Anyone who opened jdm tail light? Options

[max-elle]

Anyone of you who opened the jdm tail light?
I intend to open completely, not the method to open a little to remove the amber part.
I'd like to open them to study some new styling modification (maybe leds?).
I think the boling water method like the anterior jdm is not work, cause they are all plastic,
and it could damage them.

Thanks to all

Max from Italy

[Daftboy]

You can use a heat gun to melt the silcon around it.

[Culpable04]

I did that, I have a few more LED boards being shipped to me at this moment ( still on the test fitting phase )

this picture is so you can see the difference between the LEDs and regular bulbs, my tail lights are done now.

[max-elle]

wow, Culpable04, it's an amazing work.
You opened them using an heat gun how suggested by Daftboy?
Can you make an "how to" guide?

1) It's my impression or the leds seems to be yellow and not red when lighted on?

2) When the tail light are opened, do you think it is possibile to work on them to modify the internal structure?
I'd like somethin different from that multi-square separation (maybe an unique light with stripes of led?)

[wolfie308]

wow, Culpable04, it's an amazing work.
You opened them using an heat gun how suggested by Daftboy?
Can you make an "how to" guide?

1) It's my impression or the leds seems to be yellow and not red when lighted on?

2) When the tail light are opened, do you think it is possibile to work on them to modify the internal structure?
I'd like somethin different from that multi-square separation (maybe an unique light with stripes of led?)

I haven't taken the JDM rears apart, but I have done many other Toyota rears including the AE86 Corolla(Lotus Esprit), Supra Mk3, MR 2 Rev 1/2 and 3's.

I have used/tried hairdryers, near boiling water and the oven method.I personally wouldn't use a hot air gun - the heat can be too fierce if you're not really careful, and you can't get the whole unit easily to the right temp. Sure it can be done, but you're much safer using the oven, which is far more controllable.

100 -120 deg C pre heated oven for about 10 mins should do the trick. You will need to put the units back in the oven a few times as they will cool as your working on prying the lens up.

Here's a couple of pics of the Supra rear and I 've also just finished a comprehensive illustrated guide for the MR2'S which should help as the principle is the same for all. It's a 6Mb Word.doc at the moment, which I need to reformat and somewhat reduce in size, but I can email it to you if you're interested.







The Lensmeister

[Culpable04]

wow, Culpable04, it's an amazing work.
You opened them using an heat gun how suggested by Daftboy?
Can you make an "how to" guide?

1) It's my impression or the leds seems to be yellow and not red when lighted on?

2) When the tail light are opened, do you think it is possibile to work on them to modify the internal structure?
I'd like somethin different from that multi-square separation (maybe an unique light with stripes of led?)

the LEDs are red, they came like that on the picture but they are perfectly red, I didn't open the tail lights with any of the methods mention below ( not against them ) I cut the back of the tail light, leaving the portion that holds the screws on place, that gave me a lot of room to fit the LED board, relay and extra wiring involved on the conversion.

there are other stuff you can get pre-fabricated to fit there, you can get those round LEDs tails used on trailer trucks in a spider web design, I wanted a stock look so I design the circuit board and had a manufacturer made a few for me.

[max-elle]

for wolfie308:
thanks, I'm interested to the word file .doc "how to", send me, you already have my email (PVT. soon I'll contact you for that clear 3rd brake, I solve with my bank)

for culpable04:
probably I'll open them completely simply to see inside them.
Maybe I'll remove amber part only and reclose them, but my desire is to create a solution to modify them in some sort I don't know now (if I'll find the courage).
I'll like tail lights like these:
Opel Insignia
Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS concept
Aston Martin DBS
Citroen C4 Picasso
Renault Laguna coupè concept

This post has been edited by max-elle: Jan 21, 2008 - 4:52 AM

[wolfie308]

for wolfie308:
thanks, I'm interested to the word file .doc "how to", send me, you already have my email (PVT. soon I'll contact you for that clear 3rd brake, I solve with my bank)

for culpable04:
probably I'll open them completely simply to see inside them.
Maybe I'll remove amber part only and reclose them, but my desire is to create a solution to modify them in some sort I don't know now (if I'll find the courage).

Max-elle .....Just mailed you the guide. I've added a couple more pics, so it's 9Mb now. If it's too big for your mailbox, let me know and I'll send it again when I've reduced the size of the file.

Culpable04 How about my 3rd clear brake lens? This would finish the whole rear off a treat, especially if fitted with an LED cluster bulb or strip

[Culpable04]

Thanks wolfie but my car is red, I like theway the 3rd brake like blends in with the car when is off, a clear lens would just make it stand out a lot more, if my car was another color I would get it for sure.

[wolfie308]

Thanks wolfie but my car is red, I like theway the 3rd brake like blends in with the car when is off, a clear lens would just make it stand out a lot more, if my car was another color I would get it for sure.

Fair play, I can see your point......how about fitting a white multi cluster LED or strip with the stock red lens.

That might fit in nicely with your modified rear clusters - just a thought.

Regards the original question, here's a link for the MR2 Rev3 rears I put together which might help some folks with this and other projects.

http://mr2oc.co.uk/ForumsPro/viewtopic/t=84550.html

[Culpable04]

I already have an LED strip on the works, it's designed alreeady, just waiting for it to arrive from the manufacturer

[wolfie308]

Nice one, I'll be very interested to see it. I've been thinking of doing a red LED conversion for the clear brake, but haven't found a suitable LED strip in the U.K yet.

The other issue of course is that using LED's for the brake means that your brake light fail warning lamp on your dash will come on. Do you fit a load balancing resistor or just ignore it?

[Culpable04]

Nice one, I'll be very interested to see it. I've been thinking of doing a red LED conversion for the clear brake, but haven't found a suitable LED strip in the U.K yet.

The other issue of course is that using LED's for the brake means that your brake light fail warning lamp on your dash will come on. Do you fit a load balancing resistor or just ignore it?

that's part of the design, I design the board myself and the circuit included a load resistor so the circuit board after is put together has the same ( or almost the same ) as a regular bulb.

PM'ed Wolfie

[wolfie308]

Nice one, I'll be very interested to see it. I've been thinking of doing a red LED conversion for the clear brake, but haven't found a suitable LED strip in the U.K yet.

The other issue of course is that using LED's for the brake means that your brake light fail warning lamp on your dash will come on. Do you fit a load balancing resistor or just ignore it?

that's part of the design, I design the board myself and the circuit included a load resistor so the circuit board after is put together has the same ( or almost the same ) as a regular bulb.

PM'ed Wolfie

Sounds like a neat and elegant solution to the problem. For others wanting to try their own LED setup, maybe something like this could be used.......

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Toyota-Electronic-LE...1QQcmdZViewItem

Much easier than trying to fit multiple large resistors which get very hot.

Didn't get your P.M as my inbox was full, but space cleared now

[max-elle]

The other issue of course is that using LED's for the brake means that your brake light fail warning lamp on your dash will come on. Do you fit a load balancing resistor or just ignore it?

My english is not perfect, so I don't understand this.
Please Richard, esplain me this problem

[wolfie308]

The other issue of course is that using LED's for the brake means that your brake light fail warning lamp on your dash will come on. Do you fit a load balancing resistor or just ignore it?

My english is not perfect, so I don't understand this.
Please Richard, esplain me this problem

If you just fit LED bulbs in place of standard bulbs for the brake lights in the Gen6, you may have a light come on your dashboerd telling you one of your brake lights is not working. This is because LED's have very low resistance compared to a normal filament bulb. You can fit resistors to overcome this, but it starts to become too much hassle.

Most people either ignore the warning light, or just fit a normal type red bulb.

Hope I haven't confused you more.

Culpable04 may have something in mind for this(thanks for your P.M C04- I'll get back to you in the morning)

[max-elle]

Ok, now I understand, yes, I knew of this problem.