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LED conversion write up

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Old Oct 21, 2010 | 06:39 PM
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From: golden state
LED conversion write up

Havent seen one that showed enough pics for me, so I decided to take a few pics for myself and hopefully some people will benefit from these.

first put your lights in the oven using cardboard as a platform. Leave them in there for about 10-15 min @ 250 degrees , then take them out and the lens should come off pretty easy, if you are having issues, put them back in for a bit. After you remove the lens, this should be what you have.


Next remove those reflectors


Notice I cut notches in the rear of the housing, as to accommodate for the new lights wiring harness. I used these lights, bought from a truck shop. Your cuts may differ if different lights are used to accommodate what ever harness you may have.


once the cutts are made, the lights are placed in and screwed in from the back.


once done you should have something like this


Now just put the lens back on, without the clear pieces and stick those lights back in the oven this take for maybe 5 min or so, remove and press the lens into the position they should be in. The wires are easy to hook up, grounds to grounds, and play with the rest until they do what they are suppose to. Throw those bad boys back on your ride and your done.
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Old Oct 21, 2010 | 07:12 PM
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Pretty neat. Do you have any night shots?
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Old Oct 21, 2010 | 07:21 PM
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From: jordan ny
+1 for daytime and night time shots i work at a truck shop this will be ez lol
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Old Oct 21, 2010 | 07:22 PM
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From: tulsa,ok.
Did you have to use an in line resistor for the turn signl/flasher lights?
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Old Oct 21, 2010 | 07:28 PM
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From: Artesia NM
No they shouldn't require a resistor. The plug is pretty standard for trailer lights, LED and incandescent. They are made to be a drop in swap for the older incandescent fixtures. Now if I could just find the oval ones for my S4 tails!
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Old Oct 21, 2010 | 07:34 PM
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From: tulsa,ok.
Originally Posted by Texrx
No they shouldn't require a resistor. The plug is pretty standard for trailer lights, LED and incandescent. They are made to be a drop in swap for the older incandescent fixtures. Now if I could just find the oval ones for my S4 tails!
The reason I asked was because there have been others who have done the same thing and w/o the resistors for the lights that blink quickly, such as the turn signals, would flash way too quickly and required a resistor to slow them down to a more normal flashing rate.
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Old Oct 21, 2010 | 07:48 PM
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Originally Posted by D0ct0r7
...play with the rest until they do what they are suppose to.
lol. good info.
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Old Oct 21, 2010 | 07:57 PM
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Originally Posted by 87 t-66
lol. good info.
seems like he doesn't know how to wire them yet.
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Old Oct 21, 2010 | 08:00 PM
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From: golden state
Originally Posted by satch
Did you have to use an in line resistor for the turn signl/flasher lights?
No i did not, they seem fine, maybe they didnt use the side blinkers....that might make it faster, but i really dont know. I just wired them up

Originally Posted by LunchboxCritter
Pretty neat. Do you have any night shots?
Not yet, did the conversion while the car was in the paint shop, just got it out this morning, so tonight I will.

Originally Posted by 87 t-66
lol. good info.
yep i thought so,
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Old Oct 21, 2010 | 08:05 PM
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From: golden state
Originally Posted by turboIIrotary
seems like he doesn't know how to wire them yet.
i do, but my truck light wires might be different colors than a set you might get, so that part may differ, i dont wanna say one way, and while it works for me you have a orange wire that i dont have.... feel me, thats why i said to connect the ground to ground, my ground wire from the lights was white....not a normal ground wire for me.
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Old Oct 26, 2010 | 01:32 PM
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night shots?
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Old Oct 26, 2010 | 02:13 PM
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From: aurora colorado
one question for you guys that did this already, what about if you have to remove the light housing lets say to paint the car, do you have to cut the wires or did you mod a connector in there to make it removable?
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Old Oct 26, 2010 | 02:59 PM
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i dont about everyone else but i made my own harnesses just for that reason. i like switching between s4 and s5 tails.

mine is still undone. going for a rainbow colored led setup.
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Old Oct 27, 2010 | 03:41 PM
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From: golden state
I dont ever plan on switching my lights back, but i still wanted a removable harness. I just used the stock harness and cut the lights off. Yeah i know, night shots, sry, been lazy, I will take them tonight, i put a post it on my forhead, and post tomorrow.
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Old Oct 28, 2010 | 03:44 PM
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ok so i get home to take some pics and my camera doesn't work, changed the batteries and everything, so i gotta get a new one. So i used my phone to take the pics, so the image isnt as clear as it could be. but since i said i would get them to you , here they are

lights on


brakes on


i'll put better shots up later when i take some.
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Old Oct 28, 2010 | 05:02 PM
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what did you take those pictures with?

******* 1980 polaroid takes better pictures
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Old Oct 28, 2010 | 05:19 PM
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Originally Posted by Rob XX 7
what did you take those pictures with?

******* 1980 polaroid takes better pictures
Thats what i was thinking but im assuming his phone. I actually want to see what there going to look like at night (with a good camera)
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Old Oct 28, 2010 | 06:12 PM
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From: golden state
i said i took them with my phone, as my camera wont turn on....dont know why, so i gotta get a new camera or borrow my sisters, either way its gonna take a few days as i dont live near my sister and i dont plan on going out to get a camera asap just to take this picture. sorry. but hey i said i would get you pics, lol
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Old Oct 28, 2010 | 06:33 PM
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and I thought my blackberry took some **** *** pictures , lol
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Old Oct 28, 2010 | 06:55 PM
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Your center brake light is broken.
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Old Oct 28, 2010 | 07:05 PM
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From: jordan ny
daytime shots!!!
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Old Oct 28, 2010 | 08:17 PM
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From: golden state
Originally Posted by Turbo II Rotor
Your center brake light is broken.
yeah i noticed that, weird cause it does work when i drive, i see the reflect in my garage too.....idk......
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Old Jan 6, 2011 | 05:25 PM
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just play with it and jank until it works
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Old Jan 6, 2011 | 10:40 PM
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From: Springtuckey
/r/ing better pics, day and night please.
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Old Jan 7, 2011 | 02:38 AM
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From: Socal
You got to pay attention to the led design pattern of hte lights you get, you dont want a hexagon . Look for one that is perfectly round and has alot of LEDs at least.

cut them out of the lense they come in.. glue the board in.

You can get fancy by painting the inner leds to block light = makes halos


8 ohm resistor wired in to stop hyper turn signals. In a aluminum sheet holder *they get hot so i found this as a good way to mount them .


Over 3 years strong.


My corners are a different lights because i had ordered those 2 first and didnt think about the pattern.
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