I switched to smoked spyder tail lights 2 years ago because my factory ones were taking on water and both tail gate lights were taking on water, so I could build in them to mock up but if I were to actually use them like that they'd be ruined. I'm planning on using, at least at this point one of the "Arduino" line of microcontrollers. I haven't decided which for the tails yet, but for the two side markers I'm gonna use an ATTiny85. The reason why it would be hard to use the factory housing without modifications is because I want to do a grid that fills the entirety of both tail lights, so trying to get the boards into place with the current space available.

The CAN bus project is on hold for an indefinite amount of time, due to the fact that one day I was working on it and experienced all kinds of issues for weeks until I restored my backup EEPROMS for the DME and IKE, so I can't afford to do that. I'm in college and don't have a real space to work on it, and plus this isn't my "project car" this is my daily... so the downtime involved would be too substantial. Back home I'm soon taking ownership of a wrecked 4.4 that was headed for the junkyard and I'll probably try to further my work on that project over this summer. Also since it's my daily, I can't really cut up the tail lights that are still installed for obvious reasons.

Maybe just set some bulbs up on a 2x4 and get that working before going through the work of actually installing it.

Yeah that’s what I’ve been working on. I need to find somewhere that I can not freeze while I use my oscilloscope on the tail lights to check the frequencies, and once I’ve done that I can emulate them from said oscilloscope in my room to test. Only issue I’m having now is finding high enough wattage LEDs for brightness but can still be driven by the microcontroller voltage. I may have to use a mosfet switching circuit and use the 3.3v for a trigger


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You can get the micro-controller, lites, drivers all set up, programmed and working without going to the car so maybe do that first and it will give you some eyecandy, satisfaction and motivation to continue.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...8de45232e7.jpg Speaking of which, I have a working prototype of the side markers, I just need to find different LEDs, or “hack” it into the depo led side markers I already have



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You have a ways to go yet ;) The other day I saw a newer car (not sure exactly what it was but was the newer putty colour) that had sequential signals that went all on and then sequentially off.

Yeah, I’m in the process of deciding what I want,
-One led “chasing” (unlikely) across the light
-All the LEDs turning on sequentially, then off in the same order (more likely on tail lights eventually)
-All the LEDs turning on sequentially, then all off at the same time (most likely for side markers)
-Or something I haven’t thought of



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You could write code for all 3 and then switch between them. Sometimes it's hard to tell what looks right until you see it. The lights going all on then sequentially off certainly got my attention like a brake light would but I don't know if I would like that.