[Mk2] [NA] Rear Fog light LEDS switchback type

[KurtSmart]

I'm looking at replacing all my rear lights with LED's. Is there a rear fog/brake light so i could use both the rear reds (if that's understandable) as brakes then one as a fog when needed

[Peter Gidden]

Can you make yourself clearer? "Is there a rear fog/brake light" - UK cars used inners as fogs. JDM cars had no fogs.

It is a common conversion to fit twin filament bulbs to the inners so they become side/brake or side/brake/fog.

If you're looking at fitting ebay multi-LED bulbs, remember none of them give as even fill to the lens as an incandescent bulb.

[KurtSmart]

Yeah i wanted the light that is used only as fog. to light it up using a bulb thats both sidelight and fog plus brake so its got some use as i hardly ever go out in the fog lol

[Peter Gidden]

Here you go:

http://www.mr2oc.co.uk/know-your-2-know ... bartid=211

[KurtSmart]

That's exactly what i want to do but using LED rear lights

[Peter Gidden]

That's exactly what i want to do but using LED rear lights

OK... and?

[BLZ-8027]

That's exactly what i want to do but using LED rear lights

Not sure if you can use LED bulbs,because you need dual filament for them to work as you want ?

heres another mod

http://www.mr2oc.co.uk/know-your-2-know ... bartid=210

[KarlBristol]

I'd go a bit careful with fitting led rear lights, fog lights, brake lights or headlights.

Not something I'd do personally as I believe that technically under construction and use offences they are actually currently illegal unless correctly marked and fitted as standard from the manufacturers

The fitting of aftermarket lamps which relate to safety are covered by "Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989" (Which is still current as are all laws until they are amended)...... The relevent section:

14.—(1) Where a motor vehicle first used on or after 1st April 1986 or any trailer manufactured on or after 1st October 1985 is equipped with any lamp of a type that is required by any Schedule to these Regulations to be marked with an approval mark, no filament lamp other than a filament lamp referred to in the Designation of Approval Marks Regulations.


So basically... If the lamps don't have a TUV mark on them they aren't legal.

Your lights especially your rear lights need a certain light output and a specific light spread to be legal (but I don't know these figures off the top of my head)



Traffic coppers would love to give you tickets/hassle for this and insurance companies will love them if you end up getting rear ended.

Im sure youd be fine, but its just a heads up

[KarlBristol]

Although led lights can look really nice if they are done properly and are not a halfords special

Just make sure your local bobbies aren't evil before you fit any! Lol.

[Peter Gidden]

Just to add...

A light that passes the MOT, does not necessarily make it legal for use on the road.

[shinny]

Yeah i wanted the light that is used only as fog. to light it up using a bulb thats both sidelight and fog plus brake so its got some use as i hardly ever go out in the fog lol

That's actually specifically disallowed in the construction and use regulations. Fog lights may not be used as brake lights and fogs must be 10cm away from brake lights. That said, there are planty of owners who have run cars like that, myself included in the past.

Also, achieving that would still be using a dual-filament style bulb (LED or not), which is NOT the same as a switchback LED bulb.

These are switchback LEDs: http://autolumination.com/switchback.html

What I had originally thought you meant was a modifcation I'd done. All four of my rear lenses are tail / brake. I have switchback LEDs in my reverse lights that are capable of being red for fogs or white for reverse. This means with my rear fogs on, I have 6 lights on at the back of the car. Earlier this year it went through two MOT tests like that without so much as a comment from either tester.

This is what I have fitted:



I really must make a video to explain it better, but my reverse light switch is dodgy ATM

[shinny]

One last note - most replacement LED bulbs are going to be a downgrade compared to filament bulbs. I tried some cheap 42 LED bulbs from china and they were almost invisible in daylight and utterly unsatisfactory in the SW20 housings. The new 5050 LED bulbs might be slightly better, but don't expect miracles from them in the mkII rear lights.

I've only just found an LED bulbs that's good enough for my rear indicators behind Wolfie's clear lenses and they were almost £40 a pair: http://www.ebay.com/itm/300780205297 (ordered without projector lenses)

I'm currently contemplating whether to spend another £75 and hope they're good enough for my 4 tail/brake lights. Compared to about £5 for the matching filament bulbs, it's difficult to justify the extra cost! But anything cheaper will be alot of money for a downgrade

[KurtSmart]

thanks for the info and replies. I dont want to use the actual fog light itself as a brake light just its holder so i would have basically 4 brake lights at the rear but id also want to be able to use fog lights if needed (legal requirement)

Ive done a basic paint diagram might explain it easier

[shinny]

So you want two dual-filament bulb holders for the inner lights and wire up the 5W filaments to the sidelights and the 21W filaments to the fog lights. That gets you 4 tail lights, 2 outer brake lights and 2 inner fog lights.

The instructions posted above including diodes only apply if you want the inners to be brake AND fog as well as side lights.

[shinny]

thanks for the info and replies. I dont want to use the actual fog light itself as a brake light just its holder so i would have basically 4 brake lights at the rear but id also want to be able to use fog lights if needed (legal requirement)

That's completely contradictory, BTW

4 brake lights and using the 2 inners as fogs implies using the fogs as brakes!

[BLZ-8027]

thanks for the info and replies. I dont want to use the actual fog light itself as a brake light just its holder so i would have basically 4 brake lights at the rear but id also want to be able to use fog lights if needed (legal requirement)

Ive done a basic paint diagram might explain it easier

Image Replaced With URL For Quote https://dl.dropbox.com/u/53233248/Untitled.png

have you read the write up ? thats what you will get

4 side lights ,4 brake lights,but when the fog switch is on the inners or outer s act as fog lights, the other 2 are then the brake lights