MY2019 -> MY2022 Taillights

[ime95mos]

Hi,

Recently I upgraded from the old MY2019 lights to new new MY2022 Light bar. The centerpiece did not align well with the taillights on the side (the lower part of the centerpiece).



Could it be this area in yellow that is the issue? For the 2019 part there are holes in the tailgate for the reverselight bulbholder. The placement of this is different on the 2022 part.



Anyone else experienced this?

 

[Ohiocruiser]

I wouldn't call it an upgrade. Older style looks so much better IMHO.

 

[ime95mos]

I wouldn't call it an upgrade. Older style looks so much better IMHO.

FYI.. The old lights are back on the car ;-) Although I want to get the bottom of what is causing this issue..

 

[Ohiocruiser]

I don't know what the problem is, but I think there were some people, on this forum, having instalation problems as well.

 

[Thomby]

I wouldn't call it an upgrade. Older style looks so much better IMHO.

Ok, Charger boy

Although I want to get the bottom of what is causing this issue..

One thing you can do is put some small dabs of silicone grease, blue-tac putty, or similar where you think the interference points are, press the lights in place, then see where it imprinted. If it's just the nub of the bulb holder you can gently file/dremel it down, and if it's the thick foam padding you could try a thinner piece.

And if you haven't already, it's a great time to upgrade the reverse lights to LEDs. Even cars with LED tails have incandescent reverse bulbs, and LEDs will really brighten things up for the reverse camera.

Amazon.com

 

[Volfy]

I wouldn't call it an upgrade. Older style looks so much better IMHO.

I used to be in that camp, when the '22+ first came out. Now that we have both and I've been looking at them both for some time, I've warmed up to the 'lightening bolt". Still can't decide which I like better. The old style definitely has aged quite well. Doesn't look dated after going on 7yrs.

Recently I upgraded from the old MY2019 lights to new new MY2022 Light bar. The centerpiece did not align well with the taillights on the side (the lower part of the centerpiece).

Anyone else experienced this?

I do remember somebody posting the same issue and said there was some mods that needed to be done to fit the center piece. Don't remember exactly what was done... just that it was possible to get it to fit correctly. Maybe do a search?

 

[ime95mos]

Thanks for the tips. Will investigate further!

 

[ime95mos]

I found a photo of a liftgate online. Holes for the reverse light bulb holder are in a completely different place. In all the videos I've watched so far no one take this into account.

 

[Transmetal]

I had a bear of a time getting mine to fit as well. I thinks it's been well documented (by me) in the other thread. Definitely not something I wanna mess with again.

As for it being an upgrade or not, I definitely think it's "worth it." It's super expensive for the whole set. I bought the middle piece used from eBay and was gifted the turn signals for my birthday so I didn't have to pay the full price of a new set. So worth it for me but for what $1000+ for lights new probably not worth it.

I have always hated how the middle bar piece looked on the 18-21 when the lights are not on. So for me, it's a vast improvement. It's a pointless piece that does nothing, doesn't light up, not a brake light, it just looks odd, reminded me of a Robin mask. It's weird to me how it's not flush with the body or the back part of the hatch, it sits up in there kinda. On top of that the design is almost a straight KO of the Dodge Charger tails, way too similar for my liking. The 2022+ fixed that, plus if you get the sequential turn signals it's way cooler than the stock older tails imo.

Before:





After:

 

[ime95mos]

I had a bear of a time getting mine to fit as well. I thinks it's been well documented (by me) in the other thread. Definitely not something I wanna mess with again.

As for it being an upgrade or not, I definitely think it's "worth it." It's super expensive for the whole set. I bought the middle piece used from eBay and was gifted the turn signals for my birthday so I didn't have to pay the full price of a new set. So worth it for me but for what $1000+ for lights new probably not worth it.

I have always hated how the middle bar piece looked on the 18-21 when the lights are not on. So for me, it's a vast improvement. It's a pointless piece that does nothing, doesn't light up, not a brake light, it just looks odd, reminded me of a Robin mask. It's weird to me how it's not flush with the body or the back part of the hatch, it sits up in there kinda. On top of that the design is almost a straight KO of the Dodge Charger tails, way too similar for my liking. The 2022+ fixed that, plus if you get the sequential turn signals it's way cooler than the stock older tails imo.

Before:
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After:
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Thanks for your input on this. Did the centerpiece align with the side taillights or do you have the same issue as I do in my photos?

 

[LordKOTL]

I used to be in that camp, when the '22+ first came out. Now that we have both and I've been looking at them both for some time, I've warmed up to the 'lightening bolt". Still can't decide which I like better. The old style definitely has aged quite well. Doesn't look dated after going on 7yrs.


I do remember somebody posting the same issue and said there was some mods that needed to be done to fit the center piece. Don't remember exactly what was done... just that it was possible to get it to fit correctly. Maybe do a search?

My take is similar. I like both styles.

I think if there was a way to take the rim lights of the 1st vintage Stinger, and combine the center light bar and the amber turn signals (color, not placement) of the 2nd vintage Stinger I think it'd look slick.

 

[Transmetal]

My take is similar. I like both styles.

I think if there was a way to take the rim lights of the 1st vintage Stinger, and combine the center light bar and the amber turn signals (color, not placement) of the 2nd vintage Stinger I think it'd look slick.

If they had made the 18-21 lights, with a sequential amber turn signal and ditched the center piece entirely and just had two separate lights that would've been better imo.

 

[ime95mos]

Holes for the reverselight bulb holder drilled and it made a small difference, but the biggest thing is the bottom screw and it's surroundings. The hole for this need to be much bigger so that's the next step in getting this lightbar properly installed. It's weird though in the videos presented on the KDM website they don't have to drill any hole for the bulbholder.

 

[Transmetal]

Holes for the reverselight bubl holder drilled and it made a small difference, but the biggest thing is the bottom screw and it's surroundings. The hole for this need to be much bigger so that's the next step in getting this lightbar properly installed. It's weird though in the videos presented on the KDM website they don't have to drill any hole for the bulbholder.

I think I used this video

Still struggled after that but I made it work.

 

[ime95mos]

I think I used this video

Still struggled after that but I made it work.

I've looked at that a thousand times, but there's not much content showing the holes after the drilling. Anyhow it will soon be completely done. I guess it's just "drill baby drill" ?

 

[LordKOTL]

If they had made the 18-21 lights, with a sequential amber turn signal and ditched the center piece entirely and just had two separate lights that would've been better imo.

View attachment 89419
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I don't think what you're suggesting would look bad, but I think if that center piece lit up it would look better. My opinion, of course.

 

[Transmetal]

I don't think what you're suggesting would look bad, but I think if that center piece lit up it would look better. My opinion, of course.

At least then it would serve a purpose. Just seems like an odd design choice to have something that looks like a light bar, not actually be a light bar or a brake light or anything.

 

[Snicklefritz]

At least then it would serve a purpose. Just seems like an odd design choice to have something that looks like a light bar, not actually be a light bar or a brake light or anything.

Like the hood "vents" solid plastic no vents. Same thing in the back on the GT trims with those crescent "vents" behind the wheel wells. A commenter, probably a troll, said on the first Doug DeMuro review of the Stinger that their rear wheel vents actually worked and they could shine a flashlight through them. Ah, no. Only if someone did a hefty modification through the wheel well liner and modified the OE "vents" or found aftermarket ones that were really vented.

There are all kinds of little projects you can do on this car, as any car, to "improve" the looks and asserted functionality. I know of at least one forum member who, years ago before the refresh, did a mod on his hatch lid bar, by putting a string of LEDs behind it. The only thing he could have done better was to double or triple the number of LEDs and extend them across from end to end. His were, if I recall, half a dozen LEDs kind of grouped in the center third of the "light bar". Better than nothing, but kind of half done, or a third done. If I could snap my fingers and do that mod, I would.

 

[LordKOTL]

That's the thing about aesthetics--it's all personal opinion. It's not like the Stinger is the first car with plastic on it that does nothing except for looking cool to a segment of the population--nor will it be the last.

I just hope we can all agree that, irrespective of the year, all stingers look orders of magnitude better than the Cybertruck--from any and all angles!

 

[Transmetal]

That's the thing about aesthetics--it's all personal opinion. It's not like the Stinger is the first car with plastic on it that does nothing except for looking cool to a segment of the population--nor will it be the last.

I just hope we can all agree that, irrespective of the year, all stingers look orders of magnitude better than the Cybertruck--from any and all angles!

Everybody seemed to have an issue with the fake vents on the Stinger when released, but something about that non light bar has always bothered me more. That and the exhaust tips. Not enough to not like the car or anything, just a nit-pick on my part.

Cyber truck........haha, just saw one wrapped in black yesterday. Looks weird period, wrapping it doesn't help.