LED third brake light

[J Ski]

If anyone is in the market for LEDs that will fit 2016 third brake lights, this post is for you. The third brake light and my puddle lamps are the only lights left on my truck to switch to LEDs. I have purchased 3 different brand LEDs and have had zero success with any of them fitting directly where the OEM ones did.

When you remove the two screws on the outside of the light, the housing comes off and you have to separate the bulb portion from the light portion with 4 pressure tabs. The OEM lights then come out in the black piece through a hole that is basically the exact diameter of the light bulb maybe 1mm wider. This is where the issue starts
Brand #1- Pilot 194/168/2825 (red) too wide of overall diameter so I took them back to Walmart
Brand #2- iJDMTOY Brilliant Red 10SMD 168/194/2825 WAY too wide and would've been too long so i returned them on Amazon
Brand #3- Yorkim 6th Gen 194/168/2825 (red) still too wide but not as wide as the Pilots

So having gotten frustrated on this third strike, I took a drill bit and made the holes wider in the lens portion which worked perfectly to fir the Yorkim LEDs in the holes. Length is great as well and they have plenty of room in the housing.

Just wanted to throw this info out here in case anyone is looking to upgrade the OEM lights in the third brake light. Unless you find a bulb that is the exact measurements of the OEM, you will need to make those holes wider so aftermarket LEDs will fit

 

[Flexpedition]

Thanks for putting this together.

I'll share an exploded view of mine incase anyone has trouble visualizing what you describe. I went one step further and body color painted the red lens leaving the roughly 1X6 strip where the light emits.

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

If anyone is in the market for LEDs that will fit 2016 third brake lights, this post is for you. The third brake light and my puddle lamps are the only lights left on my truck to switch to LEDs. I have purchased 3 different brand LEDs and have had zero success with any of them fitting directly where the OEM ones did.

I used these for the puddle lights on the 17. http://drivebright.com/home/shop/v4-extreme-led-puddle-light-pack-brightest/ They are super bright.

I used these for my LED 3rd Brake light.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019NOSKYQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Both work great.

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

Thanks for putting this together.

I'll share an exploded view of mine incase anyone has trouble visualizing what you describe. I went one step further and body color painted the red lens leaving the roughly 1X6 strip where the light emits.

View attachment 22030

That looks nice. I would love to find matching paint and paint mine.

 

[J Ski]

I used these for the puddle lights on the 17. http://drivebright.com/home/shop/v4-extreme-led-puddle-light-pack-brightest/ They are super bright.

I used these for my LED 3rd Brake light.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019NOSKYQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Both work great.

Those puddle lights are next for me as well andy!

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

Those puddle lights are next for me as well andy!

They were clearly one of the best investments that I have made. They really light up the area.

 

[fuzzmanmatt]

I used these for the puddle lights on the 17. http://drivebright.com/home/shop/v4-extreme-led-puddle-light-pack-brightest/ They are super bright.

I used these for my LED 3rd Brake light.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019NOSKYQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Both work great.

I used that exact same assembly on my 3rd brake light! I just wish it was the same as the Escape assembly, it's twice as much for my wife's car to convert to LED.

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

I used that exact same assembly on my 3rd brake light! I just wish it was the same as the Escape assembly, it's twice as much for my wife's car to convert to LED.

What year is your wife's Escape? My wife has a 2017 Escape Titanium we bought it back at the end of June. She likes it.

 

[fuzzmanmatt]

It's a 2010 Mariner. She can't stand the new style, and I'm not a fan of the Focus platform. She's looking at the Explorer to replace hers when it finally craps out, but these things just seem to keep going.

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

It's a 2010 Mariner. She can't stand the new style, and I'm not a fan of the Focus platform. She's looking at the Explorer to replace hers when it finally craps out, but these things just seem to keep going.

I was trying to get my wife to go for the Edge, but she wanted something smaller (cheaper) For the difference in price I should have pushed for the Edge, but she is happy and if she is happy, everybody is happy.

 

[J Ski]

Those puddle lights are next for me as well andy!

Andy, just got my puddle lights in today. Will post pics later tonight. Question, did you end up using the two license plate bulbs? I noticed they only have LEDs on one side and when they are installed they don’t even point down towards the license plate?

 

[J Ski]

Packaging

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

Andy, just got my puddle lights in today. Will post pics later tonight. Question, did you end up using the two license plate bulbs? I noticed they only have LEDs on one side and when they are installed they don’t even point down towards the license plate?

No I didn't use their license plate bulbs I used the ones that came with the LED kit for my truck that I bought on eBay

 

[J Ski]

No I didn't use their license plate bulbs I used the ones that came with the LED kit for my truck that I bought on eBay

Gotcha, last ones are gonna be my headlights. Truck looks better with all LEDs IMO.

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

Gotcha, last ones are gonna be my headlights. Truck looks better with all LEDs IMO.

I couldn't find any LEDs that worked in my projector headlights. I had to go HIDs there. I put switchbacks in for the turn signals while I like the white light when the parking lights on I noticed that the turn signals don't reflect off the signs like the incandescent bulbs do so I suspect the LEDs aren't throwing much light. I will probably switch back to the incandescents unless I can find something brighter.