The Ease of LEDs

By Frank Ledwell
Editor in Chief
(From Issue 2, Volume 2)

When LED lighting was first developed over forty years ago, the application of this technology was considered more of a luxury than necessity. Today, LED light applications are becoming more of a norm rather than the exception due to their superior longevity (average life expectancy is 100,000-1,000,000 hours), durability, and efficiency.  Off-Road Only’s LiteDOTS taillight system is a perfect example of a practical alternative to florescent and incandescent lighting, and because they are designed to withstand the rigors that an off-highway adventurer may encounter, their compact design and polycarbonate construction are a must-have for any weekend warrior.

 

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The beauty of this particular installation was its simplicity. The included instructions, which had photographs embedded within the text, were so easy to understand and follow that anybody can feel confident in this install. Expect the installation time to be approximately one hour or less with simple tools.

 

The most timely part of this install was pulling the taillight wiring harness out from between the body panel and the body panel opening (I’m probably the lone exception to this as I suspect most vehicles have this conveniently positioned). Once the harness was pulled through the opening, it was merely a matter of cutting the wiring from the taillight assembly, removing a portion of the wire insulation, and then attaching the appropriate color-labeled wires to their corresponding wire on the LiteDOT assembly. After splicing the two together and heating the soldering points with a cigarette lighter, all that was left was to re-feed the wiring harness and ground wire through the body panel opening, affix the ground wire to the body panel, and then attach the LiteDOT assembly to the body. After that, repeat the process for the other taillight assembly and then test the LiteDOT assemblies to ensure that they are functioning correctly. Please note that the LiteDOT assemblies do not include a flasher in the kit to alleviate the ‘fast blinking’ of the signal flashers due to reduced electrical resistance in this setup; however, a quick-fix modification to this can be found at: http://mesa4x4.com/tech_articles/flasher_2/flasher_2.html

 

Off-Road Only’s LiteDOTS are easy to use, look sharp on the vehicle, and their practical use while in the city or on the trails in the backcountry make them an excellent and inexpensive enhancement to your Jeep vehicle. If you plan to update your exterior lighting needs, LEDs are the wave of the future and the installation is so easy that you’ll feel like a pro once they’re on your vehicle.

 

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