Odd I was watching Mera 8147 on Ebay but it totally disappeared at the last second?? Did it sell at that price??? Or was it sold off Ebay? Did the seller change their mind? I saw nothing special about 8147 to warrant the $27k bid?? Did anyone save the pictures of 8147 that were posted on Ebay? I went back in Ebay after the auction to download the pictures and the whole listing was gone . . . . . Thanks,
So who got scammed on that deal? No activity from the seller for over a year. Someone hacked their account...happens all the time. The last 4 transactions that I made were refunded due to hacked accounts. Hopefully the winner isn't sending cash or they are screwed.
As mine came off easily after removing the four angled bracket screws (there is a fifth bracket behind the center bulge), I'm guessing yes, a PO has added something. Removing yours might be a bit tricky as the louvers are completely aluminum. BTW, the mesh grills below the louvers are glued down, of course Good luck.
There is another post in the Technical section but I am also placing the information here to reach the Mera owners. A number of the Meras have an apparent issue with the stock stop/turn/brake lights distorting and/or melting the housings. At least two of my cars have this issue so I am trying to do a conversion to LEDs to mitigate the problem. As of today, here are the results, approximate costs, and components used.
After pulling all of the tail/turn/stop light bulbs, all of the sockets have dual contacts in them and this should be as delivered from the factory. I located some appropriate dual element replacement LEDs and installed them in the sockets. I also replaced the standard electromechanical flasher units with electronic flashers (LED compatible). As of this moment all of the turn and tail light signals are functional, but the brake/stop lights are not working. I do not know if the standard brake switch is not appropriate for LED lights or if the issue is something else. I will continue to work on this problem and hope that there is a simple/inexpensive solution.
As of this moment, here is a list of parts used as well as the quantity. So far I have less than $125 invested in this experimental project and hope to hold the final cost to a very similar number.
Zevo 1157A LEDs, quantity of 4 (replacement for 2357 and 2057 standard lights) Zevo 1157R LEDs, quantity of 4 (replacement for 2357 and 2057 standard lights) Electronic Flasher, EL12, quantity of two or Electronic Falsher LL552, quantity of two
The EL12 is almost twice as much as the KK552 but supposedly is a higher quality that can control more lights.
All parts were obtained from the local AutoZone.
If anyone has any input on the brake light/switch issue, please feel free to post suggestions.
The brake lights worked normally and the turns flashed at the same rate when I installed the 1157 Plasma LED bulbs in my 88 Mera.
I did not have to change anything except the bulbs.
Mine was a Formula and I had previously cut the white loop wire to keep the amber turns from illuminating with the brake lights.
Larry
Larry,
This particular 88 is also a Formula based Mera. I will look into the loop cutting and consider it for this vehicle if nothing else turns up.
Update:
Cutting the white wire did not help at all. I looked at the car again to confirm the needed lights and saw that all sockets were two conductor 1157 types. My blinkers work well but not my stop/brake lights. I will try some of the West Coast Cougar red lights and see if they will work in this application.
Nelson
[This message has been edited by hnthomps (edited 11-07-2017).]
After determining that all sockets on my 88 Formula based Mera were 1157 types, I pulled the lights on an 87 GT based Mera and saw a mix of 1156 and 1157 sockets. I do not know if this is because of using the Formula for most of the 88 Meras or if a previous owner modified the wiring/socket. I will be in Georgia tomorrow and while there I will check out the light configuration on my GT platform 88 Mera. Maybe I can learn why the differences in wiring exist.
After determining that all sockets on my 88 Formula based Mera were 1157 types, I pulled the lights on an 87 GT based Mera and saw a mix of 1156 and 1157 sockets. I do not know if this is because of using the Formula for most of the 88 Meras or if a previous owner modified the wiring/socket. I will be in Georgia tomorrow and while there I will check out the light configuration on my GT platform 88 Mera. Maybe I can learn why the differences in wiring exist.
Nelson
Nelson
That's interesting, when I modified my tail light housings the red tail lights had one 1157 socket and one 1156 socket in each housing. I 'm not sure if the amber lights had all 1157 bulbs in them or not.
When I wired the C4 sockets I made all the sockets 1157 type, Classic Cougar only had amber LEDs in 1157 type, and used the bright illumination on the amber turn LEDs.
That's interesting, when I modified my tail light housings the red tail lights had one 1157 socket and one 1156 socket in each housing. I 'm not sure if the amber lights had all 1157 bulbs in them or not.
When I wired the C4 sockets I made all the sockets 1157 type, Classic Cougar only had amber LEDs in 1157 type, and used the bright illumination on the amber turn LEDs.
Larry
As an information update, I checked my 88 GT platform based Mera and it had the same light configuration as one of my 87 GT platform Meras. At some point in time, I will pull the rear cover panel and see what lights are in my other 87 GT platform Mera. Both use a combination of 1156 and 1157 lights. That indicates to me that the 88 Formula is the odd ball here. I do not plan to untape/uncover all of the wires to see if the harness was spliced by someone.
I also ordered the West Coast Cougar red LEDs (1157 type) and will see if those lights function in the Formula Mera but it is likely to be a week or more before the lights arrive.
I checked my 88 service manual exterior lights diagrams.
It shows GT models have 2 dual filament lights on each side that are tail-stop lights and 2 single filament lights on each side that are turn lights. The GT also has 4 single filament lights that are the Pontiac emblem tail lights.
SE models have 2 dual filament lights on each side that are tail-stop-turn lights and 1 single filament light on each side that is a tail light.
My Mera had a 1 dual filament and 1 single filament bulb in each red tail light, I don't remember if it had 1 or 2 dual filament bulbs in the amber turn lights, but probably both bulbs in the amber turns were dual filament bulbs. Corporate Concepts probably added a second bulb to the turn lights when it was converted to a Mera. My amber turns would come on when the brakes were applied when I got it before I cut the white loop wire. Now the rear lights function properly. Red lights are stop-tail lights, ambers are turn signale only.
Each red stop-tail housing, and amber turn light housing on my SE based Mera (7029) contain one dual filament and one single filament bulb. I would like to convert the stop lights from a single to a dual filament holder, but worry the extra heat would lead to melting the reflector. I am still wondering if automobile LED's run hot-ish since the LED's in my home fixtures do.
I also ordered the West Coast Cougar red LEDs (1157 type) and will see if those lights function in the Formula Mera but it is likely to be a week or more before the lights arrive.
Nelson
I know the website says shipping can take up to a month but I have ordered two times already and both times the bulbs arrived in only 3 days with regular shipping. I am very impressed with their turnaround time.
Each red stop-tail housing, and amber turn light housing on my SE based Mera (7029) contain one dual filament and one single filament bulb. I would like to convert the stop lights from a single to a dual filament holder, but worry the extra heat would lead to melting the reflector. I am still wondering if automobile LED's run hot-ish since the LED's in my home fixtures do.
Based on what I have seen in my cars, converting to a conventional dual filament bulb will produce additional heat and distort/damage the housings. That is the exact reason I am trying to get a workable LED conversion for my Meras. The LEDs are cooler than the standard incandescent bulbs and much less likely to do damage to the housings.
Based on what I have seen in my cars, converting to a conventional dual filament bulb will produce additional heat and distort/damage the housings. That is the exact reason I am trying to get a workable LED conversion for my Meras. The LEDs are cooler than the standard incandescent bulbs and much less likely to do damage to the housings.
Nelson
I have had the Plasma LEDs from Classic Cougar installed for about 1 1/2 years and the housings don't show any effects from heat.
I have driven for several hours with the tail lights on a couple of times and all is good.
I ordered several LED lights from West Coast Cougar (thanks Larry) and installed one this afternoon in the 1988 Formula based Mera. The bulb has two different lighting levels and uses one for a running light and another for a brake light. They are brighter than the original 1157 bulbs and I believe that they may solve my problem. I will provide a final report later after I get all of the lights back together and check everything out.
The next task is to try out the LEDs on a a GT based Mera. I have a couple of 87s and an 88 that will be the victims over the next few months. The GT platform Meras use a combination of 1156 and 1157 bulbs so I will need to order some more and see how they work. I will also need to convert both flashers to electronic LED capable ones.
Unlikely to be a Mera given the hood vent and the side marker lights (Mera lights are in the recessed side strip but it could have both for some odd reason). Overall, it reminds me EVM_Rob's car.
time to catch up.......lets see where did I leave off last?? broke it again. crank sensor??? not my fault, per se this time, eh? getting worked on this week hopefully. ran over 1330 miles in 2 1/2 months. .......wish it worked now....its still warm(er) up here and we aint had any snow yet.....which is weird. thank the stars global warming is a myth.....i'd be getting worried after last years heat wave winter. \m/
this pic was taken at my Grandparents old house .........sweet!!!
[This message has been edited by batousai666 (edited 11-29-2017).]
The first experimental LED tail/stop/turn light installation is complete and functioning. For a Formula based Mera, all rear light connections use use 1157 bulbs. All I had to do was to pull the old bulbs and install the West Coast Classic Cougar version of the 1157 in both red and amber. I know that these lights work in this application but another brand of 1157 equivalents did not work properly. You need a bulb with two different LEDs in each socket. The first red section is the running light and the second lights up when you hit the break. Make certain that you have LED/electronic capable flashers installed for the turn signals and hazard lights. Without those types of flashers, the LEDs might not function properly.
When I get back in town, I will try the new lights out on an 87 GT platform Mera. The 1157 equivalent LEDs should work fine in the GT wiring system. However, the 1156 lights remain untested. WCCC has an amber in 1156 but no reds. The challenge will be to find a red 1156 LED that works.
I will detail the results after the next experiment on the GT.
ye ole OP, Fiero In Paradise....Tommy, would get a kick out of this found this coming back from Gingerman Raceway. did not track it.....which is kinda sad but, I did take tons of pics
[This message has been edited by batousai666 (edited 12-16-2017).]
ye ole OP, Fiero In Paradise....Tommy, of get a kick out of this found this coming back from Gingerman Raceway. did not track it.....which is kinda sad but, I did take tons of pics
Dick Mera #8046 (Miss January, Mile High Fieros 2014 calendar) 1987 GT T-boned (RIP) 1988 GT T-Top (The Fiero Store Calendar: Miss February 2012) 1987 McBurnie Daytona Spyder
My Mera will be coming home with new paint in a couple of weeks. I need a car cover for winter garage storage, to keep dust and garage rash away.
Will a 308 Fcar cover fit? does anyone have any recommendations for type or brand?
TIA
Larry
I have used a F308 cover on a Mera and it fit fairly well. Make certain that the cover you purchase has a soft contact area with the paint to minimize scratching potential.
Here is an update on the experimental LED tail/stop/turn lights conversion to LED bulbs in a Mera. The 88 Formula used all 1157 (two contact bulbs) for this process. The yellow and red 1157 bulbs from West Coast Cougar Classic dropped right in to the existing sockets without any mods. Much to my surprise, the two 87 GT based Meras have different wiring harnesses and bulbs for the same function. The red lights are all 1157 types for both vehicles. Then the rest of the wiring uses amber 1156 and 1157 bulbs in various colors.
WCCC has the 1157 (two contact) LEDs in amber but do not carry 1156 amber bulbs. Since I know that the Sylvania 1156 bulbs will not fit the existing sockets without modification (and maybe not even then), I decided to try using white 1156 LEDs in place of the 1156 amber bulbs. I was told that the white LEDs may wash out the yellow lenses, but I decided to try them anyway. They arrived yesterday and were installed today. The yellow flasher is much brighter and a somewhat lighter amber/yellow light now, but it is very acceptable to me. The second 87 GT based vehicle now has 1157 red lights that are functional (after installing two LED capable flashers) and I will have to order four more white 1156 LEDs and it should then be fully converted. Three of the Meras have now been basically converted to LEDs for the tail/stop/turn signals.
The last 88 GT based Mera will be converted after painting since it is 150 miles away and I do not know how this vehicle is wired wrt 1156 and 1157 bulbs and what bulb types are used where. I no longer fully trust the light wiring circuits in the maintenance manual to yield the correct information.
Based on my experience you may not be able to predict your LED bulb needs based on the type and model of Mera that you own without looking at your specific vehicle. I suggest that you pull each individual bulb and verify the type and color at each location. If you need a 1156 amber LED, I believe that substituting a white LED in its place will be satisfactory if you cannot locate a suitable 1156 LED in amber. The LEDs sourced from WCCC are around $15 each delivered which is significantly less that some of the other potential LED sources.
Nelson
[This message has been edited by hnthomps (edited 01-26-2018).]
My 1988 Mera is based on a Formula. It had one 1157 and one 1156 bulb in the amber lenses, the amber lights also illuminated with the brake lights.
I cut the white wire loop at the C500 connector and changed the single filament socket to a dual filament socket wired in parallel with the amber dual socket and used the bright function of the 1157 amber bulbs from WCCC.
The lights work as they should set up like this, red lenses are tail and brake, amber are turn signal and 4 way flashers only, they no longer illuminate with the brake lights.
On a side note it should by coming home from paint next week. I was lucky and found a guy that does really nice work, it turned out very nice. He removed the hood, engine cover, doors and windshield to do a proper paint job. The underside of the hood and trunk look better than the outside did before he painted it.
[This message has been edited by Larryinkc (edited 01-27-2018).]
My 1988 Mera is based on a Formula. It had one 1157 and one 1156 bulb in the amber lenses, the amber lights also illuminated with the brake lights.
I cut the white wire loop at the C500 connector and changed the single filament socket to a dual filament socket wired in parallel with the amber dual socket and used the bright function of the 1157 amber bulbs from WCCC.
The lights work as they should set up like this, red lenses are tail and brake, amber are turn signal and 4 way flashers only, they no longer illuminate with the brake lights.
On a side note it should by coming home from paint next week. I was lucky and found a guy that does really nice work, it turned out very nice. He removed the hood, engine cover, doors and windshield to do a proper paint job. The underside of the hood and trunk look better than the outside did before he painted it.
That just points out all of the wiring differences even between what was supposed to be the same car. My 88 Formula based Mera had all 1157 bulbs and no 1156 bulbs at all. This is why I suggested that anyone wanting to convert to LEDs rely on nothing other than a physical pull every bulb to see what their specific car has installed.
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