DIY LED daytime running lights

S

Sandman1962

Contributing Member
Joined
29 July 2007
Messages
150
Location
South Lake Tahoe
This is just a quickie and inexpensive project to add daytime running lights.

First the parts...

3938489570_b42d86a7ab_o.jpg


The LED strips are flexible 10 inch 12 volt units I found cheapest on ebay. They were about $15 shipped for both. These are great because they are already set up for 12 volts and they are waterproof.

I got power from the fusebox at the drivers footwell. Fuse number 3 is not used in the US, but is for daytime running lights. I added a 'Add a circuit' and ran the wire into the front compartment.

I ran a ground directly from the battery terminal. I hooked up the wires and tried to hide them as best as possible, nothing complicated.

I used 3M molding adhesive (thinking it would hold better) to afix the LED strips.

It took maybe 1 1/2 hours to do everything. Total cost about 30 bucks...

The end result...

3937713379_36a04a85b5_o.jpg


3937713565_8245967ae2_o.jpg
 
Looks good - thanks for posting!

Considering something similar. No disrespect to 's4play', but not sure if I am ready to spend a couple hundred bucks for LEDs!
 
Sandman1962 said:
This is just a quickie and inexpensive project to add daytime running lights.

First the parts...

3938489570_b42d86a7ab_o.jpg


The LED strips are flexible 10 inch 12 volt units I found cheapest on ebay. They were about $15 shipped for both. These are great because they are already set up for 12 volts and they are waterproof.

I got power from the fusebox at the drivers footwell. Fuse number 3 is not used in the US, but is for daytime running lights. I added a 'Add a circuit' and ran the wire into the front compartment.

I ran a ground directly from the battery terminal. I hooked up the wires and tried to hide them as best as possible, nothing complicated.

I used 3M molding adhesive (thinking it would hold better) to afix the LED strips.

It took maybe 1 1/2 hours to do everything. Total cost about 30 bucks...

The end result...
Click to expand...

Not bad for $30... Would you please post the eBay link to buy the LED's? Thx.
 
this is a good alternative to the kit on here that goes for 185$..can't remember the vendor name's name though..
 
Looks great, especially for the price! As an experiment, I tried these side emitting LED's as a DIYLED project and lined it in the space just under the OEM parking lights. These strips come with 3M adhesive bottoms. I'm using the OEM parking light power source to power the LED's so no wire cutting thus making these my new parking lights.

Also $30 bucks as an option for this easy and pretty cool mod. These are definitely not the brightest DRL's since the LED+Strip is only .10" tall compared to a larger LED but they are rated at 6500K I believe.

<img src="http://www.vf2ss.com/transfer/ledparking/IMG_0899.JPG" border="0"/>

<img src="http://www.vf2ss.com/transfer/ledparking/IMG_0900.JPG" border="0"/>

<img src="http://www.vf2ss.com/transfer/ledparking/IMG_0906.JPG" border="0"/>

<img src="http://www.vf2ss.com/transfer/ledparking/IMG_0913.JPG" border="0"/>

<img src="http://www.vf2ss.com/transfer/ledparking/IMG_0889.JPG" border="0"/>
 
That looks freaking awesome, for both cars. I want to do some the way vf2ss has them under the turn signals, but I think they'd look even better with Sandman's plastic covers.

Sandman- anything special you're talking about with 'add a circuit?' Haven't messed around with electrical before.

Nick
 
Hasdrubal said:
That looks freaking awesome, for both cars. I want to do some the way vf2ss has them under the turn signals, but I think they'd look even better with Sandman's plastic covers.

Sandman- anything special you're talking about with 'add a circuit?' Haven't messed around with electrical before.

Nick
Click to expand...

That is just a simple clean way to add a fused circuit to an existing fuse. You take out an existing fuse (in my case, fuse 3),plug this into that position and the result is another fused source. You crimp a wire onto the provided connector. Running the wire into the front compartment is the hard part, and that really isn't to hard. I used a this piece of metal and taped the wire to it and found an opening and pulled it through.

Wow! I do like the looks of the surface mounted LEDs at the parking light position. But since I had blodi covers, I opted for the lower position. Wireing those surface mounted LEDs at the parking lights for daytime running lights would look very cool.
 
Looks great guys.

How did you use the OEM parking light source and not cut any wires?

Trying to decide which way I want it DRL or parking light replacement.
 
Last edited:
I figured there were a couple ways of doing this, for true Plug-N-Play, order a couple #11's , solder your LED wires direct to the bulb contacts in the male connector, wrap with electrical tape and connect to your female (power source). Or, you can connect directly to the powered female connector currently attached to the parking light bulb. I did the latter. Either way you are leaving the existing #11 plugs in the parking light (without bulbs) so that it stays sealed from the weather and can always be switched back to OEM.
 
Yep.

Bought the same ones from oznium.com for about 13 shipped over a year ago and used the supplied double sided tape. Everything has held up very well and have never had any problems whatsoever. I used the wire supplied and connected them to my front fender mounted turn signals.

Here's my take on them here: sort of

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=108529

attachment.php

picture.php

5000k h.i.d. and white led strip from oznium.com
picture.php
 
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Sandman1962 said:
I just had to add a final picture of the driving lights on a little drive today.

3960940896_112fe0c22f_b.jpg
Click to expand...

Looks great. Hope you wouldn't mind that I did a little photoshop with your photo to see how the DRL would look with 2 rows of LEDs. I'm still debating about this. I thought it would be a little different.
NSXLEDDRL2.jpg
 
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Got mine installed this weekend. Just crimped on some connectors and plugged directly into the factory plug.

I didn't want to tape them to the bumper so attached them to the bottom side of the parking light assembly. Now hidden so doesn't look added on, actually looks like they are part of the light assembly.

Here are some pics.
 

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Looks great Norm! Mounting them to the underside of the parking lights instead of the bumper's a really good idea. I recall there being a small lip on the bottom front of the light which would conceal the LED strips...keeps the parking light very OEM-ish...not bad for thirty bucks!
 
vf2ss said:
Looks great Norm! Mounting them to the underside of the parking lights instead of the bumper's a really good idea. I recall there being a small lip on the bottom front of the light which would conceal the LED strips...keeps the parking light very OEM-ish...not bad for thirty bucks!
Click to expand...

Exactly...found that little recess and figured would be a great place to mount them. Still plenty bright looks like they are part of the housing. Great idea guys!
 
I just ordered a set of the 12" Oznium LED Light Strips.

I want to hook these up to a fuse that is "hot" when the ignition is on. This way, they will always be on when I am driving, i,e: Daytime Running Lights.

Where can I locate a fuse that is "hot" only when the ignition is on? I know there are several in the fuse box located in the driver's footwell.

How do you get the wires through the firewall...from the fuse box located in the driver's footwell to the front lights?

Thanks for the great idea everyone!

I am really jazzed to get these things installed!
 
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