manxman
09-30-2009, 01:57 PM
There are two brands of LED Third Brake Lights on the market, each with a different version for GD3 and GE8 Fits. You can buy them with text LED's that say either "FIT" or "JAZZ". But there is a major difference between these brands both in quality and price. As you might imagine, high quality costs more, but is worth it.
One brand is "Hauguang LED" being sold for around $25.00 plus shipping on eBay and by "Atticusfit", a fitfreak member.
The best brand is "DAiLED" being sold exclusively by OneStopCustoms.com. If you order from his fitfreak.net post, his sale price is around $50.00. "Nacho" (Alex) at Onestopcustoms is a good vendor, and this low price may not last long. The light is worth more than just twice the cheapo light price. What follows is a comparison of the two. I have purchased BOTH- that's why I can tell you first hand about the actual facts.
Here are two photos showing the size difference. DAiLED is bigger, and bolder with more LEDs, with dashes on each side of the text that flash on and off when the brakes are applied. Although both lights fit within the stock Fit 3rd. brake light housing, the DAiLED light is 1/4" taller than the cheap light.
http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/7214/imgp1187.th.jpg (http://img176.imageshack.us/i/imgp1187.jpg/)
http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/3971/imgp1189b.th.jpg (http://img44.imageshack.us/i/imgp1189b.jpg/)
The DAiLED comes with a complete circuit board that replaces the stock Honda circuit board. All plug&play wire connectors are insulated and sealed. However, the cheap light has no circuit board- just a four-pin adapter plug. There are two little 22 ga. wires with slip-fit ring connectors, and you get to guess which of the four pins you should put the ring connectors on. No, there are no instructions at all. That leaves two of the four pins with power on, and unconnected to anything but damp air around the back window. Sooner or later, corrosion and/or short circuits are extremely likely.
Cheeaap light-------
http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/9118/imgp1194.th.jpg (http://img185.imageshack.us/i/imgp1194.jpg/)
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/6384/imgp1199.th.jpg (http://img524.imageshack.us/i/imgp1199.jpg/)
DAiLED Light-------
The brown circuit board in the 2nd. photo is the stock one that you remove with one screw, and replace it with the black board from DAiLED.
http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/4493/imgp1193.th.jpg (http://img28.imageshack.us/i/imgp1193.jpg/)
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/3354/imgp1201.th.jpg (http://img524.imageshack.us/i/imgp1201.jpg/)
To install, just depress the little spring clips on the sides of the 3rd. brake light housing and lay the cover aside. Use a 10mm socket to remove the two bolts that hold the light to the top of the hatch. Gently pop it out of its mounting hole, and pull enough slack of the power cables out so that you can separate the white connector.
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/1469/imgp1202.th.jpg (http://img223.imageshack.us/i/imgp1202.jpg/)
Pop out the stock red diffuser panel from the front of the light with a screwdriver. Disconnect the multicolor ribbon wire from the DAiLED circuit board, and feed the wire ribbon through to the back of the light. Then use a small phillips screwdriver to remove the screw from the stock circuit board, disconnect the mutli-pin white connector from the upper left corner, and disconnect the single white wire from the other side. Install the black circuit board and replace the two wire connections- the single wire goes back where it came from, and the DAiLED multi-pin connector goes where the stock multi-pin connector used to be.. Pop the LED light board into the front and make sure that it clicks into place. Reinstall the light assembly in reverse order with the bolts. Tuck the extra slack of the multicolor ribbon wire around the right hand bolt, and snap the cover back into place.
The cheap light stayed in my car for 5 minutes. I hated the lack of quality, and the cheap wiring was a potential problem, even though my light worked. It worked merely OK. It kinda said "Please stop, I'm just a Fit". The DAiLED light is so big, bright and bold, it yells "OK- STOP ALREADY GODDAMNIT!!!!"
I will add a video clip of the real light in action in the next day or so.
One brand is "Hauguang LED" being sold for around $25.00 plus shipping on eBay and by "Atticusfit", a fitfreak member.
The best brand is "DAiLED" being sold exclusively by OneStopCustoms.com. If you order from his fitfreak.net post, his sale price is around $50.00. "Nacho" (Alex) at Onestopcustoms is a good vendor, and this low price may not last long. The light is worth more than just twice the cheapo light price. What follows is a comparison of the two. I have purchased BOTH- that's why I can tell you first hand about the actual facts.
Here are two photos showing the size difference. DAiLED is bigger, and bolder with more LEDs, with dashes on each side of the text that flash on and off when the brakes are applied. Although both lights fit within the stock Fit 3rd. brake light housing, the DAiLED light is 1/4" taller than the cheap light.
http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/7214/imgp1187.th.jpg (http://img176.imageshack.us/i/imgp1187.jpg/)
http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/3971/imgp1189b.th.jpg (http://img44.imageshack.us/i/imgp1189b.jpg/)
The DAiLED comes with a complete circuit board that replaces the stock Honda circuit board. All plug&play wire connectors are insulated and sealed. However, the cheap light has no circuit board- just a four-pin adapter plug. There are two little 22 ga. wires with slip-fit ring connectors, and you get to guess which of the four pins you should put the ring connectors on. No, there are no instructions at all. That leaves two of the four pins with power on, and unconnected to anything but damp air around the back window. Sooner or later, corrosion and/or short circuits are extremely likely.
Cheeaap light-------
http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/9118/imgp1194.th.jpg (http://img185.imageshack.us/i/imgp1194.jpg/)
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/6384/imgp1199.th.jpg (http://img524.imageshack.us/i/imgp1199.jpg/)
DAiLED Light-------
The brown circuit board in the 2nd. photo is the stock one that you remove with one screw, and replace it with the black board from DAiLED.
http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/4493/imgp1193.th.jpg (http://img28.imageshack.us/i/imgp1193.jpg/)
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/3354/imgp1201.th.jpg (http://img524.imageshack.us/i/imgp1201.jpg/)
To install, just depress the little spring clips on the sides of the 3rd. brake light housing and lay the cover aside. Use a 10mm socket to remove the two bolts that hold the light to the top of the hatch. Gently pop it out of its mounting hole, and pull enough slack of the power cables out so that you can separate the white connector.
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/1469/imgp1202.th.jpg (http://img223.imageshack.us/i/imgp1202.jpg/)
Pop out the stock red diffuser panel from the front of the light with a screwdriver. Disconnect the multicolor ribbon wire from the DAiLED circuit board, and feed the wire ribbon through to the back of the light. Then use a small phillips screwdriver to remove the screw from the stock circuit board, disconnect the mutli-pin white connector from the upper left corner, and disconnect the single white wire from the other side. Install the black circuit board and replace the two wire connections- the single wire goes back where it came from, and the DAiLED multi-pin connector goes where the stock multi-pin connector used to be.. Pop the LED light board into the front and make sure that it clicks into place. Reinstall the light assembly in reverse order with the bolts. Tuck the extra slack of the multicolor ribbon wire around the right hand bolt, and snap the cover back into place.
The cheap light stayed in my car for 5 minutes. I hated the lack of quality, and the cheap wiring was a potential problem, even though my light worked. It worked merely OK. It kinda said "Please stop, I'm just a Fit". The DAiLED light is so big, bright and bold, it yells "OK- STOP ALREADY GODDAMNIT!!!!"
I will add a video clip of the real light in action in the next day or so.