Tail Lights

Tail lights carry more functions than any other lamp on the car: tail and brake lights, indicators, reversing lights and, on many cars, a reflector and a rear fog light. A replacement has to do all of the ones your car needs, so start by listing them.

Complete LED units

Units from Valenti, 78Works, D-Max and REIZ replace the factory lamp with LED light sources in a new housing, made for one chassis: Valenti's Jewel LED lamps for the ND Roadster, RX-8 and 86/BRZ, D-Max's for the S14 and S15 Silvia. Lens tints (red, smoked, clear) change the look as much as the light. Many sold in Japan are made to Japanese road standards, and some carry the European E-mark; check the product page for your market's requirements.

Sequential indicators

Many LED units have sequential, flowing indicators, now allowed under Japanese standards. On some units the flow can be switched to a conventional flash by changing the wiring at the back of the lamp, which matters where flowing indicators are not accepted.

Wiring and hyper flash

An LED indicator draws far less current than a bulb, and a factory flasher can read that as a blown bulb and flash fast. Complete LED units usually allow for it in their own wiring or harness; LED bulbs fitted into factory lamps often need a load resistor or an LED flasher relay. On a car whose flasher is built into the body computer, check what the unit's maker specifies.

Other options

Behrman's EURO Tail and WiseSquare LED lamps change the shape of the lights, Garage Vary's Nostalgic Tail Conversion gives an older look, and lens guards protect the lamps on vehicles such as the Delica D:5. If your car's market version has a rear fog light, check that the new units keep one.

See indicators, LED and bulbs, and the whole lights range.