Mirror reflectors turned into turn signals how to w/pics
#301
I plan on doing this, this coming weekend..hopefully autozone still sells these.
I plan on doing the 18 per side.
For what it's worth, I think amber would be BRIGHTER than white, simply because the lens is already amber, and he wavelength of the LED light is amber allowing more light through.
I redid all exterior lights on my 01 Mustang GT with LEDs and V-LEDs recommends going with the same color as your lens (red LEDs for red tail lamps, amber LEDs for amber turn signals, etc).
Regardless white are probably still bright, but anyone wanting to know if amber will be dimmer, I highly doubt it.
I plan on doing the 18 per side.
For what it's worth, I think amber would be BRIGHTER than white, simply because the lens is already amber, and he wavelength of the LED light is amber allowing more light through.
I redid all exterior lights on my 01 Mustang GT with LEDs and V-LEDs recommends going with the same color as your lens (red LEDs for red tail lamps, amber LEDs for amber turn signals, etc).
Regardless white are probably still bright, but anyone wanting to know if amber will be dimmer, I highly doubt it.
#302
If you think the yellow will be slightly brighter then you should definitely go with the yellow. I wish mine were a touch brighter just so that they'd get seen more during the day. I saw "super-bright" LEDs somewhere but the LEDs were spaced out more and instead of 18, I'd only get 10. That seems a little too spaced out for me.
#303
#305
#306
#307
Thaks triple g, I did manage to get the off and install the Recon Clear with Amber LED mirror lenses. Came out nice and with my black platinum the clear lenses look soooo much better than the bright orange stock lenses. Amber LED turnsignals are cool too. Noticed a couple of F-150 owners checking them out yesterday.
#309
#310
This is my 2nd time doing this mod. First, on an '09 XLT the "long" way by pulling off the mirror. That method certainly offers a little extra space to work with but I was hoping to be a little quicker this time around and I didn't want to take any risks with my mirrors. I just bought a '11 FX2 Ecoboost and I decided to try going through the puddle lamp. Biggest obstacle was wiring in such a tight space - neither set of wires gave me enough slack to pull out of the mirror housing at all. I was able to complete the job in about an hour (taking pics and eating a couple tacos along the route).
I know its been documented a few times but I wanted to take a few pics in case the angle was helpful for other members. And, I wasn't sure if I had seen anyone do the mod with the puddle lamps.
Starting point:
Pull off puddle lamp (you can see the green and black wires I need just inside):
Pry off reflector:
Cut out reflector (I squared and cleaned this up after this pic):
Route wires and slide LEDs into place:
Re-install reflector:
Wire the lights up (I sealed up after splicing too):
Test:
All done:
I know its been documented a few times but I wanted to take a few pics in case the angle was helpful for other members. And, I wasn't sure if I had seen anyone do the mod with the puddle lamps.
Starting point:
Pull off puddle lamp (you can see the green and black wires I need just inside):
Pry off reflector:
Cut out reflector (I squared and cleaned this up after this pic):
Route wires and slide LEDs into place:
Re-install reflector:
Wire the lights up (I sealed up after splicing too):
Test:
All done:
#311
Me too
Ever have one of those days where nothing seems to go right? Well that was this afternoon for me. But the end result was LED blinkers instead of those stupid reflectors. I too went through the puddle light opening. My truck doesnt have the light, but the little cap is there, just pop the cap and there's the hole. I bought some T-shapped connectors that should make doing the other side a lot easier.... It took me forever to do this side b/c every time I went to the next step something happened... I tried to use a hot knife (had no cut off wheel that small) but It made a MESS of the plastic, and then I ended up breaking the tip on it anyway.... So scratch that... so then I put the strip in, and the wires were too short to go through down to the puddle light hole, so I had to pull it off, and solder another section of wire to it to make them longer.... then the connectors I had were actually a little too big for those wires, and weren't making a connection, so I had to redo those as well....
THEN, I had to run to the store, and get a small cut off wheel to fit my air tool. But before I left the garage door broke, and wouldn't close. So I had to go in the back door, and unhook it, and close it.... Ran into someone I knew and had to talk and that took 30minutes..... lol So when I FINALLY got home, I had to go back in the back door, and fix the garage door so I could get it open..... Then I finished cutting out the back of the lens, and popped it back in place.... I'll do the other side tomorrow as it's dark out now, and starting to get cold and you just can't do much w/ cold fingers...
Those contemplating on getting amber or white, get white... they are usually brighter and the lens is amber so.... that takes care of the color.
Here's a video w/o the lens... this strip (I had some laying around already from past projects) was a little short, so there are only like 6 LED's in it. But it's PLENTY bright. The other one has a lot more in them. And these are good quality LED strips made by a guy in North Carolina, not the cheap china stuff from ebay or parts stores.
And here's one w/ the lens on
THEN, I had to run to the store, and get a small cut off wheel to fit my air tool. But before I left the garage door broke, and wouldn't close. So I had to go in the back door, and unhook it, and close it.... Ran into someone I knew and had to talk and that took 30minutes..... lol So when I FINALLY got home, I had to go back in the back door, and fix the garage door so I could get it open..... Then I finished cutting out the back of the lens, and popped it back in place.... I'll do the other side tomorrow as it's dark out now, and starting to get cold and you just can't do much w/ cold fingers...
Those contemplating on getting amber or white, get white... they are usually brighter and the lens is amber so.... that takes care of the color.
Here's a video w/o the lens... this strip (I had some laying around already from past projects) was a little short, so there are only like 6 LED's in it. But it's PLENTY bright. The other one has a lot more in them. And these are good quality LED strips made by a guy in North Carolina, not the cheap china stuff from ebay or parts stores.
And here's one w/ the lens on
Last edited by 03Fx4JD; 12-20-2014 at 07:43 PM.
#312
Finished up... Got some better connectors, made the job a lot easier.
Wires tucked through the puddle lamp hole, and spade connectors added.
As mentioned by others there's not much slack but, it's enough for these T-Shapped connectors.
Just plug the spades into the bottom of the T connector after you clip them to the wires... Bam. You're done.
Little quick video of the LED's
Wires tucked through the puddle lamp hole, and spade connectors added.
As mentioned by others there's not much slack but, it's enough for these T-Shapped connectors.
Just plug the spades into the bottom of the T connector after you clip them to the wires... Bam. You're done.
Little quick video of the LED's
#313
After reading this whole thread, there are several who wanted to know a way to get the running lights and turn signal to work on the same led's. I think I might have figured it out. Install your diodes and resistor in your kick panel or wherever you find the turn signal and running light wires in close proximity to each other, that way you can use the same wire going to the mirror to do both. And to prevent the rear facing led's from coming on in low power mode when the running lights are on, splice in an SCR to the rear leds. Make sure you find an scr that uses a trigger voltage higher than the voltage you have coming out of the resistor, but lower than the turn signal voltage. In effect the scr will block the low voltage to the rear leds, but when the turn signals are on the higher voltage will trigger the scr and open the gate allowing the rear leds to work. Basically you would have low power leds in the front only as running lights, but high power leds for turn signals front and rear.
#314
After reading this whole thread, there are several who wanted to know a way to get the running lights and turn signal to work on the same led's. I think I might have figured it out. Install your diodes and resistor in your kick panel or wherever you find the turn signal and running light wires in close proximity to each other, that way you can use the same wire going to the mirror to do both. And to prevent the rear facing led's from coming on in low power mode when the running lights are on, splice in an SCR to the rear leds. Make sure you find an scr that uses a trigger voltage higher than the voltage you have coming out of the resistor, but lower than the turn signal voltage. In effect the scr will block the low voltage to the rear leds, but when the turn signals are on the higher voltage will trigger the scr and open the gate allowing the rear leds to work. Basically you would have low power leds in the front only as running lights, but high power leds for turn signals front and rear.
You need to pay attention to the holding current from the anode to cathode. Once triggered (and only a pulse is needed to do this) an SCR remains latched ON until the forward holding current drops below the spec'd threshold fer that particular device chosen. No other way to turn it off.
Merry Xmas!
MGD
#315
My basic train of thought here was there would be a constant voltage at say 9v for the running lights, inside the mirror housing there would be an SCR to block the 9v from reaching the rear l.e.d.'s. When you have the turn signals on the pulse that flashes the led's would be say 14.4v, so if the scr trigger is say 12v, then the scr would latch in when the turn signal pulse is present, but in that moment when the flasher drops out the voltage will drop to 9v, therefor dropping out or unlatching the scr. Then when the flasher closes and sends 14.4v to the leds the whole cycle repeats itself, and would continue until you turn off the turn signal. In effect you would be running two separate circuits thru one wire at the same time and each would work independently.
If my thinking is wrong, please enlighten me.
BTW after my nice holiday meal I'm sitting here enjoying an MGD (I can't stand buttwiper or the rocky mountain moose **** from colorado) while I type this. cheers