DIY - FR-S Valenti Tail Lights Install

[bobpuffer]

Got a chance to install the Valenti tails. Learned quite a bit:
1. Open trunk
2. remove spare tire cover, set to the side

3. remove three push pins (don't know what these are actually called) on plastic covering the area where the trunk lid engages with the body by prying the center up with a small screwdriver. Once the center pops you can pull them out and place them off to the side. Set plastic piece to the side

4. Remove the foam that contains the tools on each side. The only way I could figure how to do this was to just gradually pull up on the foam close to the retaining pin (not a push pin) in the center. The pin flew like a bullet so I'd recommend putting a small towel over it when you pull so you don't lose them (like I did).

5. remove the front push pins off of one side retaining the the wheel well cover. I removed all of them on the passenger side and removed the wheel well cover only to find out on the driver's side I only needed to take out the rear-most four.

6. disengage the lighting connection by pressing on the retainer clip and pulling gently on the plastic connecter.

7. Using an 8mm wrench remove the four nuts holding the taillight onto the body of the car. On the passenger side you'll have to remove the wiring harness retainers from one of the nuts. This was the hardest thing I had to do. A small wrench that wraps around the nut used a leverage seemed to work best to get these retainer clips off the screws. The driver's side has two of these retainers. OF SPECIAL NOTE: the screws attached to the Valenti taillight unit are longer so these retainers do not clip back onto the new headlights. They fit, just don't catch onto the threads of the screws. A person could saw off a 1/4 inch of the screw before installing and get around this problem.
8. Pull off the old headlight.
9. Install the new in backwards fashion of the steps above.

10. Repeat for other side.

Took me about an hour to do both -- pretty easy even for a mechanically challenged owner like me.
I'll post some more pics when its dark and you can see the tails better.

[jlu]

Thanks! Can't wait to see them lit up.

[xDBOYx]

Nice cant wait for more pics. Perhaps a video of how it works exactly. Each feature.

[GregV]

Wire retainers will pull off easily with pliers.

You can also get to the tail lamps easily by just removing the plugs in the trunk liner and folding it back, you don't have to pull out the trunk latch piece or the foam.

[bobpuffer]

Originally Posted by GregV

Wire retainers will pull off easily with pliers.

You can also get to the tail lamps easily by just removing the plugs in the trunk liner and folding it back, you don't have to pull out the trunk latch piece or the foam.

Hmmm... I was not able to get the trunk liner pulled back without removing the trunk latch piece and couldn't remove the trunk latch piece without removing the foam. Perhaps someone else will have better luck.

[bobpuffer]

Here's a pic in the dark. The tails are actually quite bright but this pic causes them to look like they fade out -- individual LEDs are very discernable. Probably not strictly legal as they are not red driving down the road, only when braking and turning. Am not very concerned about that but if there's some rewiring to do I'd probably do it so I had red on going down the road, and yellow for blinkers.

[suaveflooder]

Those look great!! Nice write up!

[GregV]

Originally Posted by bobpuffer

Here's a pic in the dark. The tails are actually quite bright but this pic causes them to look like they fade out -- individual LEDs are very discernable. Probably not strictly legal as they are not red driving down the road, only when braking and turning. Am not very concerned about that but if there's some rewiring to do I'd probably do it so I had red on going down the road, and yellow for blinkers.

Definitely not wired properly from Valenti, and as you said - illegal.

[Chewie4299]

Originally Posted by GregV

Definitely not wired properly from Valenti, and as you said - illegal.

Yea... the tube should be your tail lights. The orange 'half arrow' should be your blinker and the red LEDs should be your brake lights.

Definitely wired wrong from the manufacturer. This happened with another user and another tail light from Japan.

[maceSWISS]

Originally Posted by Chewie4299

Yea... the tube should be your tail lights. The orange 'half arrow' should be your blinker and the red LEDs should be your brake lights.

Definitely wired wrong from the manufacturer. This happened with another user and another tail light from Japan.

Yeah your right. I think there's a difference between JDM and USDM wireing of the tail lights? I will check, if my taillights light up correctly without changing pins, when i change it to the valenti because here in switzerland we've got the JDM version of the car.




greetings

-maceSWISS

[Razzle]

Is this the yellow LEDs that are illuminated?
Are they on as your tail lights?

[jeffsides]

So.... I got the Colin lights in the mail today. All the lights are reverse. My tail lights are blinkers and vise versa. Help?

[jeffsides]

got it figured out. Thanks to everyone Who PM me with help!

[#944_10_Series_FRS]

Originally Posted by GregV

Wire retainers will pull off easily with pliers.

You can also get to the tail lamps easily by just removing the plugs in the trunk liner and folding it back, you don't have to pull out the trunk latch piece or the foam.

Just replaced these lights into my 10 series. It is very easy as per your instruction here......