i've finished another term and my scholarly duties are now on hold as my summer break officially begins, which means time for a summer project: true LED tail lights. i haven't seen many successful or elaborate attempts at this (probably for the reason that most have no idea their way around the circuitry of it, like myself) and i wanted your guys' input on the design and hopefully help with the circuitry.
THE SETUP: i want to implement LEDs into notch-back tail lights by simply drilling LED-sized holes in the existing red lenses (not through the clear cover). i figured the grid pattern of the lenses would provide a good template for some creative patterns, the front depth of the grid would recess the LEDs, and the spacious area behind the lenses would hide the mess of wires. it would also save me the time and effort of fabricating a whole new enclosure of sorts. as part of the project i also plan on sanding off the black grid lines and cutting some spare red lenses to size to replace the clear lenses, creating a solid red assembly (if the LED setup doesn't turn out, i will still do this and just illuminate the middle section). reverse light LEDs will come into play once i can get a handle on all the aforementioned.
to start, i've MS Paint-ed some LED designs. so use your Fiero-eye and let me know which ones you guys prefer or suggest changes that i could play around with!
also, if any of you have a wit about LED circuitry, i would greatly appreciate help on wiring/resistors configuration.
I like 4 and 6 for design. For circuitry, search on here, there have been a couple of nice setups. In fact I can think of at least one that did essentially what you want to do, by drilling into the red lens and sinking in the LEDs
IP: Logged
07:07 PM
Rolling Thunder Member
Posts: 1244 From: College Station, TX Registered: Aug 2008
I thought about doing this as well, but my idea was to have two angled strips. They would look like slash marks on each side angled down towards the license plate one longer than the other and of course sequential. One for brake and one just for turning. Good luck. btw i do like 7
IP: Logged
07:24 PM
DIY_Stu Member
Posts: 2337 From: Republic of TX Registered: Jun 2007
Took a couple days. Mostly looking up part dimensions. I was getting a controller for a LED panel, but I paid the guy back in January I have yet to see anything other than emails. Those stopped in April. Guess I'll still have to do this by my self.
[This message has been edited by DIY_Stu (edited 06-11-2009).]
IP: Logged
07:43 AM
Rixthetrick Member
Posts: 145 From: Benowa, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia Registered: Mar 2008
I started down this road last fall as well. In the end I decided I didn't want to solder that many connections so I went a different route:
Outer rings are red halos for parking lights. Inner pieces are pre-made brake lights. Since this pic I have swiched the outer-most centers to yellow for turn signals.
Backup lights fit into stock sockets, I think they're 30 LEDs each.
whoa, the irony! looks like we had nearly identical ideas in design and execution. i didn't even come across yours when i searched the forum, but its exciting someone has done this! but seeing as you beat me to it Fieromaniac, is there any advice you have or anything you would have done differently?
IP: Logged
09:24 PM
PFF
System Bot
Jun 12th, 2009
Fieromaniac Member
Posts: 980 From: Hamburg, Germany Registered: Nov 2006
whoa, the irony! looks like we had nearly identical ideas in design and execution. i didn't even come across yours when i searched the forum, but its exciting someone has done this! but seeing as you beat me to it Fieromaniac, is there any advice you have or anything you would have done differently?
When and if i do it again i will make me my own lenses out of acryl . Because you cant make all LED perfectly parallel in the original lenses.
Tips if you put the LED into the lenses :
- dont drill the holes ( lenses break easy ) take a dremel with a grindingstone - dont solder the LED feet together because these solderings get bad from time to time when temperature changes (needed to resolder mine at least 5 times on different spots ). Better take lil flexible cables - dont hotglue the LED use normal glue - take a bigger resistor as the calculator tells you ( longer lifespan for the LED ) - get a LED Turnlight relais , is used a big Resistor but that thing gets really hot and its not in line with the "save energy" idea
Tail light and Brake lights need Pulse Width Modulators to control brightness, Not resistors. Resistors are to be used to only protect from over driving the LED's Amperage ratings.
IP: Logged
01:17 AM
Fieromaniac Member
Posts: 980 From: Hamburg, Germany Registered: Nov 2006
this is great information guys. in fact, its pointing me in a slightly different direction:
first, trying to wire LEDs for two different luminosities is not only a task involving electrical know-how but the method determines the price of the project and the life-span of the LEDs. so for the sake of simplicity and a college student's budget, i decided to use standard bulbs for the standby/brake/turn lights and possibly use LEDs to hide the reverse lights.
second, thanks to seeing different designs, results, and electrical requirements of past LED projects in the archived threads, i realized i don't actually prefer the piercing look of the LED's narrow viewing angle projecting straight out of the lens. this is also why i'll use the wide viewing angle of standard bulbs.
so after some Photoshop-ping (credit to Synthesis' project pics), i'm trying to decide between upper-left, lower-left, and middle right.
