[epicenterlDCThom]

I am re-posting this with an edited version, updated with better quality images and, more of them. Additionally, I am making a new post, with images, of other modifications made to date.
So, last January, during a Washington, DC winter that would NOT end, I decided to pass time with an indoor project.... modifying the taillights Ford designed on the second generation Fusion. They are just plain ugly, in my opinion. Look online and there seems to be tricked-out LED aftermarket choices made for every car on the road, except for the second gen Fusion. Even the 2015 Fusion has some aftermarket Euro designs, but none exist for the 2010-12 model years. Anybody know why? Aftermarket headlight assembly with Audi style LED running lights are available but no taillights. So I just made my own.
This literally required major plastic surgery, gutting the OEM assembly using only a Dremel. From the OEM assembly, I used the housing, outside lens, the circuit board with 3 LED's that is the side marker light, only the back-up light section of the clear internal lens and just the framing of the layered decorative, chrome components, discarding much of the ugly grill work. I did kept a triangular shaped section, back-lighting it with a 6" chain of LED's encased in clear silicone. The effect looks sharp. The outside lens is finished with lite smoke tinted vinyl.
Among the pictures of the finished project, I've taken one image and made notations of each component and how each is wired to function. It should be easy to read with the image expanded to full size view. Hard to estimate my how many hours I committed, let's just call it time consuming.
Pictured is the finished project.
The only components not listed is a resistor required for the ten inch electronuminescent strip. The resistor is housed in a small blue rectangular cube, which I glued into a molded recess on the backside of the assembly housing. Also, a TK 50W 8RJ resistor is spliced into the OEM tail light wiring to fix turn signal hyper-flash and an error code.
I no longer grit my teeth in disdain when looking at the rear of my Fusion.

 

[SDSE06]

They look great do you have day time pics?
I know doing projects like this are a lot of work.

 

[epicenterlDCThom]

I will take daylight pics tomorrow......and want to retake pics with the tail lights illuminated. The light intensity wipes out a lot of detail in the pics I posted. Look for new pics after Saturday. Thanks for your remark.
p.s. I would like to drop my SEL, as I see you have done. Wouldn't mind different wheels as well....stick with Ford wheels...like the full polished on the Escape.

 

[KnnNike]

I like those, and I appreciate the time and effort that went into them - very nicely done! That said, I would be highly suspect about the legality of this particular mod...I think NHTSA standards on tail lights have to do with more than just colors, I think lighting arrangement and brightness are probably also included.

 

[epicenterlDCThom]

Making them legal, in compliance with NHTSA standards, was my first consideration. Color was not an issue because I used the OEM red lens. I also used the OEM side marker lights, in the same location. What I had to consider was the replacement for the primary three function light. The sealed unit, with the outer ring and center LED cluster, is sold as a standard taillight and meets all U.S. requirements. Bright....they are plenty bright....taking pictures is challenging. Most images make the emitted light appear white....even behind that red lens. Must have something to do with the color wavelength. But they actually project RED light. As for the luminescent strip and the LED's behind the triangular grill.....doesn't affect inspection....the car passed inspection in August.
Thanks for your comment. It pleases me that you like them....and I'm glad you appreciate the labor spent on the project.

 

[sgt_g]

looks good I went a slightly differant route, i'm wondering why you didn't take out all of the factory honeycomb stuff.

 

[epicenterlDCThom]

Well.....I did remove all that ugly factory honeycomb. I used a Dremel and cut it out.....leaving only a frame.... then painted the frame black.......same as all the other factory chromed pieces. Without reusing just the frame of the chrome honeycomb, all other layered internal parts would not stay in place.....they would rattle loosely inside the taillight. I could not use one part unless I used at least a portion of them all....otherwise, none fit.

So...where do you see any factory honeycomb in my taillights?

I like your taillight mod. Looks clean.... subdued. Did you replace the OEM light bulbs with LED's? What factory internal parts did you retain and how did you finish the parts you kept? Last question....how did you separate the red and white clear lens from the taillight housing and open it up? Only a few methods out there.....but I find them all problematic.

p.s. I am in the process of opening each taillight again.....replacing that electroluminescent (EL) Tape. The right one burned out. Not sure if it is the tape or the power inverter. Either way, it makes that product too temperamental. I am replacing them with a simple LED strip that does not require a power inverter. The new LED strips have a tight chain of diodes that emit light along one side of the strip. I will diffuse the light strip by frosting the area of the red lens that is over the LED strip. Diffusing the light will give it a uniform, solid color appearance. I will post images showing the change.

 

[sgt_g]

I used my dremmel and cut it open along the verry seam of the white part. this picture you can kinda of see the glue after I was done:

And this one shows the LED piece I used. (don't mind the screw i was mostly there to hold it in place while the glue dried) as you can see I trimmed the light too much. I was orriginaly going to have it sit a lot further back in the housing but the plug on the back of the light prevented that so I had to adjust.

I kept the diffuser lens in place to help distribute the light better and help it to look more factory. I just completely removed the honeycomb piece. I did have issues initialy with the diffuser ratteling but I glued it in place with some of the glue I used for the rest of it and ha dno issues with ratteling. I used permatex plastic weld to glue it back together stuff is amazing. I didn't paint anything as I wanted the chrome to help with the stock apearance. over all it does look almost factory but 100X cleaner.

For the integration into the factory wiring this is what I did. Took a factory bulb broke out the glass portion and cut off the metal parts and opened it up a little with my dremmle and this is what I was left with.

I then soldered the wires from the harness on the led lights so that it would fasten back into the back of the fatory tail light housing and the factroy bulb plug would connect like factory.