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#1 Tiny

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Posted 30 December 2008 - 07:34 PM

Hi Gents,

As part of my dash installation, I'm changing some of the original bulbs to LEDs.

Jaycar have 12V LEDs which have a resistor already in the circuit, and it's on the -ve side of the light.

I had to buy a blue LED for high beams which did NOT have the resistor, and the gentleman at Jaycar kindly worked out the resistor i needed to use which was 510 Ohms. ( Which if i recall correctly SSHatchback mentioned to me was the right value!).

A Question, Does the Resistor go on the -ve side of the LED or the +ve?

Just for note, I'm using the standard 5w incandescent lamps for the brake/fail and the Altenator lights because i dont want to risk the altenator not charging if i take the light out of circuit!

Cheers Gents!

#2 Joshua

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Posted 30 December 2008 - 07:48 PM

either, which ever side is easiest

#3 Tiny

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Posted 30 December 2008 - 07:51 PM

Thanks Josh! :spoton:

These are on the -ve, so i might go with that i guess!

#4 antelopeslr5000

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Posted 30 December 2008 - 07:55 PM

^ Yep, as it's only limiting the current.

#5 Tiny

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Posted 30 December 2008 - 08:13 PM

Cheers Antelope!

I'm currently Autocadding everything to see if i can fit it all in!

Cheers guys :)

#6 _SS Hatchback_

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Posted 01 January 2009 - 07:15 PM

I think i may have said around the 560ohms which wouldnt hurt it anyway. Basically different leds have different requirements , depending on their voltage drop and desired current in mA . If they have said 510ohms then that is what is required i was just playing safe. Always just ask them when your buying them as they have all the info they need to work it out

Cant wait to see the finished product :spoton:

#7 Tiny

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Posted 01 January 2009 - 08:04 PM

Thanks Rob!

I had remebered "somewhere" around the 500 ohm mark, so when he mentioned 510 Ohm i thought fair enough! He did look up the specs, so hopefully he's close!

I'll definitely be posting pictures, So far so good!

Cheers!

#8 _slr253_

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Posted 21 May 2009 - 10:08 PM

Tiny,

How did the LED conversion go? Does the dash look a lot better than the dull yellow glow?

Any pictures of the end result? Do you have any advice from the experience of fitting LED's?


Cheers,
Brett

#9 _torana_umunga74_

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Posted 21 May 2009 - 10:27 PM

i dont think the dimmer works with LEDs i might be wrong tho. they are a sh*tload brighter tho.

#10 _Squarepants_

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Posted 22 May 2009 - 04:37 PM

i dont think the dimmer works with LEDs i might be wrong tho. they are a sh*tload brighter tho.

Yeah, the dimmer is now just an on/off switch in mine.

#11 Dangerous

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Posted 05 June 2009 - 12:52 AM

LEDs need to be driven by current. A typical blue LED will have a maximum drive voltage of around 3 volts, and a maximum current of 20 milliamps. A red LED on the other hand will be around 1.7 to 1.9 volts, and around 20 milliamps. To work out the correct current limiting resistance, eg for a car, if you assume that the supply voltage is 13.8 volts, and you want 3 volts at 20 milliamps (20 thousandths of an amp), you need to do some sums. You need the resistor to drop 13.8 - 3 volts = 10.8 volts as it allows 20 milliamps to pass. Voltage = current times resistance, so the resistance you require is r = voltage divided by current, in this case (13.8 - 3 = 10.8)/0.02 = 540 ohms of resistance. He probably worked it out on 13.2 volts, which equates to 510 ohms.

LEDs don't dim very well, so as you drop the voltage by dimming the lights, the LED will get dim pretty quickly. Also, LEDs are very directional, so while thye're bright when looking straight at them, they can be quite dim when looking at an angle. For car dash use, you need to diffuse the light, eg by using a few LEDs and a plastic diffuser like is used on fluoro lights. For a cheap option, you can sandpaper the top of the body of the LED, which diffuses the light as well.

Tiny, you're probably right with the alternator light globe - most use the current flowing through the globe to excite the alternator stator windings, and if you change the wattage of the globe, you change the characteristics of the alternator. You can use an LED on the dash with an appropriate resistor, but you need to keep the incandescent globe in circuit, even if you can't see it.

#12 _Squarepants_

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Posted 05 June 2009 - 06:09 PM

I have multi-directional LED's in my dash to spread the light our further.
Similar to the tail light led's that Keith is selling, apparently. (I'm keen Keith, just gotta get around to calling you back)
My Dad put single led's in his Hilux tail lights and you could only really see them if you're directly behind it, if you're off on a bit of an angle they were very hard to see.

#13 _Kermit SLR_

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Posted 10 June 2009 - 06:05 PM

I completely rewired my LH a few months ago, used a fuse/relay block from a Commodore for under the bonnet and an eight blade fuse holder for in the cab. I used LED's for dash, park lights, roof lights, numberplate light and stop/tail and all indicators. The front indicators are a multi LED globe. Bright as.
The rear lights i used 80 X 80mm trailer type multi led's. Single amber for the indicators and a red stop/tail combination. I removed the old globe and fitted them to the globe holder/backing. I have the white plastic type. Then fitted the original lens back over the top. I think it looks great now. Realy bright when standing behind.

I got sick of dull lights and my alt light glowing dimly all the time. There was voltage drop over just about every circuit.
Took me months as i work away 2 weeks at a time and have little time when i'm home for a week.

Multi LED,s are the way to go. I bought most of mine on Ebay. Really cheap. If anyone wants to know from where, i'll dig up a reciept.

K.

#14 _Squarepants_

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Posted 10 June 2009 - 06:23 PM

Kermit, do you use coloured LED's behind coloured lenses or white LED's?
I've heard red light doesn't like to go through red lenses.
Do you use a multi in your number plate light? If so, I'd be interested in where you got that.

#15 _Kermit SLR_

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Posted 10 June 2009 - 11:03 PM

Kermit, do you use coloured LED's behind coloured lenses or white LED's?
I've heard red light doesn't like to go through red lenses.
Do you use a multi in your number plate light? If so, I'd be interested in where you got that.


Hi Squarepants,
Front indicators are a multi-led white. Dash is multi led's white. Tail lights are coloured 80 x 80 led's, red behind red, amber behind amber. The numberplate light is a single led and is plenty bright enough. Cant remeber the type of socket in the plate light, but if its the same wedge type as the dash, you can get them in multi. White, red, green and blue i think.
I will be flying home tomorrow from nightshift, so will post some pics and the ebay store i bought them from, sometime on Friday.

K.

#16 _the gts_

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Posted 10 June 2009 - 11:42 PM

People have led tail lights??
please post some pics.

Squarepants - who is 'keith' that may be selling some?

Anyone know the legalities of these?

#17 _BAILLIE_

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Posted 11 June 2009 - 07:02 PM

Hey KermitSLR, sounds like you've got the right idea, i've been thinking about ways to use LEDs on the car for a while now, looking forward to some more info and pics mate.
There seems to be a fair amount of suitable bits on the net that could be used in a custom set-up, and Autobarn stocks a few things too. I nearly bought a new bolt-on number plate lamp the other day, looked half-decent and not too bulky, i think they make em for trailers.
Had a think and realised a good number plate light is not that high on the old priorities at the mo.

#18 _Squarepants_

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Posted 11 June 2009 - 07:10 PM

Kermit, the no. plate lanp is a BA9S bayonette style bulb. I know you can get LED's like this but I was wondering if a single would be bright enough as they are very directional.
GTS, Keith is a member on this forum. His details can be found in this thread: http://www.gmh-toran...showtopic=36540

#19 _BAILLIE_

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Posted 11 June 2009 - 07:11 PM

Oh yeah,

the legalities not a problem. As long as your not changing colours (like blue indicators or purple tail lights) and they comply with the relevant ADR laws. Basically they have to be as bright or brighter than the original setup, and i guess it works the other way too, they shouldnt be so bright as to blind the person behind you when you brake for example... obviously...

I think there is some proper kind of test you can do, but it;s pretty easy to tell with your own eyes.

Dont know if an engineers report is needed, ? Kermit?

#20 _keith1962_

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Posted 11 June 2009 - 07:16 PM

Hey GTS please PM me your mobile number & i will send a pic or 2 mate


cheers Keith

#21 _the gts_

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Posted 11 June 2009 - 10:17 PM

Thanks fellas.
Yea looking forward to the pics from kermit.

I will ask my engineer when i speak to him next, would hate to do all that and get knocked back at the pits.

#22 _BAILLIE_

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Posted 12 June 2009 - 04:23 PM

Hey Keith, can you please post some pics?

#23 _Kermit SLR_

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Posted 12 June 2009 - 10:22 PM

Hey Guys, here are some of the LED globes i used and what the LED's look like in the tail lights.

This is the interior light, bit hard to tell but it's a 16 LED light
Attached File  Car_Lights_003.jpg   143.63K   22 downloads

This is the front park light - multi LED (BA9S)(Thanks Squarepants)

Attached File  Car_Lights_005.jpg   315.29K   20 downloads

This is one of the Multi LED dash lights. Wedge type

Attached File  Car_Lights_011.jpg   306.93K   16 downloads

This is the front indicator globe:

Attached File  Car_Lights_007.jpg   294.51K   19 downloads

This is the lail light assembly with the 80 x 80 LED'S

Attached File  Car_Lights_001.jpg   308.96K   37 downloads

This is the park light and indicator on (late afternoon)

Attached File  Car_Lights_012.jpg   343.05K   48 downloads

Park lights and reverse lights (at night)

Attached File  Car_Lights_014.jpg   230.18K   50 downloads

Hard to guage the brightness of them but they are highly visable during the day.
As for the legalities of the rear led's i am unsure. Have not checked with any authorities :-)
But they are brighter than standard globes.
The front park lights emit a great white light, really stands out.
You may have noticed i have a single green LED for the numberplate light. With a multi globe (same as the front park) the plate would be extremely well lit.

The Ebay store that i bought the globes through is http://stores.shop.e...S__W0QQ_armrsZ1

Hope all this is uploaded correctly :blink:

K.

Edited by Kermit SLR, 12 June 2009 - 10:30 PM.


#24 _the gts_

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Posted 12 June 2009 - 11:49 PM

Thanks for the pics kermit.
they would definately be a preference over normal globes. can you get orange for the front so it is legal to use the clear front lenses?

I am thinking of modifying the tail lights and fititng the panel type LED's behind the normal torana lense so it looks like the new truck type ones where you can see there is individual LED's in there. anyone think that would look ok on a Torana?

silmilar to these
Posted Image

Edited by the gts, 12 June 2009 - 11:59 PM.


#25 _Kermit SLR_

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Posted 13 June 2009 - 09:01 AM

Thanks for the pics kermit.
they would definately be a preference over normal globes. can you get orange for the front so it is legal to use the clear front lenses?

I am thinking of modifying the tail lights and fititng the panel type LED's behind the normal torana lense so it looks like the new truck type ones where you can see there is individual LED's in there. anyone think that would look ok on a Torana?

silmilar to these
Posted Image


From memory, you can get the amber LED's for the front (check the Ebay website i listed or contact Keith, as he seems to have access to LED's. Better to support a fellow Torry owner eh.) I have the orange lenses so i didnt bother.
The 80A lights you have pictured are similar to the ones i have fitted.
I think the 100mm will fit also. If you fit them, you have to mount them higher on one side in the holder (behind the lens) so the LED assembly is "level" with the lense.

K.

P.S. Found the amber globes "the GTS", heres the link :

Edited by Kermit SLR, 13 June 2009 - 09:13 AM.





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