Custom LED Puddle Lights!
#301
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Here's the link again for those too lazy to go back: http://www.rx8fun.com/puddle/docs/Puddle_Lamps.pdf
Anyone in the bay area who wants some help is always welcome to drive by casa de laythor.
Anyone in the bay area who wants some help is always welcome to drive by casa de laythor.
#303
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Okay.....mine are in! Woot!
No real install issues besides some of the damn door clips staying in the car(metal) instead of coming with the panel. Just make sure(if you have some that stayed in the car) that you get them out and put in the panel before putting it back together.
If you don't see nine white pins(for lack of a better word) remaning in your door panel, then go find them and put them back in the slots before you go to put the panel back on.
Oh......and I didn't break either of the top mirror alignment pins, but be very, very careful with those top ones!
I soldered all my connections and heat shrunk them. Do yourself a favor as someone already said...........check the puddle lights after putting in but before using the wire taps to make sure you know which wire goes where to make them light. I also chose not to disconnect the small tweeter, I just left it carefully hanging while I worked.
Think the blues are just a little to purple for me when looking at the against my blue courtesy lights, so I'll probably change out the LED's with the same company that makes all my other LED's. We'll see......haven't seen it at night yet and will try to take some pics and post them.
Wondering if you guys took the time to adjust the sealing foam on the puddle light housing as you put it in place? I had to kinda work the foam a little bit from the outside with a jewelers screwdriver. I'm actually thinking about putting a small bead of clear silicone to enhance the seal. Would do this already installed and just run it around the edge of the lamp where it meets the housing. What do you think?
![Smilie](https://www.rx8club.com/images/smilies/smile.gif)
No real install issues besides some of the damn door clips staying in the car(metal) instead of coming with the panel. Just make sure(if you have some that stayed in the car) that you get them out and put in the panel before putting it back together.
![Rant](https://www.rx8club.com/images/smilies/rant.gif)
Oh......and I didn't break either of the top mirror alignment pins, but be very, very careful with those top ones!
I soldered all my connections and heat shrunk them. Do yourself a favor as someone already said...........check the puddle lights after putting in but before using the wire taps to make sure you know which wire goes where to make them light. I also chose not to disconnect the small tweeter, I just left it carefully hanging while I worked.
Think the blues are just a little to purple for me when looking at the against my blue courtesy lights, so I'll probably change out the LED's with the same company that makes all my other LED's. We'll see......haven't seen it at night yet and will try to take some pics and post them.
Wondering if you guys took the time to adjust the sealing foam on the puddle light housing as you put it in place? I had to kinda work the foam a little bit from the outside with a jewelers screwdriver. I'm actually thinking about putting a small bead of clear silicone to enhance the seal. Would do this already installed and just run it around the edge of the lamp where it meets the housing. What do you think?
Last edited by Mazurfer; 12-23-2007 at 04:44 PM.
#304
I zoom therefore I am.
I did tweak the foam a bit with a very very very dull awl. Since water can already get into the mirror from the front seams and all around the mirror I thought doing anymore then the foam seal was just a waste.
#305
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Yeah.......I washed the car yesterday and when I went to do the install today, I noticed that some of the foam on the inside of the mirror was damp. I guess now that I think about it....taking the actual mirror off......it's not at all water tight is it? Might be better to not seal that off now that I think about it. Pics coming at around 9:00pm. I think I got some decent ones, but have to go download on other PC and then post. Need dinner and shower first though!
Last edited by Mazurfer; 12-24-2007 at 09:16 AM.
#306
Yeah.......I washed the car yesterday and when I went to do the install today, I noticed that some of the foam on the inside of the mirror was damp. I guess now that I think about it....taking the actual mirror off......it's not at all water tight is it? Might be better to not seal that off now that I think about it. Pics coming at around 9:00pm. I got some good ones, but have to go download on other PC and then post. Need dinner and shower first though!
#308
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It should be fine. They're closed cell so there should not be any issues with mold. The "foam" I used is actually weatherstripping you buy at Home Depot so it's designed for outdoors conditions. I put the weatherstripping there so it mainly blocks light from shining from your mirror and will only show light where it was intended to be.
So here are the pics. It was getting dark and I don't have a tripod so I did the best I could. You'll see some shake in some of them. You'll have to click on the pics to see the larger version. I'll probably go back and delete some of these after I put them up. Here's the first batch.
Last edited by Mazurfer; 12-24-2007 at 09:17 AM.
#309
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And here's the second batch. See what I mean by the slight mis-match between what I have in the car and these?
I'll find a better location tomorrow and also see if my old SLR tripod will accept this camera and hopefully replace these with better shots.
I'll find a better location tomorrow and also see if my old SLR tripod will accept this camera and hopefully replace these with better shots.
#311
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Thanks..........Yeah, I like them a lot but need to get better shots.
Oh.....pretty funny about the "Big *****". I laughed when I saw that!
Oh.....pretty funny about the "Big *****". I laughed when I saw that!
![Lol](https://www.rx8club.com/images/smilies/lol.gif)
Last edited by Mazurfer; 12-23-2007 at 08:06 PM.
#315
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The light itself is completely sealed very nicely and no way it would short. He did a great job!.
I was talking about where the whole fixture(the lens specifically) mates up against the hole in the bottom of the mirror housing. There is foam there and it doesn't need to really be sealed there anyway.....it's not sealed in other places, so it's probably better to NOT have it 100%completely sealed right there. Hell, water can get in behind the mirror at anytime anyway.....there's nothing to stop it and the whole OEM housing isn't water tight anyway. Would probably cause issues with the back of the mirror if it was.
Last edited by Mazurfer; 12-24-2007 at 03:11 PM.
#318
I zoom therefore I am.
I see what you're saying about being more purple with lights mazurfer.. mine are definatly more blue.
Love the look of the light coming down the sides of the car.
Love the look of the light coming down the sides of the car.
#319
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those look SICK!
I think I need to change out my LED's, they might be burning out as they're definitely not as bright as I remember them being originally. (I have Derwankle's with vled's)
***off to the garage to double check***
be right back
I think I need to change out my LED's, they might be burning out as they're definitely not as bright as I remember them being originally. (I have Derwankle's with vled's)
***off to the garage to double check***
be right back
#321
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Yeah, I might change to the VLED white ones, then it should match the VLED's I have in the corners and parking lights(which as you know kinda have a blue tint anyway). If not, I have some blue 5 refractors(VLED's) left that I might try in there. That would match the inside of the car, but may not be bright enough??????????
#322
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Well......what did you find out Jorge? It might actually depend on what you have in the courtesy lights........have you changed either the courtesy, maps, or rear dome since you put them in? I pretty much have Vled's in any location that comes on with the doors. My front and rear footwells are on a timer, so essentially(electrically) they are seperate.
#324
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Well......what did you find out Jorge? It might actually depend on what you have in the courtesy lights........have you changed either the courtesy, maps, or rear dome since you put them in? I pretty much have Vled's in any location that comes on with the doors. My front and rear footwells are on a timer, so essentially(electrically) they are seperate.
Most of the time the darmn yelowish street lights out here block much of the light from the puddle lights but in my dark garage they still look like new.
I've got Vled high power 194's in there now. (hyper white)