Hameed

But if you wanted to do it right, wouldn't that be the best way to do it? After all if only parts of the lights are in LED and others are in regular filament bulbs, won't it look stupid? At least I think so.........

O. L. T.

iTrader: (17)

Since there are no factory led tails for these models, you win either way. Bulbs without these boards, LED's with them. It's just a matter of whether or not you want them.

O. L. T.

iTrader: (17)

No, that would just be doing the way "you" want. There is no right or wrong, there is no standard, since there are no led tails for the model there is nothing to imitate. It's totally up to you do determine how YOU want it to look. There may be a right or wrong for "you", but there is no right or wrong, because there is no standard for the look when you are custom designing something for yourself.

If everything was made to look like "everyone elses" factory, it wouldn't be custom.

CleanSC

Here's a quick diagram to show what I mean. The two different leads due to their different resistances, will light the board at different brightnesses.

Hameed

I want them no question about that, otherwise I would not be posting on this thread. However I need to justify to myself if it is worth it to me not just for looks but for increased illumination and overall better lights. Practically all the mods on my car were put on for that reason. Of course there are some exceptions like the HID's in the fogs, however those days of carefree spending are long gone!

O. L. T.

iTrader: (17)

ok Jose, what you and i aren't lining up on here is that LED's are super sensitive to voltage. the resistance that is given with the factory wires is waaaay too big of a gap compared to the resistance an led would need to cover that range. With a standard led, cutting the resistance by the amount the factory gives would cut the led off. Changes between even 1 volt can cut it on or off, whereas the bulbs can vary over the entire 12 volts .

you'd need a dual element led to do it. Resistance does not control voltage, it controls amperage- which directly related to the voltage. You must control the led's from the voltage side rather than the amperage side. The resistance of the factory wires for the dual filament of the bulbs is completely different and unchangeable because it is built into the factory wires.

SOOO, Dual element led's or nothing at all in terms of firing them both of the same wire with different resistance. No matter how many wires you input into the board, it is still connecting to the same place, so you are tying both the wires together either way and that isn't going to work either. On the last note, by your diagram you are tying your brake light and parking light into each other = problems.

Just to be nitpicking, you have both wires labeled as 12v but with the resistance change they will not be even close to each other in voltage.

Hameed

No, you have misunderstood my comments regarding this. I am not trying to make it look like everybody's else's LED's. The point of comparison I am trying to make here is that - does your mod make the light look as high quality as the lights on a factory led light? Am I making sense here?

Another way of looking at this is - say you see a new 3 series Bimmer side by side to a GS with your upgraded LED tail light - as soon as you look at it, does the overall quality and brightness of the 3 series OEM led look better than the GS or the same? That is what I am trying to get at. Not the design, but the overall look. The last thing I want to happen by doing this mod is to compare it to a factory LED and say to myself, what did I do this for? It looks like crap compared to that OEM LED light. (Don't take offense by the comment - it is just that a comment, nothing personal against you bro! )

Overclocker

Brian, I wake up and you make me go broke!

Do you think there's enough space in the box with my cluster to fit a set of these guys in it?

CleanSC

Brian:

I was going on the premise that resistance affects brightness. More resistance, less bright. As far as the resistance that we need to introduce, I'm talking resistors in series of the power leads of the appropriate resistances. That would have to be calculated.

No matter how many wires you input into the board, it is still connecting to the same place,

Yes, but if each lead has a different resistor inline, the brightness will differ.

On the last note, by your diagram you are tying your brake light and parking light into each other = problems.

I'm sure the right diodes can fix this. And if not, a relay sure will. It was just a quick schematic.

Just to be nitpicking, you have both wires labeled as 12v but with the resistance change they will not be even close to each other in voltage.

EXACTLY. This will vary the brightness. The +12v is just the input before the resistors.

But okay, lets pretend all this is true and it can't be done and I'm full of it.

How does this light work then? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=42613

It's got 3 wires (ground, brake, tail) and all the LEDs light up together at *TWO* different intensity levels. I doubt a $40 pair of lights would have dual filament LEDs.

So how does this light pull it off? I see them in action all the time on the street. Busses, wreckers, government trucks... And these are designed to retrofit older vehicles so there's no modding the car's wiring. It works as is. Plug and play. So it has to be possible. Thousands of these are in use today.

Any ideas?

O. L. T.

iTrader: (17)

I don''t know any other way to tell you it isnt the same style led.

CleanSC

Okay, we'll just leave it at that.

Any sign of my needles from the USPS yet?

gsnav

CleanSC,

Wouldn't relays do what you are trying to say, or is OLT saying that the LEDs are meant for a certain voltage and changing voltages doens't work. I guess the only way to really do this is to use one board, but with you can have pairs of leds and one would be the parking and the other would be the brake utilizing relays right?

retrodrive

That what I was also thinking about; but then you would have to use twice as many LED's or have a lot more space between the LED's that are constantly lit.

CleanSC

What you say above is exactly what OLT is offering. Each group of LEDs gets assigned a specific duty. One for tail, one for brake, and one for turn. You can mix and match these on the 4 boards he would make for you. Relays are not required.

Changing voltages would work, yes. Just look at your instrument clusters. You turn that dimmer switch, and what happens? They get dim.

chicagoblknazn

Just support Brian.....everyone buy his LEDS!!!

You'll be different, stylin and supporting a buddy....

YAY for OLT!!!!