DIY: LED Halo Tail Lights (S1)
#31
Rear Mount GT35R
iTrader: (7)
they are CREE leds not sure the maker, but very bright. They are similar to yours the pineapple look but the have a rear facing one in a projector lense. The tail light tint was 80 bucks. Its nothing you can get off the shelf this guy mixes his on paint and a automotive clear. It is not nightshades and nightshades will fade over time. I did may last set with NS it didn't let a great amount of light through (safety) and faded. This i went lighter and it shines through like a clear lens
Last edited by bumblebeerx8; 06-23-2012 at 08:27 PM.
#35
#225 of 1000
iTrader: (7)
cut the lens off a severely messed up set of tails.
i remember reading this DIY when it first came out, but i should have referred back to it.. i cracked the lens by the keyhole.
no big deal though, it was really scratched up and had another crack in it too. good practice though.
I used a reinforced dremel cut off wheel and found that speed 25 was perfect and cut right through easily.
I want to keep the lens clear, but i was thinking about painting the housing a dark gunmetal.. thoughts?
also possibly a retrofit for smaller led rings for the turn signal and reverse? or take the 2 reflectors out and make the side opposite of the tail light 1 big turn signal ring and a bulb in the middle for reverse.. Kind of like the S2 lights.
i remember reading this DIY when it first came out, but i should have referred back to it.. i cracked the lens by the keyhole.
no big deal though, it was really scratched up and had another crack in it too. good practice though.
I used a reinforced dremel cut off wheel and found that speed 25 was perfect and cut right through easily.
I want to keep the lens clear, but i was thinking about painting the housing a dark gunmetal.. thoughts?
also possibly a retrofit for smaller led rings for the turn signal and reverse? or take the 2 reflectors out and make the side opposite of the tail light 1 big turn signal ring and a bulb in the middle for reverse.. Kind of like the S2 lights.
Last edited by EricB; 04-12-2013 at 09:32 PM.
#37
Registered
cut the lens off a severely messed up set of tails.
i remember reading this DIY when it first came out, but i should have referred back to it.. i cracked the lens by the keyhole.
no big deal though, it was really scratched up and had another crack in it too. good practice though.
I used a reinforced dremel cut off wheel and found that speed 25 was perfect and cut right through easily.
I want to keep the lens clear, but i was thinking about painting the housing a dark gunmetal.. thoughts?
also possibly a retrofit for smaller led rings for the turn signal and reverse? or take the 2 reflectors out and make the side opposite of the tail light 1 big turn signal ring and a bulb in the middle for reverse.. Kind of like the S2 lights.
i remember reading this DIY when it first came out, but i should have referred back to it.. i cracked the lens by the keyhole.
no big deal though, it was really scratched up and had another crack in it too. good practice though.
I used a reinforced dremel cut off wheel and found that speed 25 was perfect and cut right through easily.
I want to keep the lens clear, but i was thinking about painting the housing a dark gunmetal.. thoughts?
also possibly a retrofit for smaller led rings for the turn signal and reverse? or take the 2 reflectors out and make the side opposite of the tail light 1 big turn signal ring and a bulb in the middle for reverse.. Kind of like the S2 lights.
Mine came out fine, honestly if you do this DIY - if you end up NOT smoking your tail lights, I suggest keeping the red casing over it. It looks a LOT nicer with the casing over it when you do not have the lights on then it does with it off imo.
#38
#225 of 1000
iTrader: (7)
which? 2 small rings? this would be easier to mange.
or 2 large rings like the S2?
yeah, i like the diffused glow that it gives with the casing over it.
i might give it a shot on the busted tails. i cracked the second one open with no cracks!
or 2 large rings like the S2?
If you do that post pictures, curious about how that would turn out. I thought of doing something "different" with the reverse lights and turn signal lights, but was too lazy to do it after I put in the LED's.
Mine came out fine, honestly if you do this DIY - if you end up NOT smoking your tail lights, I suggest keeping the red casing over it. It looks a LOT nicer with the casing over it when you do not have the lights on then it does with it off imo.
Mine came out fine, honestly if you do this DIY - if you end up NOT smoking your tail lights, I suggest keeping the red casing over it. It looks a LOT nicer with the casing over it when you do not have the lights on then it does with it off imo.
i might give it a shot on the busted tails. i cracked the second one open with no cracks!
#40
Registered
Wiring is simple, no problems there; I have mine wired to running lights (disconnected the running lights to the bulbs) and have the bulbs just go when the brakes are on.
Trickiest part, was the stupid trunk lock (passenger side) part. I ended up with a big "gap" which I ghetto rigged with weather stripping, as it would of taken too much silicone to fill that up nicely. So, I would know how to use a dremel and know how to take as least off as you can.
#41
#225 of 1000
iTrader: (7)
i messed my 2 tails up that i was working on... lol..
one day ill just buy myself a set of S2 tails..
one thing i thought about was to replicate the lens with a vacuum former and then using that piece to cover the lamp to hide the ugly cut line. problem is making a vacuum former that can handle such a thick gauge plastic that is heat resistant to begin with.
one day ill just buy myself a set of S2 tails..
one thing i thought about was to replicate the lens with a vacuum former and then using that piece to cover the lamp to hide the ugly cut line. problem is making a vacuum former that can handle such a thick gauge plastic that is heat resistant to begin with.
#42
Registered
iTrader: (2)
I did mine almost a year ago. As long as you do a good job with sealing it up with good silicone, you won't have any leaking problems. I didn't have any real fitment issues either, I need to reopen mine and clean it up (It looks messy due to the silicone) and because I want to see how it would look painting the silver trim pieces black, like I did my headlights. I suggest you have a helping hand, especially when "clamping" them shut (I wrapped em tightly in duck tape).
Wiring is simple, no problems there; I have mine wired to running lights (disconnected the running lights to the bulbs) and have the bulbs just go when the brakes are on.
Trickiest part, was the stupid trunk lock (passenger side) part. I ended up with a big "gap" which I ghetto rigged with weather stripping, as it would of taken too much silicone to fill that up nicely. So, I would know how to use a dremel and know how to take as least off as you can.
Wiring is simple, no problems there; I have mine wired to running lights (disconnected the running lights to the bulbs) and have the bulbs just go when the brakes are on.
Trickiest part, was the stupid trunk lock (passenger side) part. I ended up with a big "gap" which I ghetto rigged with weather stripping, as it would of taken too much silicone to fill that up nicely. So, I would know how to use a dremel and know how to take as least off as you can.
#43
bro, what rear spoiler is that?
![](https://www.rx8club.com/members/shakeyourbrakes-39345-albums-2010-pics-3038-picture-4-search-my-diy-28802.jpg)
LED halo headlights -
![](https://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g87/dralla99/rx8/12.jpg)
Many of you guys have seen my other post with pics of my LED halo tail lights I have been working on. Here is a basic DIY for those of you who have always wanted to tackle this project, but didnt want to tear up a few tail lights in the process of figuring it out.
What you need..
1. First off, these tail lights do crack..this method makes it a lot less likely, but be aware, one slip up and you can ruin the tail light. Id recommend getting a spare set off ebay, and if all goes well, sell your current tails back on ebay.
2.Dremmel Diamond Cut-off wheel. (see link: http://www.amazon.com/Anytime-Tools-.../dp/B000FJLWNK) This seemed to slice through the plastic the best, no melting, easy to handle, and a tiny separation line unlike other cut off applications out there.
3.Clear silicone
4. 100mm red LED (SMD) Halo/Angel Eye. You could get away with 110mm or so if your not going to use the stock red lens inside the tail light like I did. With the 100mm, you can attach the ring, and still have a gap to replace the red lens on the inside.
My source on ebay was seller ID ipremiertek*co
![](http://www.hidlightsusa.com/images/prd_R60-15SMD-R_full.jpg)
5. LED brake bulbs
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Step one- Start dremmeling. Your going to want to go around the perimeter of the clear lens, as close to the black plastic as possible. This will hide most of the cut line. I dont have pics of the process, but its pretty self explanitory when you look at the setup of the tail.
The issue your going to have, is when you get near the key hole on the passenger side tail. The lens is sealed together in this whole section. I found the best way to get around this issue, was to stop, and cut down the black plastic and on the back side of the tail light, avoiding the keyhole altogether. Attached is a pic where you can see the lens separated, with the keyhole section still attached. Sorry its a little blurry but it shows what I mean.
Dont try to cut around the whole lens, thinking this section will pop apart..it wont. You need to leave this connected to the clear lens as one piece
![](https://www.rx8club.com/members/shakeyourbrakes-39345-albums-2010-pics-3038-picture-dsc-0231-search-my-diy-28804.jpg)
Due to some heat cutting the plastic, your going to have to actually "pop" the lens off the housing. Heres where it can get tricky..if you didnt cut all the way through the plastic you can easily run into cracking. I used a butter knife, and gradually, and gently put it in along the cut line and popped a little section at a time all the way around the lens. It should eventually pop off as a whole piece, just take your time.
Step two- Now that the lens is off, your going to want to pop the inner red lens off. This is attached by two clips, and a little glue I believe. I used a tooth brush handle and stuck it in the bulb hole on the back of the tail lights. A few good whacks, and the lens popped off.
Step three - Mount the LED smd ring with silicone, drill a small hole on the inside of the ring through to the back of the tail light and run the wires through. If your going to keep the red lens on the inside, put it back on with a few spots of silicone or super glue.
This is the tail with the red lens on the inside remounted over the LED ring.. obviously this would be what it would look like if you were to do it with a stock appearance. The red reflector lens seemed to make the halo look wider, but since I was spraying the tails red anyway, I didnt use it
![](https://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g87/dralla99/rx8/3.jpg)
broken down, mid process. I sprayed my tails red after, so I decided not to use the red lens to get a crisper LED look.
Attachment 240130
This is the tail not sprayed red, and without the red lens on the inside
Attachment 240131
Step four- Seal them up. They should fit together like a glove due to the thin cut line with the diamond cutoff wheel. I used clear weathergrade silicone, and like you would with the headlights, sealed all the way around. The way our tails are mounted, most of where you just cut is going to be hid by the trunk. The part you will see should look fairly untouched if you did a good cutting/siliconing job.
Step five- Connecting the wires. (Ill update this later today with wire colors when I get home and take a look) Your going to splice the wires in with two out of the three wires currently going to your brake lights. The "tail light" function is going to be disabled from your brake lights by disconnecting one of the wires, which will leave your tail bulbs to work only as brake bulbs. Same deal as how your 3rd brake light is wired.
Step six-Replace the brake light with a good LED brake bulb, and install the tail lights on the car.
FYI- If you want them red like mine, Ive had the best luck with Krylon Red stained glass spray from Michaels arts and craft stores... covered by several coats of good quality clear spray.
PICS
![](https://www.rx8club.com/members/shakeyourbrakes-39345-albums-2010-pics-3038-picture-10-search-my-diy-28803.jpg)
![](https://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g87/dralla99/rx8/5.jpg)
Attachment 240132
Attachment 240133
Attachment 240134
bro, what rear spoiler is this?
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post