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Third tail light conversion of the third kind

B

bradleyheathhays

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Lexington, KY
'96 XJ here and although I've got a 3rd tail light it only lights up when the brake is applied.


Is there a way to bring that center light up to modern standards and rig it to stay on all the time (when the lights are on) and get bright when the pedal is pushed?
 
It could be done but at a minimum you would have to change out the lamp/socket to a 2 filament and tap into the running lamp circuit.
 
Curious why you want this and think it is modern standards. Third brake lights are not supposed to be on when the brakes are not applied. Modern versions do flash a few times before going solid to get more attention, but the fact that they are off until the brakes are applied is by design. They get noticed more that way.
 
It's a CHMSL. Center High Mounted Stop Lamp

It would require running another wire to it, converting it to a 2 filament bulb and it's effectiveness would be reduced as a stop lamp.
I would suggest just installing a brighter bulb to improve it's effectiveness. Think red LED.
 
Probably be much simpler and more effective to add one of those LED strips that plug into a trailer connector.
 
Woodswanderer said:
Cheap and it works. Not a perfect fit but is water tight with the included gasket. The humps molded into the plastic are a bit too big and leave a small gap at the top. If you wanted to modify the opening on the hatch a bit with a die grinder it would sit flush.


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Click to expand...

Yup, that's the one I mentioned elsewhere. Had one once (there's a black one too) - rubbish, sent it back, didn't anywhere near fit.

Certainly that would bring it up-to-date but, don't forget, OP wants more than that, he wants it it to be like a single clearance light - that gets brighter with the brakelights!
 
XJI6191 said:
Yup, that's the one I mentioned elsewhere. Had one once (there's a black one too) - rubbish, sent it back, didn't anywhere near fit.

Certainly that would bring it up-to-date but, don't forget, OP wants more than that, he wants it it to be like a single clearance light - that gets brighter with the brakelights!
Click to expand...



Think there is a clear one also. Its just a replacement housing with 5-6 smd board behind a lens, coming out to a pigtail that fits the 194 socket. The foam rubber gasket left something to be desired. That was the worst to actually fit and make stick to the housing. A pair of tin snips to the sheet metal takes 30 seconds and makes for a cleaner install but i didnt care that much lol.

It beats the alternative of installing a 194 led bulb in the old weathered pink color factory housing though…

I did full LED conversion on the 99, inside and out. Pretty easy these days. Only issue i had was with the switchbacks in the front and the rear brake bulbs (in part to the brake switch under pedal and cheap bulbs).
 
Woodswanderer said:
Think there is a clear one also. . .
Click to expand...

My Orvis has an OEM clear one - but it's completely different; recessed, as it, in the lower trailing edge of the spoiler.

Woodswanderer said:
. . . It beats the alternative of installing a 194 led bulb in the old weathered pink color factory housing though…
Click to expand...

Yeah, that might persuade me but, fortunately, mine's not much faded - & I have a spare!

Woodswanderer said:
. . . . I did full LED conversion on the 99, inside and out. Pretty easy these days. Only issue i had was with the switchbacks in the front and the rear brake bulbs (in part to the brake switch under pedal and cheap bulbs). . .
Click to expand...

I think my '99 (Orvis) was sort of 1/2 done when I destroyed the trans but the '97's done except turn signals (don't want them), headlights (not for me) & dash lights (don't need them/can't be bothered) but switchbacks in the front? Clear lenses? However, it's the tail/brake lights that interests me: I did mine a few years ago & have been fine -until a couple of weeks back when they started behaving oddly, a random short between the 2 functions. They were silly expensive Sylvania bulbs - so should I be looking at the switch?
 
XJI6191 said:
My Orvis has an OEM clear one - but it's completely different; recessed, as it, in the lower trailing edge of the spoiler.



Yeah, that might persuade me but, fortunately, mine's not much faded - & I have a spare!



I think my '99 (Orvis) was sort of 1/2 done when I destroyed the trans but the '97's done except turn signals (don't want them), headlights (not for me) & dash lights (don't need them/can't be bothered) but switchbacks in the front? Clear lenses? However, it's the tail/brake lights that interests me: I did mine a few years ago & have been fine -until a couple of weeks back when they started behaving oddly, a random short between the 2 functions. They were silly expensive Sylvania bulbs - so should I be looking at the switch?
Click to expand...


I had brake light issues with Auxito LED bulbs. That was the first indication of my brakw switch. Second indication was one side being out completely and the 3rd brake light not coming on when pedal depressed, which ultimately became all the brake lights not working.

I suspect a combo of both bulbs and switch. I ended up pulling the LED bulbs for the brake lamps and installed xenon or krypton bulbs from rallylights.com. Brighter than factory, brighter than LED. I’ll have to check my records for a part number, but it wasnt a 3156/57 bulb.

The smd turn signals are nice, and so are the clear lenses/switchbacks up front. I run them light DRLs/inclement daytime weather lighting or in construction zones in combination with my flood cube lights at the stock fog position. All ebay stuff. The clear lenses are stamped upside down but fit and quality are decent given the price.

I did end up replacing the switchbacks in short order, the cheap Auxito bulbs i bought originally went out but still worked for turn signals and mechanic failed me on inspection for no marker lights 😪🙄

The dogbone style Amazon LED headlights are fan-friggin-tastic and worth every penny of the $25 i spent on them. So much so that i really didnt need to add auxilary lighting…but its a jeep after all lol

Dash lighting was a pain in the richard. I only did it FTFOI because i wanted red backlighting. The bulbs are cheap, plastic wedge bases with a single led on hair thin leads. Easy to short out and polarity sensitive. You’ll be a master at dash assembly by the time you finish. Leave the shift indicator lamp alone unless you use a color other than red (hard to see the red indicator in the window on the bezel…tcase bulb in red is fine though). And dont expect them to dim anymore.


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Woodswanderer said:
I had brake light issues with Auxito LED bulbs. That was the first indication of my brakw switch. Second indication was one side being out completely and the 3rd brake light not coming on when pedal depressed, which ultimately became all the brake lights not working.

I suspect a combo of both bulbs and switch. I ended up pulling the LED bulbs for the brake lamps and installed xenon or krypton bulbs from rallylights.com. Brighter than factory, brighter than LED. I’ll have to check my records for a part number, but it wasnt a 3156/57 bulb.

The smd turn signals are nice, and so are the clear lenses/switchbacks up front. I run them light DRLs/inclement daytime weather lighting or in construction zones in combination with my flood cube lights at the stock fog position. All ebay stuff. The clear lenses are stamped upside down but fit and quality are decent given the price.

I did end up replacing the switchbacks in short order, the cheap Auxito bulbs i bought originally went out but still worked for turn signals and mechanic failed me on inspection for no marker lights 😪🙄

The dogbone style Amazon LED headlights are fan-friggin-tastic and worth every penny of the $25 i spent on them. So much so that i really didnt need to add auxilary lighting…but its a jeep after all lol

Dash lighting was a pain in the richard. I only did it FTFOI because i wanted red backlighting. The bulbs are cheap, plastic wedge bases with a single led on hair thin leads. Easy to short out and polarity sensitive. You’ll be a master at dash assembly by the time you finish. Leave the shift indicator lamp alone unless you use a color other than red (hard to see the red indicator in the window on the bezel…tcase bulb in red is fine though). And dont expect them to dim anymore.


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Click to expand...

eBay is awash with Auxito protects which look OK so grateful for the heads-up.

My problem of, quite randomly, the brake lights coming with the markers - or vice versa, is no more, but I hate self-curing faults (don't trust them), now beginning to wonder if it's, somehow, damp related. :dunno:

I'll check out rallylights.com, those bulbs sound interesting - although I like LED's not just for the brightness but the intensity of the colour.

Really would like to do away with all the amber lights on my red XJ, so good to know they're still available: will add to my shopping list for when I can resume trans-Atlantic travel.

Still not keen on LED headlights, although it's good to know cheap ones can work.

I dread a dash light failing (although I wonder if that's the simple cause of my full-time 4WD light not working) much as I like the idea of green ones (at least in the green Orvis) as have no wish to delve into that cluster. Already converted the shift & 4WD indicators, primarily, but only partially successfully, to even out the illumination instead of a bright light immediately above the sockets which barely reached the back of the bezels. Pretty sure they dim though, but never use that function so can't be sure.
 
Not sure if i mentioned it here, but the LED headlamps could use a relayed harness or an inline resistor when installed. In my case, lights off, they stay dimly lit. Doesnt bother me, not noticeable in daylight and barely notice at night (switchback marker lamps wash it out)


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Also, links to what i used. Stick with the black bodied Auxito bulbs, and look for canbus style w/ resistors built in. the silver bodies bulbs are junk and crap the bed in short order.

Rear amber

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3036797498...4fsyrppRaS&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Front amber side markers

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3041991700...4fsyrppRaS&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Front switchbacks in clear housings

Housings:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3047585562...4fsyrppRaS&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Bulbs (You’ll need 2 of these, offer $15 ea for a discount):

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1748815916...4fsyrppRaS&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Reverse bulbs

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3047335704...4fsyrppRaS&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY


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