anyone have sidemarkers on their front fenders?
was it easy to put in yoruself ? or is it worth it going to pros to get a good install?
im concerned with risks of leakage or not properly sealed, if thats important.
is there a specific height you have to put them on the fender?

 

maybe max owners arent too big on sidemarkers

 

I have it on mine. My cousin and I did the install. Really easy to do, if you don't mind cutting a hole in your car. Just make sure you put something around the area you cut out, so your car doesn't rust right there. I can't think of what that stuff is called right now No specific height it has to be, can put it anywhere you like

 

do you have to seal it or anything like that
and you jus use regular wire to connect to the lights?

 

I can't think of what that stuff is called right now No specific height it has to be, can put it anywhere you like
<--- do you mean touchup paint?
i might just let a place do it im not that ready to cut a hole in my car

 

I just used regular wires. I also used some silicone around the hole so it doesn't rust. It's easy to do, you don't need to pay a shop to do it. Really easy to wire up to. I have mine kinda where the vw's have there. Some people have there's lower. Cumalot has his lower than mine, and he has a pic in his signature.

 

just get some silicone and put it on the aread where you put the hole (obviously) and take good measurements......u want them straight not slanted.....you also have a few choices for the wiring...u cna wire them to ur parking lights so they are on when ur parkinglights/headlihgts r on...or u can wire them to ur blinkers....or u can get a relay and wire them so it does both at the same time...have fun and take ur time!

 

I have mine wired up to my parking and turnsignal. It comes on w/ my parking lights, and blinks alternately w/ the turnsignal

 

thats the only thing stopping me from doing mine.

 

Dremel

 

Hey I put sidemarkers in and it is beginning to rust in a spot behind the marker. What can I do about it????

 

Home Depot and buy yourself a bottle of Naval Jelly or a can of Loctite Rust Neutralizer. Apply per the directions on the package. After this is done, apply paint to the exposed area and to the inside of the fender near the hole that you have cut. The corrosion starts where you have cut the hole because from the factory, the sheet metal is galvanized, and when you cut the opening, you exposed bare steel.

Correction: These lamps on the fenders are not sidemarkers. They are turn signal repeaters and should only be wired to blink with the turn signals. Sidemarkers are what 4th Gens have (attached to the front turn signals) when they replace the clear corners. 5th Gen also already have sidemarkers which are the orange oval shaped lenses mounted on the sides of the front bumper cover. Cars in Europe do not require sidemarkers, but DO require side turn signal repeaters.

 

how did u do that???? or should i say...did u have to use a relay??? explain how u wired it please...thanx, Tom

 

im not feeling cutting a hole myself-
how much do you think a shop (that does car electronics)
would charge to do a small task like this?

 

i think it was 75 a side.

 

Run the hot lead from your "sidemarker" to the hot of the parking lamp. To make it flash with turn signals (the way it's suppoed to be), run it to the front turn signals instead of the parking lamp. Run the other lead to a ground and bada bing bada boom.

 

Inexperienced shops will end up misaligning the holes or dent the surronding areas. Care must be taken to assure the temperature of the sheet metal does not go too high. I've done this two times and each time, I would stop and allow the metal to cool a bit before continuing the cutting.

 

damn thats a lot

 

$150.00 That is very high. Don't pay that much. The newer styles of side marker lights or blinker repeaters, whatever the hell they are; are a lot easier to install than earlier versions. Apply some quick, or spray on wax around the area on the fender, then apply some masking tape. Determine where you want the side marker and make measurements. Use the gap between the door and the fender, as well as the trim piece that runs parallel w/ the length of the car as reference points. Transfer these same measurement to the other side and then get ready to drill. If I'm not mistaken the new side marker lights require a round hole drilled out for the lamp assembly and then 1 or 2 smaller holes drilled out for mounting screws. Apply rust stopper and then touch up paint to exposed edges of holes. Run your wire, hook em up and your done. Piece of cake.

 

150!? how could they charge that much for it and get away with it?
no wonder everyone does it themselves.
anyone in jersey good at cutting the holes and stuff?
so the dremel is used to keep drilling holes until you get your shape?
theres a tool, i heard, that just bites away too which could help-
damn i dont wanna mess up putting a hole in my fender

 

I put mine myself. Works good with a dremel tool. The local shop around here charges 40.00. It aint hard to do.

 

ive read a lot of how to's but how exactly does the dremel work?

 

Take all the measurements yourself (use a vertical & horizontal axis), verify them 2 or 3x & mark the locations on the paint with a grease pencil before you bring the car into a shop. That way, you can be sure the lights are exactly where YOU want them & that the holes are marked accurately.

I'd only trust myself on a job like this, because I wouldn't want (some schmoe) at a shop to (maybe) take the kind of care and attention to detail that I (definitely) would on my own car.

-Plus, if you don't measure/mark it in advance, you're relying on the shop to decide exactly where the light's going to be positioned. Take your time & decide on your own - maybe have a friend hold up the marker light against the side of the car while you view it from different angles before making a decision.

Or hey, even better yet, you've made it that far - just drill the freakin' hole, already! There's nothing to be scared of (unless your measuring skills are THAT bad). It's not too difficult - as you can see, many people here have done it themselves w/ no fuss, no muss.

 

someone describe how the dremel works
is it jus a drill extension

 

I don't know from first hand experience, but the dremel could be used to drill many small holes around the perimeter of the outline or maybe they are just using a sanding or grinding wheel attachment to get the perfect fit. If you put the old kind of side marker in that required the cutout to be exact then the dremel is the way to go. Start with a small hole and gradually grind/sand/file whatever away until the light fits perfectly. IF you've gotten a new set they probably install the way I described earlier in this thread.
On a side note: you mentioned another tool that people use to cut these holes out - I think it's called a nibbler. Hope any of this helps. JUST DO EM YOURSELF

 

Ohhhhhh - it's soooo much more:

http://www.dremel.com/html/home_fr.html

 

ok so. i dont have access to a dremel tool. whatre my options?
and how would i do it

 

borrow or buy a dremel, it is so easy with a dremel. They have a little cutting disk attachment. Or you might be able to get that little attachment and put it in a drill. It's just a little wheel. It makes cutting the hole very easy.

 

I dont know how to describe it. It's like a screw driver with a motor. On the end of it you can change the tips to drill bits, cutting wheels, grinding wheels, ect... It is a small tool and all the wheels and bits are small. It spins with a very high rpm. Works good to cut hole's in the side of metal...

 

i guess ill have to try to borrow one.. i wonder what place will have one- ill probably have to practice too or something haha

 

If you go over to www.maximadriver.com there's a how 2 on it. All you do is grab the power from the sidemarker and turnsignal and attach it to the side marker

 

...is the 426 fiber reinforced cutting wheel:

http://www.dremel.com/html/images/pr.../large/426.gif

There are other cutting wheels available but they wear too quickly when cutting the sheetmetal used for car bodies due the hardness.

I would advise you to buy a Dremel of your very own. It only costs no more than $80 from Home Depot and is worth for all your future automotive and home projects.

 

I agree. This is definitely a tool worth owning: besides, you were already considering dropping almost a hund-y on labor for this job. . .

That's the beauty of D.I.Y:

You can put the $ you save on labor into MORE TOOLS! ARRGH ARRGH ARRGH!

($80 gets you the one w/ ALL the bells & whistles, btw). The kits start at around $39, but the bits, discs & other tools are hella-expensive if purchased separately, which is why when you add it all up, the kits from $59 up really do offer the best value. (they include lots more bits, cutting wheels & stuff)

Also, the "flex-shaft" accessory is super helpful. Unless you buy the absolutely cheapest Dremel kit you can find, definitely get the kit that includes this. (You'll actually want to use it for this particular job).

Be sure to use this tool with eye protection! Cutting wheels can shatter at high-RPM's & go flying off in a million directions. (Won't hurt your skin, but could definitely damage an eye.

(Sorry - this got a 'lil O.T.)

 

to safety glasses, you should also pick up some respirator masks from Home Depot to prevent your inhalation of the metallic "dust" and paint.

Practice on a piece of sheet metal to make sure your technique is down. The thicker the material, the more tendency there is for you to snag the cutting wheel. This can be dangerous as it could cause pieces of the cutting wheel to separate or cause the entire Dremel tool to jump in your hands.

 

thanks we'll see what happens. if the new ones are real easy to put in it might be even easier to make the holes- and ill see about the dremel..if i got the $