Automotive LED Application Info Thread

[archiebold]

Someone say thier flasher doesnt work with LED's? This can simply be solved by replaceing thier original flasher with a solid state application. I can do you one better by replacing/modifying the solid state app with a little electronics. A 555 will make the pulse better than any flasher I know of and it would be one of the simplest projects ever. It would even fit into an original flasher case.

Also, about the taillights I can see with the LED's that more doesnt always mean brighter. Many commercial applications of LED's actually use multiplexing to limit pin use and decrease power. This theory could be directly applyed to the taillights also using a 555. This would make the LED's flash at a frequency that must be greater than 30 hertz (anything lower than that and the eye can tell it is flashing on and off). Even though at 30 hertz, the lights are turning on and off repetedly, it is so fast that our eyes average the on/off time togather and we see a constantly on LED. We can increase the duty cycle of the 555 to create more time on than off, 75/25 and this would make our eyes average it togather again and our eyes would see a brighter LED.

Adjustments can be made that this 555 will be powered on with the same 12v wire that goes to the original bulb. When the brake is engaged, we could do 1 of 2 things. We could either change the resistance of one of the resistors to change the frequency to a higher one or we could flip a relay that would allow the LED's to be on all the time which theoretically would make them 2x as bright as when they are flashing 50% on, 50% off.

[Festiva_tunner]

How does your led dash react to the dimmer?

All of my dash lighting and even my HVAC controls are all Blue LED, its a very simple swap really and if wired correctly the LED will dim just the same as a regular bulb. The ting you have to remember though is that LEDs are a diode, They will only work if polarity is correct! Also make sure to buy (if buying individuals) the ones with the risistor built right into the base of stem, I've found these are far easier to work with than the ones that have a resistor box shortly down the wire from the stem. If you are lighting a larger area, like say your main dash illumination I recomend the lighting strips (ie: three LEDs in a prefab stick on strip).

Wire them in just like you would a replacement pigtail for a regular bulb keeping in mind polarity ( positive side / negative side). Most LEDs come polarity labeled but if for some reason it doesnt then simply test them on a known pos to a known neg. The LED will only work in one position.

Here is a Pic of the LED Lighting . . . I will edit this later when I upload a better Night Pic.

[Burnrate]

Very Nice!
Really like the A/c controls. Got to replace part of mine anyhow, the numbers dont light up.
I would like to see the night shots and any behind the scenes shots if you got them.
Did you change your vents?

Eric

[monkeyracing]

Weird lighting in that photo. Was that taken with a long exposure in a garage, or are those just really, really, really bright LEDs with a photo taken in direct sunlight?

[stefan]

love the CB Festiva_tunner
I got a newer 29 that fits nicely in the center console

[Festiva_tunner]

That was actually 530 am here I set the exposure slightly longer and without flash, but yes they are really bright LEDs, on the HAVC controls I stripped everything off, then masked all the moving parts then the whole interior of the light coves got sprayed with a metalic crome silver High Gloss, Plus I have multipule LEDs positions to dispurse light

love the CB Festiva_tunner
I got a newer 29 that fits nicely in the center console

That was a must actually the top panel is the best its got the blues bros in white on the cover. My next lighting feat is converting the CB from green to blue

[stefan]

i hate to bump old threads, but festiva_tunner, how on earth do you get the LEDs to dim?

[Festiva_tunner]

I used the stock dimmer actually . . . the dimmer dims on the ground side and not the hot side though
heres an updated pic, notice the relocation of the dimmer

Very Nice!
Really like the A/c controls. Got to replace part of mine anyhow, the numbers dont light up.
I would like to see the night shots and any behind the scenes shots if you got them.
Did you change your vents?

Eric

I removed the HVAC head and stripped it all down took off the knobs and the cables and removed the harness, I then pealled the card off the front, I masked the light holes from the back so I wouldnt get any spray through. I coated the inside with a metalic chrome paint, let it dry. I used the single leds so I could position them. when you get the cover off you'll notice that there are three "compartments" for lighting, the mode switch, the speed knob, and the heat selector. I used two leds pointing at the corners for both the heat selector and the mode switch, the speed switch got one led pointing straight up and down. you'll notice though theres a slight green tint, the cover you removed actually has green plastic molded into it.(I'll fix this sometime down the road) As for my vents I pulled them out and used a plastics paint after washing them, they turned out pretty good, however I would not recomend spraying your door handles for some reason they did not take the paint wery well and it shows