Aftermarket LED Spars Issues?

A question or two for those who have the LED spars Joe DeSimone created: anyone else having any issues with these things failing? How long have you had them? I bought mine when he first produced them, probably two years ago now. Installed them shortly thereafter. Installation was as straightforward as had been advertised. I love the way they look, but have had a few problems with them. One LED on the left-side spar was recessed into the housing more than the others, which made it appear dimmer than the other LEDs. Took the spar back off and pushed it out slightly to the correct position, and all was well. However, now one of the LEDs on the right side is non-functional, leaving a noticeable gap in the lighting effect. Really ruins the look. Before I pay to have this current set of spars fixed I'd like to find out if others have had similar problems to mine, or any problems at all. Appreciate any feedback.

I was an early adopter as well, and had two failures in the first year. Joe replaced them promptly. No issues since then.

Exactly my experience

I have had one led fail one month after use but it was at the end of the spar so i let it be. Second led failed after 1 year and another one failed this year. The car has been driven for less than 5000 kms since I installed them. I'm going to request a replacement on goodwill because the quality has been absolute crap since I got it. My bodyshop even commented on how cheap the plastic was because it doesn't fit as tight once its removed even one time. I just disconnected the wiring because the missing leds just make my car look cheap.

Hello M. Zinnen, I'm disappointed to learn that you have issues with the performance of your 2006-2008 Cayman LED Spars with Radiator Guards . Please contact me by phone or email and I'll be happy to make it right for you. Best regards, Joe Joseph S. DeSimone Owner Central Optional Products 511 14th Street Arnold, PA 15068 Ph: [phone removed] [email removed] To order the 2006-2008 Cayman LED Spars with Radiator Guards: 50 U.S., Canada and PR: Panjo Marketplace All other destinations: Panjo Marketplace

Hello rsg, On 4/26, I replied to your PM of 4/25 and haven't heard back from you. But to set the record straight with any readers and potential customers, you are the very first customer (now the second, considering M. Zinnen, above) out of 474 that I've heard from has been anything less than enthusiastic. Also, regarding "bad plastic", my LED spars/guards are injection molded of polypropylene T20, the exact same material Porsche uses to mold their Cayman spars. So if your body-shop stated that they made of "bad plastic" because they broke one or more of the top mounting tabs off during removal, I'd suggest it is because they didn't adhere to the removal instructions regarding the parts being at an ambient temperature above 60 degrees F. , or they didn't follow these steps: For removal of your 2006-2008 Cayman LED Spars with Radiator Guards, first remove any zipties used to secure the mesh. Then slip the 1/4” x 24” strapping material (provided) under the inward end (nose) of the LED Spar. Position the strapping so 12” protrudes above and below the spar. Holding both 12” ends securely in one hand, exert a quick and hard forward tug, releasing the spar end from the body. Again, I wish you would have contacted me regarding your issues as I could have easily remedied them under my 1-year warranty. Please contact me by phone or email and I'll be happy to make it right for you. Thank you! Joe Joseph S. DeSimone Owner Central Optional Products 511 14th Street Arnold, PA 15068 Ph: [phone removed] [email removed] To order the 2006-2008 Cayman LED Spars with Radiator Guards: 50 U.S., Canada and PR: Panjo Marketplace All other destinations: Panjo Marketplace

I have 3 led fail on the right side after 1 year of used about 8k miles.

Hello Speedup, I'm sorry to learn you're having this issue. Please contact me at [email removed] and I'll be happy to resolve this for you! Thanks again, Joseph S. DeSimone Owner Central Optional Products 511 14th Street Arnold, PA 15068 Ph: [phone removed] [email removed] To order the 2006-2008 Cayman LED Spars with Radiator Guards: 50 U.S., Canada and PR: Panjo Marketplace All other destinations: Panjo Marketplace

I've had to replace mine three times, that said Joe provides excellent service to remedy the problems. Rather than complain, reach out to him, he'll make things right!

Yes. Joe will absolutely make it right.

I reached out to Joe when I had an issue with mine, and found him exceptionally reasonable. Thanks again Joe!

I had one LED go dark. Joe sent me a replacement immediately, no questions asked. When I went to go and replace it on the car the LED was working again! Cold solder joint according to Joe. Service was IMPECCABLE.

Hi- from England I have had my Spars from Joe since Jan 3rd this year (2017). One of the LED's started having issues when the lights were off. The central LED was still very bright whereas the others on the same spar were out completely in the "off" position. Eventually this got worse as when switched on, as I don't use them as DLR's permanently wired, this central LED burnt out and never worked at all. I contacted Joe and he kindly replaced it for me. The new replacement was fine for 1 week where the issue has started again. I'm still communicating with Joe right now but I think its going to need replacing again which is disappointing. I will put a meter on the battery, alternator and pig tail to see what readings i get, but personally I think the LED strip is the issue, with both failures.This has happened after a very short period time and usage as I never use the car in winter or rain. Perhaps the lights need a longer bench test period before distribution.

Hello, simplysimon911, Thanks again for your order! And I'm disappointed to learn that you've experienced this issue. You can rest assured that I will make it right for you. I like your suggestion for a longer bench test however the problem is caused by a cold solder joint which usually surfaces after the flexion of installation or during an installation in which the installer puts excessive force with the heel of their hand directly on the lenses of the LEDs. X-ray testing is another way to identify a cold solder joint before it malfunctions however the cost of this procedure makes it cost prohibitive. Best regards, Joe DeSimone LED Spars

FWIW, I am about to celebrate my first year with my Cayman , and the LED spars are still all working perfectly!

Hello, Boulder_Geek, Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm for your "face-lifted" Cayman ! My first Cayman LED Spars with Radiator Guards customer received his order over five years ago. So with this in mind, I realized that many customers' LED spars/guards are probably ready freshening up...here's how: To keep your LED spars exceptionally detailed, please remember: The original naked polypropylene T-20 finish is color impregnated and can be easily restored to a like-new finish. Simply rub the spars surface with a 3M Scotch-Brite pad, white #98 (nothing more abrasive than white #98!) and Aerospace 303 protectant. Aerospace 303 protectant is also the best thing for your door seals, interior, tire sidewalls, and etc! Thank you, all! Joe DeSimone LED Spars

Joe thanks for the response. I am extremely careful with my car and when I installed the spars I pushed the them home, in to the mounting lugs, with pressure to the area above the leds where the lugs on the body are located. Surely applying pressure directly to the led would affect the light immediately not 1 month after installation as the LH spar has worked fine for a limited period. Any way i have emailed you directly.

Hello, simplysimon911, Our USPS (postal) is closed today in honor of Presidents Day. I'll get a replacement pair on their way to you tomorrow. Thanks again, Joe DeSimone LED Spars

I have recently had 3 of the leds in my driver side spar go out, did some research and found this thread. I have emailed Joe and hope for a quick resolution. From the looks of this thread he seems to provide very good customer service.

His service is excellent and there is a new design with more robust LEDs

Thank you for the nice compliment, AJK! So HottNikkels decided to take advantage of my trade-in program rather than to repair his 4 1/2 year old LED spar/guard. In my continuous effort to deliver the most reliable product possible, I’ve made another improvement (version #3) which I began shipping on 3/10/18. Although indiscernible from the products' exterior, I’ve found a way to further reduce the possibility of a cold solder joint developing throughout my products' lifetime. In lieu my original design utilizing a 15 LEDs and five resistors on a one-piece Printed Circuit Board (PCB), I’ve redesigned the LED array to consist of 15 separate daisy-chained PCBs, each PCB with an independent LED/resistor combination. Each PCB is then installed in shock absorbing potting material, isolated from the neighboring PCB, greatly improving the LEDs' ability to absorb impacts. These are the whitest and brightest of all three versions, and have already proven to be much more reliable. Regarding the molded component. they continue unchanged since version #1. My LED spars/guards are molded in color-impregnated polypropylene T-20, the same material Porsche uses to mold the Caymans ’ original equipment fog-light spars. And as printed in my instruction pages, to keep your LED spars exceptionally detailed, please remember: The original naked polypropylene T-20 finish is color impregnated and can be easily restored to a like-new finish. Simply rub the spars surface with a 3M Scotch-Brite pad, white #98 (nothing more abrasive than white #98!) and Aerospace 303 protectant. Aerospace 303 protectant is also the best thing for your door seals, interior, tire sidewalls, and etc! By the way, if your Cayman has Halogen rather than the bi-xenon headlamps, I believe the Philips Diamond Vision H7-55W at 5,000 degrees K are the best replacement bulb to compliment my LED spars color (6000 degrees K); see: Amazon.com: Philips - Diamond Vision H7 Halogen HID Bulbs (Pair): Automotive . The wattage is equal to the OE bulbs so operating temperature and wiring amp draw will not be an issue. Amazon is usually very liberal with their return policy. You might inquire before ordering to learn if returning is an option in the event you don't like the color. Others have purchased these and reported that they are a good match. If you are seeking an LED spars/guards matching center grill, here's a solution: KS-CS, a Planet-9 member, posted #936 and #944 here: Cayman LED Spars with Radiator Guards (fits 2006-2008) Group Buy - Page 47 showing an install using my best material recommendation to match my mesh. It is an 18 gauge 5/8" stainless steel expanded sheet metal, available here: Scott Huggins MetalByTheInch.com 307 N. Secrest Ave. Monroe, NC 28110 Toll Free: [phone removed] Local: [phone removed] Fax: [phone removed] [email removed] Be sure to tell Scott that you want the long axis of the diamond to run with the long dimension of the piece of expanded metal. You'll need to cut it and fit it to your car. Then take the expanded metal to a powder coater and ask them to do a semi-gloss black (show them my LED spar for a match). Tell them you would like the highest-build possible and possibly two or three coats. This will "fatten it up" to better approximate the profile of my spars' mesh. Spray painting may be an acceptable alternative. Another P-9 member, olias, submitted an article here: Optional Mesh Grill Install – No Zip Ties / No Silicone / No Glue – Front - Articles detailing how to install center mesh. Lastly, for anyone interested in trading-in their aging LED spars/guards, I'll send you the improved pair for US$249 - $99 = US$150.00 (delivered) if you’ll agree to after installing the replacements, to send me an image of your original pair each folded in half or cut into two pieces. Please log in to PayPal and send US$150 to my account [email removed] . For this offer, you must use “friends and family” and do not indicate it is for “goods or a service". Remember to include your full name and postal mailing address, along with your phone number and email address. Please don't hesitate to contact me if I can be of help to anyone! Joseph S. DeSimone Owner Central Optional Products 511 14th Street Arnold, PA 15068 Ph: [phone removed] [email removed] LEDspars.com

Joeseph, just ran across this thread and must say: thank you for the service and support over the years. I was an early adopter, part of the initial buy, and I had issues early on that you corrected at no cost. Since then, I've upgraded for a fraction of the original cost and would never consider going back to the original look. Your dedication to this community has been phenomenal. Anyone considering this upgrade/updated look is well advised to do so. Thanks, Joe!

Hello, chas365, You are most welcome, and thank you so much for taking the time to post words of your satisfaction here on Planet-9. I always say that a satisfied customer is my most important product, and I'll do what it takes to make it happen. I hope you continue to enjoy your face-lifted Cayman ! Best, Joe Joseph S. DeSimone Owner Central Optional Products 511 14th Street Arnold, PA 15068 Ph: [phone removed] [email removed] www.LEDspars.com