View Full Version : Using 5mm El Wire as Angel Eyes??? No baking required???


Tekka
05-05-2006, 11:01 AM
I was thinking of doing angel eyes for my tc but $150 was steep and baking headlights scare me so i was looking for a cheaper safer solution. Ive seen alot of LED AE DIYs but they all seem ugly and have an uneven glow...

The CCFL Angel Eyes that I see everyone using is nothing more than a regular 12" CCFL that you can get for 4.99 at a computer store thats been bent into a circle... The so called ballast is nothing more that a regular Cathode Inverter... wow they sure charge alot for bending a glass tube...


I was about to give up becuase i was not about to risk damaging my head lights and spending 160 for a couple of round computer CCFL til i found a Tiburon forum where a guy used EL WIRE to make his angel eyes and it hit me

El WIRE is super flexible!!!

in the DIY Angel eyes the guy ran the wires through an opening under the round rubber piece to plug it into the inverter

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/angel_eyes_tc/Angeleyes021.jpg

If this opening is large enough can't I just bend the EL wire and feed it into the housing and using some long tweezers and other tools to perfectly position them into place??? I mean i can just use a long bent rod and stick it through the 9006 bulb opening, applying glue and other stuff like that might be hard but id rather spend that time than risk baking my headlights


http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/angel_eyes_tc/Angeleyes052.jpg

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/angel_eyes_tc/Angeleyes050.jpg

i don;t know how bright elwire are but I was thinkign of using 5mm High Bright el wires which i heard are VERY bright... and best of all it;s pretty cheap like $20 for 5 foot i think

if someone can tell me if there are any openings on the headlights i can feed 5mm wires into, i'll seriously consider doing it one of these weekends

here is the final pic of the tiburon guy with the elwire angel eyes

http://www.frayadjacent.com/pics/tiburon/Mods/headlights/angeleyes.jpg[/img]

ack154
05-05-2006, 11:39 AM
Looks like he did a pretty good job. I'm not familiar with that type of wire, but will it stand up to the heat of a halogen bulb?

BrEaK_AwaY
05-05-2006, 12:12 PM
wow that looks great. i have the same question as ack on that one. also since you are allowing a little wire to go under the rubber right there, i would assume it isnt a perfect seal, and moisture could still get in, so would you fit that area with caulk?

keep us updated on this if you do do it

PrivateTucker
05-05-2006, 01:22 PM
I like that idea too. I am curious if there is a way to snake the EL String into there and have it set there.

Neothin
05-05-2006, 01:48 PM
baking the lights is really a lot easier to do than your making it out to be. I've baked my lights twice already and have zero condensation. if you make one wrong move with this type of install, your little stock/rod thingy you're using is going to go straight through the headlight reflector. i don't particuarly feel like spending 180 bucks for a new headlight.

PnZrFsT
05-05-2006, 04:48 PM
I like the idea, but I dunno about the look. It just don't fit IMO

chrischoi
05-05-2006, 05:32 PM
baking the lights is really a lot easier to do than your making it out to be. I've baked my lights twice already and have zero condensation. if you make one wrong move with this type of install, your little stock/rod thingy you're using is going to go straight through the headlight reflector. i don't particuarly feel like spending 180 bucks for a new headlight.

thats why you buy used ones... ;)

L4rry_B1rd
05-05-2006, 05:35 PM
Im sorry but that doesnt look like Halo/Demon eyes at all. It looks like 80's style lights!

ryanclemens
05-05-2006, 05:49 PM
http://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=93767&highlight=

but this also requires baking.

Fsu1dolfan
05-05-2006, 07:02 PM
Cool idea....do the make el wire in white...might be nice!!!

DTRUONG_112
05-05-2006, 10:50 PM
a different approach on angel eyes.