Appearance: How To: 3rd Brake Light LED Conversion!
07-26-2006, 10:00 AM
#1
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How To: 3rd Brake Light LED Conversion!
I saw this over on .com and wanted to share it with everyone over here.
All credit goes to DOMIN8 GT, Curtis, Mike and Dave. They came up with it.
What do you guys think? Here is their How-To. LED Light Part #15794273
This mod is amazingly simple, and is fairly inexpensive. Less than $60 (supplier pricing) for me and takes about 30 minutes to do.
1) Go to Chevy dealer and get the 3rd brake light for the 2004 Chevy Impala. I'm sorry, I don't know the part number. This item lists for approx. $70-$75. Go home and disassemble this part. All you want is the piece that looks like a computer board with several led lights.
2) Remove trunk lid liner by removing the 7 plastic retaining caps.
3) Remove stock brake light by removing the 2 10mm nuts. When trying to pull the light out there is a retaining type of clip think on the right side, just push that to the left and pull light out. Unplug.
4) Disassemble Cobalt 3rd brake light. The part that you don't need is the black portion that contains the 3 bulbs.
5) Affix the Impala led board to the silver reflective housing some how. I used 2 sided tape, just like the same that is used to hold on badges and body molding since this is durable to heat. I did this by folding 2 strips about 3/4" long over the 2 creases that seperate the portions of reflective area in the silver housing and then one long strip on the back of the light board. I then centered the board in the housing and pressed firmly down to make it stick. If you do this, be careful to not break the board. Other people have superglued this in. Don't use gorilla glue. It won't work. Didn't for me.
6) To wire the board in correctly first pull the Cobalt plug through the housing and past the light board so that you can plug in the lights.
7) And here's where you need to be very careful to what you are doing. The plug is labeled with which side is "+" and which side is "-" by marking them "A" and "B". Since the Impala didn't have a plug on the board, just 2 colored wires with tabs in which you can insert into the Cobalt plug you will need to make sure You identify "A" and "B". The red wire goes in "A", the black wire goes in "B". I then used electrical tape and wrapped this up to prevent any problems here, though it really doesn't need it. Then push the plug with wires behind the light board.
8) Reattatch red brake lens to housing and reinsert entire light into trunk making sure the light is properly placed.
9) Then tighten down with 2 nuts that you removed earlier and replace trunk liner and reinsert plastic caps.
It's that simple. The Impala light is kept in stock, so no special ordering needed.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask.
Oh, one last thing. I have been asked to refer to this as the CMD light, not the led light. Curtis, Mike, and Dave of www.RockyMountainEcotec.net came up with this.
All credit goes to DOMIN8 GT, Curtis, Mike and Dave. They came up with it.
What do you guys think? Here is their How-To. LED Light Part #15794273
This mod is amazingly simple, and is fairly inexpensive. Less than $60 (supplier pricing) for me and takes about 30 minutes to do.
1) Go to Chevy dealer and get the 3rd brake light for the 2004 Chevy Impala. I'm sorry, I don't know the part number. This item lists for approx. $70-$75. Go home and disassemble this part. All you want is the piece that looks like a computer board with several led lights.
2) Remove trunk lid liner by removing the 7 plastic retaining caps.
3) Remove stock brake light by removing the 2 10mm nuts. When trying to pull the light out there is a retaining type of clip think on the right side, just push that to the left and pull light out. Unplug.
4) Disassemble Cobalt 3rd brake light. The part that you don't need is the black portion that contains the 3 bulbs.
5) Affix the Impala led board to the silver reflective housing some how. I used 2 sided tape, just like the same that is used to hold on badges and body molding since this is durable to heat. I did this by folding 2 strips about 3/4" long over the 2 creases that seperate the portions of reflective area in the silver housing and then one long strip on the back of the light board. I then centered the board in the housing and pressed firmly down to make it stick. If you do this, be careful to not break the board. Other people have superglued this in. Don't use gorilla glue. It won't work. Didn't for me.
6) To wire the board in correctly first pull the Cobalt plug through the housing and past the light board so that you can plug in the lights.
7) And here's where you need to be very careful to what you are doing. The plug is labeled with which side is "+" and which side is "-" by marking them "A" and "B". Since the Impala didn't have a plug on the board, just 2 colored wires with tabs in which you can insert into the Cobalt plug you will need to make sure You identify "A" and "B". The red wire goes in "A", the black wire goes in "B". I then used electrical tape and wrapped this up to prevent any problems here, though it really doesn't need it. Then push the plug with wires behind the light board.
8) Reattatch red brake lens to housing and reinsert entire light into trunk making sure the light is properly placed.
9) Then tighten down with 2 nuts that you removed earlier and replace trunk liner and reinsert plastic caps.
It's that simple. The Impala light is kept in stock, so no special ordering needed.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask.
Oh, one last thing. I have been asked to refer to this as the CMD light, not the led light. Curtis, Mike, and Dave of www.RockyMountainEcotec.net came up with this.
Last edited by REIGN SS; 08-23-2010 at 11:02 AM.
07-26-2006, 10:34 AM
#3
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Originally Posted by biniecki
nice write up. I think this should prolly be moved to the how to section
07-26-2006, 11:27 AM
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Hi CTCOBALTSSS -
Sweet!
That looks like a good one!
I'll have to check and see if I can get the impala light at a good discount somewhere.
Cool mod - thanks for the write-up.
best regards -
mqqn
Sweet!
That looks like a good one!
I'll have to check and see if I can get the impala light at a good discount somewhere.
Cool mod - thanks for the write-up.
best regards -
mqqn
07-26-2006, 11:31 AM
#6
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Thread Starter
Originally Posted by mqqn
Hi CTCOBALTSSS -
Sweet!
That looks like a good one!
I'll have to check and see if I can get the impala light at a good discount somewhere.
Cool mod - thanks for the write-up.
best regards -
mqqn
Sweet!
That looks like a good one!
I'll have to check and see if I can get the impala light at a good discount somewhere.
Cool mod - thanks for the write-up.
best regards -
mqqn
If you find a nice cheap price for the Impala light, let us know. Thanks.
07-26-2006, 11:41 AM
#8
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Originally Posted by hennessey833
I like it, but is it just me, or does it look a little crooked?
Little bit...might be the enngle the camera is shooting at it from though.
07-26-2006, 11:44 AM
#9
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Thread Starter
Originally Posted by e to the x
Little bit...might be the enngle the camera is shooting at it from though.
07-26-2006, 12:04 PM
#12
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Originally Posted by SilverSS/SC
Very nice cheap mod . Is the red lens plastic welded to the housing or held on with adhesive , or does it just come off as easy as you say ?
I can see it coming now....someone is going to Night Rider that 3rd brake light.
07-26-2006, 04:46 PM
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Originally Posted by CTCOBALTSSS
No adhesive and no welds. It's pretty easy. So much better than stock.
I can see it coming now....someone is going to Night Rider that 3rd brake light.
I can see it coming now....someone is going to Night Rider that 3rd brake light.
.....I do wanna make a clear lens for mine though . With the reflective background of the housing , and the fact red LED's are clear unlit . From a short distance , on my Silver car with a clear lens , the 3rd brake light should almost be un noticeable .
07-28-2006, 10:32 AM
#15
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Thread Starter
Originally Posted by SilverSS/SC
Haha , yeah u know it
.....I do wanna make a clear lens for mine though . With the reflective background of the housing , and the fact red LED's are clear unlit . From a short distance , on my Silver car with a clear lens , the 3rd brake light should almost be un noticeable .
.....I do wanna make a clear lens for mine though . With the reflective background of the housing , and the fact red LED's are clear unlit . From a short distance , on my Silver car with a clear lens , the 3rd brake light should almost be un noticeable .
10-02-2006, 08:35 PM
#19
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Originally Posted by roccobladr
anyone find out that part number? thats pretty cool. maybe ill take a trip to the junk yard and see if there are any impalas.
10-18-2006, 04:04 PM
#21
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Originally Posted by xspyder85x
sweet, anyone got a how-to on the led brake light conversion?
Originally Posted by mastashake4u
lol post revival.
Ordered my led tail lights... be in on Friday
Ordered my led tail lights... be in on Friday
10-18-2006, 08:38 PM
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Will do... just got my nightshade today for the tail lights and hopefully i will have time to do the LED tail light , paint my tails, and paint the headlights this weekend
10-18-2006, 08:47 PM
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Originally Posted by Psykostevo
There are now LED Taillights on ebay for the Cobalt.
. There are alot of posts talking about them, but, no one has em... at least not that ive heard.
