I promised some LED buddies that I would post my solution to getting your Gill lights to function as turn signals also, most of you won't need the verbage below, just scroll down to the schematic and you'll be good to go....

Materials:
2 SPDT 12 volt Relays
EDIT: Oznium has the SPDTs and a wiring Harness;
http://www.oznium.com/relays
22 Gauge stranded Wire
1 Ring Crimp Spade Lug for the grounds
8 Female Crimp Connectors for the new SPDT relays
Or wiring Harness, see Edit above

Purpose of the Mod - Control the Gill lights on and off by the Fog Light switch while allowing the Gill Lights to function as Turn Signal indicators.

The Fog light switch will turn the Gill Lights on and off anytime the parking or low beams are on. The Fog lights and Gill lights are wired to the Normally Closed (NC) switch of the SPDT Relays.

The turn signals are wired to the coils of the SPDT relays, when the turn signals are activated they will open and close the relays switching them on and off.

I don’t really see the need to have them function while the high beams are on but that can be done by modifying the fog light circuit to be active with the high beams also. There's a good write up in here somewhere...

DRL and Fog Light Relay connections. I looked for the easiest way to do this and decided to go old school. I inserted the ends of the stranded wire (flattened out and LIGHTLY tinned) into the slots of the fuse/relay centers and then inserted the relays. The wiring schematic shows the actual layout of the Relay pins/slots as you will see them in the fuse/relay centers.

I mounted the new SPDT Relays inside the battery compartment with double sided tape.

Hopefully this all makes sense once you look at your Vette's fuse and relay centers and the schematic. I'm also including the actual GM schematics for the hardcore enthusiasts that justs wants to splice into all those wiring harnesses versus the Relay slot trick!

 

Here's the actual layout of the Gill light wiring;



GM's Schematics

DRL Relays and Turn Signals;



Fog Light Relays;



Tim

 

I'm reluctant to show my Gill lights as they didn't really turn out as I had hoped they would. I installed 4 Red LEDs and 1 Blue one in 1/2" Plexi cut 1.25" wide and 6" long. My vent screens cast a very distinct shadow that I wasn't expecting and my cove area now looks like a Spiderman Comic book cover!

I'm too lazy to change now, maybe later...







Oh wow! Those GM schematics are huge!!!!! Oops...

Tim

 

Hmm, I really would like to do this mod.

I like the red on your car, but I'm not sure what LEDs would look good on my TR.

Thanks for the information though.

 

Nice job Spidey good write-up

 

May do the gill lights this winter... Looks real cool.....

 

Hmmm Maybe just White LEDs would look good?

It's pretty cool having the turn signals working on the Gill lights, HUGE attention getter. I doubt anyone would miss which way you're turning!

Tim

 

Thanx.... I think!

Tim

 

Thanks for sharing your work. I might do this to my navy blue coupe. I will use less LED's and probably go with blue led. Great idea. I might put an inline switch so I turn them off when I choose.

 

I assume you don't have Fog lights then? In that case, an excellent idea!!!!

Tim

 

wow that's awesome that you were able to get it figured out. if anyone could it's you!

 

Way to go Tim!! Thanks for going to all the effort to post this. Now just need to see how motivated I'll need to get to attempt this.

One thing I'm wondering though, is if you go with any color besides red or amber if it will cause law enforcement to come down on you? Seems like since they're functioning as sort of an extension of the rear blinker there might be some color requirements to adhere to. Guess it would vary from state to state but might be something to be aware of before you select your color.

 

Hey thanx!!!!!

Tim

 

It actualy was pretty darn easy, the hardest part was mounting the LED bars in the Gill area. I thought routing the Turn Signal leads from the Passenger footwell Relay/Fuse box into the Battery compartment was going to be a PITA but I just cut a slit in the grommet surrounding the Positive Battery feed and pushed em through there. I didn't even need to remove the Battery to bring em into the Battery compartment...

I'd say the wiring took 1.5 hours but I had to solder my leads unto the Relays, the only Relays I could find locally were DPDTs from Radio shack and the female crimp connectors didn't fit the lugs on them as they would a normal automotive Relay...

Excellent point about checking each states DOT requirements!


Tim

 

Good info Tim!

Chuck

 

Hey Thanx Chuck! I always listen to everything you "say" in here and I DO appreciate the compliment!!!

Tim
PS I didn't say I agreed to everything you say, just listen to it!

 

I see you've been busy Tim! I'm wondering why you get the screen effect on yours? Are the leds pointing directly at the screens toward the rear of the vette? Maybe if you aimed them across the screen pointing toward the inside of the vent it will get rid of that effect.Although it looks very different in the pics maybe its not what you wanted. ON mine it helped to paint the panel behind the vent lights.Really made it pop at night!! Oh yeah, I emptied my pm box so shoot away!!

 

Hey Tom!!!

Yeah I have em pointing straight out, I wanted to get the light further down along the cove and I thought it would help with the turn signal feature. I might try shaving the tips off when I get back in there and setting them further back from the screen... Oh I removed the driver's side cover plate for heat extraction ( as well as 2 inches of the rear hood seal on the same side) a little trick I read about...

Anyway, It's the Spideymobile for a while anyway, I'm not ripping off the front wheels again just to do that!

Tim

 

Where did you purchase your LEDs and relays. How much?

 

The LEDs and Resistors I already had but they are 5mm from Oznium with 560 Ohm resistors. The Relays I got at Radio Shack @ $8.something a piece, but they are DPDTs not SPDTs...

I made the LED bars per diyguy's instructions here;

http://www.oznium.com/corvette_LED_shark_gills.php

Except I angeled the end LEDs outwards...

Tim