Blue LED dash lights...QUESTIONS =)
06-21-2002, 10:06 PM
#1
Blue LED dash lights...QUESTIONS =)
Whats up all, well I just put 5 Blue 194 bulbs for my dah and of course it looks real nice. But, I knwo that eventually the colors will fade, and that the blue at the very beginning will turn to purple and maybe even white when the bulb paint fades. My question is, what led bulbs ydo you use and from where? I need so good quality but not so expensive ones. As you should know, I would only need 6 leds, 5 for the dash and 1 for the shift gear light 
...If you uys could tell me a few places to look I would greatly appreciate it thanks.
...If you uys could tell me a few places to look I would greatly appreciate it thanks.
06-22-2002, 12:11 AM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 372
Assuming you are talking about a 12Volt DC power supply (should always measure before doing something like this) here are the calculations:
12.00 - 3.70 = 8.3v
V=IR
8.3 = 0.020 X R
R = 8.3/0.020 = 415Ohm.
If you use something higher than 415 ohms then current will increase above 20mA and thus burn out your LED.
Whats the best in ur openion for the console? Is it to change the LEDS and put in what i want? Or order one online... if so which one? please post pix or urls.
I just changed the lights on the window/door lock switches on the doors and put in bright blue LEDS which can take about 30mA current. This setup looks good however I had to add some resistors in the setup.
Next I took apart the climate control box and changed the leds there from ugly dull green to the same blue LEDS. This also had three ordinary lamps which i replaced with super white 5600 milli candle LEDS which also take 30mA current. I used 330ohm resisters almost everywhere because these LEDS can all take 30mA current. Has anyone done this? It all looks good but these LEDS are too bright. I need to increase the resistor values. So my questions is this: has anyone usd 30mA super bright leds? what resistor values did u guys use which give good results.. ie the light not being laser bright. I want something visible but not irritable.
Thanks.
-Jsidhu
12.00 - 3.70 = 8.3v
V=IR
8.3 = 0.020 X R
R = 8.3/0.020 = 415Ohm.
If you use something higher than 415 ohms then current will increase above 20mA and thus burn out your LED.
Whats the best in ur openion for the console? Is it to change the LEDS and put in what i want? Or order one online... if so which one? please post pix or urls.
I just changed the lights on the window/door lock switches on the doors and put in bright blue LEDS which can take about 30mA current. This setup looks good however I had to add some resistors in the setup.
Next I took apart the climate control box and changed the leds there from ugly dull green to the same blue LEDS. This also had three ordinary lamps which i replaced with super white 5600 milli candle LEDS which also take 30mA current. I used 330ohm resisters almost everywhere because these LEDS can all take 30mA current. Has anyone done this? It all looks good but these LEDS are too bright. I need to increase the resistor values. So my questions is this: has anyone usd 30mA super bright leds? what resistor values did u guys use which give good results.. ie the light not being laser bright. I want something visible but not irritable.
Thanks.
-Jsidhu
06-22-2002, 12:56 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 372
D1NOnly34
Now that I read by post above, I can see where u might be confused. Let me explain the calculations.
Let us suppose your LED has the following specs:
Voltage: 3.7v DC
Current: 30 milli Amps == 0.030 Amps
assuming the voltage supplied at the point where the led is going in is 12volts (measure with a meter), here are the calculations:
12.0 - 3.7v = 8.3v
8.3 = 0.030 * Resistance
Resistance = 8.3 / 0.030 = 276 Ohms
This means that a 276 ohm resister in series with the LED will give you 30mA current and hence the LED will be the brightest at this value. If you lower the resistance further, the current will increase, the LED will glow brighter and will likly burn out faster. Whereas if you raise the resistance, the LED will be dimmer.
I would recommend that you get some LEDS instead of the bulbs. I would recommend some super bright blue leds. they operate at 3.7v and put out somewhere around 5600mCandells. Get them and attach the resistors in series. If you choose to get some other color, find the voltage and current they require and put an appropriate value resistor.
Bulbs: + __O__ - (O is the bulb here)
LEDs: +__VVV__O__- (VVV is the resistor, ___ represents wire, O is LED)
I would recommend going with LEDS becuase they will never fade, are not sensitive to shocks and vibrations, can handle very high temps, and last almost forever.
I hope this clerifies things for you. Goodluck.
P.S. How did you install the shift light? What are you using?
Now that I read by post above, I can see where u might be confused. Let me explain the calculations.
Let us suppose your LED has the following specs:
Voltage: 3.7v DC
Current: 30 milli Amps == 0.030 Amps
assuming the voltage supplied at the point where the led is going in is 12volts (measure with a meter), here are the calculations:
12.0 - 3.7v = 8.3v
8.3 = 0.030 * Resistance
Resistance = 8.3 / 0.030 = 276 Ohms
This means that a 276 ohm resister in series with the LED will give you 30mA current and hence the LED will be the brightest at this value. If you lower the resistance further, the current will increase, the LED will glow brighter and will likly burn out faster. Whereas if you raise the resistance, the LED will be dimmer.
I would recommend that you get some LEDS instead of the bulbs. I would recommend some super bright blue leds. they operate at 3.7v and put out somewhere around 5600mCandells. Get them and attach the resistors in series. If you choose to get some other color, find the voltage and current they require and put an appropriate value resistor.
Bulbs: + __O__ - (O is the bulb here)
LEDs: +__VVV__O__- (VVV is the resistor, ___ represents wire, O is LED)
I would recommend going with LEDS becuase they will never fade, are not sensitive to shocks and vibrations, can handle very high temps, and last almost forever.
I hope this clerifies things for you. Goodluck.
P.S. How did you install the shift light? What are you using?
06-22-2002, 04:26 PM
#8
Originally posted by 98fiveSpeed
I just changed the lights on the window/door lock switches on the doors and put in bright blue LEDS which can take about 30mA current. This setup looks good however I had to add some resistors in the setup.
Next I took apart the climate control box and changed the leds there from ugly dull green to the same blue LEDS
-Jsidhu
I just changed the lights on the window/door lock switches on the doors and put in bright blue LEDS which can take about 30mA current. This setup looks good however I had to add some resistors in the setup.
Next I took apart the climate control box and changed the leds there from ugly dull green to the same blue LEDS
-Jsidhu
Did you change the LEDs in the manual climate control? If so, where did you the blue LED with a rectangular-shaped footprint coz I can't find any. Are you sure you need a dropping resistor for the LEDs? For the bulbs, yes but the LEDs?
06-22-2002, 08:52 PM
#9
Hmmmmmmmmm
So, if I were to buy some blue LED's from autodynamic.com, would I still have to buy resitors or anythign else, or can I just plug it in and watch how pretty the dash will look 
? Thanks
? Thanks
06-22-2002, 10:02 PM
#10
Re: Hmmmmmmmmm
Originally posted by D1NOnly34
So, if I were to buy some blue LED's from autodynamic.com, would I still have to buy resitors or anything else, or can I just plug it in and watch how pretty the dash will look ? Thanks
So, if I were to buy some blue LED's from autodynamic.com, would I still have to buy resitors or anything else, or can I just plug it in and watch how pretty the dash will look
? Thanks
I just put in the 194 blue LEDs (I opted for the 1-LED instead of the extra-bright 4-LED) in to my gauges and I love them. The wattage listed on the 1-LED pack was 5W (12V). I do not know if the 194-style bulbs are used in the gauges for all model years (1995-99), you will have to confirm what type you have yourself.
A discussion we had a while ago about gauge LEDs from autodynamic
If you check out the link above, there's some pretty detailed discussions about 194 LEDs in the meter. I found pros and cons of using 1-LED or 4-LED in the gauges from there. Credit to multiplexor (1-LED) & Cumalot (4-LED).
For the doors, I just did one of the rears, simply swapped LEDs (no resistors). I cut a little off the LED holder since the 5mm led from Radioshack (276-311) sits higher than the original LED. I followed instructions posted in the forum with the exception of cutting off the top of the rubber sleeve (I didn't have to do it).
06-23-2002, 01:26 AM
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 372
If you are replacing an LED with an LED then you do not need a resistor.
If you are replacing a LAMP with an LED then you WILL need a resistor.
-Yes I did change the LEDS in the manual climate control and you are correct on the fact that there are no square Blue LEDs. Instead of the square LEDS, I used smaller 3mm LEDS, they work perfectly but are a little too bright. On the manual climate control, there are three lamps which illuminate the
1) fan speed dial
2) vent position selector
3) cold/hot thermostat slider
I changed those bulbs and but in some super bright white LEDS. Looks ok but these bulbs are also a little too bright and the beam is a little too focused and thus leaves "hot spots" like you would get by using 4LED 194s in the main console. :-/ Ive heard that you can get leds which focus light from 15-45 degrees. The LEDS i have seem to be around the 15 degree range, I guess I should try to find a shop that sells the 45 degree kind. Anyone know of any online shops? I still have to mess around with it for a while and get the correct brightness. If you guys want I can take a snapshot and post it here.
If you are replacing a LAMP with an LED then you WILL need a resistor.
-Yes I did change the LEDS in the manual climate control and you are correct on the fact that there are no square Blue LEDs. Instead of the square LEDS, I used smaller 3mm LEDS, they work perfectly but are a little too bright. On the manual climate control, there are three lamps which illuminate the
1) fan speed dial
2) vent position selector
3) cold/hot thermostat slider
I changed those bulbs and but in some super bright white LEDS. Looks ok but these bulbs are also a little too bright and the beam is a little too focused and thus leaves "hot spots" like you would get by using 4LED 194s in the main console. :-/ Ive heard that you can get leds which focus light from 15-45 degrees. The LEDS i have seem to be around the 15 degree range, I guess I should try to find a shop that sells the 45 degree kind. Anyone know of any online shops? I still have to mess around with it for a while and get the correct brightness. If you guys want I can take a snapshot and post it here.
06-23-2002, 07:31 PM
#15
Member
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 46
Originally posted by 98fiveSpeed
you mean EE 101...they dont cover dc circuit analyses in physics.
you mean EE 101...they dont cover dc circuit analyses in physics.
I want to make a new face for my climate controls. Is it very difficult to take apart? I plan on redoing the center dash piece in plexi. And it would look ugly if i had to leave the climate controls untouched
06-28-2012, 06:38 AM
#19
Your answer is in the LED thread link in my sig
Last edited by tigersharkdude; 06-28-2012 at 06:40 AM.
06-28-2012, 02:45 PM
#27
OK I'll give you some credit:
^^ Don't really know how that applies but it came up under google image search for "give me a little credit" so i went with it
^^ Don't really know how that applies but it came up under google image search for "give me a little credit" so i went with it
Last edited by Amerikaner83; 06-28-2012 at 02:48 PM.
06-28-2012, 03:52 PM
#29
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Maine
Posts: 1,528
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