eqlso
10-29-2008, 01:10 AM
As some of you may know, I have LED running lights in my taillights. This was done by getting LED strips (I got mine from http://www.oznium.com and inserting them inside the bulb hole. I recently decided to match the G35/Stock mz3 LED taillight style by having the same row of leds act as the running lights and the brake lights.
Since I found my previous red leds to be too dim to make into dual lighting, I purchased some new white led strips. According to their website, its a 1500 mcd vs a 8000 mcd difference. Everything would come out red anyways since I have the red housing.
Original circuit credits go to SgtWookie on the allaboutcircuits (http://www.allaboutcircuits.com) forum (link (http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/showthread.php?t=13493)). I made a couple of modifications. I added two diodes (D8 and D9) since the power from the brakes were being transferred to the running lights and vice versa. This made turning my running lights on activate my third brake light, or pushing the brake would turn on my interior lights. Secondly, I removed R2 (orginally 33 ohms) since my led strips did not require resistors, and I increased R1 to 190 ohms (originally 91 ohms). This was because I didn't think there was enough of a difference in lighting from the running to the brake lights.
Circuit:
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l14/eqlso/ConstantTailBrakeLED.png
Pictures (sorry didn't take too many during):
How they look now:
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l14/eqlso/LED%20Taillights/LEDtaillights005.jpg
Picture of the circuit. I originally had only a 33 ohm resistor, and I kept adding more until a good enough difference was obtained:
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l14/eqlso/LED%20Taillights/LEDtaillights010-1.jpg
Nicely packaged pre installation. My prongs were too big to insert into the stock plug :(
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l14/eqlso/LED%20Taillights/LEDtaillights013-1.jpg
I also took the time to move my turn signals to the outside, so the outside center is filled when I signal.
Videos (sorry bad quality):
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l14/eqlso/LED%20Taillights/th_LEDtaillights016.jpg (http://s92.photobucket.com/albums/l14/eqlso/LED%20Taillights/?action=view¤t=LEDtaillights016.flv)
Took another video since I found the third brake light to be too bright in the previous video:
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l14/eqlso/LED%20Taillights/th_LEDtaillights017.jpg (http://s92.photobucket.com/albums/l14/eqlso/LED%20Taillights/?action=view¤t=LEDtaillights017.flv)
Enjoy!
Since I found my previous red leds to be too dim to make into dual lighting, I purchased some new white led strips. According to their website, its a 1500 mcd vs a 8000 mcd difference. Everything would come out red anyways since I have the red housing.
Original circuit credits go to SgtWookie on the allaboutcircuits (http://www.allaboutcircuits.com) forum (link (http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/showthread.php?t=13493)). I made a couple of modifications. I added two diodes (D8 and D9) since the power from the brakes were being transferred to the running lights and vice versa. This made turning my running lights on activate my third brake light, or pushing the brake would turn on my interior lights. Secondly, I removed R2 (orginally 33 ohms) since my led strips did not require resistors, and I increased R1 to 190 ohms (originally 91 ohms). This was because I didn't think there was enough of a difference in lighting from the running to the brake lights.
Circuit:
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l14/eqlso/ConstantTailBrakeLED.png
Pictures (sorry didn't take too many during):
How they look now:
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l14/eqlso/LED%20Taillights/LEDtaillights005.jpg
Picture of the circuit. I originally had only a 33 ohm resistor, and I kept adding more until a good enough difference was obtained:
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l14/eqlso/LED%20Taillights/LEDtaillights010-1.jpg
Nicely packaged pre installation. My prongs were too big to insert into the stock plug :(
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l14/eqlso/LED%20Taillights/LEDtaillights013-1.jpg
I also took the time to move my turn signals to the outside, so the outside center is filled when I signal.
Videos (sorry bad quality):
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l14/eqlso/LED%20Taillights/th_LEDtaillights016.jpg (http://s92.photobucket.com/albums/l14/eqlso/LED%20Taillights/?action=view¤t=LEDtaillights016.flv)
Took another video since I found the third brake light to be too bright in the previous video:
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l14/eqlso/LED%20Taillights/th_LEDtaillights017.jpg (http://s92.photobucket.com/albums/l14/eqlso/LED%20Taillights/?action=view¤t=LEDtaillights017.flv)
Enjoy!