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LED-backed Lower Rear Red Reflectors

Discussion in 'Prius v Accessories and Modifications' started by Air_Boss, Jul 4, 2014.

  1. JACoH

    JACoH Enjoying the mileage

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    I also received mine within a week of ordering from SmartStyle, wired mine as brake lights only. I did drill a 3/8" hole in the bumper cover about an inch below the top fitting pin. Smeared silicone sealant around both pins and the exiting wires. Use a coat hanger or similar item to pull wiring up from behind bumper cover to taillights. Should take up to 2 hours after hunting for the 5mm nuts (10mm head wrench size) that will probably fall into frame as you unscrew them. Even with using a long extendable magnet, I lost 1 on each side. Otherwise pretty straight forward. Just remember, black wire to ground, red for brake lights, white for running lights.
     
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  2. tanasit

    tanasit Member

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    Thanks for both SmellyTofu and JACoH :)
    Do you know the LEDs are Nichia (dome type) or CREE or COB?
     
    #22 tanasit, Jul 16, 2014
    Last edited: Jul 16, 2014
  3. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    They look like a matrix of square Piranha superflux LEDs mounted on boards.

    Where are the existing holes? My version has a ribbon of three ~22 gauge wires (the black/red/white discussed above).
     
    #23 Air_Boss, Jul 16, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 30, 2014
  4. SmellyTofu

    SmellyTofu Average punter

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    Existing holes as in the holes used to clip the reflectors on.

    Again if you guys plan to use the 2 brightness levels for brake and parking light, just check that the high centre mount stop light on the spoiler is not dimly lit (to parking light brightness) when the parking lights are on.
     
  5. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    Of course, the reflector/LED mounting holes provide wire access through to behind the bumper fascia.

    I meant how do you route the wires up from below, behind the bumper fascia to access power from the combination light 6-pin plugs (S18, R17)?

    On the 6-pin plugs, pins 2 and 4 are Stop and Marker illumination power and diode-protected against back-feeding, while pin 5 is ground. There should not be back-feeding into the CHMSL.


    upload_2014-7-16_17-49-23.png
     
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  6. SmellyTofu

    SmellyTofu Average punter

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    Wired it up behind the bumper, then under the rear door seal and back behind the tail lights and pushed the wires in the plug itself. Whilst the reflector lights worked fine with the headlights off, when I tried it with the headlights on, there was a glow in the spoiler brake light. Someone else can try and us know if they've experienced the same thing.
     
  7. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    So the way I understand it the reflector/LED indication worked fine at high intensity with braking and with marker/headlights off, but with marker/headlights on, there is backfeed to the CHMSL when there is no braking? What is behavior with lights on and braking? Full CHMSL and reflector/LED intensity?
     
  8. SmellyTofu

    SmellyTofu Average punter

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    but with marker/headlights on, there is backfeed to the CHMSL when there is no braking?

    Yes, the CHMSL has some backfeed glowing at the same intensity as parking lights with no braking.

    What is behavior with lights on and braking? Full CHMSL and reflector/LED intensity?

    Yes, full intensity.
     
  9. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    Is it possible that a strand of the reflector/LED conductor attached to the #4 blue/stop wire pin-out is bridged to the #2 green/marker pin-out?

    IOW white to red?
     
  10. SmellyTofu

    SmellyTofu Average punter

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    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    This is how I wired it. I used a multimeter to check each wire. So ground is white (on the plug) and green is for the parking light. (I think the blue wire was brakes)

    Anyway, I'm not fussed if I can make the brake lights work though it'd be good because I can turn the brighter setting into the rear fog lights since the Australian destination vehicles came with it.
     
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  11. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    Ground should be the white-black lead, green lead the marker/parking and yes, blue lead the stop.

    Perplexed about the back-feed; perhaps the diode is breaking down?
     
  12. BruceWonder

    BruceWonder New Member

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    did you guys have to remove the rear bumper to install this? or can u shimmy through the rear wheels?
     
  13. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    Still plumbing for the best non-destructive and non-disassembly path for conductors.
     
  14. tanasit

    tanasit Member

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    I got the set but still no time to install and wonder the same. I do however plan to use the plastic sink snake to some how manage the connections without removing any major parts. I did open the tail light back cover and see no gap down the bumper!
     
  15. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    That is the first thing I looked for after getting the car home.
    There's a google doc somewhere, but it's not organized too well yet.
    ( for link to google doc when I find it again )
     
  16. SmellyTofu

    SmellyTofu Average punter

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    Remove the bolt off the top of the bumper, pull wire up to the door seals and back behind the interior panels to the taillight.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
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  17. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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  18. SmellyTofu

    SmellyTofu Average punter

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    Tried to connect the blue brake wire up and this is the result with no brake pedal depressed. Not sure if it makes any difference connecting the brake wire at the CHMSL.

    [​IMG]
     
  19. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    The block diagram shows diode protection against backfeed, but you are the second person to note low level backfeed through the CHMSL.
     
  20. SmellyTofu

    SmellyTofu Average punter

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    Anyway, I might wire up the brighter setting to the rear fog light. At least it'd be of some use.