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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 06:39 PM
  #1234 (permalink)  
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GraphiteGhost
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 6,372
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From: Central South Carolina
Default Re: What did you do to your Crossfire today?

Today I installed three sets of exterior W5W 5 segment LED's in the fenders and headlight corners. Dang things look GREAT! This afternoon I tackled the dome lights and that was another story! I was under the impression the dome lights were like the fender lights and at first glance they looked the same. I didn't understand why after removing the lens, that they didn't just 'pop' out. So, I went ahead and removed the housing and twisted off one of the bulbs. They looked like the kind of socket/connection like the dash lights, I thought that strange... So I took the bulb and kept wiggling it out of the socket and it all of a sudden it 'popped' out of the base... Well, I got to looking at the socket and saw bare wire there. Hmmmm, I says, this looks strange... I looked real closely at the bulb I removed, and oh boy am I in trouble! The bulbs in my housing were inserted into the socket and the connecting tabs were clamping down on the bulb wire. It even looked like the wire was 'tack' welded to the connecting tab. So, I ruined one OEM bulb! I brought both bulbs into the house and cornfumed a mod/fix involving 22ga copper stranded speaker wire and formed a connector that was trapped into the socket by the new LED bulb base. The other end was snaked around (inside the socket) and the connecting tab slid onto the end trapping it (with pressure) in place. Bench testing shows both lights working but the real test is if it sits right in the housing and makes proper connection. Installed first lamp, connected cable in my hand, and slid the switch to light... Nothing!... OK, turned the bulb around and tried it again and... Nothing!... OK, rethink this stuff and realized the switch does not turn the lights on, the button does! So, pressed the button and nothing... Turned the bulb 180 degrees again (its original position) and pressed the button. WOOOHOOO, this one is working! OK, now slid the second socket into place and since I marked the LED base, orientated correctly and BAM now both light. Snapped the housing into place, screwed the screws back into housing, and snapped the lens cover on the housing. Final check, set the switch for the lights to come on when the door opens, and BAM! All working great! Now for the final test, closed the door and waited for the dimming... After a few the bulbs slowly dimmed then off. Another MOD done with the help of the forum (Thanks George aka alaxfire) and it is all buttoned up. Oh, absolutely no bulb out warnings as these were CAN BUS approved according to the seller and no resistor necessary.
 
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