DIY: V-LEDS license plate install and V-LEDS discount coupon (part 1 of 2)

[Mid-Life Crisis]

Good news for all MyG37 members! V-LEDS.com is providing us with a discount coupon for purchases. Check out their website as they have a lot of other great supplies like Xenon HID kits and light strips.


Discount Coupon details are as follows:

The coupon code “MyG37” for 15% off purchases at www.v-LEDs.com.
· No Minimum Purchase
· No Expiration
· Limit 5 uses per customer
· Effective immediately

And even more good news ……

They have a V-LEDS license plate frame that solved my problem of having tinted tails that covered the back-up lights. The frame fits nicely over the rear plate and lights up when the car is placed into reverse. I am including a detailed DIY for installing this frame but can assure you it sure lights-up the path behind the vehicle.

As a start here are the before shots:

The Problem:

Tinted tails obscured the reverse lights as well.


Additional photos on the tinting process can be found at http://myg37.com/forums/picture-share/198246-tail-lights-chrome-spoiler-and-3rd-brake-light-overlays.html

I really liked the clean look of having the entire light assembly tinted but the reverse lights were no longer functional, not even with my back-up camera.

The options were:
1. Try a brighter light like the V-LEDS, or
2. Use an alternate light source,
3. To cut windows in the tint – as a last resort.

The Solution: V-LEDS
To see which would be the best solution, NoGoodName took the route trying the brighter V-LEDS to replace the factory bulbs and I tried the alternate light source route – a license plate frame with 6 V-LEDS installed. Photos of both solutions are included in this post. If neither worked we could go to the last solution and cut the tint.

Here are the V-LEDS NoGoodName used to replace the factory bulbs:
http://www.v-leds.com/Exterior-LED/Parking-Light-LED/White-LED/V-LEDS-HID-WHITE-19-M-p7526829.html

Here is the license plate frame I installed:
http://www.v-leds.com/Exterior-LED/License-Plate-LED/White-LED/V-LEDS-HIGH-POWER-18W-p7516915.html

The installed frame looks like this:




And at night:



The factory bulb replacement V-LEDs look the same in the day but like this at night:





Here are both solutions in a side-by-side comparison with the license plate V-LEDS providing the brightest light in all cases:








The conclusion is the V-LEDS frame provides significantly more illumination than the factory bulb replacements, but either V-LEDS solution permit a functional solution and permits us to keep the full tail tint overlay. The regular V-LEDS only appear dimmer in the photos than the license plate frame version as camera responds to the extremely bright plate.

Due to the post size limitation, I had to move the DIY portion to the next post.

[Mid-Life Crisis]

What follows is the DIY portion for the V-LEDS license plate frame install. If I had it all to do over again, I would estimate 30 minutes would do it.

The frame comes in 3 finishes – chrome, black-chrome, and black satin. I choose the black chrome frame as I have the Black Obsidian paint. It is well made and feels substantial. Here is what you get when you order:





I recommend you ensure your existing screws for your license plate are long enough or have a relatively small head as the V-LEDS frame has some thickness at the top and the screw holes on the frame are designed to permit the head to be countersunk becoming virtually invisible. My screw heads were too large to sink into the countersink groove and too short to reach through the extra distance. It took a few minutes of scrounging through my screw collection to find a screw that would fit. Plan ahead and ensure you have a suitable fastening screw.

To conduct the install, remove the liner inside the rear of the trunk:



Then remove the spare tire which permits unobstructed access to the rubber grommet through the rear of the trunk wall:



I used a fish tape to pull the wires through the grommet hole but it was unnecessary as there is ample room under the bumper:


Pull the 2 wires through the grommet and connect one to the nearby ground point. Be careful here as I assumed the black wire was the ground and the black/white was power, but as it turned out it was the other way around. V-LEDS are polarized so it makes a difference. Recommend you do a test before making the final connections.



I did a lot of probing on the connector going to the tail light assembly to identify which is the power wire for the reverse lights. Tracing the wire along the harness it changes color to orange after the connector near the tail light. This orange wire passes between the grommet and the ground point and is easy to locate:




Splice the non-ground wire (power wire) from the V-LEDS license plate frame using the supplied gel-filled splice connectors (essentially put the orange wire under one side and the power wire from the frame under the other and firmly squeeze the connector together).




The completed wiring should look like this:




And again, when in reverse (they’re so bright it is hard to see but you can compare the output to the factory bulbs that I left installed):



This is a great solution for those that want more light behind them.

[jnguyen]

That sh1t is bright!!!! looks like headlights on the rear man

[Mid-Life Crisis]

I regret I had to delete the 2nd thread but posted the information as a reply to the 1st thread. In the process, I deleted a comment from Solisimo who stated "those lights are brand new and extremely bright. Can you take a photo from an angle?"

I'll get one that shows the actual light better when it's on.

[G37Sam]

Can the rear plate be read when that thing is on at night?

I really wouldnt want to add another mod to attract un-necessary attention (I have enough already lol)

[nogoodname]

Sam, it only goes on while in reverse

[Blackjack]

So bright, it's RICE!

[NIGHTLFEphantom]

Originally Posted by Mid-Life Crisis

It looks like that G has a rocket in the back and it's about to take off.

Originally Posted by Blackjack

So bright, it's RICE!

LOL! anything that is bright is rice.

[sbmwg37s]

I was thinking of this also, but I didn't like how it looks in daylight.

[nogoodname]

it's really not that bad at all during the day... it's super small stripe of LEDs (6 LED) on the top part of the plate

[jnguyen]

How is it rice if you don't drive around in reverse?

[gtracing]

is that even legal? i think it's too bright!

edit: nevermind, haha, i just looked at the pics, then read it after i posted...it turns on with ur reverse lights! haha

[G37Sam]

Originally Posted by jnguyen

How is it rice if you don't drive around in reverse?

So according to your logic, if I hook up blue neons under my car that only light up when in reverse, that's not rice?

[Mid-Life Crisis]

I'll have to get the videos posted for you guys (still trying to get them edited). I had a real problem backing out of my driveway with the tint on the factory reverse lights. The driveway is inclined with a 4-foot retaining wall on one side and a curb on the other with less than 1 foot clearance in between the car and each side. Without the V-LEDS light to help out, it was too dark and a real danger in hitting the wall. In winter with a foot of snow or some ice on the driveway, it would be nearly impossible and like driving with blindfolds on.

This solution is to solve a problem and is totally obscure when not in reverse. It is not done for any esthetic purpose.

Lighten up guys, it serves a real purpose.

[nogoodname]

RICE = serves no purpose..


this obviously does serve a purpose.... i've seen his driveway...lol