JeffTsai

iTrader: (1)

I've noticed eveyone talking about how abysmal the dinky light in the trunk was. Then as you all know, I'm the lighting nut around this forum. Long story short...I upgraded that dinky light.

It has been in my car for the last 2 months, but I never thought of posting pix here.

Anyways, here are some pix for your reference

shftup

Can you post how you create the custom lights, me likey!!

Hameed

Very nice.

Some pics of the actual light and what exactly you did would be nice too!

JeffTsai

iTrader: (1)

Materials Needed:
Pair of white CCFL lights + Inverter
3M Heavy Duty double stick mounting tape, the gray foam tape with red backing that you peel off.
Soldering Iron
Cordless drill

Ok, so basic and obvious part. Cut some mounting tape, stick on the edges of the light tube and also on the inverter. Stick it to the top of the trunk where the rear deck is.

Now pry the clear plastic lens off the dinky factory bulb and pull the bulb out. Drill a hole in the back of the housing so you can route the wire in (optional). Solder the wires from the CCFL inverter to the copper pins where that dinky bulb used to be. Make sure you check the polarity of which wire is which with a multimeter. These CCFL interters are cheap garbage units and will fry if the polarity is reversed. Granted they cost $2 a piece, so I can't complain too much

These lights are used for lighting up computer cases with windows so you can see all the stuff inside. These lights can usually be found at any computer store. Should run about $15-25 or so for the kit (Two 12" CCFL tubes + Inverter). I'll post some pix of the topside of the trunk later. Also, the way the upper deck is shaped...the light tubes are recessed upward into the deck so you cant see the light from behind the car. You can only see them if you pop your head in the trunk and look upwards. I like this better since it makes it look much more OEM.

I bought a ton of these lights(quantity discount) and installed them for people for $30(parts+labor). Most of my friends have these in their cars now

I'll post up some pix of the actual lights and the modded housing(original light) when I get the time to go out there and take some pictures again.

JeffTsai

iTrader: (1)

Ok, I went to take some pix.

GWELEX

Very nice simple mod, I like it.

Hameed

Very very nice!

I guess I know what mod I will be doing this weekend! Thanks!

GS300Rich

Great job and nice writeup. Looks like a huge difference

V8_Aristo

I did this a few years back, but I think the cold cathodes don't like vibration or something. Mine blew out a couple of months after. I bought another set and just changed the light, but the same thing happend. I think for reliability I would choose LEDs over CCFL

Here's a pic at HIN 2004

JeffTsai

iTrader: (1)

V8 Aristo. You have a white with black interior Ahhh, I'm so tempted to swap out my interior to black

As for the cathodes, I don't have a big huge sub right now so I don't think vibration is gona kill it with the stock sub. As I said the electronics in the inverter are pretty shoddy so anything small can kill it. I'm sure your light tubes still worked, but maybe all you needed is a new inverter.

garbage85

iTrader: (1)

Its the inverter! ive gone through 2 pairs already with my demon eyes!

V8_Aristo

Nope, like I said, I switched lights and not the inverter. It worked again for another 2 month and then it blew out. And I lights won't both go out the same time, just one at a time.

JeffTsai

iTrader: (1)

Well I know that there is a ground wire running down the side of the tube. Mabye epoxy it to the tube so it won't flap around when the sub is hitting. Also, epoxy the two ends where the connector goes in to reduce any flex. I dunno, just a thought. I'll add the epoxy glue in before I install my big subs then I'll see how it holds up afterwards.

lexusondubs

iTrader: (9)

jeff very cool mod not alot of wiring very simple looking NICE

aloha08isf

iTrader: (2)

very nice mod! attention to details!