LED warning light panel

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Flet

Member
Posts
56
If anybody would like to know how to convert the warning lights to LED (I don't mean the unreliable replacement bulbs) let me know. You need to be able to solder but I found it quite easy once I'd done one. Mine is not quite finished yet, I'm waiting for some Zener diodes coming for the low fuel light from ebay.
I posted a 'how to' but it either got lost in the ether or it didn't make the grade or something

Rich
 
If anybody would like to know how to convert the warning lights to LED (I don't mean the unreliable replacement bulbs) let me know. You need to be able to solder but I found it quite easy once I'd done one. Mine is not quite finished yet, I'm waiting for some Zener diodes coming for the low fuel light from ebay.
I posted a 'how to' but it either got lost in the ether or it didn't make the grade or something

Rich

why not re-post it here and if peeps think it makes the grade we can move it to the how to section.;):)
 
OK, I'll post some more info this afternoon. I've simplified the diagram for the indicator light so I'll have to rescan it into computer
 
OK, I'll post some more info this afternoon. I've simplified the diagram for the indicator light so I'll have to rescan it into computer

Hows this.....;):cool::D

Now that all warning lights are part of the MOT i've been converting my warning light panel to LEDs. Not the unreliable bought ones, but soldering them in directly as they'll never need replacing. The solder takes to the copper strip really well.

You need to be a bit nifty with a soldering iron but i think the effort is well worth it, the colours are now bright and more vivid.
You need 5mm flat top wide angle LEDs, there's loads on ebay and they are a lot cheaper than replacement LED bulbs. I bought greens, reds and warm whites. The current limiting resistors are 680 ohms 0.6w again there's loads on ebay.

You also need to get the polarity the right way round with LEDs this isn't too much of a problem, i'll upload my diagram of the back of the panel where i have marked it on.
The indicators are a bit more tricky to do because i found that the polarity reverses depending weather your indicating right or left, again i've done a diagram of how to make it work. The silicon Diodes 1N4001 are very common on ebay too.

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The red LEDs are the square ones with 4 pins, use any type you want but wide angle ones look much better as you can't see a circle in the diffuser.
 
You are good!:) thanks



I'll upload the diagram for low fuel and trailer light.

All the lights are straight foreward LEDs and resistors in series apart from these three:
 
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The bigger resistor here is the 470 ohm 2w one for the trailer light. Without this resistor the trailer light just stays on all the time as there is a weak voltage on the cable. You can just see the Zener diode tagged on to the small resistor too.

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Finally put a blob of silicone over each LED. They will never need changing, unlike the ones you buy ready done, thats because the ones you buy have a microscopic series resistor included in the bulb. They are too small get hot and fail early. My resistors are rated at 0.6w

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I'm still waiting for the 9.1v Zeners from ebay so the low fuel indicator is untested, but according to my calcleations it should be ok. The problem with this light is that it comes on dimmly when it shouldn't because there is a voltage with a weak current on the cable, it's not enough to light an old energy guzzling bulb, but super efficient LEDs do tend to light up with anything.
 
Just for the record, if anybody is following this thread, the diagrams need updating, as it stands the low fuel comes on dimly when it shouldn't.

I'll redo the diagrams this week when i get time, i might as well finish the post for anybody reading in the future years :)
 
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I'll be looking into it yes, I've got some amber and orange 5mm LEDs on order. The ready made 501 wedge bulbs are too dim.
 
Final revision, these work great for anybody that's interested.
The turn signal DOES need the 4 diodes so i deleted the earlier wrong diagram.

Rich



 
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