Wicked TYC LED Turn/Reverse light mod with pics!

[Old_School]

I got tired of just the single reverse light so I decided to modify my TYC tail lights to include 2 more reverse lights! The TYC tail lights are already LED, but not the turn signal. So I pulled the incandecent single element socket and modded it to house an 1157 dual element bulb. I searched for a bulb that could be amber for my turn signals and also white for my reverse lights. Then I found these awesome dual color (Amber/White) 1157 LED bulbs from www.v-leds.com (http://www.v-leds.com/) that are wicked cool! I then just had to run a jumper from the existing reverse light to my new modded turn signal/back up lights! Check out the results!

http://home.windstream.net/gan777/images3/rear_reverse.jpg http://home.windstream.net/gan777/images3/rear_turn.jpg

I loved these bulbs so much that I ordered a second pair for the front so now my driving lights are super white and turn signals amber!

http://home.windstream.net/gan777/images3/front_driving.jpg http://home.windstream.net/gan777/images3/front_turn.jpg

The only thing else I had to do was get an electronic flasher so the turn signals didn't hyper-flash since the LED bulbs use so little power. The best part is v-leds even had the flasher I needed to go with the bulbs, these guys are awesome!

[pinke]

wow, that's a really cool mod!!! :clap:

[cowhead]

Hell, ya. Maybe you could put up a DYI for all of us electonic challenged people.

[Old_School]

Hell, ya. Maybe you could put up a DYI for all of us electonic challenged people.

I am on vacation right now, but when I get back I will post a step by step with more photos.

[cowhead]

Thanx :flex:

[xDizzle]

can u post a DIY??

[Luc1f3r]

hey glen, how do you get away with the fuzzy license plate? if you just did it for the pic, why dont you care about all the people who see your license plate while driving?

:p

[scikosomatic]

noice

[timmy]

where did you find the duel color led for the front marker lights. im looking on the site and i cant find them.
thanks for the help and awsome post.

[Old_School]

where did you find the duel color led for the front marker lights. im looking on the site and i cant find them.
thanks for the help and awsome post.

Not sure, I do not see them anymore. I have an e-mail in to the guy to let me know if they are just out of stock or what the deal is. I let him know I have a few people interested so hopefully he will get back to me with good news.
They do still have the 7443 style dual color bulbs though, which might even work easier for the tail light mod. But this does no good for the front.

[Old_School]

hey glen, how do you get away with the fuzzy license plate? if you just did it for the pic, why dont you care about all the people who see your license plate while driving?

:p

That is a custom coating I put on there that blurs when a picture is taken of the plate to avoid traffic light cameras. It is a custom coating I designed myself, which I call total BS. :Inclassable52:
I am having trouble with the formula though... when the sun hits it just right the whole plate spontaneously bursts into flames and melts right off the car. :qright3:

[Luc1f3r]

ya know, they actually do make a spray that does that, but it just makes it all white.... ;)

[Old_School]

ya know, they actually do make a spray that does that, but it just makes it all white.... ;)

Yea, I know...

[Autoboticus]

DIY please!!!! lol im dyin to do this

[fatboy1]

now if I saw a reverse light that gave a turn signal I would be even happier... Good mod.

please dont attempt this next...
http://www.great-tv-shows.com/knightrider/knightrider.jpg

[Daarken]

that looks great, i checked out the website, however i couldn't find any dual color 1157's on the site, only a few other sizes. :(

[Dragon Wagon]

Please post the DIY.

I'll find the bulbs somewhere.

[Old_School]

Good news from v-leds.com
"Well we had discontinued the type 1 and we were replacing them with the type 2 but we are out of both. So not sure if you mod can use the type 2.
Honestly we have been getting a lot of emails ever since we ran out. There is a possibility we will bring them back."
It looks like they will have the type 2 again soon and possibly may bring back the type 1. Either will work in the tail light mod though! I WILL be working on the DIY and try to get it up in the next week or so.

[Dragon Wagon]

You the best. The wife is dying for me to do this mod.

[Old_School]

FYI... the type 2 1157 dual color bulbs are back in stock on v-leds.com, get them before they are gone again!

http://www.v-leds.com/Shop/Control/Product/fp/vpid/5851397/vpcsid/0/SFV/32481

Still working on the DIY, sorry... I have a show this weekend...

[Dragon Wagon]

I can't beleive they are already sold out!!!!

:geek: I need to be faster.

[Old_School]

I can't beleive they are already sold out!!!!

:geek: I need to be faster.

WOW! They will be back, they know a bunch of people are waiting to do this mod!

[Old_School]

I am posting a description of this mod but have not gotten a chance yet to break everything down and take pictures. I will try to get photos ASAP!

First you need a dremmel or other similar rotary tool. You will need some small gauge wire, a few tap splices, and a multimeter to make sure you connect the wires together properly. You will need 2 dual color LED 1157 bulbs (found at v-leds.com). Finally, you will need 2 metal 1157 sockets. This is the hardest part to find because the autoparts stores do not stock them anymore. But if you go to Napa and ask to see their light socket book they can show you the pictures. You just need a metal socket that holds an 1157 bulb that has the 2 or 3 wires attached (at least the 2 hot wires). It should not have any tabs or anything sticking out on the sides.
Start by removing the existing socket from the TYC turn signal, clipping the wires to leave as much of the wires as possible on the tail light housing itself. The existing plastic socket will have a flat section protruding from the top of the round socket with metal contacts going into the socket and connecting to the wires. Remove the metal contatcts and wires with needle nose pliers. Use a cutting wheel on the Dremmel tool to cut off the flat section from the top of the socket, leaving only the round part. Now, looking into the round section you will see the small square sections that held the contacts and wires. Use a side cutting, router type bit on the Dremmel to hollow out the inside of the round piece so that the 1157 socket you bought will slip inside SNUGLY! You will probably need to drill a small hole in the side of the plastic socket to insert the ground wire so it will contact the metal 1157 socket.
Repeat for the other side.
You will now have to take the Dremmel tool and a sanding drum to open up the hole in the TYC tail light just a little bit so the bulb will fit through the hole.
You can now insert the bulb into the socket and fit it into the tail light housing. Use the multimeter to find the ground and turn signal wires and connect them to the new 1157 socket.
Now remove the spare tire cover and plastic parts that hold the jack, etc. in the cargo area. Down near the floor of the cargo area on the driver side near the bumper you will see a small grommet with 2 wires coming in from the reverse light socket. Use the multimeter to find the hot wire when the reverse lights are on. Use a tap splice to tap into this wire and run jumpers to both sides near the tail lights. Connect these jumprers to the other wire on the new 1157 socket. Test the turn signals and reverse lights.
Put everything back together and you are done!
It really is not that difficult, just take your time.
ALSO... they do now make a dual color 7443 bulb which will probably just plug right in to the existing plastic socket so you would just need to figure out a way to add the other electrical contact for the reverse lights. But I have not done this so I cannot advise on the difficulty of this method.

[Daarken]

Nice write up, when you finsih it, can you post the model or part numbers (along with links to that product if possible) for all the additional equipment you had to buy to do this?

[Old_School]

Nice write up, when you finsih it, can you post the model or part numbers (along with links to that product if possible) for all the additional equipment you had to buy to do this?

The only model/part numbers would be for the bulb and the electronic flasher you need to keep it from hyper flashing because the lower current draw of the LED bulbs makes the oem flasher think the bulb is burned out.

The bulb I used is: http://www.v-leds.com/Shop/Control/Product/fp/vpid/5851397/vpcsid/0/SFV/32481
And the flasher I used is: http://www.v-leds.com/Shop/Control/Product/fp/vpid/4481146/vpcsid/0/SFV/32481
For the 1157 socket you can use a generic part available from automotive parts distributors like Napa. The one I used was a Motormite/Conduct-Tite 84809 socket, which I got from Pep Boys and I believe is no longer available.
13738
I slid the metal socket out of the plastic mounting piece and slid this metal piece into my modified plastic piece.
You can probably find it online, you would just have to pay a bunch for shipping and would be better off to just get a generic one from Napa.

[gReEn MaChInE]

Cool!

[Daarken]

thanks!

[AWXB09]

I got tired of just the single reverse light so I decided to modify my TYC tail lights to include 2 more reverse lights! The TYC tail lights are already LED, but not the turn signal. So I pulled the incandecent single element socket and modded it to house an 1157 dual element bulb. I searched for a bulb that could be amber for my turn signals and also white for my reverse lights. Then I found these awesome dual color (Amber/White) 1157 LED bulbs from www.v-leds.com (http://www.v-leds.com/) that are wicked cool! I then just had to run a jumper from the existing reverse light to my new modded turn signal/back up lights! Check out the results!

http://home.windstream.net/gan777/images3/rear_reverse.jpg http://home.windstream.net/gan777/images3/rear_turn.jpg

I loved these bulbs so much that I ordered a second pair for the front so now my driving lights are super white and turn signals amber!

http://home.windstream.net/gan777/images3/front_driving.jpg http://home.windstream.net/gan777/images3/front_turn.jpg

The only thing else I had to do was get an electronic flasher so the turn signals didn't hyper-flash since the LED bulbs use so little power. The best part is v-leds even had the flasher I needed to go with the bulbs, these guys are awesome!

those white 1157's in the front, which ones were they? the ones for 24.99 or 49.99? get bak to me on dat if yu can. im goin to pm about it. :thanks:

[Old_School]

those white 1157's in the front, which ones were they? the ones for 24.99 or 49.99? get bak to me on dat if yu can. im goin to pm about it. :thanks:
The ones I used in the front are dual color white/amber, but they are the type 1 bulb, which aparently has been discontinued. The type 2 bulb is out of stock but $54.99.
http://www.v-leds.com/Exterior-LED/Turn-Signal-LED/Amber-LED/V-LEDS-TYPE-2-DUAL-COLOR-p5851397-1-2.html

[Mark McKee]

individuality is what makes respect i give you props man.

[Old_School]

individuality is what makes respect i give you props man.

Thanks Mark

[Dragon Wagon]

The bulbs are back in stock. I just ordered mine!!! :up:

FYI, I found a coupon code for the site. Enter TOYOTANATION in the coupon section at checkout and save 15%. (That's about $9).

[STARK_INDUSTRIES]

I just placed my order but I didnt see that there was a code. Damit!!!

My wife is peranoid because she is afraid that with everything that I have been doing to her box that she will get a ticket so I went with the type 2 led bulb. At least that should give her piece of mind I guess. haha...

[pimped_out_lunchbox]

Very Nice..... I Like

[ToY*bOx]

wow i just ordered mine nothing bout beeing out of stock or anything. im just doing the front how plug and play is it. with just the bumper reverse light is there a easyer mod lol like just a bulb haha im a little lazy.