Steering wheel LEDs
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Staging Lane
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 64
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Steering wheel LEDs Does anyone know off-hand what size LEDs and resistors are needed for a swap out in an '01 TA steering wheel? I think there used to be a thread on here with a write-up, but it got purged with the rest around new year's. Thanks.
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 150
Likes: 0
From: Southern UT
Well my experiment with it went wrong. 
Definately going to need a resistor of some sort since the LED's burned out the instant I turned the lights on. I know I should have thought of it before but oh well. I'm not sure what size to use. Maybe someone with some more advanced electronics know how will finally chime in and help us out...
Definately going to need a resistor of some sort since the LED's burned out the instant I turned the lights on. I know I should have thought of it before but oh well. I'm not sure what size to use. Maybe someone with some more advanced electronics know how will finally chime in and help us out... Trending Topics
Here is the info you will need to know.
-LED info:
- Operating voltage Xvolts- Xvolts
- Operating amperage Xmvolts
-Steering wheel info:
- Voltage at the point of installation (it will most likely be 12V-14.7V) You will need to calculate for the highest condition (car running).
What that information you will be able to determine what value you will need for your LED to properly operate. Odds are it will be a 1/4 watt resistor, but with the space you are working with you my not have the room to put it in the housing with the LED.
If that is the case you will need to trace the wire back to the harness or down the line to a point where you can reduce that lines voltage with the applicable resistor. Now doing so sounds great in theory, you also need to take into account ANY taps from that wire that may feed something else in the line. If there are no taps then you will have no problem. If there are then you will need to work from there or tap your own wire in to feed the light.
Let me know how it goes. If you need help in calculating the resistance let me know and I can help you with that as well.
If you have some more detailed pics of the assembly disassembled post them up or please send them to uploads@lastofthebreed.com .
-LED info:
- Operating voltage Xvolts- Xvolts
- Operating amperage Xmvolts
-Steering wheel info:
- Voltage at the point of installation (it will most likely be 12V-14.7V) You will need to calculate for the highest condition (car running).
What that information you will be able to determine what value you will need for your LED to properly operate. Odds are it will be a 1/4 watt resistor, but with the space you are working with you my not have the room to put it in the housing with the LED.
If that is the case you will need to trace the wire back to the harness or down the line to a point where you can reduce that lines voltage with the applicable resistor. Now doing so sounds great in theory, you also need to take into account ANY taps from that wire that may feed something else in the line. If there are no taps then you will have no problem. If there are then you will need to work from there or tap your own wire in to feed the light.
Let me know how it goes. If you need help in calculating the resistance let me know and I can help you with that as well.
If you have some more detailed pics of the assembly disassembled post them up or please send them to uploads@lastofthebreed.com .
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 150
Likes: 0
From: Southern UT
If someone could get those readings from a multimeter that'd be great. My bulbs kinda exploded when I took them out. I just put the assembly all together but I could undo it again if no one else will. There is a suprising amount of room in there and with some creative wiring you could easily get a resistor in there.
Now the resistor reading will be different for each LED that you use. If you post up the specs for your LED's I could give you a resistor reading for an automotive application.
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 150
Likes: 0
From: Southern UT
Well since I blew the crap out of my exisiting LED's (lol) I'll just order some new ones from LS1_SS. Can ya chime in with the specs of the LED's you use? Different colors of course. Blue, Red, whatever is a common color to use.
Maybe you two can colaborate and get a nice writeup together about what to use and how to use it? I can help with the actual installing part and take pics along the way if it happens, since I'll be installing new ones sometime soon. Can get together with InfinateReality and do a nice writeup that could be stickied for all those that want to change interior colors.
Maybe you two can colaborate and get a nice writeup together about what to use and how to use it? I can help with the actual installing part and take pics along the way if it happens, since I'll be installing new ones sometime soon. Can get together with InfinateReality and do a nice writeup that could be stickied for all those that want to change interior colors.
Here's a write up I did on another thread here on how to figure what resistor to use for an LED.
Take a Multimeter and test the voltage running to the old light with the car running. Once you get that write it down. Now go to Radioshack and get two LEDs of whatever color you want. Now there will be two ratings on the box that the LED comes in. One voltage it will be inbetween 2 and 4 votls depending on color and it will have a current rating which will probably be 20mA. Now plug your source voltage, LED voltage, and your LED current 20mA in this formula. Oh and 20mA in your calculator is .02
Source V - LED voltage
-------------------------
LED Current
This will give you your OHM rating of the resistors you need to buy at Radioshack also. You need these to drop the voltage so you don't burn the LEDs up. Once you get the resistor you need solder it inline with the + side of the LED the longer lead. Then just hook your + and - voltage up the the LED and your set. Here's and example.
Source voltage 13V, LED voltage 3.5V, LED current 20mA
13 - 3.5
------------
.02
=475OHMs
Take a Multimeter and test the voltage running to the old light with the car running. Once you get that write it down. Now go to Radioshack and get two LEDs of whatever color you want. Now there will be two ratings on the box that the LED comes in. One voltage it will be inbetween 2 and 4 votls depending on color and it will have a current rating which will probably be 20mA. Now plug your source voltage, LED voltage, and your LED current 20mA in this formula. Oh and 20mA in your calculator is .02
Source V - LED voltage
-------------------------
LED Current
This will give you your OHM rating of the resistors you need to buy at Radioshack also. You need these to drop the voltage so you don't burn the LEDs up. Once you get the resistor you need solder it inline with the + side of the LED the longer lead. Then just hook your + and - voltage up the the LED and your set. Here's and example.
Source voltage 13V, LED voltage 3.5V, LED current 20mA
13 - 3.5
------------
.02
=475OHMs
