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Dimming and Tinting EAS Aurora Angel Eyes

17K views 43 replies 27 participants last post by  mujjuman 
#1 · (Edited)
In my opinion, LED Angel eyes are a little too harsh and too bright, unless you want to use them as daytime running lights.
In an effort to get a more subtle, OEM look, I dimmed and tinted my LED Angel Eyes.

I installed an adjustable dimmer on my EAS Auroras to tone them down so they would look good at dusk and at night.
I don't use them during the day. (BTW, these are the new, 15% brighter v1.1 Auroras.)





To install the dimmer, I spliced into the main power wire between the relay and the main power source. I wired them to come on with the fog lights and I do not use the wire that fades them on and off with the interior lights.

The rheostat, plastic "project box", and the knob are all from Radio Shack. The cost of all three parts was less than $10.

Installing the dimmer was easy...

- Just drill three holes in the project box.
- Solder the wires to the rheostat.
-Assemble the project box and attach it to the firewall. ( I attached it with HD velcro. )





I also "tinted" my LED Angel Eyes to reduce the individual LED, "pearl necklace" look. Auroras use a pattern that is moulded into the lens to diffuse the light and help blend the individual LEDs. However, that pattern is only on the front of the lens, leaving the sides of the lens clear. When viewed at an angle, the individual LEDs show up much more than when they are viewed straight on.

To fix this I tinted the sides of the rings with silver vinyl, the type of vinyl you would get at a sign shop. (1/4" x 11" strips) Silver vinyl is quite thin so 50% to 60% of the light still shines through, but it is diffused much better and the "pearl necklace" refections are all but gone.

The pictures below will give you an idea of how the silver vinyl looks and works...







BTW... you could experiment with different colored or translucent vinyls to get different colors or different looks, like carbon fiber patterned vinyls.
 
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#4 ·
Excellent work! I've installed a dimmer as well, but if you're a well respected surgeon, Im a monkey with a knife. I made a dimmer for the inner and outer pair though.
 
#14 ·
looks great. How sweet would it be to blast some techno and get some crazy lights on the top of the car like in cash cab while dialing your angel eye dimmers from high to low, back and forth. Cops would drop their doughnuts on site and there'd be multiple lane accidents on every interstate you ride on.
 
#18 ·
AWESOME job, I noticed ur EAS leds dont seem to have the pearl necklace effect, like the orians do. Is that due to the tint that you put on OR the fact that EAS has solved the issue. We the time comes I will upgrade to EXACTLY what youve done. Cold starts on ccfls is gettin me pissed. Again great job, more pics perhaps from further away?
 
#33 · (Edited)
I'll bump this just to say that since I had my bumper off again - epoxying the bumper slider brackets that keep coming loose on my fake M3 bumper as well as installing some of the JLevi projector fogs (since both mine were shattered), i went ahead and I re-did the rheostat install and sure enough it kicks on once the cycle of the interior light switch goes off and you actually key up the car. The V2 beasts are dimmed perfectly now with it turned all the way down.

EDIT
******************

The following pictures are with a mediocre digital camera with no tripod and a crappy lens and a slow manual shutter speed so everything is brighter than reality!

V2's in all their retina-burning, I can see it from outerspace, why bother having foglights anyway glory..........



V2's after Rheostat dimmer install (turned all the way down), much better.

 
#38 ·
OK, so I went with the 25-Ohm 3-Watt Rheostat and mounted it in the ashtray, Pic is withouth the knob, so you can see where it went. Problem I am having is that the Rheostat gets very hot and I am thinking that I need a different one. Has anyone got some advice and to what rating I should try?

Also, my dimming only works when the car is on. I have it wired for the doors as well, but the dimmer has no effect when only the door or interior lights are on. Also, when the car is on the dimmer has control, it does not matter if the inerior lights are on or not.

Little bit of a thread revival, but what the heck...
 

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