or turn light unit. For $12 difference over replaced sockets, I'd go with the LEDs I use and be done with it. It gives a much brighter light, and newer look too! I also get the LED clearance lights from Setra (same thing MCI, Dina, some others use) @ $24 each FWIW!

When I say almost identical I mean they appear the same, but we did have to use a file on the opening that they go in and make it slightly larger ofr a perfect fit!

  BK 

[belfert]

I talked to MCI and they do have the three pole light sockets on order and the two pole sockets in stock.  It would cost $116 to replace all of my light sockets.

Now I have to decide if I replace the sockets or go LED.  It would cost $50 to replace the front park/turn signals and at least $120 to do the rear in LED.  I can't find a rear LED set I really like.  I currently have two brake lights on each side along with the turn signal.  Bargman makes a three LED cluster, but it is recessed and not surface mount.  They do make a two LED cluster that is surface mount, but not sure if I really need that extra brake light or not.  Peterson makes a three LED surface mount, but nobody seems to carry it.

BK do you have a photo of these LEDs you are talking about?

[belfert]

It looks likes I might end up just getting new sockets.  The Peterson rectangular LED lights aren't DOT approved which is why nobody is selling them yet.  Peterson does make a brakcet to surface three of their round LED lights, but the lights are $60 each!

[Tim Strommen]

I know it's semantics, but DOT doesn't approve fixtures (or any automotive part)...  They only set forth the optical requirements for a fixture and require manufacturers to have evidence that it meets the requirements.

Fixtures are required to feature a DOT compliance number, so that if a fixture is found to be non-compliant, action can be taken against the maker (and devices that are not marked at all can make it easier for a cop to write a ticket).

-Tim

[belfert]

I didn't look into exactly what is required for DOT approval.  I just know the lady at Peterson said they are not DOT approved.

I'm leaning more towards replacing my light sockets as I can't find LED lights that I think will work and are inexpensive enough.  I can't justify $350 for LED lights and then some more to fill in the space from the old lights.