Tail light upgrade

[captainrags]

C4 1996
Has anybody ever replaced the third tail light with a LED unit. not the lens. Seems tight?

Ray

 

[93Rubie]

No, but I want to go to all LED's out back, way cool. Hella's or HID's up front with HID fog lamps too...now i just need the $$$.

I have seen couple with them, nice and you cannot argue with the safety factor.

 

[boomdriver]

C4 1996
Has anybody ever replaced the third tail light with a LED unit. not the lens. Seems tight?

Ray

I replaced the halogens with a standard bulb in the 3rd lite....there is no reference in the book, so take an old halogen and just do the visual match up. If I remember right, there was no perfect fit, so I inserted the bulbs then applied a silicone collar around the base of the bulb to help secure them so they would not vibrate out of the socket. So far all 5 are fine after about 2 years.
I wanted to try something else in the 3rd brake lite because the halogens were not always available, they got way too hot melting plastics around them, and they were always over-priced.

The brightness is just as good with the standard type bulb, so I would think that if you found a LED bar assembly of some sort, that it could be made to fit in that space and would work fine. Once apart, its just a matter of keeping a good seal on the bottom to keep moisture and dirt out.

 

[captainrags]

I replaced the halogens with a standard bulb in the 3rd lite....there is no reference in the book, so take an old halogen and just do the visual match up. If I remember right, there was no perfect fit, so I inserted the bulbs then applied a silicone collar around the base of the bulb to help secure them so they would not vibrate out of the socket. So far all 5 are fine after about 2 years.
I wanted to try something else in the 3rd brake lite because the halogens were not always available, they got way too hot melting plastics around them, and they were always over-priced.

The brightness is just as good with the standard type bulb, so I would think that if you found a LED bar assembly of some sort, that it could be made to fit in that space and would work fine. Once apart, its just a matter of keeping a good seal on the bottom to keep moisture and dirt out.

Thank You

 

[vetteoz]

The halogens were not always available, ...... and they were always over-priced.

Std 12V Halogen bulb for desk lamps, etc
2 for $1.00

(2) 20w JC G4 12v Bi-pin halogen lamp bulb - eBay (item 110610069742 end time Dec-10-10 07:39:48 PST)

vs $11 ea at Ecklers

Just need to realign the pins in slightly to fit C4 socket

 

[boomdriver]

Std 12V Halogen bulb for desk lamps, etc
2 for $1.00

(2) 20w JC G4 12v Bi-pin halogen lamp bulb - eBay (item 110610069742 end time Dec-10-10 07:39:48 PST)

vs $11 ea at Ecklers

Just need to realign the pins in slightly to fit C4 socket

Cool ! !
I never looked at Walmart or Home Depot for bulbs like that. I always knew there was plenty of crossover bulbs....somewhere.
Good Info !

 

[helphos]

Halogen brake lamps???

Are the lamps in the third brake light really Halogen?? I put a halogen bulb in my backup lights on another car, and it melted the plastic!!
I'd love to find high output plug-n-play LEDs for that application!!
I feel that the tail lights and brake lights are not as bright as I'd like.

 

[kenmack]

halogen ok

I replaced al my backup (side and lic plate)4 bulbs,as well as the turn lamps (side) up front,3 years ago still fine and lotsa lite