Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2023 16:50:25 -0800
Reply-To: Pete Sicilia <pete@COFFEEPOT.ORG>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Pete Sicilia <pete@COFFEEPOT.ORG>
Subject: Re: LED backup lights update
In-Reply-To: <CAFnDXk3u8cshzqhu1ef7i3W1-Zc7w_AvYP=XWOTYcj7KESa66Q@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
And hey - it's cheaper than buying a parts van!
On Sat, Feb 18, 2023, 4:11 PM Jim Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com> wrote:
> Look at it this way: You would have had to replace them eventually anyway.
> In the scheme of things, what's 15 year LOL.
>
> Jim
>
> On Sat, Feb 18, 2023 at 6:06 PM Pete Sicilia <pete@coffeepot.org> wrote:
>
>> Thanks. I found the busdepot.com ones. I'm trying to work up the
>> willpower to pull the trigger and overcome the "man I'm a klutz" tax.
>>
>> On Sat, Feb 18, 2023, 3:59 PM Jim Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> I don't remember where, I guess busdepot.com, but I bought brand new
>>> replacement lenses a few years back for a reasonable price. If you are
>>> trying to replace the molded plastic tray with bulb holders, that might be
>>> more difficult.
>>>
>>> Jim
>>>
>>> On Sat, Feb 18, 2023 at 5:42 PM Pete Sicilia <pete@coffeepot.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Well I finally finished the aluminum tape around my led backup bulbs. I
>>>> had
>>>> done one side a few weeks ago and did the other side today.
>>>>
>>>> Everything was easy until the very end today. As it turns out, my fears
>>>> about cracking old plastic were well founded.
>>>>
>>>> I meticulously cleaned and taped all around the lens housing and behind
>>>> the
>>>> bulb and as I was giving the entire housing one last cleaning with
>>>> simple
>>>> green, the whole thing slipped/shot out of my hands and cracked on the
>>>> pavement... snapping off the retaining tabs.
>>>>
>>>> I got down on my hands and knees and fished the housing and the broken
>>>> parts out from under my wife's Touareg, cleaned them again and applied
>>>> first krazy glue, then some strategic strips of duck tape for
>>>> reinforcement. I waited a few mins, then carefully clipped the light
>>>> assembly into the housing and reinstalled everything.
>>>>
>>>> Everything is working for now... but man I sure have a way of snatching
>>>> defeat from the jaws of victory sometimes
>>>>
>>>> In related news, does anyone have an extra right tail light lens
>>>> assembly
>>>> that they'd be willing to part with?
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, Jan 30, 2023, 8:48 AM Pete Sicilia <pete@coffeepot.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> > Do you have any particular brand of tape you recommend? Or is Amazon
>>>> > cheapo sufficient?
>>>> >
>>>> > 1PCS Premium Silver Aluminum Tapes (3.9Mils), 2'*65 Feet Foil Tape,
>>>> Metal
>>>> > Insulation Tape, Heavy Duty Duct Tape with Adhesive Backing for Hot
>>>> Cold
>>>> > Air HVAC Ductwork, Dryer Vent, Heat Resistant, Repair
>>>> > https://a.co/d/hILxB3m
>>>> >
>>>> > I've never opened up the light casing. Are there any things to look
>>>> out
>>>> > for? I'm a little leery of cracking old plastic.
>>>> >
>>>> > Thanks!
>>>> > Pete
>>>> >
>>>> > On Thu, Jan 26, 2023, 12:19 PM Jim Arnott <jrasite@eoni.com> wrote:
>>>> >
>>>> >> Someone asked for pictures so I opened up a tail light. Delete the
>>>> pop
>>>> >> bottle. Line the backup light window with alunim air conditioning
>>>> tape.
>>>> >> Install big, bright LED. Put it back together. Might take you an hour
>>>> >> including the time in the hardware store buying the tape.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Ranks right up there with changing the engine to an I4 as far as
>>>> >> improvements go. BIG improvement.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Jim
>>>> >>
>>>> >> > Years ago, I bought a couple 6 LED external light to use as backup
>>>> >> lights. Then I read a post about fixing the existing lights. It was
>>>> fairly
>>>> >> simple. I used the below mentioned LEDs and then created a reflector
>>>> using
>>>> >> a 16 oz plastic soda bottle lined with aluminum air conditioning
>>>> tape and
>>>> >> fit it into the stock tail light assy. NOW I can see backing up.
>>>> Took about
>>>> >> an hour and worth every second of time invested.
>>>> >> >
>>>> >> > Jim
>>>> >> >
>>>> >> >> On Jan 21, 2023, at 9:18 AM, Pete Sicilia <pete@COFFEEPOT.ORG>
>>>> wrote:
>>>> >> >>
>>>> >> >> In related news, I just upgraded my back up lights (1156) to
>>>> these...
>>>> >> >> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H54SP6O
>>>> >> >>
>>>> >> >> So far so good... although I'm always on the lookout for brighter
>>>> >> options.
>>>> >>
>>>> >
>>>>
>>>
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