Exterior LED lighting upgrade

I hope I am not high jacking this exterior lighting thread with my now interior light project, but I am appreciating the help and guidance.

I was able to remove the ignition switch cylinder and reinstall the small ignition switch light, but now I can't recreate the situation to get it to turn on (door open, then closed, light turns off a few seconds later). I thought maybe it is the new time delay relay has malfunctioned, but I think there is still current going through it (keep reading below).

I tried to tuck the time delay relay back up under the dash, if the metal housing of the relay touches any of the metal surfaces (steering column, dash framing, etc.), the map and courtesy lights come on as if I just opened the doors.... weird. I will keep exploring, but am open to any opinions/input.

Thanks!
 
Ross Wooldridge said:
Try reversing the polarity of the bulb. LEDs required specific polarity.
Click to expand...
If that does not work he may have to reverse the polarity of the time delay-- just like the signal flasher.
Right now the ground is the housing and not inside the relay lol
 
SPF Required said:
I hope I am not high jacking this exterior lighting thread with my now interior light project, but I am appreciating the help and guidance.
Click to expand...
No problem...we all go off topic here...often! Lol!
Glad you ran with it and happy to help.
 
I was planning on designing a circuit with a small processor to flash the brake lights several times when the brake pedal is stepped on. Several different patterns should be possible. My Chrysler T&C has it for the third brake light, was installed by the dealer. These bulbs are what is needed.

It's necessary with all the idiots driving around looking at their cell phone. Had a fool ram into the back of my Challenger R/T in 2016. Totalled it. But the insurance company paid 90% of what I bought it for. So I bought an SRT8 to replace it. Can't replace a c-body that easily. I really don't like driving my 66 in traffic, all it takes is one dumbass and years of work is gone.
 
SPF Required said:
I hope I am not high jacking this exterior lighting thread with my now interior light project, but I am appreciating the help and guidance.

I was able to remove the ignition switch cylinder and reinstall the small ignition switch light, but now I can't recreate the situation to get it to turn on (door open, then closed, light turns off a few seconds later). I thought maybe it is the new time delay relay has malfunctioned, but I think there is still current going through it (keep reading below).

I tried to tuck the time delay relay back up under the dash, if the metal housing of the relay touches any of the metal surfaces (steering column, dash framing, etc.), the map and courtesy lights come on as if I just opened the doors.... weird. I will keep exploring, but am open to any opinions/input.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Did you install an LED bulb for the ignition key light?
If so, the LED does not have enough resistance for the bi-metal delay to function properly.
I love LED's but that's one I would personally leave alone if it works with regular bulb.
The delay cylinder can touch metal and not be affected btw.
Hope this helps.
 
cbarge said:
Did you install an LED bulb for the ignition key light?
If so, the LED does not have enough resistance for the bi-metal delay to function properly.
I love LED's but that's one I would personally leave alone if it works with regular bulb.
The delay cylinder can touch metal and not be affected btw.
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
I did actually (finally) get that LED bulb installed which was a pain because I did it from under the dash. And it didn’t work so I gave up. But now that you posted this, I realize it probably isn’t working because of the resistance issue. Thank you for the insight!
 
SPF Required said:
I did actually (finally) get that LED bulb installed which was a pain because I did it from under the dash. And it didn’t work so I gave up. But now that you posted this, I realize it probably isn’t working because of the resistance issue. Thank you for the insight!
Click to expand...
I wonder if 2 Leds in series would be enough resistance. If so you could add a second one up under the dash for a general footwell illumination. If you need 3 then both footwells. But to address the source of the issue perhaps a replacement delay timer that does not rely on resistance. I have one of these Timer relays that I have not used but plan on using to replace the OEM delay "can" (little coors light can). Extending the on time is a benefit I want to take advantage of. You do all this work with lighting and it turns off too quick. I want 45-60 sec of light while the engine warms up!
 
cbarge said:
Led's are polarity specific and so is the matching flasher.
Plugging it in as is will not work.
Simply reverse the spades in the flasher plug. Where black was is now red and vice versa.
View attachment 406311
Click to expand...
@cbarge
I see why this is needed for the front and rear turn signals when changed out to LED’s but does it affect the turn signals in the dash or the front fender mounted turn signals if they are not LED?
 
SGVert said:
@cbarge
I see why this is needed for the front and rear turn signals when changed out to LED’s but does it affect the turn signals in the dash or the front fender mounted turn signals if they are not LED?
Click to expand...

If you leave the turn signal indicators incandescent, you can use LEDs for all the turn signal lamps, front and back, with an electronic-mech turn signal flasher. I used the fender indicators on our '66, and have left the two in the dash on our '68 and they provide enough circuit resistance to insure that the elctro-mech flasher flashes at a conventional rate. These are the only resistive lights I'll leave in the car excepting the old 400x sealed beam headlamps, which I now run off a pair of relays for optimum current. By reducing the load on the rest of your internal circuitry, you get enough voltage at the indicators for them to brighten noticeably over what they did with an all incandescent lighting circuit.

Take care WHOSE LEDs you buy if you want decent life expectancy and quality from them! MOST asiatic makers sell cheap garbage which often is dimmer than incandescents, and lasts only a few weeks, after discovering that only half of them work at all. Amazon NOW filters some of the worst crap out, but I still say do some independent quality research as best you may before purchasing stuff for your instrumentation. I advise you avoid eBay unless its with major name brand merchandise from reputable vendors. Bootleg stuff gets made and sold there. Don't buy anything from China, or lesser slave pits across the Pacific. If its good quality sino-merch, it will be sold by good quality vendors IN THE U.S.A.

With that warning in mind, you CAN score some amazingly good LEDs for your instrumentation and signal lamps. I'm trying Auxito 1157 lamps now, after one turn signal lamp from SuperbrightLED shorted, backfeeding the running lamp current into the turn signal circuit!

Remember THIS: LED 1157 lamps often are ARRAYS, with many fallible components. If you find stuff with single or dual LEDs, which will emit enough light for your liking, those probably will be best.
 
SGVert said:
@cbarge
I see why this is needed for the front and rear turn signals when changed out to LED’s but does it affect the turn signals in the dash or the front fender mounted turn signals if they are not LED?
Click to expand...
They are not affected. They operate normally as they should.
 
For 1157s I've had good luck with these well reviewed LEDs -
Amazon product ASIN B0738CQ35NI bought all the colors. But I couldn't say if they are reliable when used in a daily driver. In terms of quality and reliability it looks like COB (chip on board) type LEDs to be better and they are now making 1157s with this tech. That will be my next version and maybe the tractor will get the fury's hand me downs.
 
bnz84 said:
For 1157s I've had good luck with these well reviewed LEDs -
Amazon product ASIN B0738CQ35NI bought all the colors. But I couldn't say if they are reliable when used in a daily driver. In terms of quality and reliability it looks like COB (chip on board) type LEDs to be better and they are now making 1157s with this tech. That will be my next version and maybe the tractor will get the fury's hand me downs.
Click to expand...

I've seen stuff from iBrightstar for the past 18 mos. Their product looks a lot like some red tail lights I bought from a mainland vendor 4 yrs ago, which still work, some, though never exactly as good brake light/turn signals should have. I ditched those for Philips Ultineons from Rock.

One more bit of advice: make sure your bulb is DOT approved if its an actual signal lamp. Most of these products aren't, for good reasons.
 
cbarge said:
I use these guys exclusively..
Been using them for 12 years.
Fast shipping and good warranty.
Their "Switchback" bulbs are the best!!

Vehicle LED Lights | Super Bright LEDs
Click to expand...
Most of my signal lamps and many interior ones come from Superbright. Be this as 'tis, I wanted to try the Auxito product after that shorted amber lamp. The Auxito lamps come about $5 less for a pair with the same luminosity. We'll see if their stuff works as well as Superebright's. My Dodge D150 is now all Superbright, save the headlamps.

Their amber 194s and the little bayonet based bulbs used for sidemarkers and many internal lamps work very well indeed! Some of those produce as much light as many 1157s, including their own.
 
Okay so I've been working on converting my interior and exterior lighting to LED and a thought popped into my head.

There are several lighting circuits around the car which have a dedicated fuse in the fuse box. The point of switching to LEDs is to significantly reduce the load on those circuits (with increased illumination). Now are those fuses there to protect the lamps or the wiring? (or something else entirely?) In other words, is it a good or bad idea to swap out the respective fuse for a smaller size to better match the expected load of the lighting circuit? Or am I overthinking things again?
 
thethee said:
Okay so I've been working on converting my interior and exterior lighting to LED and a thought popped into my head.

There are several lighting circuits around the car which have a dedicated fuse in the fuse box. The point of switching to LEDs is to significantly reduce the load on those circuits (with increased illumination). Now are those fuses there to protect the lamps or the wiring? (or something else entirely?) In other words, is it a good or bad idea to swap out the respective fuse for a smaller size to better match the expected load of the lighting circuit? Or am I overthinking things again?
Click to expand...
Fuses always are designed to protect the wiring.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

cbarge
Plug n play headlight harness upgrade
2 3
Replies
59
Views
12K
cbarge
cbarge
Back
Top