DIY car taillights into lamp

[SChetrit]

I am trying to turn my 2018 mustang taillights (2) into a wall mounted lamp/light fixture but have no idea how to wire it. I want to wire both taillights together so they can both be controlled at same time and plug them into an ordinary wall socket to turn it on. looking for a simple on/off switch.

picture attached is the plug that comes out of the taillight.
any help is appreciated as i have no clue what I'm doing. thank you!

 

[AnalogKid]

At a minimum you will need a small power supply to convert mains voltage into whatever the lights require.

Separate from that, are these the lights that come on in a 1-2-3 pattern? If you, do you want to preserve that, or just have them be on steadily?

ak

 

[SChetrit]

they are the 1,2,3 lights but id rather just have them on steadily. would you be able to provide which adapter would plug into the taillights and lead into a power supply? I have no idea what connector I need.

 

[Bluejets]

Lamps are normally 21/5w for stop tail and 21w for blinker.
If you want to run all 3 on each, that would beclose to a total of 94w.
On a 12v supply, close to 8A so not " small" by any means.
You could reduce this by fitting LED bulbs but I don't know off hand the current on those.

 

[Kiwi]

Are the lights LED or standard incandescent bulbs?

 

[SChetrit]

Are the lights LED or standard incandescent bulbs?

-LEDs, just trying to figure out how to power them and what adapters i need.

 

[Bluejets]

-LEDs, just trying to figure out how to power them and what adapters i need.

Connect up to a car battery, and measure total current then add a bit for overhead.

 

[AnalogKid]

With LED lights, there must be some form of current-limiting somewhere. This can be built into the lamp assembly, or into whatever control module drives the assembly. On this or other forums, someone who knows more about modern car wiring can answer that.

If it is built into the lamp assembly, then any Ford dealer will have the wiring diagram for the car in his service area. With that, we will know how to draw up a wiring sketch for you.

Separate from that, my guess is that the connector is something proprietary to the automotive industry, and maybe proprietary to Ford. That isn't a problem, because at this low voltage and relatively low current it is easy to cut off the connector and extend the wires to whatever length you want.

ak

 

[Bluejets]

Car LED should have their own individual drivers built into each bulb.
So job for you will be how to identify each lamp pos and neg cable.
Should be easy as with the fitting in your hands....remove each lamp holder and take note of cables connected.
Neg will be to the frame of each lamp holder.

 

[Kiwi]

I would assume that the light is sealed, so you can't get at the LED's.
Hopefully you could get the vehicle plugs and a short piece of loom from a wreck.
Local Ford dealer might give you a copy of the taillight wiring diagram, otherwise Dr Google, or trial and error.
Good luck.

 

[ScarlettRussell]

With LED lights, there must be some form of current-limiting somewhere. This can be built into the lamp assembly, or into whatever control module drives the assembly. On this or other forums, someone who knows more about modern car wiring can answer that.

If it is built into the lamp assembly, then any Ford dealer will have the wiring diagram for the car in his service area. With that, we will know how to draw up a wiring sketch for you.

Separate from that, my guess is that the connector is something proprietary to the automotive industry, and maybe proprietary to Ford. That isn't a problem, because at this low voltage and relatively low current it is easy to cut off the connector and extend the wires to whatever length you want.

ak

To wire your 2018 Mustang taillights as a wall-mounted lamp, connect the positive wires of both lights to the power source's positive side and the negative wires to the negative side. Use an inline switch on the positive wire for easy control. Ensure to use a compatible power adapter for safe operation. Good luck with your project! As a full-time employee and part-time student, I was having trouble keeping up with my thesis proposal for my MBA. I looked online and found Academized’s academized.com/thesis-proposal thesis proposal service. It made the process so much easier, and the proposal was well-researched and organized. I felt confident submitting it, and it allowed me to focus on my other responsibilities. Definitely a great option if you’re overwhelmed.

Can I ask something regarding this here or should I start my own thread? I am sorry for jumping over here.

 

[AnalogKid]

If you are asking about some aspect of the OP's question, ask it here. If it is about your own, similar question, start your own thread with a link to this one for context.

ak