Gary95

Hey Toolrocks,

I was re-reading your posting on how you used a 330ohm resistor for the LED's, but I realized that the placement would affect the gauge lights as well. If you don't replace the gauge lights with LEDs, won't they burn much dimmer than before? I noticed you later went to Indiglo's for your gauge faces... is this why?

~Gary

Toolrocks

iTrader: (1)

No, the dropping resistor won't dim the rest of the lights. The led's draw minimal current in comparison with bulbs. The resistor doesn't take away power, it just dissapates the extra power that is all ready there that the led can't use. BTW, I went w/ reverse indiglos because the 194 led's I made weren't wired up in the proper configuration. When I only had 3 of my led type bulbs in there they worked great, but when I added the other 2 so all 5 were led style it drew too much current and began to flicker. The leds I made were 3 led's to a 194 bulb location. I wired 3 leds in series w/ no resistor to take the place of 1 194 bulb. I thought that by seriesing the leds they'd each share the 12 volts --- 12Volts/number of leds at 3volts = 4 volts across each led. This didn't work well. Maybe next semester I'll get in on my circuit design class and learn more about leds.

Multiplexor you're fine with your calculations at 3 volts.

trinity000 I pulled my BOSE face plate apart too (real easy) I don't think that a led is going to light the buttons up well enough for you. Remeber the light comes out of the end of the led in a fairly narrow beam, since you've had the face plate off, you've seen the clear plastic, that is meant to channel the light to the buttons. This plastic channel needs the light to be emitted to the sides. You know what I mean? If you do it let me know how it goes please. Good luck everyone.

trinity000

hey toolrocks i bought the resistors but the radioshacks near my house are out of the 276-311 (430 vs 470nm blue) cause i bought them all lol seriously. but i did by the resistors and if my math is right (wanna chk it for me?) i measured the bulbs at about 13v and the leds are 5v and figuring out the amp into it... i came out with a 250-ohm resistor so i got a 270 so that way the 5% tolerance would bring it to about 260ish (i tested a minute ago and they are 258-260 ohms)

i did buy a 470 that i can use for testing puposes so later tommorrow i will test the led out in the head unit and let you all know how it goes...

Toolrocks

iTrader: (1)

Sweet, can't wait. I'm about to redo some lights in my dash and have been considering doing this again. So I can't wait to see your results. If you can post a pic please do. I know the second I put leds in my radio, the BOSE will die it's always my luck. hehe
One question, what's the mcd rating on the 470? I can't remeber the specs but the bluer led is the #276-316 and it's got a bright mcd, I think like 1200 which is more than the #276-311 which I think is like 300 mcd?? Good luck.

trinity000

actually the 470 is more sky blue vs. sea blue (430 color) and it is 2600mcd vs 300mcd and is 3.7 vs 5v

Gary95

Thanks, toolrocks. That makes sense... of course, LEDs draw much less than filament bulbs. (I should have realized it myself).

I didn't bother with the Bose... I just replaced it with a JVC KD-SH99, with absolutely no regrets. Playing 100+ songs on a single CD (MP3's) is just so damned awesome.

trinity000

i don't wish to deal with changing a system that is good enough for me... plus i enjoy all this stuff we are doing

update: i did do the led change in the bose for the disc light... it looks great in blue but this time i used the 3.7v 2600mcd 470nm led (radioshack 276-313) it is is birghter but still pretty close to the same color as the switches not THAT far off...

i still like the windows better but the brighter ones suits the bose better...

i think as long as the leds are bright enough then the plastic reflective stuff won't hinder us much at all (aimed at you toolrocks) oh and by the way i agree TOOL does ROCK!!!!

Toolrocks

iTrader: (1)

Well cool, I'm glad I could help some people out. I love doing electrical stuff, so it's great talking with others that do the same thing. My next electrical project is going to be wiring up one of my brake lights to work like a rear fog light. I just don't know which bulb to illuminate. Should I do the drivers side on the trunk lid, or the drivers side on the body? I'm thinking trunk lid but the body would probably be easier to wire (access wise).
I also plan to install leds in the dome light area.
I need to get a digital camera. I'd like to post a how 2 occasionally when I do these things. Hope all your projects go well

trinity000

i am putting led's in my dome and my clearance lights this week... (i bought some eurolights bulbs for the clearance lights but it is too electric blue for me! it is crazy!)

i am slo gonna do the bose but i don't have the money to buy that many leds right now so i wanna work on a few other things that i think are more important right now...

by the way did you figure out what resistor to use for the dome light? what voltage are the bulbs in their right now (haven't chked yet)

GarthG

iTrader: (1)

What do you mean by wiring your rear brake light to work like a fog light? Do you mean use a H3 bulb or something like that, or is it something different that I am completely missing? You could always get a spolier that is clear and replace all the LEDs with 2 color LEDs. . . I don't know if they make red/yellow leds though.

trinity000

sadly they don't make spolier leds for the max that are the right layout and still clear (with red leds inside) i wish they did... i am thinking of having a piece of plastic custom molded to the same specs as the red one on the car... i can always rewire the leds if needed as i am not sure what color the leds inside the stock one are.

Toolrocks

iTrader: (1)

First off, the dome light is a single 12 volt bulb. I think I'm gonna get some superhigh mcd rated leds and wire them in place of the bulb. I'm not sure of the configuration I'll use. Maybe 4 leds w/a resistor each, all paralleled, or maybe 2 sets of seriesed - so I haven't figured out the resistor value yet. I'll post once I do it. I really need that electronics class. Last semester it was cancelled - too many dummies at my school. hehe

About the clear brake light in the spoiler. Ben Blanco from this board has one that is clear w/ red leds I think. YOu may want to pm him? If I can remember, I'll ask him tomorrow in class if he has one and where he got it.

For my rear fog light I want it to operate similar to European cars, Audis, Volvos, and I'm sure a lot of other makes have one of the brake lights constantly illuminated whenever you have the headlights on. It's meant to help people behind you that might not see you in inclement weather. I will simply take a trigger (+ or -) from my fog light circuit to pilot a relay that will then switch +12 volts to the + of the brake light. I will also need to put a diode in that brake light wire so that the +12 volts I send the lights doesn't get fed back into the other lights, illuminating them all. Again, if I can, I'll post what I do and if I have success.

I wish I could write my school papers this easily.laugh:

trinity000

lol i agree with the school paper thing


yea i know the dome light is a single 12v and never thought about doing seriesed i think this would work best and if done right the longest without blowing anything... do you know ben's username so i can't pm him?

Toolrocks

iTrader: (1)

I'll let you know if I figure anything out further about the dome light.
Here ya go BenBlanco218 - he's on the DC boards most I think.

multiplexor

i was going to try 4 leds as a dome light... but i never thought it would be as bright as having the light you have now...

I was going to try 2 blues and 2 whites. blues rated at 1500 mCd's and whites at 2300 mCd's.

Toolrocks

iTrader: (1)

I think the whites would over power the blues I know that my 276-316 blue security light is really bright - I think 4 or 5 of these would be nice and bright. BTW, the Harlan shift light I have is comprised of 6 blue leds and it is very bright too.

multiplexor

Yeah i had figured they would, i wanted a more white light, but with a taste of blue. hehe

instead i used the 2 blues and installed those in the in my front vents and took the whites and put those where my shift boot is. lights up the boot area. looks cool.

Gary95

As for the spoiler LED unit being white, I think that guy has an aftermarket spoiler. It happens to accept a 4 tab LED unit, which Electrodyne makes with a perfect fit. Unfortunately, we're stuck with a 3 tab LED unit. Even the 3 tab version that Electrodyne sells has the tabs in different positions, so that won't work for us.

What I'm thinking of doing is to take a 15.5 inch clear LED unit and just mate the OEM black plastic base to it. Of course, it probably won't fit perfectly, but that's part of the challenge in the DIY world.

Toolrocks, the 276-0316 bulb is rated at 2600mcd. I just checked at Radio Shack. They sure don't carry many of these bulbs... they were completely out when I went there (restocking is "automatic" when the system detects an empty inventory--wonder how long that takes).

As for the rear fog light, this only comes on when you activate a switch AND have the headlights on. For the location, I'd recommend doing it in the trunk lid unit. Seems that's a pretty standard location. If you do the outer one, I think it'll look a little weird. Let us know how it works out. Hopefully you can intercept the wiring near the dashboard, rather than having to run an extra wire all the way from the trunk.

zboy

iTrader: (2)

You sure they were LEDs? I took apart the Bose unit from my 96 a few months ago, and it was little light bulbs (with blue condoms on them). If you want to replace them with LEDs, you'll have to get some surface mount LEDs and a resistor for each LED to drop the current. www.eled.com is a good place to check for LEDs. Although, I suppose if you could find 3mm blue LEDs, you might be able to use those instead of surface mount ones...depends how much room there is behind the face in the Bose unit..

-zach

trinity000

those blue condoms actually cover leds not bulbs... but regardless yes i know i need resistor and don't need surface mount led as a stock 5mm will work fine and fit... i figured out that with a 5v led one would need a 250ohm reisistor so i picked up a 270 and with the 5% tolerance that brings it to about 259 ohm or so if i bought the 250's i might be over jucing the leds so i would rather go a little over and loose a tiny bit of light

Max96LSU

Check out this site for all your needs!

Make sure you type in Rear Brake Light in the search.


http://www.electrodyne.cc
code #555111CLEAR

multiplexor

hmmm i took apart the standard climate control system on my car and i have little bulbs the size of leds in it. they are covered with a little condom. BUT they ARE bulbs and not leds. I know they use leds for the green light that appears when your press one of the different climate control buttons. (when you switch settings...). but not the the lights that light up the unit.

multiplexor

oh, i also just finished ordering leds from eled.com. They offer some incredible prices on blue leds. Here i have to buy them for 3.50$ CDN blues or 4.50$ CDN for whites... from eled, if i ship to the states and have my nephew bring them down. It costs me 2.50 per led. I bought 10 for 24$ CDN. 10 purchased locally would have cost me 40$! yikes!

.....Though if i didn't have my nephew and had to ship straight to canada, would have cost me 38$.....

but i'd still save 2$

trinity000

ok even if they are really bulbs the leds will still work as i replaced the same type of ting in my cruise control switch and although i can't get the switch to work when i put it together (don't ask) when i have it apart it works fine...

also on the dude who say electrodyne has the rear brake light in clear that is incorrect as we need one that is 15.5" with a 3tab layout and they do have one but the tabs are the wrong poistion for a direct fit... i am sure i could jerry-rig it but i don't want to really do that... at least i was told we have a 3 tab led bar

trinity000

also i am having a hard time getting my manual climate control apart... i can get the back off and the first daughter board unscrewed but can't get the board out cause that black box that hooks to the fan dial is in the way and i can't seem to get it out even with the tabs on the side of the box... am i missing something.. i only spent a few minutes so maybe i did... any help or pictures would be appreciated.

zboy

iTrader: (2)

I only have pics of the auto one...does the fan dial **** pull off from the front so that the box can pull out of the unit?

-zach

trinity000

not that i could make happen... i tried trust me i tried!

Gary95

That's right. My thought is that you could buy the 15.5" clear one, then switch bases with the OEM one currently on your car. But you have to assume that the thickness is the same... it is likely to be different, since there are more LEDs in the Electrodyne one. Might be worth contacting them to get the exact dimensions of the unit. I was able to repair my malfunctioning LED unit, so I'm not burning to get it replaced... but if you end up finding some useful info in your research, please post. Thanks!

Max96LSU

The Electrodyne one will work. I bought a red one from them a while back and if my memory serves me correctly, he said the clear one is also an OEM fit to the spoiler. I'm actually thinking about buying the clear one soon, so I'll let you know if it fits.

trinity000

please do i think it would match a set of red clear tails really well