Climate control lights
07-27-2006, 09:27 PM
#1
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Climate control lights
Has anyone done this mod?
http://www.z3d.com/maxima/blueclimate.html
I did this about a year ago and the lack of brightness has been bugging me. I even got the brighter 2600 mcd bulbs from radioshack and my climate control is just as dim as the picture shown at the bottom of that site which are 300 mcd bulbs. It's gotten really annoying since all of my other lights in the car are so much brighter. I have to dim all the rest of my lights to the point where I almost can't see my gauges at night to match the brightness of my climate control. Could the resistor ratings he says to use on that site be too high? Anyone else done this mod and had the same problem? I ordered leds from ebay for all my other ccomponents and used the resistors they came with and they are almost too bright so something has to be wrong.
http://www.z3d.com/maxima/blueclimate.html
I did this about a year ago and the lack of brightness has been bugging me. I even got the brighter 2600 mcd bulbs from radioshack and my climate control is just as dim as the picture shown at the bottom of that site which are 300 mcd bulbs. It's gotten really annoying since all of my other lights in the car are so much brighter. I have to dim all the rest of my lights to the point where I almost can't see my gauges at night to match the brightness of my climate control. Could the resistor ratings he says to use on that site be too high? Anyone else done this mod and had the same problem? I ordered leds from ebay for all my other ccomponents and used the resistors they came with and they are almost too bright so something has to be wrong.
07-28-2006, 07:40 AM
#2
I actually did this last year with blue leds and resistors from ebay and I thought it was too bright and distracting at night. I changed them to white leds (ebay also).
I have a manual control unit though.
I have a manual control unit though.
07-28-2006, 08:26 AM
#3
I'm planning on doing mine this winter with red all around. Let me know what kind of bulbs end up working. I was just going to use led's off ebay as well. 3000mcd or 5000mcd red. Try and go brighter then you think you'd need. That way you can at least dim them to where you want.
07-28-2006, 10:29 AM
#4
man right now, i'm actually tryin to find a way to make mine dimmer cause there soo freaken bright. i have the manual climate control
anyone know how to make the leds work w/ the dimmer (the leds that goes like 6 across)?
anyone know how to make the leds work w/ the dimmer (the leds that goes like 6 across)?
07-28-2006, 10:54 AM
#7
Originally Posted by Cdg2125
Needs to splice into the dimmer wire. I think there was a write up somewhere that included that step in it. Can you search?
nah i'm not a doner. so ur sayin connect all the 6 row of LEDs and then wire them up to the dimmer?
07-28-2006, 10:56 AM
#8
To be honest Im not positive. I havnt donated either so I cant search. Check the how-to's. I think one of the writeups explains about connecting it to the dimmer. All I know is that part of the power wire needs to go to the dimmer switch, just not sure which it is. Sorry, I know this isnt much help.
07-28-2006, 11:01 AM
#9
I believe the climate control brightness level is already controled by the dimmer switch.
It sounds like what you need is a stronger resistor between the power and the led bulb. Or maybe figure out a way to put one resistor on the main power line going into the leds for those 6 buttons.
It sounds like what you need is a stronger resistor between the power and the led bulb. Or maybe figure out a way to put one resistor on the main power line going into the leds for those 6 buttons.
07-28-2006, 12:04 PM
#10
Originally Posted by JPMax
I believe the climate control brightness level is already controled by the dimmer switch.
It sounds like what you need is a stronger resistor between the power and the led bulb. Or maybe figure out a way to put one resistor on the main power line going into the leds for those 6 buttons.
It sounds like what you need is a stronger resistor between the power and the led bulb. Or maybe figure out a way to put one resistor on the main power line going into the leds for those 6 buttons.
right, the climate control brightness is already controlled by the dimmer except those 6 led buttons and the led AC light which is gay.
well the only resistors i have are the ones that were provided when i bought them which were from CWITHK from ebay. i could try to find the main power line that powers all those leds and for the AC shouldn't be hard. do you have any recommendations on which type of resistor i should use cause i think the ones i already have won't do much...
07-28-2006, 12:33 PM
#11
Originally Posted by MaxAristoteles
I want to make any swith for the clock and climate "dim ON/OFF".
I don't want control this through parking and headlight controler.
Do any one any idea or step-by-step how to do this?
I don't want control this through parking and headlight controler.
Do any one any idea or step-by-step how to do this?
07-28-2006, 12:38 PM
#12
Originally Posted by g4nismo
right, the climate control brightness is already controlled by the dimmer except those 6 led buttons and the led AC light which is gay.
well the only resistors i have are the ones that were provided when i bought them which were from CWITHK from ebay. i could try to find the main power line that powers all those leds and for the AC shouldn't be hard. do you have any recommendations on which type of resistor i should use cause i think the ones i already have won't do much...
well the only resistors i have are the ones that were provided when i bought them which were from CWITHK from ebay. i could try to find the main power line that powers all those leds and for the AC shouldn't be hard. do you have any recommendations on which type of resistor i should use cause i think the ones i already have won't do much...
If I remember correctly, those 6 buttons did not require resistors which means the power is already stepped down for led bulbs. Maybe a small resistor on the main line going into them would be enough.
07-28-2006, 05:30 PM
#16
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I got them from radioshack so they didn't come with resistors. I used an 80 ohm resistor or the closest I could find to it. The guy on that web site said to use an 80 ohm resistor which I did but I think that's what made my lights too dim. I'm probably just gonna end up getting the 5mm pre wired leds from ebay. I had those in my sub box and they worked great. They already come pre wired with the resistor attatched to them and they are bright as hell. Plus they would clean up the wiring a little bit.
07-28-2006, 10:35 PM
#18
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http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...RK%3AMEWA%3AIT
Most of them you do have to solder the resistors on but these you don't.
Most of them you do have to solder the resistors on but these you don't.
07-29-2006, 03:04 PM
#20
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80 ohms? Nearest preferred value is actually 82 ohms.
That would give a current of (12000/80) mA = 150mA. (2 watt resistor required)
If you've got 6 LEDs in parallel from the resistor, that's 25mA per LED which seems a little on the low side. I'd try a 56 ohm resistor (5 watt type). What is the max. current rating of the LEDs?
That would give a current of (12000/80) mA = 150mA. (2 watt resistor required)
If you've got 6 LEDs in parallel from the resistor, that's 25mA per LED which seems a little on the low side. I'd try a 56 ohm resistor (5 watt type). What is the max. current rating of the LEDs?
07-29-2006, 06:05 PM
#21
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I'm not sure what the rating is. It was a long time ago and I don't have the original box they came in. I know they are definately supposed to be brighter than they are I just don't know how low I can go on the resistor without having them blow.
07-30-2006, 01:42 AM
#24
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Thnx for all, but I have two problems
1st. DIM of LCD display on my digital climate control cause, that when the sun is shining and my parking/headlights are on I see absoluly nothing :-(. I want to make only "on/off swith" for DIM of Clock and Digital Climate Control Display. Do anyone any idea?
2nd. On my digital climate control I have problem with diods? Anything is wrong becouse thay don't shine. How can I decompose Dicital climate control from main panel? How can I change diodes?
Tnx
1st. DIM of LCD display on my digital climate control cause, that when the sun is shining and my parking/headlights are on I see absoluly nothing :-(. I want to make only "on/off swith" for DIM of Clock and Digital Climate Control Display. Do anyone any idea?
2nd. On my digital climate control I have problem with diods? Anything is wrong becouse thay don't shine. How can I decompose Dicital climate control from main panel? How can I change diodes?
Tnx
07-30-2006, 03:19 PM
#25
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Well I went to radioshack today and decided to try dropping the ohms on the resistor. This probably wasn't the best way to do it but I picked up a bunch of 10 ohm resistors, soldered them together and started at 80 ohms and worked my way down. I got it down to 60 ohms and it's definately much brighter than it was. 50 ohms would probably bring it to the brightness i'm looking for but I don't wanna push my luck. Either way it's definately an improvement. Thanks for all the help.
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