hatch back led light kit
- Thread starter $ub$onic
- Start date
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The M32 Martyr
I can't find the other thread about this, but anyspray..... Now that I have a little free time I'm moving forward with the hatch tail LED project.
This project is a Beeyotch! The kit comes with no instructions, nor do the LED modules have any clear mounting tabs or clips.:blankface: I already destroyed one taillight in the oven to learn they must be cut open instead.
The extra set of tails were about $200+ and the kit was also $200 plus. The hours of difficult labor are easily passed 10 by now. So I don't see this particular kit becoming a common DIY upgrade. Not to mention I'm quite pleased with how my smoke tinted stock tails look at this point..... But whatever, I gotta finish what I started.
So the latest progress is that I soldered all the wiring from the stock wiring harness to the rear tail so it can be plugged in just like stock. Electrical is not my forte..... I'm not bad at it, I just don't enjoy it like I do with mechanic wrenching.
They come with a resistor element for proper turn signal operation and I spent a good deal of effort getting that tucked into the assembly instead of having to hack the harness and mount them outside of the unit.
Then I applied a bead of clear silicone to the LED modules to hold them inside the tail assembly. Harder than it sounds because they don't just sit in there on the same plane..... The blinker module wants to sit deeper and at a different angle than the brake light module.
I'm not going to touch it until it cures overnight, but only then can I test that the wiring is good on the car, and if it is, gluing the lenses back on is all that will be left, and shouldn't be very hard....... Except that I will then have to repeat the wiring, positioning and gluing on the left side.:blankface:
If I decide that I don't like them better than my stock setup, I may considered selling them, but it may be a tough sale, because I would have a hard time accepting at least the cost of parts. So even excluding the labor, I'd want at least $400.:sadbanana:
This project is a Beeyotch! The kit comes with no instructions, nor do the LED modules have any clear mounting tabs or clips.:blankface: I already destroyed one taillight in the oven to learn they must be cut open instead.
The extra set of tails were about $200+ and the kit was also $200 plus. The hours of difficult labor are easily passed 10 by now. So I don't see this particular kit becoming a common DIY upgrade. Not to mention I'm quite pleased with how my smoke tinted stock tails look at this point..... But whatever, I gotta finish what I started.
So the latest progress is that I soldered all the wiring from the stock wiring harness to the rear tail so it can be plugged in just like stock. Electrical is not my forte..... I'm not bad at it, I just don't enjoy it like I do with mechanic wrenching.
They come with a resistor element for proper turn signal operation and I spent a good deal of effort getting that tucked into the assembly instead of having to hack the harness and mount them outside of the unit.
Then I applied a bead of clear silicone to the LED modules to hold them inside the tail assembly. Harder than it sounds because they don't just sit in there on the same plane..... The blinker module wants to sit deeper and at a different angle than the brake light module.
I'm not going to touch it until it cures overnight, but only then can I test that the wiring is good on the car, and if it is, gluing the lenses back on is all that will be left, and shouldn't be very hard....... Except that I will then have to repeat the wiring, positioning and gluing on the left side.:blankface:
If I decide that I don't like them better than my stock setup, I may considered selling them, but it may be a tough sale, because I would have a hard time accepting at least the cost of parts. So even excluding the labor, I'd want at least $400.:sadbanana:
sonic24740
Zippy
wow I was thinking about doing this.. Now it is for sure a no...
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The M32 Martyr
The glue is setting pretty fast. I may be able to throw up a teaser pic tonight.
But yeah, for some reason I thought this project was gonna be fun, and even though I feel proud that expanded my range of what I'm capable of by doing this project. I don't think I'll get the satisfaction/effort ratio I was hoping for.
But yeah, for some reason I thought this project was gonna be fun, and even though I feel proud that expanded my range of what I'm capable of by doing this project. I don't think I'll get the satisfaction/effort ratio I was hoping for.
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The M32 Martyr
This is what I was worried about. The CANBUS doesn't recognize the LED blinker resistance.:blankface:
When I use my ohmmeter on the stock bulb I get 2.8ohms.
Ill have to check the resistance on the LED blinker with and without the kit's resistor and see WTF.
The brake light portion seems to be functioning fine.
I'll get a shot when it gets dark.
When I use my ohmmeter on the stock bulb I get 2.8ohms.
Ill have to check the resistance on the LED blinker with and without the kit's resistor and see WTF.
The brake light portion seems to be functioning fine.
I'll get a shot when it gets dark.
sbpphoenix
New member
Can you take a few images of the reverse lights at night? Id be interested in buying the assemblies if theyre as bright as the ones I have now.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
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The M32 Martyr
I'm glad you chimed in, I was thinking of pm'ing you about some resistance questions. I remember you had to add some resistors to one of your lighting upgrades. Was it turn signal related? Do you recall the resistance that the system needs to see in order to function.
I have one more thing to try. I was playing with the stock amber turn bulb and realized its dual filament.
Why?
Our rears only have off and on.
Then I realized that I tapped the LED into the two side by side prongs of the bulb socket. Well...... The bulb only shows continuities between tabs that are diagonal from each other.
I'm going to try to swap my wiring and see.
But something also occurred to me. One of the bulbs two filaments is much beefier than the other. So if you just pull the bulb and flip it over and plug it back in, you will now be using the other filament.
Interesting. Could come in handy if one filament burns out.
I have one more thing to try. I was playing with the stock amber turn bulb and realized its dual filament.
Why?
Our rears only have off and on.
Then I realized that I tapped the LED into the two side by side prongs of the bulb socket. Well...... The bulb only shows continuities between tabs that are diagonal from each other.
I'm going to try to swap my wiring and see.
But something also occurred to me. One of the bulbs two filaments is much beefier than the other. So if you just pull the bulb and flip it over and plug it back in, you will now be using the other filament.
Interesting. Could come in handy if one filament burns out.
sbpphoenix
New member
It was in austin's build thread. I think he said it needs 3 ohms per socket.
The dual filament is because of the front running lights. Cheaper to use the same socket and bulb than having single filament in the rear
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
The dual filament is because of the front running lights. Cheaper to use the same socket and bulb than having single filament in the rear
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
AndrewGS
Ultimo Hombre
The system needs 6 ohms across the signal circuit at each bulb. You'll want a 6 ohm, 50W resistor. The other positions require no resistance.
They use a dual filament bulb out of convenience. The bulbs are actually cheaper and more plentiful.
One thing to remember is that an incandescent bulb requires no polarity, but an LED circuit does, so you'll have to get the polarity right when you wire the LEDs in.
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The M32 Martyr
OK. I'm getting it. I just had to cut and splice directly into the blinker wire and bypass the socket. I must have caused a short in the socket when I tried to modify it.
Looking pretty good, and they light up instantly, as opposed to the lag of the incandescent.
I'm loading a video now.
Looking pretty good, and they light up instantly, as opposed to the lag of the incandescent.
I'm loading a video now.
