My BRZ Exterior LED conversion (Incl. Fogs)

[Draco-REX]

So I went about changing my exterior bulbs to LEDs. I didn't do the interior lights because I prefer the warmer incandescent light inside.

Here are what I picked up:


From left to right, starting at the top:
Turn Signals, Fog Lights, Flasher Relay, License Plate Lights, Reverse Lights, and future Rain Light.

I got them all at SuperBrightLEDS.com except for the Fog Light bulbs. Those I found on Amazon [ame="http://www.amazon.com/PSX24W-Light-Replacement-Bulbs-White/dp/B006FYI5WU"]HERE[/ame]. They aren't direct replacements despite the description, but they are close enough to work with a small modification. I'll get to that later.

The first issue sharp eyed people might see is the amber bases of the turn signal bulbs. Sure enough, they are visible in the reflectors which defeats most of the reason why I want LEDs in the first place. So, I painted the bases.

Masking:


Painting:


Finished Result:

(The chrome rings are plastic, not metal.)

Now the rear turn signal sockets have very short leads. I had to hold the bulb half way in and then press the socket onto it. A bit of a PITA, but not too hard to do.

Rear Before:


After:


Comparison:



The fronts were really easy to do with plenty of slack in the wires:

Front Before:


After:


Comparison:


Replacement of the Flasher Relay was relatively easy. It's rather high up under the dash just to the left of the steering column. There are a couple threads showing the location HERE and HERE. Just unplug the original and pull it off the bracket. The plastic fastener comes off with a thin screwdriver and slides right into the replacement flasher. Then just snap it back onto the bracket and plug in the harness.


The Fog lights were a little more involved. You'll want to prep the bulbs first.

Original:


Replacement:


There are quite a few small differences, some matter, some don't. The first differences are the keyed tabs around the socket. If you look carefully, you'll see one on the side of the socket. Compare the two and you'll see that the new socket is actually upside down. Luckily, this isn't a big issue. The plug will fit the new socket, just make sure the tab on the side matches the plug.

The next differences are the keyed tabs around the edge. Here are two of them on the new bulb:

There is a third on the opposite side of the bulb as well. These need to go. They don't line up with the slots in the reflector. Use a small pair of snips or a file and take them off:



Ok, now we get at the bulbs via the method in the owner's manual. Turn the wheel to the opposite side and remove the three plastic fasteners:

Do this by turning the centers with a screw driver as if you were removing a screw. They are a PITA to pop free as you need to press hard enough to engage the fastener, but light enough so you don't push it back in. Just turn it about a quarter turn until the center pops out. THen you can pry the fasteners out.

Pull away the fender liner to get at the back of the fog light:




The plug has a tab to press in, then pull it straight off:


Then press the tabs at the top and bottom of the light socket and pull the bulb straight out. Now, take the new bulb and pay attention to the keyed tab on the side of the socket and how the plug will line up with it. Push the new bulb straight into the socket until it clicks in place and then press the plug on firmly. It may not snap into the socket, but it should seat with enough friction to stay in place. Turn your lights on and check that it's working.

New Front corner:


New Fogs (hard to tell, but they match the headlights better):


Now, a note about doing this to the fogs. These bulbs put out a lot less light. This is PURELY for appearance. Personally, I don't think the stock fogs do enough to matter. If I feel like making them useful, I'll probbaly get a set of Hella fog lights like these: http://www.rallylights.com/detail.aspx?ID=132

But the car looks a lot better now. Proof that it's the little things that count.

[just86]

i would have gone with ambler for the turn lights and fogs, nice to know that its that easy to change

[Draco-REX]

Originally Posted by just86

i would have gone with ambler for the turn lights and fogs, nice to know that its that easy to change

The turn signals flash amber.

[MrH]

Got any pictures or videos of them lighting up?

[djdnz]

That's the one thing on the exterior of the car that bugs me, the orange bulbs and the fact that the fog lights don't match any of the other front lighting.

[Mo707]

Do mine? Ill pay $$$

[Draco-REX]

Not much to see..
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCPDdpUfIV8"]LED turn signals.. - YouTube[/ame]

[ayau]

is that a reverse back up camera? is that hooked to the stock head unit?

[Rawhyde]

I think it looks great, but I'd never put an LED into a foglight until they develop one that put out MORE usable light rather than less. Do the turn signals and hazards work normally once the flasher is changed out to compensate for the decreased amperage?

[Draco-REX]

It's aftermarket and has a separate monitor I mount next to the windshield mirror. That particular one has a condensation problem which is why it's missing in the photo above your post.

[Draco-REX]

Originally Posted by Rawhyde

I think it looks great, but I'd never put an LED into a foglight until they develop one that put out MORE usable light rather than less. Do the turn signals and hazards work normally once the flasher is changed out to compensate for the decreased amperage?

The problem is heat. Some 35W HID kits will work. But believe it or not, true high power LEDs generate a lot of heat. So I don't think we'll be seeing practical LED replacements for fog lights or headlights in the near future. Going to an aftermarket set of fogs like the ones I linked will work better than stock anyways.

As for the flasher, the turn signals and hazards work perfectly fine once you replace the flasher relay. One thing that does change is the arm/disarm flashes. They now strobe once or twice (for lock and unlock respectively) very quickly.

[JPxM0Dz]

Looks great! Any reason why didn't go HID conversion on the fogs ? I did everything you have done including complete interior conversion.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

[BigJyoungblood]

Do you need a flasher relay replacement for all blinkers or just one and youre done?

[Draco-REX]

Originally Posted by JPxM0Dz

Looks great! Any reason why didn't go HID conversion on the fogs ? I did everything you have done including complete interior conversion.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Price, and there's a risk they'll melt the housings. I plan to replace them completely if I ever feel I need more light.

Originally Posted by BigJyoungblood

Do you need a flasher relay replacement for all blinkers or just one and youre done?

There's only one flasher relay. So replace it and you'e good. The only downside is that if a bulb fails, it won't quick flash to let you know. Just check your bulbs every now and then for the first few months to catch any defective ones. After that the chances of one failing is pretty low.