peteharvey

Is it possible to DIY adjust the wiring in the tail light lenses, so that when the brake pedal is pressed, all four (4) LED's illuminate at maximum brightness?

Presently, only the two (2) outer LED red brake lights illuminate at maximum brightness.

All four (4) red LED's only illuminate when the park lights or head lights are switch on, and even then, all four LED's only illuminate at half the maximum brightness.

ItzFilyO

I don't think they illuminate at half the brightness, those can't go any brighter than that. This car is setup differently compared to the RC and maybe the 2016 GS will illuminate the whole thing when braking. Yea ours only illuminate the outer part when braking.

peteharvey

Are you sure the 13-15 GS inside pair of exterior rear red lights can't be modified to illuminate at full brightness?

The 2016 Refresh certainly seems to illuminate all four LED's when the brakes are applied a 00:02'17":

ItzFilyO

Yes, just as I suspected, the 2016 does work like the RC's tail lights, all illuminate when applied.

peteharvey

Here's another pic of how only the outside twin LED's illuminate on braking in the 13-15 model at 00:01'34".
I think the IS illuminates like a proper L too?

dchar

Just drove behind a 2016 GS350 F-sport...while the headlights are off, the entire L illuminates when braking, but not to the fullest; only the outer parts are bright.

gsintokyo

@peteharvey ever get to figure this out? I wonder if the imports got all four rear lamps to light up but we got left with these due to regulations

peteharvey

After all these years, I still have not figured out how to DIY, and still too busy to take to electrician to mod.

EAST

The prefacelift light have a 4 pin connector while the new ones have a 6 pin. Internally, the preface has only one "path" to the LEDs, likely through a resistor. The new ones have two paths, one through a resistor (for dim) and another likely through either a lower value resistor or directly.

You'd probably have to open up the light to see if the LED supports a higher current without overheating, then run a line to it (through a diode). You might be able to use one of the pins (I think one is for rear fog?)

jgscott

iTrader: (1)

Myself and another member here installed the Lexus factory 16+ Tails on our 13 & 14 GS. We spliced a wired lead, wire from the lights that brake light, and taped the one that did not, and it worked for all to light on brakes. We did use a resistor in connection. Been about 2 years using zero problems.

All lights light brakes now. Don't see why 13-15 lights you could not do the same.

peteharvey

If I have time, I would love to: vinyl wrap the center section of my front bumper in gloss black for more pronounced spindle effect, paint my brake calipers in red, and tap-off rear brake wiring for four bulbs to light up under braking.

AJLex19

For anyone looking for the upgraded tails, I also just noticed there's a seller called Auto-Optics on eBay with the '16+ GS tails compatible for '13-'15 models for $799: https://www.ebay.com/itm/225941197328

achip5188

Here is the best I can do. Brake lights come up with parking lights. However, the inner lights' brightness can't match the brake lights' brightness as the outer lights are made with 2 different set of LED (brake light and parking light)


this is how it looks once tap the brake with headlight off



with headlights on

gsintokyo

@AJLex19 thanks for the plug might have to check these out. A bummer though I actually really like the preface lamps they look a bit more mean than the newer ones at least at night


I see exactly what you mean, I will drive with my headlights off for now.

lol just kidding I do understand though, ideally the inner tail light will need to add an additional or brighter led and rewired just to get it to work as a set?

achip5188

Yup, ideally the inner housing must be opened, and throw in there some of the LED from the Brake light and wiring it with the outter brake light. That is one heck of a job so I would leave it as it is, at least now i have 2 extra small, weak parking lights lit up with the brake light in day time. It would be easier if the tailights using incandescent bulbs, then I can just swap single filament to double filaments