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-   -   "Side Marker LED light" Question (http://www.the370z.com/exterior-interior/73235-side-marker-led-light-question.html)

vndr09 06-26-2013 10:43 AM

"Side Marker LED light" Question
 
Hey guys, sorry if this issue has been brought up before. But searching around on the forums, and Googling left me with no help.

On a side note, here's my before and after shots of my LED PARKING LIGHT:


http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/v...psaa9ab643.jpg


http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/v...ps4c2d849f.jpg



My question is on the little Amber LED that sits just to the side of the PARKING LIGHT. On Nissan's site, they call this the "Side Marker light."

My question is whether these things can be one of the following:
(1) Changed to white LED's (like the same hue/color that I have now)
(2) Disabled (either by wire or fuse)
(3) Removed from the headlight (without baking open the headlight)
(4) Blacked out (perhaps upon getting the lights out of the headlight, they can't be replaced or removed from the socket, but I can cover them?)


OBVIOUSLY, I'm aware that I could just cut the wires to the entire headlight, or smash the headlight, and make these lights not work. I don't want any sarcastic responses like that. Lol.

Because yes, I'm aware that these LED's are small and not really a big deal, but I just want to know if anyone knows a good quick and easy fix to this?


If a wire can be cut, which wire is it? And does it disable anything else?

If a fuse can be removed to only disable the side marker (and parking lights too possibly), which fuse is it?

I'm not interested in baking open my headlight to swap the bulbs out. But if these lights can be accessed (and/or removed) without baking, what's the best process.

Any HELP is appreciated.

Thanks forum!

TenaciousZ 06-26-2013 11:55 AM

sub'd. Good to know Im not the only one dreaming of all white lights.

cooltoy 06-26-2013 12:01 PM

It has to be amber by law.

You can get a mirrored bulb that does not look amber when off, but is amber when on.

pfdaxe 06-26-2013 12:07 PM

In AZ, you can have amber or clear bulb. I installed a 5000k LED for the parking bulb and cut the wire for the amber side. It's actually a amber colored LED soldered to a board otherwise I would have replaced it also. I use "chrome" covered amber turn signal bulbs front and rear for a cleaner look.

http://www.the370z.com/members/pfdax...1-p9300812.jpg

1st 06-26-2013 12:15 PM

I went Amber Led
 
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/m...psccabfe00.jpg

vndr09 06-26-2013 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cooltoy (Post 2380554)
It has to be amber by law.

You can get a mirrored bulb that does not look amber when off, but is amber when on.

Hm, I think the amber reflector is what is required by law. And I will keep my reflector. Plenty of cars don't have an amber light on the side. Regardless, I'd still like to stick with my original plan.

I still want to go ahead and get rid of the amber light. Also, the stealth bulb you have described above is a decent idea, however, this is an LED, which already accomplishes the goal desired by a stealth bulb: white/clear when off, and amber when lit.

I'm looking for a way to make the LED not to shine amber.


Quote:

Originally Posted by pfdaxe (Post 2380564)
In AZ, you can have amber or clear bulb. I installed a 5000k LED for the parking bulb and cut the wire for the amber side. It's actually a amber colored LED soldered to a board otherwise I would have replaced it also. I use "chrome" covered amber turn signal bulbs front and rear for a cleaner look.


Okay great! So it's certain that the little amber LED is not replacable due to it being soldered to a board?

And sorry to be nosy, but what wire was it exactly? Maybe a picture if you still had it in your file somewhere? I don't want you do go behind your fender liner again, but just in case if you had it still...or maybe you remember where the wire was?

And I totally agree with the chrome look. That's exactly what I did with my rear turn signals...but instead of buying stealth bulbs, I just painted them chrome...here's the finished product:

http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/v...ps785167c8.jpg


Thanks for the info though...that's exactly what I was looking for!

vndr09 06-26-2013 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1st (Post 2380583)
I went Amber Led

I, too, had considered doing the parking light in amber...however, I'd prefer having it white, or non-existent. If there's no easy solution, I will go with the amber path, in order to match the "Side Marker Light."

But from what I read above, it sounds like it's just a simple cut of a wire. Can anyone else chime in, or confirm the prior method?

pfdaxe 06-26-2013 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vndr09 (Post 2380596)
Okay great! So it's certain that the little amber LED is not replacable due to it being soldered to a board?

And sorry to be nosy, but what wire was it exactly? Maybe a picture if you still had it in your file somewhere? I don't want you do go behind your fender liner again, but just in case if you had it still...or maybe you remember where the wire was?

Yes, it's a 2 LED soldered to a small board. I was hoping it was just a bulb. I guess if you wanted to, you could solder in some white LEDs, but I made it easy and just made a cut. It didn't affect anything else. I don't recall which wire I cut and I didn't snap any pics, but I may have some time tonight to pull back the inner fender and take a peak for you :tiphat:

vndr09 06-26-2013 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pfdaxe (Post 2380622)
Yes, it's a 2 LED soldered to a small board. ... I made it easy and just made a cut. It didn't affect anything else. I don't recall which wire I cut and I didn't snap any pics, but I may have some time tonight to pull back the inner fender and take a peak for you :tiphat:

Awesome, thanks for that info. I hope many others will find that just as helpful as I did.

And only if you have time, that would be greatly appreciated!

DIGItonium 06-26-2013 03:43 PM

You're going to need to take it apart to change out the LED. I sourced some parts and worked on some ideas with LEDmarkers for my headlight work. LEDmarkers came up with a custom PCB for the side marker lights. There is a small wire harness on the headlight that can be disconnected to disable the amber LED side marker lights without disassembling the entire headlights. Below you can see the small connector.

Custom side marker LEDs:
http://www.the370z.com/members/digit...marker-pcb.jpg

You can also permanently modify the parking light with a high power LED:
http://www.the370z.com/members/digit...king-light.jpg

End result:
http://www.the370z.com/members/digit...ghts-night.jpg

pfdaxe 06-26-2013 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vndr09 (Post 2380633)
Awesome, thanks for that info. I hope many others will find that just as helpful as I did.

And only if you have time, that would be greatly appreciated!

Ok. I pulled back the inner liners and this is what I found. On the connector with the black, blue and yellow wire, cut the yellow. This will turn off the side amber LEDs. It's the same color wire on both driver and passenger side. You can't just unplug it as the other wires power other things. Quick n easy. And it's a free mod :happydance:

Here's a pic of the drivers side:

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/j...psd7ac3215.jpg

DIGItonium 06-27-2013 07:54 AM

My bad... memory coming back to me now. That little connector to the amber LED board can be accessed if you remove the ballast.

vndr09 06-27-2013 02:03 PM

Thank you guys for both of the inputs! Really is great information.

vndr09 06-27-2013 09:43 PM

Okay so I was about to cut the wires, and it looks like I have a white, blue, and yellow wire, but perhaps it really is a black one. I'll go ahead and cut the yellow wire this weekend. Here's the pics just for reference:


http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/v...psabda73b7.jpg


http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/v...ps9a1bdd22.jpg



Also, for the two of you guys that have done an LED as a parking light replacement, what exact bulb did you use? The ones I got are WAY too blue for my liking (they look blue compared to the HID's). I've read that if I got 4300K-5000K temperature LED's, they'll look better (I'm assuming the ones I got were around 6500K). But I just want to confirm this is the proper temperature?

Thanks again for the help guys!

pfdaxe 06-27-2013 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vndr09 (Post 2383012)
Okay so I was about to cut the wires, and it looks like I have a white, blue, and yellow wire, but perhaps it really is a black one. I'll go ahead and cut the yellow wire this weekend. Here's the pics just for reference:


http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/v...psabda73b7.jpg


http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/v...ps9a1bdd22.jpg



Also, for the two of you guys that have done an LED as a parking light replacement, what exact bulb did you use? The ones I got are WAY too blue for my liking (they look blue compared to the HID's). I've read that if I got 4300K-5000K temperature LED's, they'll look better (I'm assuming the ones I got were around 6500K). But I just want to confirm this is the proper temperature?

Thanks again for the help guys!

Yes. Cut the yellow. I use 5000k for my LEDs in the lights, license plate and all interior bulbs.


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