LED tail-lights... Using DeVille components
08-05-12, 07:24 PM
#1
LED tail-lights... Using DeVille components
When Cadillac introduced the 2000 DeVille model they featured a new LED taillamp that was pretty awesome even by todays standards. They used HP "snap-LED's" that were mounted on metal strips that connected them as well as acting like a heat sink and used an optical plate that disbursed the 32 lamps output eliminating hot spots for even lighting. Well, a friend of mine just totalled one and gave me the surviving lamp to use for some experimentation!
After getting the outer lense off (and it is sealed on there good) this is what you'll find, the optical disbursement lense...
Removing the torx screws allows removal of the lense. This is what it looks like held up to light, notice the grooves that redirect the beam patterns...
Below the lense is the frame holding the LED array...
Romoving 3 torx screws releases the back plate and reveals the LED strips for the snap-LED's. These are connectors and they do radiate some heat as I found out later...
Turning back to the disbursement lense I first noticed that 2 rows of the panels (4 lamps) fit just inside the height of my brake-lamp lenses...
And the curve of my taillamps can be matched by using the disbursement lense in vertical strips...
Reattaching the electronics box allowed me to probe the 6 connectors to find out which ones lit which lights. These are the side marker lights... Very bright!!!
I found the running lights, full array lighting at half-brightness...
And here are the running lights with the lense loosely held over them, notice the pattern evening out...
Here are the brake-lights at full song, VERY bright!
And here they are with the lense held over them, I love this look...
So now I have the lamp pinouts laid-out, I know I can shorten or replace the aluminum strips to reposition the LEDS as needed, and the inner lense can be modified to match the shape of our lenses. Now I need to go to the local junkyard and grab the taillamps of the 93 SC400 they have in there (mine are perfect and I don't want to experiment with them) as well as picking up a pair of the DeVille taillamps and start getting them installed...
Sorry this was anti-climatic but I will document the next steps soon,,, I was quite amped about the lights being so easy to work with so I wanted to share!!!
After getting the outer lense off (and it is sealed on there good) this is what you'll find, the optical disbursement lense...
Removing the torx screws allows removal of the lense. This is what it looks like held up to light, notice the grooves that redirect the beam patterns...
Below the lense is the frame holding the LED array...
Romoving 3 torx screws releases the back plate and reveals the LED strips for the snap-LED's. These are connectors and they do radiate some heat as I found out later...
Turning back to the disbursement lense I first noticed that 2 rows of the panels (4 lamps) fit just inside the height of my brake-lamp lenses...
And the curve of my taillamps can be matched by using the disbursement lense in vertical strips...
Reattaching the electronics box allowed me to probe the 6 connectors to find out which ones lit which lights. These are the side marker lights... Very bright!!!
I found the running lights, full array lighting at half-brightness...
And here are the running lights with the lense loosely held over them, notice the pattern evening out...
Here are the brake-lights at full song, VERY bright!
And here they are with the lense held over them, I love this look...
So now I have the lamp pinouts laid-out, I know I can shorten or replace the aluminum strips to reposition the LEDS as needed, and the inner lense can be modified to match the shape of our lenses. Now I need to go to the local junkyard and grab the taillamps of the 93 SC400 they have in there (mine are perfect and I don't want to experiment with them) as well as picking up a pair of the DeVille taillamps and start getting them installed...
Sorry this was anti-climatic but I will document the next steps soon,,, I was quite amped about the lights being so easy to work with so I wanted to share!!!
08-06-12, 04:21 AM
#5
1JZ Single SC400
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I cant beleive more people havent chimed in on this idea than this. I am in for the results on this. I think it can be done !!! Is this going to be another diy in the lighting department? Lol
