Requsting Help wiring LED Brake lights
03-05-2009, 09:20 PM
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Requsting Help wiring LED Brake lights I'll do my best to describe what I'm looking to do, hopefully it's understandable. First a beautiful MS Paint drawing of what I'm working with:
Basically 3 sets of 4 5mm LED's in series / parallel wiring with 2 13.8v powers (one for each size LED's) and 2 sets of 4 3mm LED's. The 3mm LED's will be strictly for running light use. The 5mm LED's will be strictly for Brake Light use, hence the separate (+) sources.
Here's what I want though. If the running lights are on, the 3mm's will be constantly lit up, and when I hit the brakes the 5mm's will light up also; making every LED lit up. However, what I would like is when the running lights are off, they also light up when I hit the brakes (daylight time). That way there's no dead spot in the light when it's daylight and the brakes are hit.
My first idea was to run a dual power wire to the 3mm's so when the running lights are on they're lit, and when the brakes are hit it's add's another (+). But I'm afraid that'll end up putting 24v to one board and cook everything.
So basically what I'm looking for:
Running lights off + Brakes on = Both 3mm and 5mm are lit up
Running lights on + Brakes off = Just 3mm is lit up
Running lights on + Brakes on = Both 3mm and 5mm are lit up
Any idea on how to wire this to the car?
Basically 3 sets of 4 5mm LED's in series / parallel wiring with 2 13.8v powers (one for each size LED's) and 2 sets of 4 3mm LED's. The 3mm LED's will be strictly for running light use. The 5mm LED's will be strictly for Brake Light use, hence the separate (+) sources.
Here's what I want though. If the running lights are on, the 3mm's will be constantly lit up, and when I hit the brakes the 5mm's will light up also; making every LED lit up. However, what I would like is when the running lights are off, they also light up when I hit the brakes (daylight time). That way there's no dead spot in the light when it's daylight and the brakes are hit.
My first idea was to run a dual power wire to the 3mm's so when the running lights are on they're lit, and when the brakes are hit it's add's another (+). But I'm afraid that'll end up putting 24v to one board and cook everything.
So basically what I'm looking for:
Running lights off + Brakes on = Both 3mm and 5mm are lit up
Running lights on + Brakes off = Just 3mm is lit up
Running lights on + Brakes on = Both 3mm and 5mm are lit up
Any idea on how to wire this to the car?
03-08-2009, 11:32 PM
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Your idea works...you cannot magically create 24V from the same 12V source. However, you will need a diode in there as well, otherwise the current will flow from the running light LEDs to the brake light LEDs too, not just from the brake light signal to the running light signal like you want.
Also, using 3mm LEDs is probably just a waste of money. Even a standard 5mm LED is not technically what should be used for vehicle lighting. No OEM LED tail lights use standard 5mm LEDs. Bigger, brighter LEDs are used for that. Also, usually what they do for running lights is to light the LEDs at half power, not light 50% of the LEDs.
Also, using 3mm LEDs is probably just a waste of money. Even a standard 5mm LED is not technically what should be used for vehicle lighting. No OEM LED tail lights use standard 5mm LEDs. Bigger, brighter LEDs are used for that. Also, usually what they do for running lights is to light the LEDs at half power, not light 50% of the LEDs.
