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LED Headlight Strips


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This is a quick walkthrough to add LED strips to the inside of your headlights. Before I get into it here are a couple of things to consider.

 

There are two kinds of LED strips you can use. I have installed both(see below). Both of my LED strips were purchased from iJdmtoy.com.

 

Warning: i first purchased the led tube style from amazon for half the price, but they sucked!. Save your time and get the quality product.

 

I'll refer to them as individual LED and tube LED.

 

My headlights:

 

 

Before

 

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/31/u3e3upep

 

Old LED Strips (individual LED):

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/31/uja7atyv

 

 

New (Current) ones.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/31/hyjamu5e

 

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/31/usu5yrab

 

Now for the walkthrough.

 

 

Step 1: test all of your stuff before you begin taking things apart. Companies make tons of LED's and there are a lot of bad ones. Test everything during installation as well. Noting worse than getting it sealed and finding out you nicked a wire.

 

Follow the headlight clearing instructions found here:

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/headlight-clearing-w-pics-3737.html

 

Now that your headlights are apart, install the LED's. For mine I used superglue. The individual LED's come with adhesive backing.

 

Once the LED's are physically installed, test fit the headlight trim.

 

- if you are using the individual LED's it may fit without trimming.

 

- if you are using the tube LED's it won't fit.

 

Begin trimming the plastic to fit. I trimmed about 1/4 - 5/16" off then filed smooth etc. Once everything fits It is time for paint and reassembly. Remember the basics, measure twice cut once. You can always trim more off, but adding it back is much harder.

 

As far as paint, I painted everything black, then the "halo" around the projector with some color close to my DGM.

 

 

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/31/yhe9aru5

 

Finally there is wiring.

 

There are a couple ways you can go here. You have a White LED and an amber one. You probably want the amber one to blink with the turn signals, so that wire will go to the positive wire on each turn signal.

 

The black wire will go to a ground. Preferably the "frame" as close as possible.

 

The remaining wire will be for the white LED. I ran mine to come on with the ignition, but you can wire it to come on with the parking lights which would be easier.

 

Here is a wiring diagram I drew up:

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/02/ahe5utaj.jpg

 

And the wire I tapped into for the white LED to come on with the key. Warning! I have no idea what this is for!!! Use a relay, and fuses appropriately!

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/02/qybypema.jpg

 

I am not sure what the headlight clearing thread covers for reassembly, but here is what I did. Scrape all of the old goo out with something. I used a screw driver and spent about 4 hours to get it off the lights. Once it is clean lay down a nice bead of black rtv silicone. If you don't know, they make it in a cheese-wiz style can that is amazing.

 

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/01/ezy9etu2.jpg

 

Test everything again.

 

If it works,

Reinstall headlights, bumper, and grill, then show off!

 

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/31/nyhejuza

 

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/31/y3ymyqun

 

If you have any questions, post below or pm me and I'll do the best I can to answer.

 

here is a link to a bunch of photos I took post install at their full quality.

http://s1312.photobucket.com/user/lsamples09/library/

 

Happy Modding! And finally I am not responsible for anything YOU do to YOUR car!

Edited by .NetSubie
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One more thing. Dont paint the turn signal reflectors black. I ise high gloss black paint. At night they work great and in the day they look great, but you cant see the turn signals blink in the daytime at all.

 

Sadly, this is full brightness in the middle of a blink.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/31/yga8a7y6.jpg

 

There is someone in the clearing forum who tried spray tint. Stay tuned there to see how that turns out. I am running stage 2 switchback turn signals.

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Like the finished product. Is there any way to shape the inside (end) of the LED strip to either fit into the corner, or parallel the angle of the housing?
- Pro amore Dei et patriam et populum -
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I just barely noticed those are fogs in your grille. haha, great write up! if I had the time and confidence to work on my lights I'd love to do this! looks fantastic with the solid LEDs

 

Thanks! Those are the LED amazon driving lights a few of the members on here run. With my 6000k lows and zxe high, they are really only for show, but do look good imo. As for the lights workin on em isnt hard, but trimming the plastic does take patience. I probably spent 5-6 hrs with a dremmel and several files. When sealing up the headlights I scrap out as much of the old goop as possible and use a nice solid bead of black rtv. Went one year on them before with no leaks or condensation. But that stuff did take several hours to scrape out

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Here are some i just shot with my cell phone. It is 6:15PM, with the car facing strait west (into the sun). And the sun is at about a 45° angle.

 

First from the car out. I was standing in line with the edge of the chainlink fence, which is probably 80' or more.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/02/bu6e6usa.jpg

 

Off:

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/02/pe9a4a6y.jpg

On:

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/02/anu5e5uv.jpg

 

It is kind of hard to see in the pictures, taken without zooming. But I could see that they were on. I can get out the dslr and take some with a more human eye zoom if you would like. I just have to upload them somewhere else or shrink them down to put em on here.

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I don't really see anything different between the 2 shots. But thanks.

 

 

 

Wow, you're right. On my phone screen you could see it a lot better. Check out my hi rest pics on photobucket for a better comparison. It is still not quite as good as it is in person, but you can at least see them. Be sure to view them full size 4000X6000 to get the best view of them. The compressed versions don't do it justice. I also threw in some with the amber, which is more washed out during the daytime than the white.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is another link:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://s1312.photobucket.com/user/lsamples09/library/

Edited by .NetSubie
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Very nice - love this look! In total how long did it take you complete the project? I've been wanting to tackle my headlights at the end of August to give them a fresh look and this is definitely the best I've seen! - Also are you going to all ohio subbie meet in columbus? If so, would love to see this in person and maybe get some insight on the project.
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I am going, but wont be there until later like 3-4. I spent friday till 5 am, half a day saturday till 2 am, then mon and tues after work. I was also installing hella horns, led driving light wiring fix and hid wiring fix. Just the trimming the lights was about 4 hours. After that, scraping all the goo off took another 4 hours. It was a lot of work and messed up my sleep for a week. It was all worth it.
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Wow :wub:... I LOVE how the stock sidemarker blinker lights up slightly after the strip does, looks sequential on purpose.

 

Daaang... Just when I thought I was done modding my spare set and about to reseal them :spin:

 

I was hoping to also see the transition from white to orange (before/after) you turn the blinker on/off. Don't suppose you could be bothered to take one last vid for me :iloveyou:

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