WDZaphod

Hello Forum,

Since 3 months I own a 2000 Coupe EU Version, and I'd like to convert the tail lights to US Version. The whole bumper w/o fog lights will follow.
Can somebody tell me something about the wiring?
Actually I have 2 back lights and 2 brake lights per side, plus an indicator bulb plus one for reverse.
AFAIK I can just use the dual filament (?) bulbs for my US lights, so back light and brake would work.
But what do I do with the cables of the indicator? They have to turn on the brake light while using the indicator, but also turn it off while using brakes AND indicator.
How can I make this work?

Or is everything managed by a light controller, and I have to reprogram something somehow?

kind regards and happy vetting,
Michael

DeeGee

Its an easy mod to go from US to EU. You fit a wiring harness that splits the tail light functions from the turn signals and cut a wire under the dash to separate them. On a Euro car the wiring looms are diferrent. Not sure how you'd go back to US style withough plugging the separate functions into a single red.

Personally I like ambers but that doesn't help.

Here are the wiring diagrams:

US Spec


Export

WDZaphod

This is a nice hint, thanks! Because just with the cables in the bumper I didn't see any way to do this. [/QUOTE]

My Idea how it COULD work in the US-Version: (click to enlarge)



the interrupted lines show the EU-Version. Just two switches (brake and indicator relais) for two lamps. In the US Version it could be possible to bridge the two switches. So the indicator relais can make blink the light whenever the brake light is on or not...

It's a human behaviour to like what you actually don't have
That's why I like the US Version. Looks cleaner for my taste, and (opposite to germany where I originally come from) it's allowed here in Switzerland

Thanks for them, I will try to understand
Looks like all lights are in parallel, but this is not possible. I learned to be a TV-Technician, we had other wiring plans than the electricians
But I will try!

thanks a lot,
Michael

eylesda

This is a step by step guide to go from US to Euro, maybe it will work in reverse. Good luck.

http://www.c5forum.com/diy/reareuro/

WDZaphod

Okay, I did it

It's very simple, the only part a bit stoppy is to reach the hazard warning switch. But it's possible without dismounting the whole car, just the radio has to be removed.
The switches of the US and the EU Version are the same. Just the plug is different, one connector ("K") is missing. There is a whole in the EU-Version.
Because I didn't have the original Plug, I took a cable, what is as big as possible, but fitting in the hole of the plug.
This cable I soldered to Pin "K" of the hazard warning switch:



Then the cable through the hole of the Plug:



Then plugging back - should fit if the solderes connection is not too dirty:



The short red cable I extended with a bigger one, it has to be routed down to the brake switch. This switch has a connector with two cables. A permantent plus, and the blue one what is switched:



Then I connected the cable from the hazard warning switch to the blue cable of the brake switch:



Don't forget to isolate it proper!
That's it inside the car, the rest hast to be done in the butt section...

Basically you have to cut the plus cables from the stop lights, and connect them to the plus of the flasher. This flasher plus gives stop signal (the cable we routed in front) and the flashers.
So:
Cut the plus of the outer amber bulb, cut the yellow cable of the rear/brake light, and connect the cable what originally went to the flasher to the cable of the stop light. Add another cable to this connection, long enough to reach the inner light. Isolate the old unused stop light cable.
Then remove the inner lamp (white backup light), and cut the brake light cable. Connect this one from the bulb to the new cable from the outer light. Isolate all unused cables. Same in the other side.
Finished - without any Relais or Diodes

felga

HAve the sam problem. But went ifferent route.

I bought HALO LED tailights , but also i bought rear lights loom from US model. I pluged everything and there are few issues.

Everything works apart form brake lights :/ ANd i found one plug that doesn`t go anywhere :?

That`s the car to rear lights loom plug on euro model :



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These are us and euro rear light looms (euro - left , us - right)



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ANd this is the mistery plug ?



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BTW , Is your under dash conversion , how does the indicator work if You have light on and brake lights on ?

WDZaphod

Hi,

my under dash conversion brings the brake light signal to the indicator relais - if you don't connect this, you will have indicators, but no brake lights (with some luck the 3rd brake light will work, this comes directly from the brake switch).
My tail lights work in the usual US way:
- Brake turns all 4 tail lights plus 3rd brake lights on
- Indicator blinks two left or tight tail lights
- Brake plus indicator turns all tail lights plus 3rd BL on, and blinks (between full on and full off) with the left or right tail lights

I heard about this strange plug w/o function, might be for the ugly european rear fog lights?

felga

Hi Thanks,

I`ll do the connection to hazard switch today an post the results.

The unused plug in on US tail loom, unles they made it to use fog light in future or something ? :/

WDZaphod

I never used the US cabeling, it's pretty simpe to use the European one.
You just need to connect all the brake lights to the former indicator lights, this cable brings both signals. Takes 30mins to rewire.
Try if it works without using this strange connector (I think it's for the fog lights...), and if it doesn't work, kick it out again, and rewire the EU Cables as described up.

Good luck

felga

Hi
ALmost all done.
Funny story and a true story, there was a bad connection between tail loom and car loom and that`s why brake lights didn`t work.

Unfortunately I was quite far with Your conversion :/

I took the bezel and radio out, took the hazard switch out soldered the wire and chased it near brake switch. ANd didn`t connect , put the car together to take it out of the garage , so i pluged the tail loom whitch was hanging under the since i took the photos yesterday. So pluged in and the brake lights worked.

Here are photos.


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The next thing i`ll do is HALO mod.

So final summation :

We can clearly announce that:

1. It is possible to convert Euro tail light - US
2. Can be done by converting euro loom and chasing wire from hazard lights to brake switch.
3. CAn be done by swapping tail light loom with us spec

ANdrew
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felga

Small evolution of my rear :P from the euro to led



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cliff_ford

Hey Felga just curious, are you going to unmod every year for the MOT test (annual inspection in England)?

Jewjenk

I thought I saw a post the other day about someone needing to convert their US Vette to European standards. Maybe you can contact them and trade your tale lights between the two of you and solve each others problems without much fanfare................

WDZaphod

I am wondering how your European Corvette can operate the US-Style Indicator/Brake light combination without the cable in the dash board?
This is not possible
Very strange...
And - do you really have a EU-Vette? I am wondering where the ugly rear fog lights are, or do they exist just in germany?

felga

Hi

1.I`ll go for mot like that.

2. Yes I have full euorp spec corvette, with those ugly fog lights on the bumper , and half reverse , half indicator lamps. My car was sold new in belgium