Fender Grill Lights DIY
04-17-2009, 11:09 AM
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Fender Grill Lights DIY
I just Finished installing some LED Lights behind my fender Grills. They look great.
And that is while there is alot of light, in the dark it looks wicked.
I used these flexible LED light strips from http://www.oznium.com/led-flex-strips.
1) Take the wheels off, and put the car up on Jack Stands.
2) Remove the Plastic Wheel Well Liners completley.
3)This is the Space where the Lights will go.
4) I ran the wires through the fire wall here. It is where your hood release cable goes through.
This is where it comes through on the inside, by your pedels.
5) I mounted the Lights to these right angle pieces of stiff plastic, and then covered them with aluminum Foil.
6) I then epoxied the lights into the channel.
7) I then mounted the Apparatus, with the wire going upward, directly behind the grill. First with zip ties, by drilling holes in the pieces of plastic, and linking them through the clips on my strakes. I then covered the entire back with duct-tape.
8) I then ran the wires from both sides into the engine bay, Soldered them together, and covered it with split tubing.
9) I then ran the wires in throught the firewall. And ran them up the side pillar to the Roof.
10) I removed the map light aparatus using this DIY.
https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=97596.html
11) Ground your wires here.
12) Draw Positive power from the blue wire on the little conncetor.
13) Set up your switch where ever you want, i chose underneath the sun visor
And that is while there is alot of light, in the dark it looks wicked.
I used these flexible LED light strips from http://www.oznium.com/led-flex-strips.
1) Take the wheels off, and put the car up on Jack Stands.
2) Remove the Plastic Wheel Well Liners completley.
3)This is the Space where the Lights will go.
4) I ran the wires through the fire wall here. It is where your hood release cable goes through.
This is where it comes through on the inside, by your pedels.
5) I mounted the Lights to these right angle pieces of stiff plastic, and then covered them with aluminum Foil.
6) I then epoxied the lights into the channel.
7) I then mounted the Apparatus, with the wire going upward, directly behind the grill. First with zip ties, by drilling holes in the pieces of plastic, and linking them through the clips on my strakes. I then covered the entire back with duct-tape.
8) I then ran the wires from both sides into the engine bay, Soldered them together, and covered it with split tubing.
9) I then ran the wires in throught the firewall. And ran them up the side pillar to the Roof.
10) I removed the map light aparatus using this DIY.
https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=97596.html
11) Ground your wires here.
12) Draw Positive power from the blue wire on the little conncetor.
13) Set up your switch where ever you want, i chose underneath the sun visor
04-17-2009, 12:48 PM
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well done!! I'll try something similar. I like your 'reflector' idea. it spreads the light much more evenly than others I've seen.
Just bought 2 9.5'' blues. I'm going to splice power into my blue RR footwell lights so they come on automatically!
Just bought 2 9.5'' blues. I'm going to splice power into my blue RR footwell lights so they come on automatically!
Last edited by Texak; 04-17-2009 at 01:00 PM.
04-17-2009, 06:29 PM
#8
You are the first person to solve the angle issue it seems.
Could you by chance take some outside night pictures at different angles? like one at standing height, one crouching, in front, from behind (thats what she said).
lonewolf did this but you could only see them at a low height. With your reflector idea, I think it will work.
Lastly, do you get a lot of glare or anything in sunlight from that light hitting the foil?
Could you by chance take some outside night pictures at different angles? like one at standing height, one crouching, in front, from behind (thats what she said).
lonewolf did this but you could only see them at a low height. With your reflector idea, I think it will work.
Lastly, do you get a lot of glare or anything in sunlight from that light hitting the foil?
04-17-2009, 07:59 PM
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Ya, I like the other car in the garage too, though I have never driven it. I havent havent noticed any glare from the sun, and I will get some pics from other angles and heights.
04-17-2009, 08:41 PM
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This is one of the coolest mods I've seen on the RX8 so far. It makes me wish I had the mechanical proficiency and equipment to do such a thing. Can you imagine how jawesome it'd be to have blue LEDs glowing from the strakes of my Winning Blue GT?
04-17-2009, 11:29 PM
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I was discussing with someone the possibility of wiring this (and footwells) up to the rear dome light. That way, we could have a toggle for it to either work for when the doors are opened, or are constantly on. Anyone see a potential problem?
04-17-2009, 11:58 PM
#16
I wired mine to headlights, and put a switch between them. So the switch has to be flipped AND the headlights have to be on.
I was going to have a switch to make it always on, or on with the door lights. But I couldn't find the door light wire, and spent a long time on my back and was in such pain I gave up.
04-18-2009, 12:30 AM
#17
Well, that's kinda my point. I have blue LEDs in the dome, and i don't want to be cruising around all the time with the vent lights on. It will attract way too much attention. The toggle would have either everything on or off while driving, and everything turn on when you hit unlock on the key fob.
04-18-2009, 12:33 AM
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Well, that's kinda my point. I have blue LEDs in the dome, and i don't want to be cruising around all the time with the vent lights on. It will attract way too much attention. The toggle would have either everything on or off while driving, and everything turn on when you hit unlock on the key fob or open the door.
04-18-2009, 07:11 AM
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From the outside the aluminum foil can not be seen. Even when you get down on ur hands and knees and look, it is just too dark in there. And i wouldnt wire them to the dome light. That means that you will have to have it on when the dome is on, i would wire it to an interior light that comes on with your headlights, and then a put a switch which breaks the circut. BTW what do u guys think of my switch.
04-18-2009, 10:39 AM
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How would it work if you spliced them onto the turn signals? That might be kind of cool, to have the fender grill light up with your blinker.
04-18-2009, 11:31 AM
#23
From the outside the aluminum foil can not be seen. Even when you get down on ur hands and knees and look, it is just too dark in there. And i wouldnt wire them to the dome light. That means that you will have to have it on when the dome is on, i would wire it to an interior light that comes on with your headlights, and then a put a switch which breaks the circut. BTW what do u guys think of my switch.
I have not done this, but I think it would be a cool solution. However, Most states require white or amber turn signals, and I think the sides must be amber? So I'd beware of doing this
04-18-2009, 12:30 PM
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You could always use a strip of amber LEDs to make it a turn signal. I don't know the legality of it, but I would think you'd be a lot less likely to get in trouble for amber LEDs I would think. Realistically, I think it'd almost make the vehicle safer by making your blinkers more visible.
04-18-2009, 01:06 PM
#25
You could always use a strip of amber LEDs to make it a turn signal. I don't know the legality of it, but I would think you'd be a lot less likely to get in trouble for amber LEDs I would think. Realistically, I think it'd almost make the vehicle safer by making your blinkers more visible.