3rd brake light...again

[roadhog0]

Thanks to roadhog I copied his idea and couldn't be happier. Easy install and easy on the pocketbook and does a fantastic job. Thanks again...

Glad I could help!

[Malagatii]

I just installed the high mount, LED strip like a few others have done, and I think its great. Super easy, and visible. My car was already hit back in the 90's, and the "repair" is starting to show, so I'm trying to avoid any more damage.

I Followed Justin's lead and f

inally installed the LED light strip I picked up from Super Bright LEDs. I cut the 3 ft red led flexible light strip down to a little over 2 ft. Then picked up some plastic tubing that you would use to hide electrical cords around a house. Cut away a 3rd of the circumference so it would direct the light out the back window and not into the cabin. Painted the tubing black, glued the light strip inside and mounted/glued the entire unit to the inside top of the rubber gasket that holds the rear window in place. Then ran the wiring behind the back seats into the trunk and tapped into the wiring harness at the left rear tail light.

I have to hide some of the wiring and clean up a few things, but you can barely see it during the day when it is off and it sure stands out at night when it's on.

Edited November 5, 2013 by Bpbates

[Justin76]

I Followed Justin's lead and f

inally installed the LED light strip I picked up from Super Bright LEDs. I cut the 3 ft red led flexible light strip down to a little over 2 ft. Then picked up some plastic tubing that you would use to hide electrical cords around a house. Cut away a 3rd of the circumference so it would direct the light out the back window and not into the cabin. Painted the tubing black, glued the light strip inside and mounted/glued the entire unit to the inside top of the rubber gasket that holds the rear window in place. Then ran the wiring behind the back seats into the trunk and tapped into the wiring harness at the left rear tail light.

I have to hide some of the wiring and clean up a few things, but you can barely see it during the day when it is off and it sure stands out at night when it's on.

 

SWEET!! Looks great, and excellent idea with the tubing.

[Cupid]

Bpbates, do you have any "detailed" pictures of the install?

[Malagatii]

Sorry I should have take photos along the way.  Here are a few shots that I took as i rushed out the door this morning.  I'll try to get some better one and edit this post in the next day or so.   I followed my wife home last night and there is no way that you can miss the 02 when braking at night now...

 

A sample of the bracket after I cut and painted it black:

 

Routing the wire.  It tucks into the window gasket easily and then follows the wiring harness to the driver side tail light.  I spliced into it just before the harness enters the tail light housing.  There is also a good ground in the same corner.

 

Not the best shot, but it does show roughly where I mounted the bracket and light strip:

 

I have a decent video from last night too. I'll try to add it to my profile page so I don't clutter up this posting. PM me if you want more details.

[roadhog0]

Diggin! Looks a lot like the one I did a few years back. Ive always been a believer of the highest possible, widest third brake light you can find/make. Better IMHO than those little dinky parcel mounted ones. Anythings better than nothing, but still... I like your setup! 

 

[lilcphoto]

I ended up going with a 7 series third brake light. Easy to install, easy to work with, looks factory. I still need to remake my rear parcel tray, so it will more than likely be raised up a bit, but I really like the way it looks.

 

I'll have to get a photo of it on in the night...

[midyrcoupe]

Has anyone tried (on euro style rear bumpers) using the registration plate lights as a third brake light?  My thought is to turn around the lights on the bumper and replace with red bulbs.  Any way, I have the lights on the way and will try it.

[1972_Targa]

I posted this recently, but will add to this thread. 

 

Having a convertible top of sorts (Targa), I don't have the option of using an interior light. I found a cool little 9 bulb LED sealed strip on Amazon. I cut a mounting plate out of a 1/16" aluminum (door) push plate with a jewelers saw, and mounted off of my top two license plate bolts. The PO had left a plugged hole behind the plate that I rubber grommetted and ran my wire through into the trunk. 

 

I wanted something very removable, that sat high enough to see, and didn't require drilling a hole in the bumper (my rear bumper sits too tight to the body to allow for a fog light bracket). Works great, and I feel that the SUV behind me might even notice now when I'm braking. 

[MoBrighta]

Has anyone tried (on euro style rear bumpers) using the registration plate lights as a third brake light?  My thought is to turn around the lights on the bumper and replace with red bulbs.  Any way, I have the lights on the way and will try it.

My initial thought is, good idea, but questionable execution.

1- Those license plate lights use a 5W festoon or 'torpedo' bulb, very dim.  Brake lights should be very bright.

2- The fixture is very small, brake lights should be big, I think at least 8 square inches.

3- They're located below the stock brake lights, poor placement.

4- Doing so would disable registration plate lights, technically a violation (not likely to be ticketed, though).

5- Where would you get red festoon bulbs at 5W or higher, I assume you would want them to be bright. LED???

 

You are thinking in the right direction, and it sounds like you are looking for something that doesn't look 'tacked on'. 

I would keep looking for an effective solution, one that:

looks like it belongs,

is eye-catching (meaning it gets attention),

is BRIGHT, and

is easy to maintain. 

 

The best lights in the world are useless if they need strange bulbs that are dim or hard to find, or use cheap LEDs that fail and can't be replaced.  Nothing wrong with LED, there are some great answers in this post, and their speed (rise time) is very good.

 

The 2002 is a fabulously well-designed and long-lived model; the concept of modernizing the rear lighting is almost guaranteed to keep it going strong, well into the future. 

 

Keep up the good work, everyone!

 

Andy

Malaga 72 2002, retired to the track

[tscoll01]

Thanks for the input. I will read all these and look them over. Any suggestion on the right brake light not working? Getting voltage. Big project on removing the squeal from the belt on start-up. Wait 528 has issues now.

Tim, 1973 tii, 99 528is, BMW CCA 50787

[MoBrighta]

Thanks for the input. I will read all these and look them over. Any suggestion on the right brake light not working? Getting voltage. Big project on removing the squeal from the belt on start-up. Wait 528 has issues now.

Tim, 1973 tii, 99 528is, BMW CCA 50787

Tim-

Good luck w/528.  On the 02, rt. brake light issue may be 'old age', meaning the steel tab that holds the contact strip against the bulb base (center) contact is weak. 

 

There are two reasons a weak base contact is bad for brake lights - 1, the +12V must break through the iffy current path, which usually will be oxidised after 40 years or so; and 2, the weak spring force doesn't push the bulb shell contact into the pin lands on the sides, making the ground path weak as well. 

 

If you have voltage, and the bulb works, I say 'time to bend' that center spring contact against the bottom of the bulb.  First remove the bulb, go in from the trunk side and pull the plastic cover off (if it's still there), and bend the contact towards the lens kind of gently.  You can break it, and then you're going to be sad, so go slowly.  After each bend, put the bulb (or better, a new high output bulb) back into the socket, and once seated, test the springiness by pushing the bulb into the socket a tiny bit to test it out.  If still weak, bend a bit further, but go slowly.

 

Last test, of course, is to have a helper push the brake pedal and observe the lights.

 

Let me know if you are interested in high output bulbs, or a dual tail light conversion, we gotta keep these cars out of harm's way!

 

Good luck!

[GreenSwede]

Wrong quote:) Will be right back..

Edited February 26, 2015 by GreenSwede

[GreenSwede]

Saw this today, ironically on a Japanese car forum. LOL. Wish I new how it mounted.

 

Ha! Didn't see that Swedish quality product before:) Well, Swedish sold in that box, anyway.. I used to sell BG car accessories back in the 90's as a teen working at my dads car parts store. I think the company BG was around from the 70's to mid 90's. 

 

By the way, the box says "Warning brake lights at eye level", and I think I remember them. I believe there are two plastic "poles" in the box that were telescopic which were put between the upper part of the seal and the shelf, holding the lights a chosen height. There was surely different versions, we sold plenty of them.

 

For myself, I've got a big 70's style Hella to mount to the diagonal tube of the roll bar, once that's in..

Edited February 26, 2015 by GreenSwede

[MoBrighta]

Hey, we're back at the top!

 

I have a question for hc2002:

 

Henry - I built a third brake light for you in November, 2013, from a roundie tail light that I had re-wired, relayed, and re-lamped so ALL sectors were red.  What ever became of this project - you were having a bracket made to hold it in place on the package shelf, did this ever get finished?

 

LOVE to see the results, when it's installed.