Rear Door Mod

[Mechman]

I have seen previous posts re opening the door wider on the TX5, and one comment was re highlighting the door when opened wide as it covers the offside rear light..

When I converted my XT5 I covered the problem by fitting a vertical strip of red LED

The strip was a standard item supplied by Halfords.

To operate the lights I had to remove the internal panel to get to the interior light. I took the light apart and wrapped a short flying lead onto the "switched" contact on the bulb. I then connected the LED to the Flying lead on one side and ground on the other.

This means that the LED's mimic the interior light in all respects. Open and closing the door or off perminently if the interior light is switced off.

I ran the cable through an existing drain hole in the door.

Hope this helps.

This is an edit dated 16-06-12.

I have been looking into fitting the rear camera and one of the connections involves "Door Open" signal.

Checking I found that the switched wire is Ground. Therefore to make it work you connect one side to the flying lead and the other side of the LED;s to the second wire on the switch as that is 12v. I had already done this so the problem was not obvious.

Brian

[crofter]

Nice one,Brian and welcome here.

A new member and a "how to" at the same time. Well posted.

Lookng forward to any more mods from you.

Del

[Tech01]

Hi Brian, and welcome to our Club!

The illuminations look amazing, but I would make one serious point . . .

When approaching a car at night, from the rear, it is important for road users to be able to reasonably well identify the vehicle, and to be able to quickly tell the difference between a parked/stationary bike, car or truck (or even something other than a vehicle). In unlit conditions, the rear light pattern is crucial to this.

So while it is obviously totally unsafe to be unlit, or to display only a nearside single light (leaving an offside protruding into the darkness), it is also questionable whether what you have done is safe, or even legal.

In a nutshell, the rear-light display of a vehicle should be more-or-less symmetrical, and should help to identify what is parked up. (In the same vein, single rear fog-lights are not helpful.)

In my view, a cluster of LEDs, in the door edge, at the same height as the n/s light, and at the same level of brilliance, would be preferable - even if less fun.

Chris

[Davrav]

Hi Brian, and welcome to our Club!

The illuminations look amazing, but I would make one serious point . . .

When approaching a car at night, from the rear, it is important for road users to be able to reasonably well identify the vehicle, and to be able to quickly tell the difference between a parked/stationary bike, car or truck (or even something other than a vehicle). In unlit conditions, the rear light pattern is crucial to this.

So while it is obviously totally unsafe to be unlit, or to display only a nearside single light (leaving an offside protruding into the darkness), it is also questionable whether what you have done is safe, or even legal.

In a nutshell, the rear-light display of a vehicle should be more-or-less symmetrical, and should help to identify what is parked up. (In the same vein, single rear fog-lights are not helpful.)

In my view, a cluster of LEDs, in the door edge, at the same height as the n/s light, and at the same level of brilliance, would be preferable - even if less fun.

Chris

Some interesting and valid points there Chris.

One thing that hadn't ocurred to me, until seeing Brian's photos above, is how far the rear wheel extends beyond the body line when the door is opened to it's newly extended limit - it's got to be about 300mm.

I wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to somehow fit at light to the wheel cover - maybe with a simple connector so it can be removed when the wheel cover is taken off.

Spare wheelless Davrav

[anchorman]

I think what it should do is slow an oncomer down while they figure out what they are coming up to and in that respect it is better than a single nearside light.

Its a bit garish for my old eyes but fair play it does provide a solution.

[Manxrav]

Good point there Davrav, the spare wheel does protrude quite a bit and would benefit from illumination.Mind you that doesn,t really apply to later models that don,t have a spare wheel on the rear door. I must admit I do love the way the Leds run down the rear door. Good mod!!!!!

Regards Clare

[Mechman]

Hi Chris and Davrav.

The lights as fitted are one design of many available from Halfords and others. They can be shortened in batches of 3 to any length.

These of course are not designed to act as a parking light on an unattended vehicle. They are there to mark a temporary extension to the vehicle and mark its outer profile. The marker board and lights on an extended load are not required to match those on the vehicle.

When the door is fully opened the spare wheel cover is approximately 50mm within the wheel arches and aligned with the outside edge of the offside tyres. (I have just been and measured).

I believe that one of the regulations for the positioning of a rear light is that it must be within 400mm of the outer edge, these are 300 from the wheel arch edge (yes, measured that as well).

Considering the brightness, I will think about it next time I am stood on a motorway hard shoulder, at night, in the pouring rain.

Thanks for your comments.

Regards

Brian

[Davrav]

When the door is fully opened the spare wheel cover is approximately 50mm within the wheel arches and aligned with the outside edge of the offside tyres. (I have just been and measured).

Must be the perspective of the photo Brian.

You will certainly be visible. Just don't park too near any air strips.....................

Welcome to the club by the way

[Mechman]

Hi Davrav.

Hopefully these will help to give a better perspective. You may notice that in full daylight and not under the carport they are not quite as "in your face"

Regards and thanks for the interest.

Brian

[Hoovie]

Not sure if I would care to be standing by the rear of any vehicle on the hard shoulder of a motorway in the dark and the pouring rain, be it illuminated with a candle or with the Blackpool illuminations!

Neat idea using the interior boot light to provide power and switching functions to the extra lights fitted.