OK, i finally got one without bulbs and after installing it and using my old bulbs i cannot see it light up at ALL when i step on the brake. the bulbs DO light up, but i cannot see the blue-green "prelude" logo brighten up at all.
So, does anyone know what kind of bulbs or cp (candlepower) do JDM 3rd brake lights come with??? the USDM stock one is 21 cp.
dude, where the hell did you get one? I've been trying to find one for a while too, I think you and I posted WTBs or something like it around the same time.
Originally posted by 4thGenReady2Go dude, where the hell did you get one? I've been trying to find one for a while too, I think you and I posted WTBs or something like it around the same time.
I hope someone here gets it......now, back to my question....
The one i have even has the red lens (like usdm) and on top there is a plate with the cursive "prelude" logo. Is it supposed to be this way?? anyone???
I'm sending this light back.
It had a very thick layer of epoxy right between the red lens and the JDM plate. Seems like it was purposely modified so that absolutely no light passes through it.
digging this one up, I was thinking, all cars built after a certain year have to have a third brake light here, and that brake light has to shine red, so wouldn't replacing the stock one with the JDM one which shines green just be asking local law enforcement to give you a ticket?
^^ That's how mine came too.....absolutely no trace of light shines through that prelude logo........how did you remove the padding?? i completely malfigured mine trying to scrape that stuff off.
I believe mine is the same, please let us know how you removed it ... this whole thing makes no sense, why put padding like that and then lay a cutout over it? And all along I thought ALL JDM things made sense.
I just plugged mine in to test it, and it's the same, if not worse than yours. @ about noon I sat in the back of my car and plugged it in, and even with my hands cupped over it, clasping the sides of my temples so no light snuck in, I couldn't see this damn JDM 'Prelude'. They are stock bulbs (in comparsion with my USIM 3rd brake light), and the cover, while a little cloudy in places, is clean. That backing that Run Free said someone suggested he remove is actually the adhesive (too), so completely removing it might leave the cover un-attached to the 3rd brake light lens. This seems like almost a complete waste of money. I say almost, because I believe it can still be useful, but I'm thinking there's no way light was really intended to get through, and the idea of this cover was just to have an unlit, green 'Prelude' on the back of your JDM prelude. Here are my suggestions for different things that can be done:
1) Trace the word 'Prelude' from the cover onto rice or tissue paper, then without flipping it or reversing it, bring it to the back of the cover, and proceed to cut out the traced 'Prelude', so you have a shine-through in the word 'Prelude'. Light will shine through onto the green 'Prelude' and the rest of the backing stays intact, so it'll still adhere on the outer edges. Of course the tricky part to this one, which seems to preserve the "JDMness" the most out of any modification options, is not pressing too hard on your preferred cuting device, so as not to cut into the front cover, but just the adhesive backing.
2) Just cut out the green 'Prelude' so you have red light shining through in the shape of the word 'Prelude', it might still look cool, and a couple more nimble-fingered owners on PO have made custom 3rd brake light covers doing just that, but without having paid a small limb for this bloody JDM cover.'
3)Edit: here's something else I just thought about - try to remove the red lens on the brake light and see if maybe the green 'prelude' will shine brighter.
4) Sell the JDM cover, it was a mistake to buy it in the first place, instead, using a trace similar to one taken in 1, buy some sign-vinyl (with adhesive backing), preferably in black, (but you could be creative and get the color that matches your car's exterior), cut out the 'Prelude' and stick it onto your USIM 3rd brake light.
The good thing is I was productive while toying around with this cursed cover, and removed the rear headliner, took some solid foam "tubing", cut a slit down the center, and wrapped it around a group of wires which has it's own bulletin for (which I am hosting on some thread here) irritating rattling in the headliner. I also located a spot where there were some other rattles and creaks, and inserted some padding in between the plastic liner and the metal ceiling. Of course with any work I do on my car comes an inevitable expense, this time being two headliner clips that I broke, so I'd imagine the loose headliner will now rattle where it didn't before until I get two more clips {sigh}
Okay, I've looked over my list a few times, and there is a certain order one can go through, starting with an intact JDM cover, and ending with a defaced one, lol. For the moment, I'm just going to leave it alone. I went ahead and traced out the 'Prelude', I'm going to try and stop by the sign shop tomorrow and get some black vinyl and make a cover, if anyone else wants one, lemme know, and I'll figure out a price.
I'm leaning towards option one, but I'm worried about cutting through the cover itself, and not just the adhesive, but maybe I'll give it a go later tonight.
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