News Flash !!! 2005 Ls430 Lights Fit 2001-2003!!
06-08-05, 03:22 PM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
News Flash !!! 2005 Ls430 Lights Fit 2001-2003!!
I JUST PUT ONE ON AND IT IS EXACTLY THE SAME SHAPE!! IT FITS RIGHT INTO THE 3 HOLES TO BE BOLTED ON!!
The only downside is that the clear strip is about 1/4 of an inch too high so the line up is not perfect. I may be able to get it flush by adjusting the light on the trunk or lowering the tailights slightly.
Next is wiring them and it doesn't look that complicated. I can always go somewhere if I fail.
But for $400 so far its worth it vs $900!!!
The only downside is that the clear strip is about 1/4 of an inch too high so the line up is not perfect. I may be able to get it flush by adjusting the light on the trunk or lowering the tailights slightly.
Next is wiring them and it doesn't look that complicated. I can always go somewhere if I fail.
But for $400 so far its worth it vs $900!!!
06-08-05, 04:31 PM
#2
Racer
Thread Starter
I looked at the wiring and it looks doable for a rookie. Its to late to work on it now so I will have the results later. It looks like I can use the wiring harness off the old lights to plug right into the harness on the car.. That old lights has 5 wires where as the new lights have 4. The wires colors all match up. The one extra wire is the positive for the small bulb at the top of the old tail light. The new style is led. I may have to wire those away from the tailight so don't get a message that a bulb is out. I can probably use them for extra lighting for the trunk 
The middle bulb which is the signal light is not led. the bottom stop light is led. So far so good.
The middle bulb which is the signal light is not led. the bottom stop light is led. So far so good.
06-08-05, 05:29 PM
#3
Lead Lap
Join Date: Mar 2001
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Now to find 04-05 tail lights for a reasonable cost. I wonder if www.lexus-parts.com would do a group price for sets of lights? I think the wire harness and bulbs have seperate part numbers, so we would need to get these too, right? Becase the old harness and bulb mounts won't fit on the the new tail light housing.
06-09-05, 12:16 AM
#4
wow ths is interesting, i am sure people would love to see pics
for the alignment of teh clear strip, maybe you can just use some red clear tint and just cover up part of the clear so they align?
and wiring. i wonder if you just have to wire them, or you need regulator module to control the flashing rate too
for the alignment of teh clear strip, maybe you can just use some red clear tint and just cover up part of the clear so they align?
and wiring. i wonder if you just have to wire them, or you need regulator module to control the flashing rate too
06-09-05, 07:35 AM
#5
Racer
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by LS007
Now to find 04-05 tail lights for a reasonable cost. I wonder if www.lexus-parts.com would do a group price for sets of lights? I think the wire harness and bulbs have seperate part numbers, so we would need to get these too, right? Becase the old harness and bulb mounts won't fit on the the new tail light housing.
Double O, I'd leave the wiring harness on the car alone and take the one off the old lights, cut the connector end and the end on the new light and wire them so I can plug it to the car. The flasher bulb is not LED,. It's just a regular bulb so I don't think I need some type of regulator to control the flash rate. There wil be one positive wire left for the small bulb for the parking lights/brake lights. Id have to wire those so there isn't a message for taillight failure. I'd just share off of the ground wire and use the lights for trunk lighting if those stay on one when I turn on my headlights.
I may just buy one extra wiring harness it I can't get it to work.
06-11-05, 07:39 PM
#6
Racer
Thread Starter
Alright wiring them up was a success!! All you need to do is cut the connector end off the old light harness and the one on the new on and wire it onto the new lights so you can just plug it right in. Simply match up the colors. You'll be left with one positive wire left and that is for the small light bulb used on the old taillights. You have to cut the socket off the old harness and run them on the new light. Then you also have to wire on the brake light bulb also since you'll get a tailllamp failure message since the LED lights only draw 4 watts vs 21 for a bulb. So I'm stuck with 2 extra useless bulbs taht ligh up. Ill have to be creative and find use for them or find a (load resistor?) to simulate 21 watts. I drove around for 2 hours at night and had no message pop up.
Now for the appearance. I am happy with them. As I mentioned earlier, the white strip doesn't line up perfectly and the strip is whiter than the one on the trunk. But overall I think il looks just fine and I am happy with the results. I'll try to post some pics eventually.
Now for the appearance. I am happy with them. As I mentioned earlier, the white strip doesn't line up perfectly and the strip is whiter than the one on the trunk. But overall I think il looks just fine and I am happy with the results. I'll try to post some pics eventually.
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08-05-05, 05:08 AM
#11
Racer
Thread Starter
I'd love to take some shots but I just don't a digital camera at the moment. Kinda lost the one I had. I will buy another one eventually. Most likely at the end of August when my black/chrome Euro grill arrives!
Here is my experience with the taillights so far..
It was rocky in the beginning dealing with the extra wired on exposed bulbs to avoid the "taillamp failure" message. Those bulbs generated alot of heat and melted parts of the compartment door that gets you access to replace the signal bulb. I was stressed out for a couple of days since it was dealing with a potential fire hazard. I even contemplated returning the taillights.
But I finally found a solution and it has been stress free. I bought #3157 bulbs in an enclosed casing and wired them on. They have been perfect !!! I found them at pepboys for $7 each. Also I switched up the signal bulbs socket off the old one since the new one forces you to buy a special amber bulb found at the dealer. The bulbs flash a bright white and I Iove the look. !!
I am no expert in electronics. Wiring up the lights is fairly easy. Read my past post for instructions. Simply just match up the wire colors. I'm sure a pro could find a "cleaner" way to hook them up with out wiring on bulbs. I tried the load resistor and it didn't work for me.
If I can find a black 2004-05 trunk with lights for an extremely cheap price then I'll do the complete transformation. I think another LS430 owner is doing that and we may hear from him with the results. But for now the look right now is just fine. All I get is compliment on the new look and NO ONE thinks it looks abnormal.
Here is my experience with the taillights so far..
It was rocky in the beginning dealing with the extra wired on exposed bulbs to avoid the "taillamp failure" message. Those bulbs generated alot of heat and melted parts of the compartment door that gets you access to replace the signal bulb. I was stressed out for a couple of days since it was dealing with a potential fire hazard. I even contemplated returning the taillights.
But I finally found a solution and it has been stress free. I bought #3157 bulbs in an enclosed casing and wired them on. They have been perfect !!! I found them at pepboys for $7 each. Also I switched up the signal bulbs socket off the old one since the new one forces you to buy a special amber bulb found at the dealer. The bulbs flash a bright white and I Iove the look. !!
I am no expert in electronics. Wiring up the lights is fairly easy. Read my past post for instructions. Simply just match up the wire colors. I'm sure a pro could find a "cleaner" way to hook them up with out wiring on bulbs. I tried the load resistor and it didn't work for me.
If I can find a black 2004-05 trunk with lights for an extremely cheap price then I'll do the complete transformation. I think another LS430 owner is doing that and we may hear from him with the results. But for now the look right now is just fine. All I get is compliment on the new look and NO ONE thinks it looks abnormal.
Last edited by JLAWS; 08-05-05 at 06:33 AM.
08-05-05, 08:23 PM
#14
Racer
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by GRAND_LS 4
No, he said he wired some bulbs to aviod getting that message. Its a good idea, or you can disable the lighting computer.
Tell me more about disabling the lighting computer. Do you have info on it? I don't care that the cars doesn't tell me that my signal light is out etc. If I can disable it I won't need the "dummy bulbs" which draw additional current since leds don't draw enough thus the taillight failure message.
