Thoughts on turn signals....

IronMonkeyL255 · Post by **IronMonkeyL255** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 6:02 pm

I was looking through my Haynes manual (as I often do when bored...), and I stumbled across the exterior lighting diagram. I noticed that basically, both turn signals got power from the battery through the switch, then went to a common ground. So did the corner lamps.

That got me thinking of relocating the turn signals to the corner lamps again. Just to confirm this truly was the setup, I checked my electrical FSM for the necessary diagrams, and they confirmed what the haynes manual had hinted at.

Is there any reason this wouldn't work if I switched the bulb base and bulb to a dual filament setup? That way, the turn signal and corner marker would have thier own positive side, but share a common ground.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 7:22 pm

It'll blink but it won't be a turn signal; you need an entire lamp (bulb, reflector, lens), not just a bulb, to make a turn signal.

IronMonkeyL255 · Post by **IronMonkeyL255** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 12:54 am

That's why I was planning on putting it in the corner lamp housing.......

I realize it won't be the best setup, but it will be better than having it on the bottom of the bumper.

jnorion · Post by **jnorion** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 2:56 am

vrg3 wrote:It'll blink but it won't be a turn signal; you need an entire lamp (bulb, reflector, lens), not just a bulb, to make a turn signal.

What exactly do you mean... are you saying that there is a specialized type of reflector and lens that goes into making a turn signal? If so, please elaborate. I didn't know there was any specification to those.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 6:56 am

IronMonkeyL255 - The corner lamp isn't a turn signal lamp though.

Hacking the corner lamp is not clearly better than the stock turn signals. It would, however, be a useful addition to the stock turn signals.

Joel - Yes. Turn signal photometrics are different from parking light photometrics. Even putting color aside, the appropriate beam pattern differs.

jnorion · Post by **jnorion** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 7:04 am

Color isn't really an issue, because you can buy amber bulbs to put in a clear housing. But what kind of beam pattern are we talking about here? Just from looking at the turn signals it doesn't seem like there's an actual pattern to them... they just light up everything.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 4:30 pm

The corner lamps aren't exactly a clear housing, though.

You can't determine a beam pattern by looking at a lamp. Use a photogoniometer.

Good turn signals are actually pretty complex. They have to shine with appropriate intensities (both absolute and relative to one another) at a variety of angles measured along two spherical dimensions, and there has to be an appropriately strong contrast between the "on" and "off" states, both with and without the parking lights on, in the middle of a pitch-black night and at high noon on a sunny day, and everything in between.

It's definitely not something you can build in your garage. You could try to make an OEM parking/turning light combination fit, though. Maybe massage the fender until it'll clear a 92-94 turn signal? The wire colors will even be the same.

IronMonkeyL255 · Post by **IronMonkeyL255** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 6:22 pm

forget that.

I was looking for something cheap to do so I could fit some fogs to supplement the crappy headlights.....

I was thinking it would be easy to add a set of '92-'94 side markers (just in front of the doors), as there are already the holes in the fenders. just get the different trim piece with the light, wire it in and voila!

jnorion · Post by **jnorion** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 6:23 pm

I was actually imagining stealing the turn signals from an early 90's Accord because they sit farther out on the bumper... which I would assume is okay since they are designed for that purpose anyway. But I didn't understand the difference in the signals so I figured I'd ask.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 6:51 pm

IronMonkeyL255 - Fog lights won't actually help you see most of the time anyway.

Yes, the sidemarkers from 92-94s will fit in easily, and I highly recommend it. Those aren't turn signals either though, but you can wire them to blink as well.

Joel - You mean you want to switch your front bumper turn signals out for front bumper signals from an Accord? I guess that should be okay as long as they're oriented right...

91White-T · Post by **91White-T** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 9:18 pm

IronMonkeyL255 wrote: I was thinking it would be easy to add a set of '92-'94 side markers (just in front of the doors), as there are already the holes in the fenders. just get the different trim piece with the light, wire it in and voila!

The hole is actually not big enough, you have to widen it a bit.

IronMonkeyL255 · Post by **IronMonkeyL255** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 9:24 pm

I already did on one of them while I was testing my theory a while back.

jnorion · Post by **jnorion** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 11:37 pm

vrg3 wrote: Joel - You mean you want to switch your front bumper turn signals out for front bumper signals from an Accord? I guess that should be okay as long as they're oriented right...

Yes, that's what I was thinking about. I would like to have them more visible on the bumper, and free up the space where they are now for fog lights or some cusom shaping work or something, not sure exactly yet.

createnew · Post by **createnew** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 7:41 am

vrg,

how the hell do you know so much? I mean photometrics and photogoniometers... you must have a large brain.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 1:50 pm

I do have a fat head, so it would stand to reason...

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Thoughts on turn signals....

Thoughts on turn signals....