LED tailights...how to?
LED tailights...how to? ok guys i want to make some led tailights for my car, please tell me everything i need to know. How to hook the leds up to each other, if i need a board, how to hook them up to my car, what type to buy, etc etc EVERYTHING. Please!!!!!!!
ultimately you want the resistance to match that of the stock bulbs because otherwise your cars electrical system will trip out. at the same time, you want the current going through each LED to not be higher than what the LED is rated at.
LEDs in series will have the same current, but in parrallel will split the current in half. the opposite for the resistance...LEDs in series will double resistance, and in parallel will have 1/2 the resistance.
you want to mount them on a bread board. its basically a board made of non-conductive material with holes drilled an even distance from each other. you can cut it to shape and then mount the LEDs in that.
youll need resistors to make the resistance correct, but youll need to calculate those out once you have your LEDs situated.
LEDs in series will have the same current, but in parrallel will split the current in half. the opposite for the resistance...LEDs in series will double resistance, and in parallel will have 1/2 the resistance.
you want to mount them on a bread board. its basically a board made of non-conductive material with holes drilled an even distance from each other. you can cut it to shape and then mount the LEDs in that.
youll need resistors to make the resistance correct, but youll need to calculate those out once you have your LEDs situated.
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,328
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From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
No, it is not necessary (and probably counterproductive) to match the total resistance of LED taillights to that of the original bulbs. The car's electrical system will not trip out because of lower resistance. The one thing you will have to do is switch from the stock thermal turn signal flasher to an electronic one (about $8 at your local parts store). That's because the LEDs won't flow enough current to heat the thermal flasher and make it break contact - the lights would go on but not flash. There is no effect on the running lights or brake lights.
LEDs, whether in series or parallel, have essentially no resistance of their own. A closed circuit with an LED but no resistor acts like a short circuit and burns out due to excessive current flow (not recommended). It is best to wire an array of LEDs in a series/parallel combination for best performance. For example, you can put sets of three series-wired LEDs wired in parallel across your panel. A current limiting resistor would be wired in series with each set of three LEDs and the value of the resistor would be calculated based on that series alone (without regard to whatever other strings of LEDs you may have connected in parallel to it). That's because the total resistance is unimportant - it's only the current limiting effect of the resistor in each string that matters.
There are literally hundreds of LED current limiting resistor calculators available online. Get the specs for your LEDs (typically 3.3V at 20mA) and Google "LED resistor" to find one of the calculators.
LEDs, whether in series or parallel, have essentially no resistance of their own. A closed circuit with an LED but no resistor acts like a short circuit and burns out due to excessive current flow (not recommended). It is best to wire an array of LEDs in a series/parallel combination for best performance. For example, you can put sets of three series-wired LEDs wired in parallel across your panel. A current limiting resistor would be wired in series with each set of three LEDs and the value of the resistor would be calculated based on that series alone (without regard to whatever other strings of LEDs you may have connected in parallel to it). That's because the total resistance is unimportant - it's only the current limiting effect of the resistor in each string that matters.
There are literally hundreds of LED current limiting resistor calculators available online. Get the specs for your LEDs (typically 3.3V at 20mA) and Google "LED resistor" to find one of the calculators.
i know of ledcalc.com. Also, how do i wire them into the stock lights? Just splice the factory harness? Or not splice bt connect them into the factory harness? Just cut off the light sockets and wire them there?
