Member Since: 18 Jul 2011
Location: Stockport
Posts: 7830
Twin Brake Light - How To
I've been doing a little research lately on the forum and the advice for doing the twin brake light mod appears to be scattered over a number of threads, none of which use the phrase "twin brake lights" so it's a little tricky to locate.
Well, not any more as I've just completed this simple mod and it's very easy. (I've blatantly used an idea from another poster, who I will credit with making the copper contact but can't remember his name nor find his post again. ). I hope it's useful to somebody, there's more pics in my gallery if you need them but it easy enough to do.
This is what you're aiming to achieve:
Click image to enlarge
The lower light in the side clusters should already contain a stop + tail, twin filament bulb. However, only the tail light part is wired up and this mod shows you how to wire up the stop filament too, giving you twin brake lights in the side clusters.
First off, remove your side cluster and place it on your bench:
Click image to enlarge
Next, take a close look at the upper light wiring, it'll look like this:
Click image to enlarge
Now, compare that to the lower light:
Click image to enlarge
Notice how the white wire is missing? The white wire is the brake light feed so we're going to put it in the lower plug and you'll have twin brake lights.
Remove the lower bulb holder:
Click image to enlarge
Take out the bulb and have a look inside the holder, notice the contact is missing:
Click image to enlarge
We're going to make a new contact and wire it in. You'll need two strips of copper. I cut 4mm off the end of a copper pipe and flattened it out:
Click image to enlarge
Next, remove the white grommet from the plug and check to see if your copper strip fits into the hole:
Click image to enlarge
I kept filing it down until it was a firm fit. Next you'll need to shape the end so it will contact the bulb base. There's no exact measurements for this but the next pictures should give you an idea of what you're trying to make. Bend the end up like this:
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Then double the rest back to form this shape:
Click image to enlarge
Keep checking to make sure your newly made contact fits into the plug. When you're happy, get your soldering iron out and attach a suitable wire thus, making sure you snip the nipple off the white grommet and slide it onto the cable before soldering onto the copper contact:
Click image to enlarge
Almost done now, Stick your newly made contact into the plug, tweak it up to the same height as the other contact and push the white grommet back into the hole.
Click image to enlarge
Finally, strip back some of the insulator from the white brake light feed cable and solder on your new cable which goes to the newly made contact:
Click image to enlarge
Wrap the joint with insulating tape, refit the light cluster and test to see if it's working. Repeat for the other side and voila, twin brake lights. Mods:
Front Fogs + Halos
FBH Remote Control
The 1st Ever RRS Modded Grill
Garmin Nuvi + D4 Surround + Reversing Camera.
D4 Steering Wheel.
Rear Boot Spoiler.
Twin Brake Lights.
Wing Mirror Indicator Repeaters.
Long Roof Rails
Make your own Narpy grill thread
I'm not scared, I'm outta here.
16th Nov 2013 4:54 pm
robo
Member Since: 30 Jul 2010
Location: solihull
Posts: 298
gone not forgotten 2 classics
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16th Nov 2013 5:05 pm
Dave^
Member Since: 23 Jun 2013
Location: West Yorks
Posts: 706
Can you not just buy two upper lamp holders and put them in the lower holes? Easier for people like me... flickr
16th Nov 2013 5:05 pm
Narpy
Member Since: 18 Jul 2011
Location: Stockport
Posts: 7830
I honestly don't know Dave, possibly but it'll still require wiring in. Mods:
Front Fogs + Halos
FBH Remote Control
The 1st Ever RRS Modded Grill
Garmin Nuvi + D4 Surround + Reversing Camera.
D4 Steering Wheel.
Rear Boot Spoiler.
Twin Brake Lights.
Wing Mirror Indicator Repeaters.
Long Roof Rails
Make your own Narpy grill thread
I'm not scared, I'm outta here.
16th Nov 2013 5:08 pm
Biffysun
Member Since: 09 Jul 2011
Location: Central
Posts: 1786
Looks good! 8) Well done!
16th Nov 2013 5:13 pm
Marlou
Member Since: 03 Sep 2013
Location: Local
Posts: 99
You made that look easy, looks like something to do tomorrow
16th Nov 2013 5:17 pm
Robbie
Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 17932
Dave^ wrote:
Can you not just buy two upper lamp holders and put them in the lower holes? Easier for people like me...
Think the harness and all the sockets come as bundle, so it would depend on the price to see if this was realistic option. Although it would give you a spare harness come MoT time.Land Rover - Turning Drivers into Mechanics Since 1948
Member Since: 23 Jun 2013
Location: West Yorks
Posts: 706
Robbie wrote:
Dave^ wrote:
Can you not just buy two upper lamp holders and put them in the lower holes? Easier for people like me...
Think the harness and all the sockets come as bundle, so it would depend on the price to see if this was realistic option. Although it would give you a spare harness come MoT time.
Member Since: 25 Aug 2009
Location: Are you sure this is the M5 ?
Posts: 1498
Question
Looks fantastic, but . . . . .
Isn't there a risk this will effectively 'double' the amps through the brake light circuit wiring, and/or brake pedal switch with potential damage to wiring/switch etc
(Especially if/when stopped with your foot on the brake pedal for any length of time
Ok, I'll get my coat Never get mad - get even !!
06 D3 now gone to family member and still going strong at 265k
previous vehicles:
04 D2 TD5 - (clocked 189k from new)
52 X-Trail 2.2 SVE
various euro boxes !
16th Nov 2013 8:08 pm
Narpy
Member Since: 18 Jul 2011
Location: Stockport
Posts: 7830
In answer to that, it's a mod that's been around for a long time. Some owners have direct soldered a wire to the actual bulb to achieve the twin brake lights. Info is scattered around the forum and just about every pitfall has previously been discussed but nowhere does anybody report any sort of overload issue.
The reason for this thread was not only so I could complete the mod on my own car but to document how it went and attempt to put all the info in one place should anybody else fancy trying it. Mods:
Front Fogs + Halos
FBH Remote Control
The 1st Ever RRS Modded Grill
Garmin Nuvi + D4 Surround + Reversing Camera.
D4 Steering Wheel.
Rear Boot Spoiler.
Twin Brake Lights.
Wing Mirror Indicator Repeaters.
Long Roof Rails
Make your own Narpy grill thread
I'm not scared, I'm outta here.
16th Nov 2013 8:23 pm
Robbie
Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 17932
Dave^ wrote:
MOT time?
As I understand it the twin brake light modification is grounds to fail the MoT as it breaches the lighting regulations. It's why they are not wired that way at the factory.
An MoT guru will give you the precise details but it is something like not achieving 100mm between the stop lamp and the fog light.
Of course, you could go through a bunch of MoTs before some would notice.
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