US side markers.

Discussion in 'How To' started by Birdy, Aug 19, 2011.

  1. Birdy

    Birdy Not Child Friendly

    For those wishing to fit Stateside side markers to their bus.


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    First the legal stuff: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/regulation/11/made


    Now the fun stuff. If you have a Stateside bus your work is done. It is a case of wiring the side marker circuit back in to the side light circuit. If you have bus from Europe the best option is to find the twin filament bulb holder as found in the rear lights. They pop in and that's it. It will mean you won't have the 5w side marker but that really isn't a problem. To be honest it is a bit of a waste of a bulb.


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    You will find all the wiring details you need in the Haynes book of lies. Locate the side light circuit and with the use of scotch-locs your wired in and ready to go. If you have a Stateside bus you will find a clear block containing 3 wires in it. One of those is for the side markers and should be live unless the wiring has been hacked.


    If you want them to flash with the indicators here is something l did by mistake. Note however that l have corrected it and mine no longer flash. Wire in the live as normal. Locate the indicator live and wire this in as your earth. It sounds a bit of a bodge but what l noticed was that with the lights off it flashed with the turn signal. With the lights on it flashed when the indicator was not flashing sort of earthing itself out. If you are to want them to flash and stay on the best option would be to wire in 3 wires to a modified bulb holder with lives for indicator and side marker and 1 earth.


    Normal mode.
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    Flash mode.
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    For normal fitting, it is far easier to buy a new bulb holder that is part of the reflector as found in the rear ones. It will however mean you will have to drill a largish hole in the door. To wire up the door side marker it will help if you have speakers in the doors. This way you can follow the rout of the speaker wire.


    The hole and holder.
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    The result.
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  2. rickyrooo1

    rickyrooo1 Hanging round like a bad smell

    To clarify then, you bought new base plates for the front doors as per the rear ones with the bulb holder in it? i haven't had my fronts off to see but i am thinking rather than drilling a big hole that maybe led's could be used thus only needing a tiny hole for the wire???loving the disco bus idea! i've done the same as you with the u.s front indicator idea, i added u.k spec' white sides to the headlamp and then put a bullet connector inline of the amber side marker incase my mot guy moaned (so i took it for mot with just white sidelights) he said it was perfectly legal to show amber markers at the front so we connected them back up, mine now has white and orange sidelights and if indicating with sidelights on the side you are turning flashes a bit brighter.
     
  3. Birdy

    Birdy Not Child Friendly

    Yes l did buy new base plates as in the rear. The original plates on the front are just plain plates.
     
  4. rickyrooo1

    rickyrooo1 Hanging round like a bad smell

    cheers me dears, not sure i want to drill me doors that big so i'll see if i can mod it somehow with led's or maybe tiny sidelight bulbholder or suchlike.
     
  5. rickyrooo1

    rickyrooo1 Hanging round like a bad smell

    i've done mine today adding bulb holders to the existing plates thus only needing to dril a small hole for the wire in the door, i had the bulb holders in stock (i hoard) and so it cost me £0.00 - i'll upload pics tomorrow as i haven't fitted them back on yet.
     
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  7. rickyrooo1

    rickyrooo1 Hanging round like a bad smell

    I hope Birdy doesn't mind - here is my addition to this thread showing how i converted blank base plate reflectors to lights.
    1st - after removal from the door by undoing 2x pozi screws this is what you have.
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    2nd - i had 2 old push in numberplate lamps that hold those push in 5w bulbs, these can be found at halfords or a scrapyard.
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    3rd - i thinned the bulb holders down with a stanley knife and improved access to the terminals which i then rotated 90 degrees to aid in connetion of the lucars.
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    4th - i mounted the bulb holder with double sided tape and a cable tie.
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    5th - a quick test.
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    6th - cover on.
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    7th - rear view.
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    8th - in the dark view.
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    Ok - updated thread continuing now with the re-fit.
    1.Small hole drilled in door, sheathing fitted round wires.
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    2.Rear view.
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    3.Wire routed through hole for speaker cable by the door pin, note more sheathing.
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    4.Wires connected, earth to headlight bowl, live to existing front running lights (sidelight) - this is the Grey wire, the Yellow is my feed to the white sidelight in the headlight.
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    5.This picture shows the front set up if you have U.S and U.K mixture as i do, the amber indicator is also a sidelight in America the small bulb on the outer edge is your side marker the larger bulb in the centre is your indicator and sidelight -it's a twin filament like a brake light so when you indicate with lights on it flashes brighter.
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    6.The sidelight now in the door - i toyed with making it an indicator but i though nah.....let's disco it up a bit!.
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    I'll do a pic or maybe one of my famous videos in the dark later.
    Once again thanks to Birdy for the idea, and i hope this helped or interested some of you.
     
  8. Birdy

    Birdy Not Child Friendly

    Good work. To be honest I didn't think about finding smaller bulb holders.
     
  9. rickyrooo1

    rickyrooo1 Hanging round like a bad smell

    Cov1987 likes this.
  10. Woodylubber

    Woodylubber Obsessive compulsive name changer

    looking good ricky ;)
     
  11. Looking good mr rooo1

    FACT
     
  12. I do like side markers, mine have sadly been welded up, I don't fancy drilling holes. :(
     
  13. rickyrooo1

    rickyrooo1 Hanging round like a bad smell

     
  14. I regret drilling all the holes for the deluxe trim :(
     
  15. Birdy

    Birdy Not Child Friendly

    I didn't hesitate one bit when when I held the drill in my hand. I wanted illuminated door lights :)
     
  16. rickyrooo1

    rickyrooo1 Hanging round like a bad smell

     

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