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Want Led Tail Lights?


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#1
jsgprod

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I've been wanting to replace my stock tail lamps with LEDs for some time on the race car. Mainly because they can be seen better but the fact that (done correctly) they are brighter, coming to full brightness almost immediately, they also use less current than incandescent bulbs do. I initially thought about making a small PC board to mount some on but figured if I could find something that would fit, it would be cheaper to just buy them and cut and fit them into the stock housing. While I was at Harbor Freight last week I was looking at a set of the small square LED trailer lights and since the price was only $13ea I was just about to throw them into the buggy....till I saw these! $7.99 each! cool.gif So I grabbed two of them, these are the kind that you slide into at trailer hitch receiver and they just plug into the standard flat 4 conductor trailer wiring, they also contained 28 LED lights in each one. Ought to be plenty bright!



So, over the past couple day I took out one of my tail light assemblies and started checking the fit. Turns out these particular ones looked to be sized damn near perfect to fit into the (CRX) tail/stop lamp enclosure area.


That's just the red lens cover that I removed from the LED housing. I did that because I didn't want 'two' red lenses over the LEDs (which were also red when illuminated) Didn't figure it was necessary. I 'may' have been wrong wink.gif (more on that later).
With the lens cover sitting where I thought it needed to be I made some scribe marks on the plastic, then started cutting out a hole. I used the air cutting wheel on the first one, then found out how soft that plastic really is, you can cut it pretty easily:


The hole trimmed pretty close to a 'good' fit:


Here's the light 'trial fitted' in the cut-out. I also cut off the ~3" part that fits into the receiver hitch, it's all plastic.


Just in case you're interested in what the lights look like under the cover.


Next post to follow, I had too many pics in this one!

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#2
jsgprod

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Here it is, after I got it mounted and sealed. I added the small aluminum strap just to make sure it stayed in place. I knew I was going to have to use some sort of glue/sealant to install it but figured the additional strap couldn't hurt. As for what kind of glue I used, I had initially intended to use epoxy, but there were some gaps around the light that were a little bigger than I wanted (nobody's perfect wink.gif ) and epoxy tends to run right through even small holes! Then I remembered some stuff I had just bought a few days earlier, to fix one of my shoes! Shoe Goo! Only I didn't but the 'shoe goo' branded package, I bought this: It's the Same Stuff, just $2 cheaper! Not to mention it's sticky as Hell, and fills gaps quite nicely...not to mention it worked GREAT on my racing shoes too! biggrin.gif


All ready to go back in with the wiring done.


A shot from the rear with the lights off, you can barely make out the LEDs behind the lens. The bright yellow is just the reflection of the flash.


With the brakes on! Believe me when I say it brightens up the back of the garage!


From a slightly lower angle, without the flash.


I'll have to remember to take another shot of them when I get the car outside to see if it looks less 'yellowish'. When I saw the pics I noticed that but really don't remember it looking quite that yellow just standing behind the car. Hence my comment that maybe I should have left the red lens that came on them in place. I didn't show a shot of them with just the parking lights on...because I didn't hook them up! I DID however, leave the brown wire for the parking lights in place just in case I ever see a need for them.

Never have since I built the car in 2001 though!

Jay

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#3
strudel

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Nice job Jay. Depending on what look you are trying to achieve here is some info. Most LED configurations today you can see every bulb except for one car company. Red bulbs should be the best behind a red lens. Since you bought an off the shelf unit you don't have to worry about how many resistors have been installed as there seems to be a formula for each bulb. They need a constant voltage plus normally are a one way flow of electricity.

If you are wanting a uniform look with no bulbs showing then Cadillac has the answer. Their early CTS cars have the absolute best LED solution as far as I am concerned. The lens illuminates as if it were one bulb and looks fabulous as far as a LED tail light goes. The solution they use is to insert a milky white egg-crate style plastic between the bulbs and the outer lens which then diffuses the light so they appear to be one solid light. I'm sure for racing this isn't going to be an issue for you but as far as the aesthetic value of a street car I would use a diffuser lens.

The only other thing you may have to check out is the draw from the unit itself. Since LED's take less current the blinker unit sometimes has to be fooled to think there is a proper draw on the system or they blink abnormally fast. Units are available to solve this issue. I believe they just put some resistance in the line to the blinker unit to get them to work normally again. JS

EDIT:For anyone wanting to do this just remember one thing. Once you cut the back of the tail light out there is no going back unless you can refit the piece you just cut out. Or you will need a new unit. So make sure it is the look you want before you do it or have an extra light to play around with. JS

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#4
rpr

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Nice! I'll have to keep my out for those at the local surplus place.

For a really neat trick, wire your reverse light into the brake light. It will totally screw up anyone behind you! smile.gif
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#5
~zeus~

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QUOTE (rpr @ May 25 2008, 12:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
For a really neat trick, wire your reverse light into the brake light. It will totally screw up anyone behind you! smile.gif


Or wire your gas pedal to your brake lights! wink.gif
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#6
JMSBND

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QUOTE (~zeus~ @ May 25 2008, 08:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Or wire your gas pedal to your brake lights! wink.gif


Or wire your friends brake light switch....................TO THE HORN!!!! tongue.gif

WARNING: May result in fits of laughter at poor guy driving car off down the street!

Good work on the LED's too!

James
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#7
~zeus~

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QUOTE (JMSBND @ May 25 2008, 10:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Or wire your friends brake light switch....................TO THE HORN!!!! tongue.gif

WARNING: May result in fits of laughter at poor guy driving car off down the street!


Not just the brake light switch, the Brakes!
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#8
dnocrx

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nice work wink.gif
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#9
CarNutCertifies

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there is the old wire from #1 spark plug to a spot under the seat cover......start the car get a jolt.....trick too

nice job I think i will have to keep my eye out as well.

There is this guy.....and we think just having LEDs is a cool idea....



here is his project thread on how he did it with instructions so you can do it too.....

http://www.hidplanet.......asc&start=0

Edited by CarNutCertifies, 26 May 2008 - 12:20 PM.

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#10
strudel

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QUOTE (CarNutCertifies @ May 26 2008, 11:05 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
there is the old wire from #1 spark plug to a spot under the seat cover......start the car get a jolt.....trick too

nice job I think i will have to keep my eye out as well.

There is this guy.....and we think just having LEDs is a cool idea....



here is his project thread on how he did it with instructions so you can do it too.....

http://www.hidplanet.......asc&start=0

I've followed that thread for a while. Lots of reading if you follow the whole thing. He did a great job. JS

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#11
dkyk25

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nice, very clever.
i wish they make one in a rectangle..
Recyling is not the answer. Using less to begin with is.

#12
nature223

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NOTE TO ALL INVOLVED....
DO NOT CHANGE OUT THE FRONT INCANDESCENT LAMPS...
YOU NEED SOME AMP DRAW/RESISTANCE TO WORK THE FLASHER...
TOO LOW(ALL LED LIGHTS) THE FLASHER WILL NOT FLASH THE TURN SIGNALS...
KEEP THE FRONT ONES STOCK, IT STILL SHOULD WORK NORMALLY.

OR GET A LED FLASHER,BUT THEN YOUR COMMITTED TO ALL LEDS IN YOUR LAMP CIRCUITS..

good luck,that looks really like a nice upgrade,they never burn out,and your amp draw will be ALOT less.
oh yeah,faster AND furious..Heh Heh Heh

better to be thought the fool..
rather then to open one's mouth and confirm it

use may include risk factors these include;anal leakage,oily discharge,copious flatulence,bloating,incontinence,erectile dysfunction,body rejecting genitals,a racing or severely diminished heart rate/including death. discontinue use if health insurance ends,or patient turns blue and doctor leaves after declaring patient has died...your results may vary

#13
dfdan24

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WOW! That is definitely awesome!!! KITT better watch out . . .

#14
rpr

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This thread inspired me. I had bought a couple of these 56 LED trailer lights:



years ago, with the intention of using them in a car at some point, but I could never figure out how to do it nicely. After seeing what you did, and what the guy did with the Integra, I came up with a cunning plan. I removed the red diffuser with a dremel, and removed the LED panel inside. I then cut a slice in the back of the tail light and managed to finagle the lamp board in, and mounted it on some standoffs that I salvaged from the original light bucket. So it's a bit of a hybrid of what you did and what the Teg guy did. Mine is definitely WAY more ghetto than either of them, so no pics... smile.gif They are SUPER bright, I'm quite happy with the result, unlike those auto specific LED bulbs that I bought. The teg is only on the road for a few more weeks anyway, so next time I'll do it right.

Tom
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#15
84b18

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i have always wanted to put in led's.
i think it would look awesome to tint the tail lights so they blend in with the rer garnish but you need lights that are bright enough.
Oh, you don't know if it's legal?
you're in california of coarse it's ILLEGAL!!!!!