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LED parking lights and turn signal (w/ pics)

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Old Oct 26, 2009 | 10:00 PM
  #1  
Blackbird's Avatar
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From: SFV, CA
LED parking lights and turn signal (w/ pics)

The idea was to install LED strips inside the headlights and to hook them up to the parking light circuit.
Then I took the turn signal circuits and hooked them up to the corner lights (previously the parking lights) so they are visible from the side too.
Next, I'm going to install fog lights off the rectangular holes in the bumper where the turn signals used to be.

The total cost was about $18 for the whole thing and it took about 3 hours from start to finish - the heat gun is your friend!
Here's a pic with just the LEDs lit.
They are a lot more white and less blue in reality, this is just the way the camera makes it look.



The turn signals surgey took no more than an hour, not including the time it took the glue to cure of course...
The reason for the surgery was that the corner lights use a 5w bulb and a properly visible turn signal bulb is 27w.

I'm using 1156 LED bulbs with 36 diodes and the nice thing about it is that it's narrow enough to fit through the hole of the socket.
This is a requirement since the front access to the bulb (as it is in the regular turn signal) is eliminated.



The original turn signal housing is cut to be used as the base for the 1156 socket -



To cut the housing I used a pneumatic air body saw, available for under $20 at harbor freight -



The pieces align well -



Electrical tape is used in order to keep the alignment of the pieces while the JB quik cures (the 4 hour version of JB weld) -



Wired up and ready to go!
Note that the LED parking lights are hardly visible when turned off.



Moti
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Old Oct 27, 2009 | 02:05 AM
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From: Olympia, WA
interesting idea..

what are your plans with the bumper?
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Old Oct 27, 2009 | 02:06 AM
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From: Olympia, WA
nevermind, haha.. i see now that you said, you want to install fog lights

its late.

nice work tho. I like the diode trick with the parking lights for the blinkers.. i might use that
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Old Nov 5, 2009 | 11:37 PM
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From: Kenai, AK
Where'd the LEDs come from?
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Old Nov 6, 2009 | 05:52 AM
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eBay specials

Moti
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Old Nov 6, 2009 | 05:04 PM
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Awesome thanks!
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Old Nov 6, 2009 | 05:30 PM
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From: Seattle
Very sneaky. I've been playing around with the same idea, but I want to use the corner lights for both parking and turn signal. The only problem that I run into, is finding newlights to fit the bumper cutout. I was able to locate some 6"x2" dodge fogs but then realized that the bumper is curved slightly and getting a nice stock look may be very difficult. Have you found the lights you're gonna use?
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