Interior: How To: 3rd Brake Light LED Retrofit
02-27-2008, 06:46 PM
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How To: 3rd Brake Light LED Retrofit
The other guide on here shows modifying an Impala 3rd brake light which costs like $70+, while this guide shows how to do it from scratch in about 2 hours for about $20.
Cost: $20
Time: About 2 hours from start to finish
Difficulty: Beginner (Moderate if no experience with soldering)
Tools:
- 10mm Socket
- Trim Remover Tool
- Flat-head Screwdriver
- Soldering Iron and Solder (flux helps)
- 15 5mm Red Super Bright LEDs (I used 1.9V with 20ma DC current limit)
- 15 500 ohm Resistors (might have to recalculate if using different LEDs)
- 18g Wire
- Plexiglass
- Hacksaw (or Jig/scrollsaw if available)
- Drill and 13/64" Drill Bit (for a nice tight fit)
- Super Glue
1) Pop the trunk and remove the liner. There are 9 plastic trim rivets. You can buy a trim remover tool from any automotive store.
- Here is a picture of the trim remover tool as well as the 10mm socket required.
2) Remove the two 10mm bolts holding the light assembly to the trunk lid. Also disconnect the wiring by lifting the tab upwards while pulling the wires apart.
3) Push these tabs (one on each side) inwards as you pull down on the assembly.
4) Here is a picture of the removed 3rd brake light, as well as the 4 tabs (two on each side) to remove the lower black portion which holds the 3 stock bulbs.
- Push these tabs in and pull outwards to remove the bulb holder.
5) To remove the red lens, push these two tabs in and swing it open on the hinge like tabs on the other side.
6) Now take a straight edge and draw a line about 31.5cm long on the plexiglass. Starting at the center (15.75 cm) mark at 2cm intervals on both sides until you have 15 points. Drill out each intersection with a 13/64" drill bit.
7) Next I just held the plexiglass on top of the chrome housing and marked the outline with a sharpie and cut it out with a jigsaw. Use a sander to smooth out the edges and test fit. Sand where necessary.
8) Next I placed the 15 LEDs in the holes I drilled with the longer leads all facing the same direction, super glued them in place, and bent the leads down.
9) Solder the resistors to the longer leads of each LED.
10) Cut two wires long enough to run the length of the 3rd brake light as well as to loop back to the middle and out the hole for the stock bulb.
11) Line up the length of wire and remove the insulation where you have to solder in the LEDs.
- Pretty basic wiring diagram... nothing too difficult here.
12) Solder the leads to the stock bulb holder. The wire connecting the shorted arms of the LEDs gets soldered to the rail which is on the same side as the retainer for the connector on the wiring harness.
13) Put everything back together using the reverse of this how to and test it out
Cost: $20
Time: About 2 hours from start to finish
Difficulty: Beginner (Moderate if no experience with soldering)
Tools:
- 10mm Socket
- Trim Remover Tool
- Flat-head Screwdriver
- Soldering Iron and Solder (flux helps)
- 15 5mm Red Super Bright LEDs (I used 1.9V with 20ma DC current limit)
- 15 500 ohm Resistors (might have to recalculate if using different LEDs)
- 18g Wire
- Plexiglass
- Hacksaw (or Jig/scrollsaw if available)
- Drill and 13/64" Drill Bit (for a nice tight fit)
- Super Glue
1) Pop the trunk and remove the liner. There are 9 plastic trim rivets. You can buy a trim remover tool from any automotive store.
- Here is a picture of the trim remover tool as well as the 10mm socket required.
2) Remove the two 10mm bolts holding the light assembly to the trunk lid. Also disconnect the wiring by lifting the tab upwards while pulling the wires apart.
3) Push these tabs (one on each side) inwards as you pull down on the assembly.
4) Here is a picture of the removed 3rd brake light, as well as the 4 tabs (two on each side) to remove the lower black portion which holds the 3 stock bulbs.
- Push these tabs in and pull outwards to remove the bulb holder.
5) To remove the red lens, push these two tabs in and swing it open on the hinge like tabs on the other side.
6) Now take a straight edge and draw a line about 31.5cm long on the plexiglass. Starting at the center (15.75 cm) mark at 2cm intervals on both sides until you have 15 points. Drill out each intersection with a 13/64" drill bit.
7) Next I just held the plexiglass on top of the chrome housing and marked the outline with a sharpie and cut it out with a jigsaw. Use a sander to smooth out the edges and test fit. Sand where necessary.
8) Next I placed the 15 LEDs in the holes I drilled with the longer leads all facing the same direction, super glued them in place, and bent the leads down.
9) Solder the resistors to the longer leads of each LED.
10) Cut two wires long enough to run the length of the 3rd brake light as well as to loop back to the middle and out the hole for the stock bulb.
11) Line up the length of wire and remove the insulation where you have to solder in the LEDs.
- Pretty basic wiring diagram... nothing too difficult here.
12) Solder the leads to the stock bulb holder. The wire connecting the shorted arms of the LEDs gets soldered to the rail which is on the same side as the retainer for the connector on the wiring harness.
13) Put everything back together using the reverse of this how to and test it out
Last edited by TommyP; 10-03-2012 at 10:21 AM.
05-05-2008, 10:32 PM
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Looks good man! Found yours after I just did mine, lol! My goal was to be able to return to stock if needed, and to avoid using glue, lol. I'll just add mine here instead of making a whole new thread then:
Materials I used:
STEP 1:
Removing the clips, carpet, harness, reflector and bezel.
STEP 2:
Affixing the strip to some wire to keep it straight, cutting a notch for the wire, drilling a hole for the zip ties, affixing the zip ties to the wire and through the reflector. The hole is only big enough for the zip tie to fit through, but the locking end of the zip tie won't go through - that is what holds it on (it can be cut in the future if I want it removed).
STEP 3:
Assembled the bezel and reflector. Soldered the wires, assembled the harness to the reflector, then re-installed everything into the trunk.
Finished:
Crappy YouTube Video
Original Good Quality Video
Materials I used:
STEP 1:
Removing the clips, carpet, harness, reflector and bezel.
STEP 2:
Affixing the strip to some wire to keep it straight, cutting a notch for the wire, drilling a hole for the zip ties, affixing the zip ties to the wire and through the reflector. The hole is only big enough for the zip tie to fit through, but the locking end of the zip tie won't go through - that is what holds it on (it can be cut in the future if I want it removed).
STEP 3:
Assembled the bezel and reflector. Soldered the wires, assembled the harness to the reflector, then re-installed everything into the trunk.
Finished:
Crappy YouTube Video
Original Good Quality Video
Last edited by thought; 05-06-2008 at 12:34 PM. Reason: Update
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