Can it be done ? i have removed all the silver paint from the inside of the center tail and removed the eclipse logo but i can still see where the eclipse logo was when light is shining behind it . iv wetsanded the outside and buffed it back out and its still there . you cant see it when there isnt light through it though . Has anyone succecfully removed it ? Its like the plastic is lighter in color there .

I'm sure it has something to do with sun fade on plastic over time. I pulled mine off three years ago and you can still see it in the center section if you look for it. I just don't tell anyone about it and they don't notice.

i thought it was sun fade too but iv even wetsanded the plastic with a grey scuff pad then 1000grit up and buffed it out to a mirror shine .

It is a combination of UV fading from the sun and likely also a slow reaction that occurs over time between the acrylic adhesive used on the lettering and the plastic tail lens.

Both of those items can be the problem. Some cars show it worse than others. The damage will not only be on the surface but will extend down into the plastic a few mils.

yup thats what i thought . If it were new though would it still have the same problem with the adhesive bleeding in ? Oh well it doesnt look bad the way it is and at least its all even .

Dave have you ever built a microcontroller setup yet ? Im done with everything on the tails except for the picaxe controller which im having a tough time learning . I know i can just use pwm's ,555 and 4017 but i wanna go all out .ill do a whole post on the retrofit when im finished minus the controller if i ever get it .

Originally posted by boosted60trimrst
Dave have you ever built a microcontroller setup yet ? Im done with everything on the tails except for the picaxe controller which im having a tough time learning . I know i can just use pwm's ,555 and 4017 but i wanna go all out .ill do a whole post on the retrofit when im finished minus the controller if i ever get it .

The adhesive probably plays a much smaller part in the problem than sunlight does. UV exposure is just nasty to plastics, especially any tranparent materials.

I've been playing with the Picaxe chips too based on the success of ez and his LED retrofit. Dale at AutoXsystems offered to build another version of his micro-controller but I want to do it myself (I know that means it will take me forever but I would like to learn it).

I'm working on another couple of other easier ideas with the Picaxe chips right now and then I'll expand to more complicated things.

Originally posted by azdave
based on the success of ex

->ez. ha close enough

I've been helping boosted get this far, as my sensei the great azdave did for me. That will make 3 2g's with the conversion on the planet, not including Ivan's rumored tails (said he made LED tails, but I've never seen it in person or on the board)

Originally posted by ez

Originally posted by azdave based on the success of ex

->ez. ha close enough

Sorry about the typo. Fixed it though.

Sending PM on the parts request.

yup thanks EZ for the help :) . Thank you dave also as your writeup also helped a ton .

someone should do a serious writeup in the wiki about how to do the led tails. dave your page is great, but I don't even know where to start or get supplies for something of that magnatude. or maybe give me a link with schematics? I can build and solder but I have no clue even where to get parts.

Dave and ez both have writeups with more than enough info to do the project . First you have to learn a lot of electrical stuff . a good place is hidplanet.com . AZdaves also the mod there . I will also do a write up on most stuff for the wiki since i now know how to .lol.i have takin pics of every little thing i have done so far also .

Its more work than most people will want do though .5000+ soldered connections with tiny resistors and little leds spaced so closly together is no joke . It will definitly test your patience thats for sure . Also hours upon hours designing and etching those boards .

thanks

edit: HOLY CRAP! I have a ton of reading to do, definitly within my range of doability but WOW!