Footwell glow (nay) turns into 3rd Brake light LEDs (yay)

[Souls]

Hey Everyone,

first sorry for the huge pics, I thought I shrunk them down... whatever - I'm still getting used to posting on TM3.... :)

So I've read about footwell glow and the OEM lights that can be put down there. I did this like 9yrs ago in my former VR6's. I thought heck - why not do it again? so I go thru my box of doodads again and fab up my own LED strip...

spare LEDs/resistors
http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/6321/dscn3034.jpg

I cut and used a large zip tie as my strip mount, again drilled to fit the 3mm 45degree LEDs
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/9536/dscn3035s.jpg

made connections
http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/930/dscn3037l.jpg

test lighting
http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/3729/dscn3038e.jpg

test in the dark, seems bright enought for footwell glow
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/9499/dscn3040m.jpg

it was tricky sliding that shrink wrap in the strip
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/7702/dscn3041n.jpg

woot-woot! strip made
http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/8674/dscn3046.png

then I tested it in the footwell using drill battery, and seriously I disliked it (booooo....)

then the 3rd brake light came to mind! Yay!
test in the dark and upside down on my workspace
http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/4665/dscn3071i.jpg

another shot, straight on, since they are 45 degree angle LEDs the light blends better :hawt
http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/3787/dscn3072.jpg

then I held it up at the back of the car in the dark. It seems like it'll work well, so I made a 2nd strip. I tested with both next to each other and it looks wicked. But I think I'll remake them with some of the brighter LEDs in my junkbox (8000mcd), but those have a narrower beam.... if I get more time, I'll fab them up. I'll add pics of these ones above once I get in installed.

[m_bisson]

cool beans :)

[PCLoadLetter]

Nice. Post updates!

[Souls]

OK, so I finally put it in. I also put a LED in the side rear reflectors, wired the to the lic plate lights. And I put 2 each in the rear lower reflectors and wired them to the brake lights.

Look TOTALLY bitchin' :headbang will post pics as soon as I can get the camera off my wife.

[Ogata]

OK, so I finally put it in. I also put a LED in the side rear reflectors, wired the to the lic plate lights. And I put 2 each in the rear lower reflectors and wired them to the brake lights.

Look TOTALLY bitchin' :headbang will post pics as soon as I can get the camera off my wife.

Nice! Can you PM me how you added LEDs on your reflectors?

[Souls]

Nice! Can you PM me how you added LEDs on your reflectors?

LOL I was going to make a DIY, but didnt' have a camera to take pics. It's super easy. pop one off you'll see a post thingy, I cut 1/2" off, drill out the LED size, and hot glued it in, ran the wires to the plate light.

Wife can't find the camera... will havta get a co-worker with one of those phancy-dancy cellular telephone things with a camera built in to shoot one for me.

[Souls]

Alrighty!! wife found the camera... here's the pics. I ended up making a 2nd strip for the 3rd brake light

Rear reflector LED... I was going to try to light up the whole piece, make it glow, but opted for the quick and easy way out. Beside I think it matches the single LED from the side of the tail light
http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/9540/leds1.jpg

close up of rear "4th" brake light LEDs in lower reflectors. Here I has made a strip of 6 (per side) and was gonna have 3 light up as tails and 3 brake lights... but after 3 days of fudging it, I couldn't get the strip I made to fit flush inside the back of the reflector so I scrapped it and kept it simple
http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/8594/leds2j.jpg

3rd brake light LED. I used 2 of the strips I made from the DIY above
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/7305/brakeleds.jpg

Enjoy!

[Souls]

bump for new members lookin' for DIY mods

[Souls]

Bump again as there's many more noobs to TM3 lookin' for cheap mods

[TheMAN]

looks good
for a second there, I thought your footwell lights messed up and turned into brake lights! :chuckle

I'm pretty sure using LEDs instead of light bulbs prevents the fade out feature to work though

[Souls]

looks good
for a second there, I thought your footwell lights messed up and turned into brake lights! :chuckle

I'm pretty sure using LEDs instead of light bulbs prevents the fade out feature to work though

They were gonna be footie glow, but I didn't dig it, so I reused them