LED tail lights

[podwin]

I decided to add LEDs to the inside tail light of the Passat.

It's a mod' which I read about on a US forum, and did it over a few evenings (I tend to tinker in the shed so to speak when I'm bored).

I wasn't sure if I could be bothered to do the Near Side, but now I've installed it I think I will because I think it actually looks ok.

What do you guys think?

[marcus_asparagu]

I'm liking that!

Was it simple? Doesn't sound simple...............can you post the link to US site as I fancy pinching that idea for myself.

Details, give us the details.....cost, time, parts.

Ta. Mark

[jonsey24]

Looks Good as if its OEM

[Slick]

nice work, looks good

[james_tiger_woo]

Nice. Better than leds at the front :-) i take it they're not on all the time?

Got any night shots?

[podwin]

Thanks for the positive feedback.

I bought some rear tail lights from Ebay, one was £30 and the other £15, (probably because it has a mark slight across it).

Each unit takes £20 LEDs and got these from Ebay here:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/20-x-Pre-wired...1|293:1|294:50

They are 12v so no need for any resistors, and I wired 4 in series at a time to make them 25% brightness in an attempt to match the current tail lights.

To get them installed is a little time consuming, it involves cutting open the light cluster using a Dremel along a plastic seam at the rear of the casing. You can then drill 20 holes for the LEDs. Fit them, and glue them into place, then wired them up using sumitube, the heat shrink stuff. You can make it quite neat with this stuff.

Then sealed the unit back up with Epoxy resin, and wired the lights into the lights for the registration plate, so they illuminate when I turn the lights on in sync with the existing tail lights.

I got the idea from this forum, http://forums.motivemag.com/zerothread?id=2968265 where people there bought them off the shelf from this place, http://oempl.us/index.php?main_page=...cPath=75_21_49 but they no longer sell them.

Hence why I had a go myself.

[marcus_asparagu]

Podwin,

Can you show us some pictures of how you split the light clusters apart, as that's the part worrying me the most....total carnage of expensive lights! Ahhhh.

Seems that the Yanks just bust them apart! More ahhhhh. Do I have to be brave and attack with a screw driver or is there a more civilised method?

Still going to pinch this mod...........its waaaay cool!

Mark.

[Slick]

I found some pictures of the process here:

http://www.areavag.com/foro/showthre...0347#post70347

[podwin]

Hi Mark,

Here are some pictures of how I split the light. Remember I have bought ones off Ebay so that I can keep my originals, well, original.

Cut along the seam with a Dremel:




Then pull apart:


Mask off the main light to protect it while drilling the 20 holes for the LEDs:


Drill each hole in turn using a 5mm drill bit max:





I'll post some more as I go along.

[podwin]

I found some pictures of the process here:

http://www.areavag.com/foro/showthre...0347#post70347

That looks a much more professional job than mine.

I bought an outer cluster off Ebay to use the OEM LEDs but decided against it due to getting them into the inner cluster.

The American forum mentioned that splitting the light cluster how they have (i.e. taking the front off) makes it difficult to seal so it's water tight, for the seal to look neat. By splitting it at the back means you can pile on loads of resin without worrying about looks, which makes it strong and water tight.

The method I have used is quicker / lazier, but looks more messy and less neat, but you don't see the back once installed.