High mount brake light

[Craigerz]

Well not what I was expecting but meh.... hooked up for a test. Not the individual lights as seen in some people.

 

[lobo411]

Looks good to me!

 

[toypaseo]

I should hook mine up to 12V and see. It's pry just as blurry though...

 

[Craigerz]

Yeah I ordered mine from superbrightled.com

Was like 7 bucks and 3 to ship it. Was waiting when I got home so I put it together. Was already dark so I just stripped the wires and touched them to the battery.

It’s plenty bright. Looks decent. Just hope it last longer than a year and I’m all set. There won’t be any putting it in the oven to get it off again this time lol

 

[koda2000]

Yeah I ordered mine from superbrightled.com

Was like 7 bucks and 3 to ship it. Was waiting when I got home so I put it together. Was already dark so I just stripped the wires and touched them to the battery.

It’s plenty bright. Looks decent. Just hope it last longer than a year and I’m all set. There won’t be any putting it in the oven to get it off again this time lol

Mine worked flawlessly for 2.5-3 years before I sold the truck this past spring.

 

[Craigerz]

Well I hooked it up and have brake lights but no tail lights... please tell me I didn’t install the wrong LED strip. Red and black wire, connected to the 2 black and one green wire from the truck?

 

[koda2000]

The HMSL circuit should have nothing to do with your tail lights, so I don't think installing for LED strip could have anything to do with you not having tail lights now. Do you have instrument panel lights or tag lights? I'd start by checking fuses.

 

[Craigerz]

Sorry. I just meant on the HMSL. All my lights are working . Just don’t have a tail light on the HMSL. Should have been clearer sorry.

 

[Craigerz]

Or is the HMSL just a stop light and not a stop/tail light?

 

[Mbrooks420]

It’s just a stop light.

 

[Craigerz]

Perfect!!! That’s what I wanted to hear!!

 

[J_C]

I was informed that you should use white LED's behind the red lens for optimal brightness. I got my strip from superbrightleds.com

I suspect that you meant that the other way around, that using same color LEDs as the lens gives optimal brightness as mentioned here:
'97 third brake light conversion to LED

However a little bit brighter white LEDs can offset that fine. Utmost efficiency isn't important for this application and there are lots of LED choices out there. You could even run a row of 3W red LEDs and have it so obnoxiously bright that it causes tailgaters to back off, so long as you don't lay on the brakes long enough that it starts to overheat, or get fancy and put a thermal cutoff on a heatsink strip they're mounted to, easy and cheap would be the mechanical type you see in coffee makers, etc.

I'd pick a low temperature, maybe around 60C. If the housing isn't making a watertight seal when finished, something weatherproof (at higher cost) might be more appropriate:
2X 10A 250V KSD301 30°C~160°C Thermostat Temperature Thermal Control Switch QW | eBay

Or a KSD9700 flat pack type if space is tight:
KSD9700 | eBay

 

[koda2000]

I suspect that you meant that the other way around, that using same color LEDs as the lens gives optimal brightness as mentioned here:
'97 third brake light conversion to LED

However a little bit brighter white LEDs can offset that fine. Utmost efficiency isn't important for this application and there are lots of LED choices out there. You could even run a row of 3W LEDs and have it so obnoxiously bright that it causes tailgaters to back off, so long as you don't lay on the brakes long enough that it starts to overheat, or get fancy and put a thermal cutoff on a heatsink strip they're mounted to, easy and cheap would be the mechanical type you see in coffee makers, etc.

I'd pick a low temperature, maybe around 60C. If the housing isn't making a watertight seal when finished, something weatherproof (at higher cost) might be more appropriate:
2X 10A 250V KSD301 30°C~160°C Thermostat Temperature Thermal Control Switch QW | eBay

Or a KSD9700 flat pack type if space is tight:
KSD9700 | eBay

Yes, you are correct. It was a while ago and I was remembering it wrong. Either way, I doubt it makes a huge difference white or red.

 

[4rd Xplora]

Update: Texas is now checking HMSL's all over. Took my truck up to have it inspected and was notified of this. Luckily mine started working just as I drove in the inspection station but quit almost as soon as I drove off the inspection site .

 

[4rd Xplora]

Update II: Bought an after market HMSL that mounts on the roof just ahead of the lift gate very similar to a 2005 GMC van. About 40 bucks and 20 minutes invested. http://www.gmccolors.info/wp-conten...C-Safari-Passenger-Van-Rear-Wheel-Drive-3.jpg