Switchback LEDs in rear turn signals

I'm pretty sure I'm the 1st person to put switchbacks in the rear turn signals of a Tacoma. I used the 120 LED per bulb switchback bulbs from JDM astar. You need to be sure you get NON CK bulbs.

 

So these lights function normally when used as a turn signal, but when you put it in reverse they go bright white? Or so they blink white/amber/white/amber? Have seen these pop up on eBay but never read up on them.

 

If you only have the turn signals on, they work normal. Amber off amber off. When you only put it in reverse, there is a 1 second delay and then they come on white. If you turn on the turn signal with it in reverse, the amber has priority and it flashes amber/off/amber/off. There are some switchback bulbs out there that flash amber/white/amber. I would avoid those.

In my pic above with the turnsignal on in reverse, it looks like there is white in the middle of the amber. That's just an effect of the camera. The amber is really very bright pure amber.

 

@Muddinfun do you have a write up for how you wired these up?

 

I'll post the details tomorrow.

 

First, you need to understand the difference between CK and not CK. Holding the socket with the contacts toward you and the wires away from you, position it so that the white/black ground wire is on the right. From the pic below, you can see that the only functional difference between them is the direction of current flow through the park/tail light filament. (the lower pics show direction of current flow) With incandescent bulbs, that doesn't matter. With LEDs, it does. On 2nd gen Tacos, the front are CK. The tail/brake light sockets are not CK and the rear turn signals only have 2 contacts, so they don't matter what kind of bulb you put in there. HOWEVER, if you want to use switchback bulbs in the rear turn signals, it's easier if you use NOT CK. For the explanation below, TR=top right, BR=bottom right, etc. Make sure the bulb is installed so that the turn signal works. Hold the socket so that the white/black ground wire is on the right. Pull the bulb out (do not flip the bulb around) and bend the TR terminal wire on the bulb down to the BR. So, now you will have 2 wires on the bulb in the BR location. Angle it over next to the BR wire. Now, slightly lift the BL terminal wire, and then bend the tip of that wire down, so it will look like a tent with a fat lady sitting on it. Take a piece of 18 gauge wire and slide it under the bulb terminal, with the insulated part of the wire to the outside edge of the bulb. Solder it very quickly. Pry the rubber piece out of the back of the socket. Feed your 18 gauge wire through the socket, and then through the rubber piece, next to the turn signal wire. Push the bulb in and then push the rubber piece in. Now all that's left, is to solder your new 18 gauge wire into the backup light wire. This will be the backup light wire that is NOT white/black. There are lots of switchback bulbs out there. These are the ones I used.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/JDM-ASTAR-1...ash=item4d59f983d6:g:hAQAAOSwTf9ZUX-I&vxp=mtr

 

lol first person EVAR.
Good job though.
Now go full gangster and put a switchback 3157 in the bottom bucket like me double turn, double reverse yo.

 

I thought about doing white/red switchbacks in the reverse lights for more brake visibility, but the Deauto reverse lights work so well, I didn't want to screw with that. The 120 LED white/amber switchbacks give plenty enough turn signal visibility.