thank you, i always liked the flush mount on the TJ and that is why i tackled it. When i did it, I could not find any videos to help, so if you decided to do it, i hope the video helped.
If you need/want to still have a side marker light, the grommet mount button LED's are super bright and only require a 3/4" hole. Also, don't forget that most of these LED taillights don't have the required reflector so grab a small red stick on reflector for cheap.
One of the great things about replacing the incandescent lights with LED is the power savings. You lose the power saving when you put a resistor in. Replace front turn signals with LED and replace relay designed for LED loads. Flash rate returns to normal.
Don't bother with adding those in line resistors, just go get a heavy duty or electronic flasher. Installing LED tail lights helps in two ways, #1 They are brighter and last longer. #2 They are less of a draw amperage wise on the electrical system which is a good thing in making the alternator and battery last longer. When you install these the fast flash rate is due to the flasher being the old style that relied on the current draw that cased a bi-metallic arm that the contacts are on to heat up and flex causing the lights to turn off and when it cooled it flexed back and turned on. With the less draw by the LED lights the flasher heats up and cools off much faster causing the faster flash rate, Yes installing these resistors makes it work by making the flasher see the same current draw as before but then you have no gain from a light designed to require less current. An electronic flasher has a solid state timer chip in it that has a preset time to flash the lights no matter what the current draw is. This kind of thing also happens when you take a car or truck and start towing a trailer behind it, it has a reg duty flasher and with the extra current draw causes the flash rate to speed up, this can be again resolved with the electronic flasher. You can get these flashers at most any auto parts store.
I didn't add it back on but other versions of the LED lights have them. My jeep was garage kept and I had my work vehicle I drove daily and my wifes jeep normally got driven before mine so it was not as a concern. I'm sure some states would have huge issues but local wasnt.
I don't believe they made them at the time I did the video and I liked the flush mount look. With the newer stuff that is out now I would probably go that route now though.
Andrew Flores Sorry, just saw the comment, I actually cut flush mount LED lights into the bumper along with a tow wire connector. It is covered in another video. Hopes this helps. You could just drill another hole into the metal to make reverse lights, but I wanted more lights and liked the bumper idea to have something different. I will go get a video of the lights to show further. ua-cam.com/video/4A-n8pJTi1g/v-deo.html
Aj Phillips www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LN3QE9O?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00 here are the LED reverse lights I put in the bumper and I just did a video to show them installed.
hey AJ thanks for the awesome video. I followed your instructions. The lights turn on just fight and turn signals are flashing correctly. however when I brake it brake. any advice. Thanks
+Ben Jacobs I'm not sure what you are stating. Can you clean up the spelling? If lights are working during turn signal but not when you press the brakes, make sure to check your brake light switch and fuse. Did you ever check all your lights to make sure they were working prior to swapping. If your brake switch is bad (switch at the brake pedal) then the signal is never sent, also if the brake light fuse is bad that could be another reason why.
So there is only one light you don't need anything else? I want to buy thoes but not sure what else I need they say you need a smaller light as a turn signal? Where did you get thoes clear/ white lights?
must states require you to have a side marker light which could also be drilled into the side of the rear panel. I was not worried about doing it, but could always go back and add it if needed, its just a small 1" light. the Clear flush mounts are on amazon for about $20.00. Just type in flush mount led and it should come up. For the side marker light, you can type in LED Side marker light and it should come up.
I moved the reverse lights into the bumper using flush mount led fog lights. They light up everything behind giving great visibility. It's not letting me share a photo but I will see what I can do. ua-cam.com/video/4A-n8pJTi1g/v-deo.html
There is a little metal retaining ring. Use a small flat head scrww driver to remove that and the led lens should just pull out or again use the small screw driver to help get it moving. Depe ding on how they did the wiring you might have to pull the three screws out. It is a very easy job and shouldnt take more than a few minutes.
+Zac Degroff they came off with a little cleaning and buffing, I only painted the bare metal with a primer and close yellow paint to avoid any rust. The dirt build up is normal and does come off with a little work.
Can you tell me how you got around hyper flashing(where did you buy the yellow resistor and what is it called)? Will zero resistance flasher work with conventional light in front and LED in tail light?
+CRM6718 The yellow resistor is what stops the hyper flashing, it connects from the brake/signal wire to a ground and puts a load on the system so it reads it as a regular bulb instead of a blown circuit. They are on Amazon, normally 2 for about $5.00 www.amazon.com/Resistors-Signal-License-Warning-Cancellor/dp/B004EDF8HY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1453038739&sr=8-2&keywords=led+resistor I have never heard of zero resistance flasher, but any LED in the rear and regular bulbs in the front are fine, the only thing is if you do LED in the front, you have to add resistors to the front bulbs also.
+Aj Phillips Perfect!!! There apparently is a zero resistance flasher for TJ but not for YJ(or I have yet to find one). Your idea is much better however...thank you!
I am not sure what a zero resistance flasher is, I am not aware of where to find one since I can not find one during a search. do you have a link or anything that I could see what zero resistance flasher you are talking about?
I did locate this, shop.poisonspyder.com/4-Pin-LED-Flasher-97-00-TJ-p/41-04-026.htm which is a new relay that would solve having to put inline resistors in, but it looks to only be for 97-00 TJ's. I would have bought this If I had known about it at the time of my install since it would have saved time and effort, but the resistors work great too.
+Aj Phillips Yup, they now have one for YJ as well. www.ebay.com/itm/Poison-Spyder-Customs-2-Pin-LED-Flasher-76-96-Jeep-CJ-YJ-41-04-262-/381403733461?hash=item58cd6f1dd5:g:ulwAAOSwEetV-Fnz&vxp=mtr
good to know. i now there is something emissions related behind that pas tail light. but if you didnt have problems i guess im good to go. thanks for the reply
I looked it up on youtube real quick and I guess there is a EVAC canister back there. but there is more than enough space to not hit it. I could have sworn it was in the engine compartment though... Maybe it was moved through the years. the LED light is less than 1/2 inch thick so it wont have issues, I know I had my hole hand up in there without hitting anything. ua-cam.com/video/vG3Tgffo00U/v-deo.html
just watched the video, thats actually the video i watched that made me think that canister was back there haha. i noticed it was a 06 in that video, i have an 02. so im going to assume they moved it in later years.
+Tikibarber21sc The 4 1/8 hole is the inside diameter of the LED light, the total distance it covers was 4 1/2 inches'. if you were using a light that uses the rubber seal instead of a metal backing you might have to use a 4 1/2. If you are unsure which one your light is, do a test hole in a piece of cardboard to test the fit. I 4 1/8 inch worked perfect for the lights that I purchased.
Thomas Salao Yea I can help, The reason I did not do the wiring in my video is I added in a strobe flash which requires much more wiring that just brake and running lights. I don't recall the color of the wiring, but should be able to find it on the web, but you can test the wire by turning on your hazards and then connect either a voltmeter to it or using a light. when you have the light flashing, that is your positive for turn and brakes. the other one is your running and the other will be ground. If this doesn't help let me know and I will see what I can find on the web to help more.
Aj Phillips we have to have reflectors on our rear, white reverse lights and amber turning/hazard lights . 2 on each side of the vehicle lined up symmetrically. Those just appear to be red position and brake lights with the wrong colour indicators for us. we are not required to have reverse lights to pass vehicle check but it would be a nightmare with the insurance if we have any sort of collision while reversing and not having lights that show that. I can see you put LED's in your bumper but these would be way to bright and would dazzle other road users every time we backs up. i have rear spotlights installed on a separate switch.
I think there are some 4" round LED lights that have reflectors, I have seen them on 18 wheelers, I just chose not to go that style. On a lot of US vehicles they use the brake light as the turn light although I would prefer to have Amber turns and Red brake, but they wont do that. If the US TJ was wired for amber turn signal and red brake, I would have added additional lights for ambers. I did put reverse lights in, but I placed them in the bumper which is shown on other video's.
Here is a link to the follow up showing the revers lights and the strobe feature which is why I did not cover the wiring. ua-cam.com/video/4A-n8pJTi1g/v-deo.html
Paul Gooder I used motorcycle license plate lights that have a built in LED to the screw holes, they are about $8.00 from amazon. www.amazon.com/Rupse-White-Motorcycle-License-Plate/dp/B008RIEQXY/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1438474676&sr=1-1&keywords=license+plate+light
Looks great but something to consider with LED lights is if they fail you need to replace the whole light not just a bulb. With these you have permanently altered the body, if they fail a couple years down the road will you be able to get a replacement. If you can't or can't find one to fit the same whole you have a pretty big problem. I know this advice comes to late but maybe it can help others.
The 4" round hole has been a standard size in the trucking industry for years. although I might not get the same exact brand light, there will always be 4" round LED lights on the market. The worst that I would have to do is replace both at the same time so they continue to match.
That is weird, most states only have a minimum distance or lighting requirement and of course DOT approved. I am surprised Massachusetts wont let any type be put on.
It's not a DOT light for the jeep. It hasn't got a side marker light. DOT requires front and rear side markers. States, about all, require license plate lights too. Hopefully it never generates a ticket. If you get rear-ended would you want to go to court with an illegal light?
beta1369 Sorry just saw this comment, I just measured down one the first side and chose my location and confirmed it was not going to hit anything. I then went to the other side and followed the same measurement's as the first one, confirming the whole heights.
I actually sold my Jeep about 6 months ago and ended up getting 3k more than I bought it for. Although some like the OEM look, alot of people prefer the flush mount LED but do not want to do it themselves.
![Jeep Wrangler Circle LED Flush Mount Brake:Tail Light Install CJ, YJ, TJ [How-To]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/HYvDso0yA_E/mqdefault.jpg)
I agree. Lube is always the key. Always.
In my XJ I used an EP27 flasher relay to stop the turn signals from hyperflashing.
Yea, since I did this years ago the flasher replacements have come a long way. There are definitely some better ways to do the resistors now.
They are AutoSmart KL-25105C-R Red Flush-Mount LED Stop/Turn/Tail Light. the brake and turn are the same wire. I got them off Amazon for $14 a piece
Yeah, this the first time since 2015 that I have to replace the same taillight
I'm late to this video, but that light fixture looks so much better than the stock one. Thanks for the video.
thank you, i always liked the flush mount on the TJ and that is why i tackled it. When i did it, I could not find any videos to help, so if you decided to do it, i hope the video helped.
If you need/want to still have a side marker light, the grommet mount button LED's are super bright and only require a 3/4" hole. Also, don't forget that most of these LED taillights don't have the required reflector so grab a small red stick on reflector for cheap.
One of the great things about replacing the incandescent lights with LED is the power savings. You lose the power saving when you put a resistor in. Replace front turn signals with LED and replace relay designed for LED loads. Flash rate returns to normal.
100% agree, at the time i did this I had never heard of a replacement relay. I first found that a few months later, but just left it at that point.
Don't bother with adding those in line resistors, just go get a heavy duty or electronic flasher. Installing LED tail lights helps in two ways, #1 They are brighter and last longer. #2 They are less of a draw amperage wise on the electrical system which is a good thing in making the alternator and battery last longer. When you install these the fast flash rate is due to the flasher being the old style that relied on the current draw that cased a bi-metallic arm that the contacts are on to heat up and flex causing the lights to turn off and when it cooled it flexed back and turned on. With the less draw by the LED lights the flasher heats up and cools off much faster causing the faster flash rate, Yes installing these resistors makes it work by making the flasher see the same current draw as before but then you have no gain from a light designed to require less current. An electronic flasher has a solid state timer chip in it that has a preset time to flash the lights no matter what the current draw is. This kind of thing also happens when you take a car or truck and start towing a trailer behind it, it has a reg duty flasher and with the extra current draw causes the flash rate to speed up, this can be again resolved with the electronic flasher. You can get these flashers at most any auto parts store.
When I put these in I dont believe the other style relay existed or I had at least never heard of it. It is definitely the way to go now.
a little bit of rubbing compound or buffing compound i think would have taken most of that stain away from were the stock taillight housing was
Nice job overall. The stock tail light had a reflector built in so your Jeep could be seen without your lights being on.
How about now ?
I didn't add it back on but other versions of the LED lights have them. My jeep was garage kept and I had my work vehicle I drove daily and my wifes jeep normally got driven before mine so it was not as a concern. I'm sure some states would have huge issues but local wasnt.
Thanks for the info,I'm gonna grab some for my jeep. Good instruction vid.
They make led lights that bolts to the factory holes
I don't believe they made them at the time I did the video and I liked the flush mount look. With the newer stuff that is out now I would probably go that route now though.
Great lights, are these stop, tail and turn all in one and could you please give me the brand etc. thanks Steve
Nice vid. Now what happens to the reverse light?
Andrew Flores Sorry, just saw the comment, I actually cut flush mount LED lights into the bumper along with a tow wire connector. It is covered in another video. Hopes this helps. You could just drill another hole into the metal to make reverse lights, but I wanted more lights and liked the bumper idea to have something different. I will go get a video of the lights to show further. ua-cam.com/video/4A-n8pJTi1g/v-deo.html
Aj Phillips www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LN3QE9O?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00 here are the LED reverse lights I put in the bumper and I just did a video to show them installed.
hey AJ thanks for the awesome video. I followed your instructions. The lights turn on just fight and turn signals are flashing correctly. however when I brake it brake. any advice. Thanks
+Ben Jacobs I'm not sure what you are stating. Can you clean up the spelling? If lights are working during turn signal but not when you press the brakes, make sure to check your brake light switch and fuse. Did you ever check all your lights to make sure they were working prior to swapping. If your brake switch is bad (switch at the brake pedal) then the signal is never sent, also if the brake light fuse is bad that could be another reason why.
GOOD JOB BUT I LIKE THE OLD SCHOOL JEEP LIGHTS
Nice vid
So there is only one light you don't need anything else? I want to buy thoes but not sure what else I need they say you need a smaller light as a turn signal? Where did you get thoes clear/ white lights?
must states require you to have a side marker light which could also be drilled into the side of the rear panel. I was not worried about doing it, but could always go back and add it if needed, its just a small 1" light. the Clear flush mounts are on amazon for about $20.00. Just type in flush mount led and it should come up. For the side marker light, you can type in LED Side marker light and it should come up.
what did you use to make them strobe. Im a fire fighter and would like to do this to mine
+Justin Shipley it is a Shome LED strobe box. on ebay they are around $20.00 Model# 11.1005SF
+Aj Phillips thanks
I moved the reverse lights into the bumper using flush mount led fog lights. They light up everything behind giving great visibility. It's not letting me share a photo but I will see what I can do. ua-cam.com/video/4A-n8pJTi1g/v-deo.html
Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice job and my next project
How do you replace the tail light bulb? I bought a 2014 with this setup and the bulb went out. Be kind. I'm not mechanical.
There is a little metal retaining ring. Use a small flat head scrww driver to remove that and the led lens should just pull out or again use the small screw driver to help get it moving. Depe ding on how they did the wiring you might have to pull the three screws out. It is a very easy job and shouldnt take more than a few minutes.
did you have to paint it or did you get those dark marks from the old lights to come off?
+Zac Degroff they came off with a little cleaning and buffing, I only painted the bare metal with a primer and close yellow paint to avoid any rust. The dirt build up is normal and does come off with a little work.
+Aj Phillips cool thanks. Gonna hook up the same set up this weekend with the reverse lights too. Looks good man.
+Zac Degroff Thank you, let me know if you have any issues.
+Aj Phillips did you use any rubber gasket or anything or just metal to metal
The led lights come with a thin rubber type strip that prevents metal to metal contact.
Can you tell me how you got around hyper flashing(where did you buy the yellow resistor and what is it called)? Will zero resistance flasher work with conventional light in front and LED in tail light?
+CRM6718 The yellow resistor is what stops the hyper flashing, it connects from the brake/signal wire to a ground and puts a load on the system so it reads it as a regular bulb instead of a blown circuit. They are on Amazon, normally 2 for about $5.00 www.amazon.com/Resistors-Signal-License-Warning-Cancellor/dp/B004EDF8HY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1453038739&sr=8-2&keywords=led+resistor I have never heard of zero resistance flasher, but any LED in the rear and regular bulbs in the front are fine, the only thing is if you do LED in the front, you have to add resistors to the front bulbs also.
+Aj Phillips Perfect!!! There apparently is a zero resistance flasher for TJ but not for YJ(or I have yet to find one). Your idea is much better however...thank you!
I am not sure what a zero resistance flasher is, I am not aware of where to find one since I can not find one during a search. do you have a link or anything that I could see what zero resistance flasher you are talking about?
I did locate this, shop.poisonspyder.com/4-Pin-LED-Flasher-97-00-TJ-p/41-04-026.htm which is a new relay that would solve having to put inline resistors in, but it looks to only be for 97-00 TJ's. I would have bought this If I had known about it at the time of my install since it would have saved time and effort, but the resistors work great too.
+Aj Phillips Yup, they now have one for YJ as well.
www.ebay.com/itm/Poison-Spyder-Customs-2-Pin-LED-Flasher-76-96-Jeep-CJ-YJ-41-04-262-/381403733461?hash=item58cd6f1dd5:g:ulwAAOSwEetV-Fnz&vxp=mtr
did you have to do any adjusting to the charcoal canister on the passenger side? thanks
+Brandon Darrah , I'm pretty sure that is located in the front of the jeep by the engine!!!
good to know. i now there is something emissions related behind that pas tail light. but if you didnt have problems i guess im good to go. thanks for the reply
I looked it up on youtube real quick and I guess there is a EVAC canister back there. but there is more than enough space to not hit it. I could have sworn it was in the engine compartment though... Maybe it was moved through the years. the LED light is less than 1/2 inch thick so it wont have issues, I know I had my hole hand up in there without hitting anything.
ua-cam.com/video/vG3Tgffo00U/v-deo.html
ok good to know. youre not wrong there are components under the hood for the fuel evap system. one of which is a charcoal canister type doohickey
just watched the video, thats actually the video i watched that made me think that canister was back there haha. i noticed it was a 06 in that video, i have an 02. so im going to assume they moved it in later years.
muchas gracias xD buen video
did the 4 1/8 hole saw work or did your have to use a 4 1/2?
+Tikibarber21sc The 4 1/8 hole is the inside diameter of the LED light, the total distance it covers was 4 1/2 inches'. if you were using a light that uses the rubber seal instead of a metal backing you might have to use a 4 1/2. If you are unsure which one your light is, do a test hole in a piece of cardboard to test the fit. I 4 1/8 inch worked perfect for the lights that I purchased.
I have the exact ones you have I'll still take your advice and test it with cardboard thanks
What about the backup lights
I did those in another video, i did flush mount lights in the bumper.
ua-cam.com/video/4A-n8pJTi1g/v-deo.html
Hey, I'm doing the same but need help wiring. Can you help me out
Thomas Salao Yea I can help, The reason I did not do the wiring in my video is I added in a strobe flash which requires much more wiring that just brake and running lights. I don't recall the color of the wiring, but should be able to find it on the web, but you can test the wire by turning on your hazards and then connect either a voltmeter to it or using a light. when you have the light flashing, that is your positive for turn and brakes. the other one is your running and the other will be ground. If this doesn't help let me know and I will see what I can find on the web to help more.
Cool thanks alot.
i like the idea of flush mounted lights on the back but the way those patterns are set up probably wouldnt be road legal in my country
+Reign Mack What do you mean by the pattern? It flashes for the same amount of time and pattern as standard housings?
Aj Phillips we have to have reflectors on our rear, white reverse lights and amber turning/hazard lights . 2 on each side of the vehicle lined up symmetrically. Those just appear to be red position and brake lights with the wrong colour indicators for us. we are not required to have reverse lights to pass vehicle check but it would be a nightmare with the insurance if we have any sort of collision while reversing and not having lights that show that. I can see you put LED's in your bumper but these would be way to bright and would dazzle other road users every time we backs up. i have rear spotlights installed on a separate switch.
I think there are some 4" round LED lights that have reflectors, I have seen them on 18 wheelers, I just chose not to go that style. On a lot of US vehicles they use the brake light as the turn light although I would prefer to have Amber turns and Red brake, but they wont do that. If the US TJ was wired for amber turn signal and red brake, I would have added additional lights for ambers. I did put reverse lights in, but I placed them in the bumper which is shown on other video's.
Here is a link to the follow up showing the revers lights and the strobe feature which is why I did not cover the wiring. ua-cam.com/video/4A-n8pJTi1g/v-deo.html
gn
What did you do for the license plate light?
Paul Gooder I used motorcycle license plate lights that have a built in LED to the screw holes, they are about $8.00 from amazon. www.amazon.com/Rupse-White-Motorcycle-License-Plate/dp/B008RIEQXY/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1438474676&sr=1-1&keywords=license+plate+light
What size whole saw did you use
+austinwise34 4 1/8 inch worked perfect for the lights that I purchased.
Where did you order these exact taillights?
+Jacob Belfanti Amazon.com
What are they called
+Jacob Belfanti AutoSmart KL-25105C-R Red Flush-Mount LED Stop/Turn/Tail Light
how will be the light in Revese mode?
ua-cam.com/video/4A-n8pJTi1g/v-deo.html
nice...
Looks great but something to consider with LED lights is if they fail you need to replace the whole light not just a bulb. With these you have permanently altered the body, if they fail a couple years down the road will you be able to get a replacement. If you can't or can't find one to fit the same whole you have a pretty big problem. I know this advice comes to late but maybe it can help others.
The 4" round hole has been a standard size in the trucking industry for years. although I might not get the same exact brand light, there will always be 4" round LED lights on the market. The worst that I would have to do is replace both at the same time so they continue to match.
What did you do for a license plate light on the driver's side?
Truth Space I purchased motorcycle license plate lights that go through the license plate bolt and light it up.
I looked them up. Didn't even know they made those. Good thinking. Not a fan of the of other options available.
Don’t even think about putting LEDs on vehicles not factory equipped with them in Massachusetts. It won’t pass the state inspection.
That is weird, most states only have a minimum distance or lighting requirement and of course DOT approved. I am surprised Massachusetts wont let any type be put on.
It's not a DOT light for the jeep. It hasn't got a side marker light. DOT requires front and rear side markers. States, about all, require license plate lights too. Hopefully it never generates a ticket. If you get rear-ended would you want to go to court with an illegal light?
Why yo head so sweaty?
Trent Blair I live in NC where we have temps into the high 90's and high humidity. You sweat just thinking of moving.
how to center and cut a hole... not so informative.
beta1369 Sorry just saw this comment, I just measured down one the first side and chose my location and confirmed it was not going to hit anything. I then went to the other side and followed the same measurement's as the first one, confirming the whole heights.
i dont like this lights
Bye, bye to that set up in terms of putting it back to its original stock form. The re-sale value has gone down.
I actually sold my Jeep about 6 months ago and ended up getting 3k more than I bought it for. Although some like the OEM look, alot of people prefer the flush mount LED but do not want to do it themselves.
No real reason to change them out. Lame.
I like the look of the flush mount and at the time I did it, LED lights were far brighter and not a lot of direct replacements.