Matching LED Rain and Backup Lights

**Steve** · July 20, 2011, 06:12 PM

As I mentioned in this post, I purchased weatherproof LED rain and reverse lights from Mobile Centre.

Installing them was pretty straightforward. Each light installs identically: you mount the black plastic surround and then snap the main fixture into place. I removed the existing aluminum bracket and drilled six new holes: 2 for each of the mounting bolts, and then one in the middle of each for the small (18 gauge) wires. I put small rubber grommets in the wiring.

After that, it was just a matter of threading the wires, crimping on some spade connectors, and plugging them in to the existing connectors. I did, however, fall victim to a bit of shipwright's syndrome, and ended up replacing all the silver cool tape on the existing wiring with some flame retardant silver wiring looms and then wrapping that in cool tape.

Here are the results:

Bracket with new holes, grommets, and plastic surrounds.
bracket.jpg

New LED lights installed.
off.jpg

New LED Lights turned on in daylight.
light.jpg

New LED lights turned on in the dark.
dark.jpg

I had the old-style incandescents here before, which is nice from a symmetry standpoint (I like both lights in this location to be the same style and size), but the originals weren't very bright and my red housing was cracked and needed to be replaced, anyway. These LED versions are WAY brighter, less likely to crack, will last far longer, and are weatherproof. Plus, they really weren't that expensive.

If you want some of your own, here are the links to the rain light and the fog light.

**bolus** · July 20, 2011, 10:35 PM

That looks great. I really need to update that poor excuse for a backup light

**Terry Kennedy** · July 20, 2011, 10:40 PM

Originally Posted by Steve

Installing them was pretty straightforward. Each light installs identically: you mount the black plastic surround and then snap the main fixture into place. I removed the existing aluminum bracket and drilled six new holes: 2 for each of the mounting bolts, and then one in the middle of each for the small (18 gauge) wires. I put small rubber grommets in the wiring.

I have that reverse light, also from Mobile Centre. My rain light is the potted LED Lifeline that Brammo sold as an option.

One thing you want to be careful of with the Mobile Centre 80mm lights is that it is rather difficult to remove the insert with the LEDs from the outer black bracket. To get to the cover access screw on the Hella license plate light, you need to remove the reverse light.

After doing that once (and chewing up the black bracket to get the LED insert out), I purchased a LED license plate light bulb and soldered it into the socket, so I'd never have to open it up again. The incandescent license plate light bulb was actually OK, it had just popped out of the socket.

**Steve** · July 21, 2011, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by Terry Kennedy

I have that reverse light, also from Mobile Centre. My rain light is the potted LED Lifeline that Brammo sold as an option.

I would have gone the same way, as the Lifeline looks cool, but I'm a freak about bilateral symmetry.

One thing you want to be careful of with the Mobile Centre 80mm lights is that it is rather difficult to remove the insert with the LEDs from the outer black bracket. To get to the cover access screw on the Hella license plate light, you need to remove the reverse light.

After doing that once (and chewing up the black bracket to get the LED insert out), I purchased a LED license plate light bulb and soldered it into the socket, so I'd never have to open it up again. The incandescent license plate light bulb was actually OK, it had just popped out of the socket.

LOL - funny you should mention that, Terry.

I cursed at myself when I realized that, too - after I reassembled everything and realized I hadn't put the set screw back in the Hella plate bulb housing. However, I simply removed the two lock nuts that held the entire plate bulb housing (and the main aluminum bracket) in place, rotated the housing out 45 degrees, put in the set screw, then re-assembled. That was far easier than pulling the LED light fixture out of the plastic bracket (again... I had already done it once because I clicked in the brake light in upside-down the first time, but got lucky with a tiny flathead screwdriver and didn't chew up the black plastic). I'm waiting for my LED plate bulb to arrive, and I love your idea of soldering it in for security. One of the reasons I went LED is so I wouldn't have to tinker with this stuff ever(?) again.

**Steve** · July 21, 2011, 08:57 AM

Originally Posted by bolus

That looks great. I really need to update that poor excuse for a backup light

For £19.58 ($32), you can't go wrong. When I showed off my handy work to my wife, her only reaction was "WOW that's bright." Objective achieved!

**Terry Kennedy** · July 21, 2011, 06:59 PM

Originally Posted by Steve

However, I simply removed the two lock nuts that held the entire plate bulb housing (and the main aluminum bracket) in place, rotated the housing out 45 degrees, put in the set screw, then re-assembled. That was far easier than pulling the LED light fixture out of the plastic bracket (again... I had already done it once because I clicked in the brake light in upside-down the first time, but got lucky with a tiny flathead screwdriver and didn't chew up the black plastic).

You have one of the later cars and are lucky. Take a look at the license plate bracket on my car:

Everything runs through the larger hole in the center (with the Hella license plate light holding everything together with a bolt on either side). There's no slack in the wires to get them further through that hole.

Later cars had a notch instead of the hole, so you can drop the whole assembly, and a lot more slack on the wires.

**Steve** · July 21, 2011, 08:03 PM

Originally Posted by Terry Kennedy

You have one of the later cars and are lucky.

Actually, I thought I had a pretty early car: RAM280.

Take a look at the license plate bracket on my car:

Everything runs through the larger hole in the center (with the Hella license plate light holding everything together with a bolt on either side). There's no slack in the wires to get them further through that hole.

Later cars had a notch instead of the hole, so you can drop the whole assembly, and a lot more slack on the wires.

Mine looks identical to yours, with a hole and no notch. But if I ever need to get back in there, I might Dremel out a notch.

**Terry Kennedy** · July 21, 2011, 08:07 PM

Originally Posted by Steve

Actually, I thought I had a pretty early car: RAM280.

You're right. RAM285 here.

Mine looks identical to yours, with a hole and no notch. But if I ever need to get back in there, I might Dremel out a notch.

I pretty much decided I never wanted to go back in there after installing the LED lights. But then I got the Sector111 exhaust and had to disconnect everything, pull all the wires back through the hole, and re-route them to clear (hah!) the exhaust.

On another early Atom I helped to change to that exhaust, I got smart and simply removed the lower left engine mount to move the wires, then put the engine mount back.

**Steve** · July 21, 2011, 10:03 PM

Originally Posted by Terry Kennedy

On another early Atom I helped to change to that exhaust, I got smart and simply removed the lower left engine mount to move the wires, then put the engine mount back.

That is WAY smart!

**Terry Kennedy** · July 21, 2011, 11:47 PM

Originally Posted by Steve

That is WAY smart!

It is a tribute to the designers at Brammo that I acually considered that the easiset way to access the tail light was to remove the engine.

Do you have an upgraded exhaust on yours, or at least the more modern Brammo exhaust which uses hex heads for both sides of the tri-lobe flanges? The original one used hex head Allen cap screws and hex bolts. To get it off, you needed an 8" (no longer, no shorter) ball-end Allen drive and a crowfoot wrench in a wobble socket. I kid you not...