SMT LED Brake Lamps
02-22-2008, 03:45 PM
#23
Or, you can take a voltage regulator and make it into a current regulator. I've done this before with a LM317T. I forget what all you do but it's pretty simple and it's more efficient then just a resistor to limit current. I to run 5 of these in a 14W LED flashlight I built, and it worked good.
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02-22-2008, 05:04 PM
#24
Originally Posted by V-LED's noobsauce page
LED brake/tail lamps will not flash with thermal flasher units due to their extremely low current draw. Some cars indicate this by increasing the flash rate of the turn signals, some do not flash at all. This can be remedied with load resistors wired across the turn signal bulbs to simulate a filament bulb load. One way to test this is to pull out one of your blinker bulbs. If you get a bulb out warning or rapid flashing, you will need load resistors.
Load Resistor Kits:
6 Ohm, 50 Watt resistors can be connected across the turn signal wire to simulate the load of a regular filament bulb (2 Amp load). This will solve LED related turn signal problems such as hyper flashing, no flashing or burnt out bulb indications. One resistor is required for each turn signal bulb. Kit includes two resistors and 4 gel filled moisture resistant splice taps.
Connection Instructions:
Using the included splice taps, connect one wire to ground and the other wire to the turn signal wire. You do not have to cut your car's wires. Squeeze splice taps with pliers. One Load Resistor required for each turn signal bulb. No instructions are include with these kits.
ELECTRONIC LED FLASHERS
This problem may also be remedied with an electronic flasher, these units are not available for all makes of vehicles. Many vehicles have two blinker units, one for hazard and one for turn, so locate both by sound output. It is not always necessary to replace the hazard flasher.
Load Resistor Kits:
6 Ohm, 50 Watt resistors can be connected across the turn signal wire to simulate the load of a regular filament bulb (2 Amp load). This will solve LED related turn signal problems such as hyper flashing, no flashing or burnt out bulb indications. One resistor is required for each turn signal bulb. Kit includes two resistors and 4 gel filled moisture resistant splice taps.
Connection Instructions:
Using the included splice taps, connect one wire to ground and the other wire to the turn signal wire. You do not have to cut your car's wires. Squeeze splice taps with pliers. One Load Resistor required for each turn signal bulb. No instructions are include with these kits.
ELECTRONIC LED FLASHERS
This problem may also be remedied with an electronic flasher, these units are not available for all makes of vehicles. Many vehicles have two blinker units, one for hazard and one for turn, so locate both by sound output. It is not always necessary to replace the hazard flasher.
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02-22-2008, 08:37 PM
#25
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If you're interested I'll take a shot later.
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03-03-2008, 07:22 PM
#27
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Got them in and installed.
The SMT LED bulb assembly works pretty much how I figured it would. It has the "fill" of about 90% of the stock incandescent. It's about 90% as bright at non center angles. At the "hot spots" directly behind the bulb, light output is brighter, more concentrated, and deeper red.
Now for the real good news: The reaction time is dramatically better. It's not a small, trivial difference as the specs would lead you to believe. The LED is on and fully bright before the incandescent is even beginning to light up. That was the benefit I was going for. Because sometimes a half second can make all the difference.
I'm also going to order a set in amber for the rear turns. The instant on, instant off of the LED is much more attention grabbing than the stock bulb. There's a reason why police light bars use em.
The SMT LED bulb assembly works pretty much how I figured it would. It has the "fill" of about 90% of the stock incandescent. It's about 90% as bright at non center angles. At the "hot spots" directly behind the bulb, light output is brighter, more concentrated, and deeper red.
Now for the real good news: The reaction time is dramatically better. It's not a small, trivial difference as the specs would lead you to believe. The LED is on and fully bright before the incandescent is even beginning to light up. That was the benefit I was going for. Because sometimes a half second can make all the difference.
I'm also going to order a set in amber for the rear turns. The instant on, instant off of the LED is much more attention grabbing than the stock bulb. There's a reason why police light bars use em.
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03-03-2008, 08:31 PM
#28
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Knew you'd like em, mang! 
I'm still trying to find someone that'll give me some altezzas so I can attempt to disassemble them and build an LED array then flat black the entire inside of the case. No luck yet.
I'm still trying to find someone that'll give me some altezzas so I can attempt to disassemble them and build an LED array then flat black the entire inside of the case. No luck yet.
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03-04-2008, 11:35 AM
#30
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Assuming VREF = 1.25, then ILIMIT = 1.25/R1. So if you wanted 100ma, then R1 = 12.5 ohms. R1 will be dissipating some power, so be sure that it's rated appropriately.
But if you're just using this purely to sink enough current to ground to make the flasher relay happy, then it's kinda pointless. Regardless of whether you use an LM317-based circuit or just a resistor, the same amount of heat is gonna get generated.
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03-05-2008, 08:42 AM
#32
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Right. At night. Put the led's on one side and the standard bulbs on the other. Etc.
I'm probably going to try the cheaper ones from superbrightleds instead of the surface mount leds Ben tried...unless he posts good pics or video.
I'm probably going to try the cheaper ones from superbrightleds instead of the surface mount leds Ben tried...unless he posts good pics or video.
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03-05-2008, 08:54 AM
#33
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if you want to "disperse" the leds light a little better and reduces its narrow beam of outputted light
a quick rub with some sandpaper on the led will do the trick
a quick rub with some sandpaper on the led will do the trick
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03-05-2008, 09:18 AM
#34
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I took a camera phone video with a standard bulb in one side and the LED in the other. It came out shitty, but good enough to get the point across. Then youtube denied my upload for "duplicate content" or some such ****. 
Mike, you're welcome to pop by and record it with yall's bad *** camera.
I'd recommend the surface mount, but would not recommend the regular LEDs, especially for altezza style housings.
One of these days (weeks, months, years), I think I'll gut the high mount stop lamp (3rd lamp) and add some LEDs to it too. I was also thinking of adding some red LEDs to the side mount lamps, behind the reverse lenses, as my tail lamps.
Mike, you're welcome to pop by and record it with yall's bad *** camera.
I'd recommend the surface mount, but would not recommend the regular LEDs, especially for altezza style housings.
One of these days (weeks, months, years), I think I'll gut the high mount stop lamp (3rd lamp) and add some LEDs to it too. I was also thinking of adding some red LEDs to the side mount lamps, behind the reverse lenses, as my tail lamps.
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03-08-2008, 02:17 PM
#38
Ben, there is one of the LED 3rd brake lights on m.net classifieds:
http://www.miata.net/cgi-bin/isc/cla...evaction=today
http://www.miata.net/cgi-bin/isc/cla...evaction=today
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03-20-2008, 08:10 PM
#40
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I just ordered a set of fancy amber turn signal bulbs for the rear of the miata. I just love the instant on and instant off the LEDs provide when I see them on others' cars. I'm thinking about trying them in my MB too, but that thing has a fairly sophisticated bulb out warning system that displays on the dash (though not nearly as sophisticated as the new ones that will shift a blown lamp's function to the next best non blown lamp
), so I'm kind of hesitant.
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