High level 3rd brake light

[dan 0]

Hi guys,

As the title suggests I'm thinking about fitting a high level brake light to my car. I think that with more and more new cars getting bigger and bigger these days, I don't feel that safe anymore in my little low Corrado surrounded by big white jeeps doing the school run.;-) Actually had a couple of close calls recently.

 

I have several options on the led side as we use a lot of different types at work. I'm thinking about drilling the upper window trim and pushing through about 15 round LEDs through.

 

I have looked into getting the brake light supply up to the inner top of the tailgate window trim. I have looked at schematic drawings for the Corrado and see that shows that there is a supply for the high level brake light in the right-hand side cluster. On checking this i can see the supply Black/Red wires coming out from the rhs brake light but can't see where it goes. The schematics are not that detailed and don't state exactly where to find the supply. Ideally it should be in the actual tailgate so as to make it easier to run up to where the light is to go. But I cannot see anything in the actual tailgate. Am I missing something? can anyone tell me?

 

I can't find anything on the net that explains about the actual wiring up. The only thing I can see is something wrote by Kev (who used to be the main man on here). He said...

You can take a brake electrical feed from the nearside rear light cluster as that's where you would plug in a tow bar loom :wink:

 

If I get the help on this, I'll go ahead and do the job and also do a 'how to' for anyone else thinking about doing this.

 

Cheers

[Cressa 44]

My car is in bits at the back end, so I'll try to remember and look this week end for you

[tonedef 9]

I can’t remember exactly where I picked the feed up for mine, I’ll try take a look over the weekend.

[fendervg 33]

The light feed can come from anywhere on the existing brake light feed or the fitting - just test it see which on it is, or use a multimeter to check. Then either crimp in or use a three-way connector. The earth can run back to one of the existing earths (usually brown) and join up there, or even better run it straight to body ground using a ring terminal and screw at a suitable location.

 

I've done this to two other cars using strip mounted LEDs inside the rear hatch and the wiring worked without a problem.

 

If you have loads of money you can by a US spec tailgate and it's all there! I have the OEM parts for the 3rd brake light - when the car goes to the body shop we'll take a look at cutting out a small section and fitting the bracket.

[Dox 23]

Henny drilled the rear spoiler and fitted individual LEDs in its edge, he made a very neat job of it.

[Dox 23]

http://the-corrado.net/showthread.php?12211-Henny-s-G60-(Now-owned-by-Dox)/page13

 

See post 124

[fendervg 33]

Very cool looking.

[dan 0]

Thanks guys, I can see the Black/Red brake light wires behind the corner lught clusters. But I'd rather take a supply from the actual tailgate. All that I can see in the tailgate is wires for the foglight on the drivers side and the two reverse lights.

 

Let me know what ye have done over the weekend.. appreciated!

[tonedef 9]

Thanks guys, I can see the Black/Red brake light wires behind the corner lught clusters. But I'd rather take a supply from the actual tailgate. All that I can see in the tailgate is wires for the foglight on the drivers side and the two reverse lights.

 

Let me know what ye have done over the weekend.. appreciated!

I don’t believe there’s an existing supply in the tailgate unless it’s a US spec car, I used one of the rear wiper wires to feed it as I’ve smoothed the tailgate.

[dan 0]

Ah yes, that's what I was thinking of doing. I have the back wiper removed as well. Where did you connect the wiper wire into the Black/Red brake light supply?

[Cressa 44]

That spoiler looks fantastic.

[Dox 23]

That spoiler looks fantastic.

 

The pic was taken at a reasonable height so shows how effective it would be - far better than inside the screen - see the light reflecting off it in the same pic?

 

I bet Fuzzer has loads of spoilers hanging around - I've skipped 2 I couldn't sell.

[Cressa 44]

I've got to text fuzzer, so that is a good idea to play with. Well done in putting that up Dox, cheers

Cressa

[Dox 23]

I've got to text fuzzer, so that is a good idea to play with. Well done in putting that up Dox, cheers

Cressa

 

It looks like the spoiler is lowered too?

[tonedef 9]

Mine’s the OEM fitting but installed the way it should have been done in the factory

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]95167[/ATTACH]

[fendervg 33]

Mine’s the OEM fitting but installed the way it should have been done in the factory

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]95167[/ATTACH]

 

Do you have any more pictures and details of your install? Is it a IK or US spec tailgate?

[tonedef 9]

Ah yes, that's what I was thinking of doing. I have the back wiper removed as well. Where did you connect the wiper wire into the Black/Red brake light supply?

 

Just been out to the garage to look, I was trying to remember where I'd broken into the wiring but I'd forgotten how easy it was to connect. There are unused spade connectors on the rear of the clusters, I just plugged into the one on the right marked Br!

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]95168[/ATTACH]

[tonedef 9]

Do you have any more pictures and details of your install? Is it a IK or US spec tailgate?

 

It's the original UK tailgate. When the car was at my mate's for respray I had the rear wiper hole smoothed, at the same time I had him cut out for the brake light and "frenched" it in if you remember the term from back in the seventies when we were all into custom cars!

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]95169[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]95170[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]95171[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]95172[/ATTACH]

 

Took two days to get it something like right.

 

I had always thought about fitting a light at high level as it had been discussed years before that the original one fitted to US cars was too low. But I never really liked the look with it at the top of the tailgate and how often is anyone so close to the rear that their view is obscured? We have a Mk2 TT and that one's fitted just below the spoiler too, I believe it's more the additional light coming on getting the attention of the driver behind rather than it being high up and in their line of sight.

Edited September 15, 2018 by tonedef

[fendervg 33]

Great stuff - this was my plan too. Came across a German web site where someone had done it. I have the light fitting and holder and made up a loom with an original plug - just waiting to have enough money saved for some bodywork and will hope to do it then. I prefer the OEM location as well. In terms of the the take-off, it doesn't matter too much where as long as you have the right wire, and a separate earth is probably best.

 

Thanks for the info.

[tonedef 9]

Great stuff - this was my plan too. Came across a German web site where someone had done it. I have the light fitting and holder and made up a loom with an original plug - just waiting to have enough money saved for some bodywork and will hope to do it then. I prefer the OEM location as well. In terms of the the take-off, it doesn't matter too much where as long as you have the right wire, and a separate earth is probably best.

 

Thanks for the info.

There’s an earth point in the tailgate already that the lights and wiper go back to, I simply put a spade connector onto that too, couldn’t have been easier.

[dragon green 5]

Here's mine,just a cheap eBay one,but it does the job,ran the wires to the back light

[ATTACH]95173[/ATTACH]

Sorry for crap pic,but not the easiest thing to take

[dan 0]

So do you have the third only coming on controlled by the rear wiper switch?

[tonedef 9]

So do you have the third only coming on controlled by the rear wiper switch?

I only used the wiper wire as it was threaded through the tailgate, one end to the brake light in the tailgate, the other end to the spare terminal in the rear light cluster.

[dan 0]

Brilliant! Thanks all for the input. Great to see all the different options!

I think I'll probably go with using the now redundant wiper motor wire connected to the brakelight wire and take the ground from the tailgate.

[fla 9]

Here's mine,just a cheap eBay one,but it does the job,ran the wires to the back light

[ATTACH]95173[/ATTACH]

Sorry for crap pic,but not the easiest thing to take

 

I'm looking to do this too - how did you run the wires from the light to the existing tailight? Did you have to make any holes in the tailgate? I guess the black could be fitted to any exposed metal on the tailgate but the red to the cluster is the confusing one. Then again if you're running a pair of cables to the cluster, may as well connect them both there!

Thanks