Hello everyone. My third brake light above the tailgate is broken. The replacement part is kind of expensive. Has anyone messed with just putting led strip lighting in there, or otherwise just not connecting it at all? I assume that light is supposed to be red? I can’t remember as I obviously don’t see my brake lights very often

 

I got a 4pk led strips on ebay for .99 cents with shipping a couple years ago. Stripped the board, cut 2 to fit, self stick to the board, and connected both to the harness. Still working today, and I have 2 backup if they ever fail.

 

that’s what I am thinking. Are the led strips white or red?

 

led strips

 

Same here. Just ripped it out and moded it to accept led strips.

 

What did you do to fix the back lite LED?

 

I’ll try and take it all apart again tomorrow and post a video of the fix. Super easy.

 

 

Or you could use one of these, I know a guy that has about 20 of them.

 

1/8" Laser cut Stainless Steel shaped to fit the same opening in the holder as the factory abomination that GM overpaid to make & install in H3s off the line.

Loosen rear window trim piece, remove 2 screws holding light mount to plastic rear window surround, unsnap connector, remove holder. Remove the two OEM T15 torx screws, install one of these in its place, reinstall OEM T15 torx screws. Reinstall holder to rear window trim with the two OEM screws

Cut the factory connector off leaving an inch or so to reconnect if you ever choose to do so. Cut the H3 wires one at a time as the positive wire (light blue) is always hot and brake light operate by the switch to ground.

Strip & connect light blue H3 wire to red wire on the RD HiStop with butt connector & crimp. Strip & connect H3 black wire to RD HiStop black wire with butt connector & crimp.

Had the prototype on my 07 for years, just put a new one on the 09 Alpha as the high stop puked couple weeks ago. Tried and tested many different LED strips and settled with these using real 3M emblem tape. Not gonna fall off, but can be pulled off to replace when/if the LED strip dies with another.

Compare teeny tiny 8 factory LEDs mounted up against a clear bezel deflector to six full sized 6SMD LEDs.