Rear Bumper LED mod - long post
 

2009 HHR – Rear Bumper LED

I love my HHR. I love red. My HHR needed more red, so I searched the entire web to find something nice that wouldn’t need bodywork and be electrically simple. I finally located a marine supplier named “Seasense” that produces waterproof boat lighting. Their P/N 50023783 Utility Strip Light Red is 6” X 5/8”, while the reflector opening is 5 3/8” X 1”. Close enough. I purchased 2 from First Choice Marine online and had them in 4 days. Meanwhile I searched for rear bumper cover information and came up with “Having fun with repairs” excellent post on how to remove and replace the back cover. This gave me all the info I needed to proceed.

This was boring:
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575016.jpg

The picture that corresponds with the text on removing the rear fascia shows the attachment points. You need a flatblade screwdriver and a small needlenose plier for the fasteners and retainers (can be reused), a cross head screwdriver for the markers, a 7mm socket for the upper top screw, and a 10mm socket for the bolts in the tailgate opening. Jiggle the upper area at each corner and the cover will pull out, but use 2 people – one to support the other side so it doesn’t fall and scuff…….

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575018.jpg

GM put the marker lamp wiring dead center of the rear body panel:
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575020.jpg

What the lamps look like:
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575023.jpg

How far they protrude:
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575025.jpg

Lamp details with part number:
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575027.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575031.jpg

The LED has to be cut down either with a file or a Dremel tool with a grinding disk. The picture shows the stock lamp along with the modified one. I don’t have exact dimensions for the cuts because the openings are both concave and radiused, so it wound up being a “trim – fit –trim – fit” procedure. The overall length went from 6” to about 5 5/8”. I also enlarged the hole for the wires to be centered and (after installation) used black silicone to seal the gap for leaks. After drilling 2 mounting holes I used #8-32 X 5/8” screws and nuts as retainers.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575035.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575037.jpg

Size comparison:
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575041.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575044.jpg

Hardware:
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575048.jpg

Sealant applied to inside:
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575051.jpg

Installation halted due to rain:
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575054.jpg

End of part 1

Jake

Rear LED - part 2
 

GM put the rear marker wires through the center of the lower rear body panel, making life easy for a tap. I parted the green factory wrap and soldered 2 lengths of 18 ga. wire (red = stripe, black = brown) for my leads. I taped down the LED wires with clear packing tape to allow them to exit under the bottom of the cover and also to insulate them from any chafing the honeycomb absorber might create. Here I bridged both LED’s with 18ga. wire and solderless connectors in case I need to replace one and I also used solderless connectors from the bridge to the power leads in case the rear cover has to be removed. While hooking up the wires I supported the cover on a milk crate to keep the wire length minimal. I looped the bridge wires over the stem of the rear body harness so nothing would hang down or get caught after installation.
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575056.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575058.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575062.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575065.jpg

After re-attaching the cover I turned on my parking lights and Success! At first I wasn’t crazy about the lenses being clear, but it does match the backup lamps and looks clean like the black and chrome theme I’ve chosen. The entire project should take about 4-5 hours (unlike mine, which got rain delayed overnight). This was simple, cheap, and gives the HHR a bit more nighttime visibility in back.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575069.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575071.jpg

Close up on:
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575072.jpg

Close up off:
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575074.jpg

As it got darker the lamps took on a more red glow - red LED's through clear tends to give off a pinker shade during daylight, but nighttime is much better. Some shots to finish off this project:

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575076.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575078.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575080.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575081.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575084.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL96/.../378575085.jpg

Jake

looks good and not too difficult to do either

Very nice how to and something I have wanted to do for a long time. Do they make a run/stop one? If not I would make mine brake lights only.

I went chicken with this and hooked up to the rear markers because the factory wiring was convenient and easy. I imagine you could tap into the tail light harness and determine which lead is for brakes, but I don't have a shop manual or wiring diagram. My '02 Avalanche has a Line Of Fire 60" LED string below the tailgate, and that tapped into the trailer harness giving brake, turn, and steady light modes, but someone else did the legwork on that. I also think with a resistor or diode setup you could get brighter with the brakes, steady glow for tail light, and L/R blink, but that's for somebody way more advanced than myself.

Thanks for the comments!

Jake

Cool mod! :thumb:

Just be aware of Johnny law now though...you are illegal, you have no reflectors if your lights fail. I'm one to talk, mine is the same way! :nuts:

If I ran 2 strips of that Scotchbrite reflective tape behind the LED's (to fill in the rest of the original opening), would that be enough? The outer rims of the tail lights and back-ups have a sleight reflective appearance, but not the same as the originals I removed.

Maybe a reflective license plate surround?

Jake

Would probably be enough if it adds up to the total amount of square inches that the original reflectors were...

Do the original lights have any reflective qualities? Maybe your new ones do?

I actually bought a reflective license frame for mine, too. Took it off right away, I thought it looked cheesy :(

I'd like to find a reflective taillight in a salvage yard that has the same curvature as the rear bowtie and would be large enough to fashion one from...would probably look OK on a black HHR :thumb:

Jeff-

That's a good idea, about a reflective taillight bow-tie..........:cool:

& I like your bumper LED lights as well.. :thumb:

Great mod and nice write up!