Amber rear turn signals

I ride a motorcycle and my biggest complaint about cars is that they are allowed to have red rear turn signals. In Europe, where I lived and rode for a while, everyone has amber rear turn signals. It makes no sense to use the same color for a turn signal as a brake.

 

Any ideas how I could get my rear turn signal lights to be amber? Anyone every modified for this?

Get a set of tail lights from an European or Japanese junk yard. That's probably the easiest solution.

can't you just replace the bulbs with amber ones? or are you talking about the plastic is red?

Plastic on the inside is red.

My input, if I may, I am European and I never understand this complaint. What is so confusing about a blinking light be it red, amber, turqouise or any other color?

Is turn and brake in the same bulb? If not then it may just be a question of removing the red plastic and use an amber bulb. It may even be that someone has swapped the tail lights to full red ones, but the wiring should be the same.

 

Normal wiring for Euro cars is that brake and position light is in the same bulb. 5/21W or something similar.

 

By the way - I assume we are talking Subaru here.

Turn and brake are not the same bulb/wiring. Turn signals will not change intensity when you hit the brakes. They don't stay turned on either.

However, opie's complaint is regarding some other makes that actually do have the turn and brake light as the same bulb.

Actually last statement in first post seems to indicate that this is regarding his own car.

 

But it may be another car than a Subaru, which is why I asked.

 

What happens here with imported cars crom the US with composite brake/turn indicators is that additional amber lights are connected and the cars has to be rewired to separate the turn and brake light since there is a legal requirement saying that turn indicators shall be amber and brakes red.

 

In worst case OP has to move over here!

I ride a motorcycle and my biggest complaint about cars is that they are allowed to have red rear turn signals. In Europe, where I lived and rode for a while, everyone has amber rear turn signals. It makes no sense to use the same color for a turn signal as a brake.

 

Any ideas how I could get my rear turn signal lights to be amber? Anyone every modified for this?

Uhhmmm, most European cars I've seen now use red. It is much classier looking. My GTI used a red turn signal, BMWs with sport packages use a red one (I think they all might now), all my firends Benzs' have red turn signals, my buddies Audis use red turn signals.

Really it's not confusing at all. A blinker blinks and a brake light doesn't.

I plan on changing my amber bulbs to red on the Legacy anyways, amber is hideous.

 

However, opie's complaint is regarding some other makes that actually do have the turn and brake light as the same bulb.

Which cars do this? How would that possibly be legal.

Keep in mind there is such a thing as USDM. So just because a European brand car uses red turn signals in the US, doesn't mean they also use them in Europe.

Keep in mind there is such a thing as USDM. So just because a European brand car uses red turn signals in the US, doesn't mean they also use them in Europe.

Scratch what I said, I am wrong. Some details slipped my mind about the DTM R32 tails I had on my GTI. The USDM bulbs are red. Even though I had DTM R32 taillights from Europe, I still had the USDM red blinker bulb. I had the option to re-wire my system to blink amber like the DTM models, I just never did. Sorry this detail slipped my mind! Good catch

You can probably get a new 3157 base and mod it to fit the reverse lamp hole.

 

Then run this LED:

 

http://www.v-leds.com/Exterior-LED/Turn-Signal-LED/White-LED/TYPE-2-DUAL-COLOR-CHANGING-p5846227-1-2.html

 

The 3157's have a high and a low. The low on the above LED is white, so you can wire the reverse lamp to it.

 

The high is amber, so you can run your turn signals to it.

 

Then you can either unplug the top red turn signal, or use it as a fog light, or wire it to your brake lamps so you have a total of 5 brake lamps.

i am running amber led bulbs and they clearly blink amber thought the red plastic.......

i am running amber led bulbs and they clearly blink amber thought the red plastic.......

 

 

Yeah I would think that would work.. isn't that what the Rangerover does? I believe all of the rear lights are red until the signal is activated.. Though it may just be a combo of orange and red LEDs; either way.. the orange shows up!

I just got a set of amber LED's for my rear hanabi's . I had clear bulbs replaced (they were blinking amber on the stock tail lights thru the glass but turned clear as I switched to the Hanabi's). Noticed the [past couple of days that cars like corvettes have the brake lights blink for turn signaling. I personally prefer amber.

I ride a motorcycle and my biggest complaint about cars is that they are allowed to have red rear turn signals. In Europe, where I lived and rode for a while, everyone has amber rear turn signals. It makes no sense to use the same color for a turn signal as a brake.

 

Any ideas how I could get my rear turn signal lights to be amber? Anyone every modified for this?

 

Several of us replaced the stock tail lights with the Japanese ones available from JDM Parts. Maybe you can find some used ones if you don't want to pay for new ones. I think they were about $300 for the pair. I think they look much better and I believe they are safer because of the contrasting colors of the signals.

Conflicting or confusing information to your fellows in traffic is a factor in accidents. But then we always have those who haven't understood what that stick to the left of the steering wheel is for.

Chevy's are annoying sometimes because some of them use the combo brake light and turn signal; and after about 6 months the only thing working is the one bulb in the brake light/turn signal so you can't tell if they are tapping the brakes or turning

I rewired mine. Have amber bulbs in the backup lamps. The old turn signals are now additional brake lights. I have a towbar-mounted white spotlight that acts as my backup light.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1LCbpMAglI]YouTube- AmberTurnSignals[/ame]

Here is what I did to get Amber turn signals. See post #38.

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89300

I'm going to change out my amber LED bulbs, they are not bright enough in daylight.