The newer trucks have combined red/red turnsignals/brakelights in the back - I want to buy tail lights with amber in the rear and wire in sequential turnsignal LEDs with a microcontroller to make them run. Obviously I will need to get the turnsignal "signal" from somewhere else - Can I just use the little trailer hitch hookup? Does it have a separate positive signal for turnsignals (both left and right) - that is separate from the brakes on signal?

Plus - i need opinions on which tail lights you would use to do this!

 

I really, really like the 98/99 lights.

They have the dispersers behind the lens. I can do sequential turnsignals up top in the amber.



The only thing I don't like is that say, for example I bought these lights:



I was thinking of getting some aftermarket ones like that, opening them up and then changing the center red lens to a clear one, and then painting it amber. I could then make a clear lens for the top one, and have 3 lenses, red - amber - white. The only problem is that the reflector does not pass much light through it, and the rear facing reflector is on the red portion. I don't know if it will let enough light through to be as bright as I want. I do like the idea however of painting the black portion of these lights to match the body on my truck(s) - either sonic blue or glossy white depending on which truck.

I can't get fancy and do any body-matched painting if I do the 98/99 lights.

Thoughts?

 

I like your second idea. I have often wondered why no one has done this yet.

 

I'm the first to do many lighting mods

(yes I know I am/was still scared of oven-izing my headlights - ok owned..)

Problem is the damn reflector. I'm not comfortable with it having just the little area on the outside to let pure LED light through. I want a tail light with 4 "circle lenses"

1 rearward facing reflector (red)
1 rearward big one for brakes/running lights (red - no reflector)
1 clear or amber one for turnsignals
1 clear one for reverse

I can make the lenses out of lighting panel plastic and epoxy them in.

If anyone has any creative ideas please chime in.

 

I personally don't like the lights with amber, but I'm sure with your mods it would make them a lot nicer

 

The tail lights are going to be absolutely loaded with component LEDs. I mean the powerful 70ma LEDs that the OEMs use.

This guy I know who does Subaru lights is my rolemodel.

 

you will need a mazda wiring harness for the tail lights

i dont know where it connects under the dash

 

But they were on Rangers

 

I don't want to get the power under the dash if I don't need to. Want to get it from the rear.

 

cant ! the wiring harness does not have a separate power lead for the turn signals after 1997 ( i think )

 

So your saying its impossible to hook up a trailer with individual turns/brakes?

 

they were on rangers at 1 time

but ford switched to the standard red brake/turn signal colour

like i said , you can but you need a mazda wiring harness to do it

 

My truck only has the 5 pin (i think its 5) harness to the rear so i cant just swap the harness

Note: I was gonna use the reverse light hole in the 06+ tails

so What i was going to to for mine to separate them was clip the feed wire at the brake light switch
then run a new feed wire from the front of the truck to the rear of the truck
then take and clip the old sockets power feeds so you have a pigtail (you can leave the Ground and Power feed for running lights)
then hook the new wire you ran from the brake light switch and hook it into the wire you clipped on the Red light (you might hook it to a relay)
then take and clip the power feed to the reverse light and hook the original power wire from the brake light into the power wire you clipped for the reverse lights
then wire up some aux. reverse lights

 

that might not work

the brake / turn signal is routed through the turn signal relay

they are wired together and routed through the turn signal interuptor switch