# New Rear Light Module / L.E.D. Brake Light



## ValBoo (May 19, 2003)

Before I start lets give credit where credit is due: SCHESBH (Stephen) put me on the path for this cool cosmetic mod 


Just before Christmas I got a call from SHCESBH who was browsing e-bay and found an interesting sale for the a unique rear light assembly. It is used on the Taiwanese X-Trail and uses LED instead of bulbs for the running & brake lights. Also the module has a black perimeter and has clear plastic around the backup & turn signal lamps rather than the standard foggy/milky lens.

Web site link:
Nissan-¥ð®È¨®-X-TRAIL


We had some questions about converting to this type of lights since the modules are also sold with a brake switch which we were told needed to be changed for proper functioning…

We never got the answers about the reason for this switch change, but I decide nonetheless to go ahead and order them to see if everything would work. So far so good  … lets see how they hold up in the cold weather in the next few weeks.


I just finished the install this afternoon, and obviously very happy with the look.

Here is a quick summary of the steps:


The rear light assembly is held inplace with two bolts and three snaps:
Remove the two bolts:
Starting at the top pull the light assembly towards the rear of the car.
It is very tight but it will eventually come apart

 



The you can snap off some of the interior covering (after having removed the tonneau-cover hooks) and access the light harness connector. That is also tricky to unplug...





You can then reinstall the new light assembly in the reverse order:



*BEFORE:*
 

*AFTER:*
  

*IN THE DARK:*
 


I have not changed the brake switch supplied with the kit and everything is working perfectly.


----------



## ERBell (Aug 7, 2005)

Looks really good. Definately gives it much more of a "high end" appearance. I like the ideas of the LED lights. If you don't mind me asking, how much were they?


----------



## ERBell (Aug 7, 2005)

Did you notice the difference between the X Trail on that web site and our model?


----------



## aussietrail (Sep 24, 2004)

*Well done*

Cool Marc, that makes 2 of us with them 

I've been using mine for about 6 months now and they're perfect

   


I have changed the brake switch on mine because I was told that it needs to be changed to regulate the voltage supplied to the LEDs which require less than the standard bulbs. It made sense to me, so to prevent these LEDs from blowing-up in the long run, I have decided to play it safe and replace the brake switch. Its very easy to replace anyway.

HERE is the eBay link for them. They're not cheap, but worth every cent


----------



## Canada's Far East (Jun 15, 2005)

*Source ??*

Looking good Marc :thumbup: 

Is it the same item as this one on eBay ??

eBay.ca: Nissan Genuine X-TRAIL LED Tail Lights (item 110066403213 end time 06-Feb-07 23:10:13 EST)

This is a "current" listing. I've looked at it several time but it is a tad expensive + the shipping + possible duty & taxes.

Did you get stuck with any duty/taxes on your's (as it appears to be shipped from overseas as opposed to the USA).

You mentioned Stephen (SCHESBH) - does he still have his X-Trail ? he has not been around the forum for months......

Cheers

P.S. Has the different lens improved the light output in reverse ??


----------



## LEONGSTER (Apr 9, 2006)

Marc, if the brake switch acts as a voltage regulator as Jalal pointed out, then it may be better to use the one that came with the LED set-up, and soon.

LED's are known to have notoriously short lives if the voltage to them is not strictly regulated - I found this out the expensive way with some LED panels we built for our studio photography which did not have the precise voltage supply.


----------



## ValBoo (May 19, 2003)

LEONGSTER said:


> Marc, if the brake switch acts as a voltage regulator as Jalal pointed out, then it may be better to use the one that came with the LED set-up, and soon.



Of course the first thing I did when I got the kit was to test, probe, and re-test that switch... I did not measure/detect any diode or resistance within it or within the connector??

I may just go ahead and change it anyway... I hope it will not affect my other brake lights (the high mounted ones and the rear fog)


----------



## aussietrail (Sep 24, 2004)

ValBoo said:


> I hope it will not affect my other brake lights (the high mounted ones and the rear fog)


It won't and it didn't in my case.


----------



## aussietrail (Sep 24, 2004)

Canada's Far East said:


> P.S. Has the different lens improved the light output in reverse ??


To answer your question Roger, Yes! and much brighter than the factory reverse light for sure.


----------



## ValBoo (May 19, 2003)

aussietrail said:


> Cool Marc, that makes 2 of us with them
> 
> I've been using mine for about 6 months now and they're perfect...


Jalal,

Why did you not share this wonderful mod with us before??? 


Btw, I think this new rear light module looks even "hotter" on a black X-Trail like yours (because of the black surround  )


----------



## aussietrail (Sep 24, 2004)

ValBoo said:


> Jalal,
> 
> Why did you not share this wonderful mod with us before???


I thought I did mate and photos of my exy with these tail lights were posted in the "show us pics of your ride" thread previously, you guys just don't pay enough attention or can't keep-up with my mods. hahahaha 




> Btw, I think this new rear light module looks even "hotter" on a black X-Trail like yours (because of the black surround  )


For sure mate and I love the chrome surround in it as well. Just what the doctor has ordered


----------



## ValBoo (May 19, 2003)

Canada's Far East said:


> Looking good Marc :thumbup:
> 
> Is it the same item as this one on eBay ??
> 
> ...


Yes the e-bay seller "Takajos" is the link Stephen had seen.
Price is the same...Except that you can get it for a little bit less (15% or so) if you go to Leng at *MAXDAX.COM*. Thats what I did.

No, I did not get stuck with either taxes or duties (yet, ha ha ha). 

Stephen is still around but very busy as a family man...

Yep, as mentioned by Jalal, rear visibility seems better I will try notice over the next week or so and will report back.


----------



## ValBoo (May 19, 2003)

aussietrail said:


> ............
> I have changed the brake switch on mine because I was told that it needs to be changed to regulate the voltage supplied to the LEDs which require less than the standard bulbs. It made sense to me, so to prevent these LEDs from blowing-up in the long run, I have decided to play it safe and replace the brake switch. Its very easy to replace anyway.



I took a closer look at the switches today...

Again, I found nothing out of the ordinary; just plain old on-off contacts in both switches.
   

*Wiring diagram of brake switch:*


*Present switch (manual transmission):*


*Replacement switch supplied with Taiwan kit:*


----------



## aussietrail (Sep 24, 2004)

Not sure Marc, but my factory brake switch looks different than yours, but maybe because mine is Auto??


----------



## ValBoo (May 19, 2003)

Perhaps you could post a picture of your original switch (since you changed it out)?

Does that mean you did not use the connector supplied with the kit?

Thanks


----------



## aussietrail (Sep 24, 2004)

ValBoo said:


> Perhaps you could post a picture of your original switch (since you changed it out)?


No worries, I'll do that if and when I can find it in the garage. I think I have 2 of them as I picked-up one from the wreckers to see what is was 



> Does that mean you did not use the connector supplied with the kit?
> 
> Thanks


I changed mine as I said previously and using the one that came with the kit.


----------



## jaime (Jan 21, 2007)

*LED fog lights.................*

Hello, this is my first post; I saw LED fog lights on another thread, but there is no way I can find them on the internet. .................................


----------



## Sulphur man (Sep 6, 2005)

I want a set of these! Wonder if they will ship to the UK without having to pay extortionate customs fees....


----------



## Canada's Far East (Jun 15, 2005)

*Installation Difficulty ?*

Hey Marc:

Got my LED tail lights from MaxDax (Leng) today - - they are super nice and exceptional quality.

Re the install - can you give an idea of "degree of difficulty" on a scale of 1 to 10 ??

Also, can you recall how long it took for the install ??

Did you have to remove any or much of the rear panel plastics ??

TIA (thanks in advance).

Cheers = Roger

P.S. any cold weather issues ??


----------



## ValBoo (May 19, 2003)

Good deal Roger!
Degree of difficulty in knowledge is a 3 out of 10.
Degree of difficulty in strength/sweat/scratches on the hands 7 out of 10.
Took about two hours (I am slow and I cleaned and applied anti-rust compound in there as well).
I did not remove any of the plastic interior wall, only snapped it off and pulled it aside enough to get my hands in behind to get to the connector; that was tricky.
Getting the existing light module off is the hardest; Once you have taken off the two bolts it is only held in place by 3 snaps...those are tight... get both hands on the TOP CORNER portion and pull straight in line towards the rear of the car, the top snap will come out then the second (middle) and finally the third (lower)


PS no cold weather issue so far.
Good luck.


----------



## Canada's Far East (Jun 15, 2005)

Thanks for this Marc.

The knowledge part is not a problem and I have the ESM.
Sweat and scratches are not a concern but the strength (and fear of breaking the old ones) may be an issue.
Looking at your pics I can see the difficulty with the electrical connection when one does not remove the plastics - but I'll have a go at it that way also.

This will be a nice project - IF & WHEN Spring ever arrives in my part of the Country.

On a somewhat related matter, can I ask you a question ?

It relates to upgrading ones reputation on this site - I can see the opportunity to recommend upgrading for some members but I do not see that opportunity for you....

Is it because you are a Moderator ?

I find all of your posts to be quite informative and helpful and I'm sure other members feel the same way. Additionally, you do an excellent job as a Moderator and deserve a higher "reputation" score than is presently showing in your bio....

How do we fix / improve that ??

Cheers = Roger


----------



## ValBoo (May 19, 2003)

Canada's Far East said:


> Thanks for this Marc.
> 
> On a somewhat related matter, can I ask you a question ?
> 
> ...


Thanks Roger,
I'll try to explain to the best of my knowledge:
The hand out (or removing) of reputation points is a feature built into the "VBulletin" software. The Administrator can decide who can use the feature and who cannot.
It was decide by the Admin that only Moderator & upper levels would be able to assign reputation points to all other users. This is because it can be a devastating tool if it were available to all users who didn't take it seriously and started ganging up on others... in the worst case lowering a reputation for example... if your reputation falls to "zero" the member is automatically banned from the site. 
So once in a while I hand out reputation points to members in the X-Trail section where I roam. Very seldomly I take away reputation points.

As for me well... only other Moderators can give me reputation points and since I usually try to do my own thing in this sub-section....

for more info see:
vBulletin Manual

You can see who has given you reputation comments by clicking your "User CP" while logged-in.


----------



## Canada's Far East (Jun 15, 2005)

Thanks Marc - that clears the matter up.

Seems a tad unfair to me that your score is somewhat lower than a few other members  

Your contributions are significant, informative and your skill at "Moderating" is second to none - appropriate interventions at the appropriate times - no overkill.

Good on you - keep up the good work.

Cheers = Roger


----------



## aussietrail (Sep 24, 2004)

Hey Roger, with all this super positive feedback, I think you derserve a good tick too. hahahaha  Just kidding guys LOL 

Keep up the good work Marc


----------



## Canada's Far East (Jun 15, 2005)

aussietrail said:


> Hey Roger, with all this super positive feedback, I think you derserve a good tick too. hahahaha  Just kidding guys LOL
> 
> Keep up the good work Marc


I call things as I see them - - I think the job as a moderator on any forum is "usually" a "thankless" one. 

But it need not be..............


----------



## Canada's Far East (Jun 15, 2005)

*UPDATE*

I'm VERY happy to report that my new LED Tail Lights were installed yesterday.

Here's some "comparative" pictures:


Rear view with OEM Tail Lights


Rear view with LED Tail Lights


Left side view with OEM Tail Lights


Left side view with LED Tail Lights


Right side view with OEM Tail Lights


Right side view with LED Tail Lights

Click pictures to enlarge.

I had them installed at Brian Janes' Auto Body Shop - the owner is a friend of mine.

He had 1 of his staff installing the LEDs while another put in the brake switch. A third staffer polished out a few scratches for me. Entire process took 20 minutes.

When I asked to pay, he said "Happy Easter" - no charge. 

I like them even more now :banana: 

Aside from the "cosmetic" side of this mod, these do afford an added safety element - brighter lights - and the difference in the reverse lights is very noticeable.

Roger


----------



## Ice512 (Oct 16, 2006)

looks like im a tad late for ordering..
i got an email bak from Leng saying that ive to hold off my order since theyare dealing with the factory about sthg....hopefully it all works out =(


----------



## Ottawa-X (Apr 15, 2007)

Looks really good Roger!


----------



## SCHESBH (May 25, 2004)

*Maxdax*

Well Marc and I received an email from Febby from Maxdax. They received one of two that we ordered and are sending it out to us... finally!


----------



## Canada's Far East (Jun 15, 2005)

*Draw Straws ??*

Who gets first dibs - you or Marc ??


----------



## SCHESBH (May 25, 2004)

*Light*

Actually Marc has his installed already... he ordered two more, one for me and another for a friend... but as I told Marc this morning, it's up to him to decide who gets the first set. With my luck anyways... the lights will fall off in the summer! LOL... hehehehe I AM JUST KIDDING!!!!!!

Stephen




Canada's Far East said:


> Who gets first dibs - you or Marc ??


----------



## SCHESBH (May 25, 2004)

*Rear LED Brake Lights - MaxDax*

Well they arrived in one piece! Perfectly packed. I went to Marc's (Valboo) house and we put them in... and they look great!!! What an improvement over the original set. If you have the money and want to treat yourself, here is a great update!

Stephen


----------



## Abraham_jr (Apr 2, 2007)

Stephen, I have been looking at getting a set of those as well. If you don't mind, how much does a set cost?


----------



## SCHESBH (May 25, 2004)

*Pricing*



Abraham_jr said:


> Stephen, I have been looking at getting a set of those as well. If you don't mind, how much does a set cost?


It cost me with shipping, taxes, duties and the wonderful Canada Post Handling surcharge $360 Canadian.

Well worth it!

Stephen


----------



## ValBoo (May 19, 2003)

SCHESBH said:


> ....and they look great!!! What an improvement over the original set. *If you have the money and want to treat yourself, here is a great update*!
> Stephen





Abraham_jr said:


> Stephen, I have been looking at getting a set of those as well. If you don't mind, how much does a set cost?





SCHESBH said:


> It cost me with shipping, taxes, duties and the wonderful Canada Post Handling surcharge $360 Canadian.
> Well worth it!
> Stephen


One very important thing to mention is that they seem to be becoming harder and harder to source. 
First set took about a month to get, second set about two months, and the last set I have on order there is no news on it yet as of when i'll be getting it  (9 weeks and counting...)


----------



## chizel08 (Mar 2, 2007)

need to replace worn out Nissan lights and add a bit of spice on my car..luckily i've found one on ebay..got it at a low price.


----------



## aussietrail (Sep 24, 2004)

chizel08 said:


> need to replace worn out Nissan lights and add a bit of spice on my car..luckily i've found one on ebay..got it at a low price.


Are you talking about the xtrail tail-lights or some other Nissan model?


----------



## SCHESBH (May 25, 2004)

*eBay*

If any of you want these Rear LED Lights they are available on eBay for a bit more than MaxDax...


eBay: Nissan Genuine X-TRAIL LED Tail Lights (item 120104536483 end time May-31-07 19:28:00 PDT)


----------



## mike2010 (Jun 29, 2010)

*nissan x-trail 2006 rear light assembly*

Hi, please tell me where in Canada (Montreal) I can purchase this tale light assembly for my X-trail 2006 LE. Thank you, Mike.


----------



## SCHESBH (May 25, 2004)

*Tail Light Assembly*

Mike...

Best bet is ebay, you will not get them in North America. We did not. 

Nissan Genuine X-TRAIL LED Tail Lights on eBay.ca (item 380244153195 end time 19-Jul-10 05:44:20 EDT)

Hope it helps! I love the lights!

Stephen





mike2010 said:


> Hi, please tell me where in Canada (Montreal) I can purchase this tale light assembly for my X-trail 2006 LE. Thank you, Mike.


----------



## davelincs (Jun 27, 2010)

Can anyone let me know if these will fit the T31 , 2007 model, i must say they look excellent
Thanks


----------



## aussietrail (Sep 24, 2004)

Sorry mate, they don't fit the T31 at all, completely different shape and size.


----------



## davelincs (Jun 27, 2010)

Thanks aussietrail, just my luck


----------



## aussietrail (Sep 24, 2004)

davelincs said:


> Thanks aussietrail, just my luck


Your luck is about to change as Nissan Japan just launched the face-lifted T31 model and in this new model they included LED Tail Lights the shape of which is exactly what you now have on your T31, so looks like you guys with the older T31 version might be able to upgrade to LED tail lights in the very near future 

2011 Nissan X-Trail Update In Australia October 2010 | Reviews | Prices | Australian specifications


----------



## davelincs (Jun 27, 2010)

Ah a brake light at the end of the tunnel (sorry about the crap joke)
i will be having a work with the dealer when the new model comes out , thanks for the info
they look very good on the above threads


----------



## xtrailgunner (Apr 29, 2011)

I just picked up a set of the LED tail lights off of ebay (links above). The tail light assembly goes in well enough guided by the explanation on this thread. However, I'm having trouble decoding the nest of wires. The switch itself I replaced but they gave me wires to connect the switch to something which I can't figure out. Should I just use what was already there and connect it to the new switch? I don't have english instructions with the parts so am going off poor pictures. Can anyone who has done this mod help?


----------



## aussietrail (Sep 24, 2004)

Connect it to the existing wiring loom you have in the car.


----------



## xtrailgunner (Apr 29, 2011)

Ok...if that's all there is to it. Easier than I thought. Thanks!


----------

