Pierre Gillet Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 I just completed the ledification of the rear and front lights of my Seven. I did not use the flasher unit displayed here but used a special LED flasher unit sold by Ultraleds. My problem is that when I turn on e.g.the right indicators, the left ones also blink, weakly though. I checked carefully all the earthing with no joy. Could it be that the indicators right and left sides are in some way connected through the hazard flashing rocker, and that the problem happens only because of the fact that the Ohm value of LEDs are close to zero ? A way to tackle the problem is to add two resistors in parallel with the front indicators (4 Ohm/4 W) but this really not a sexy solution. Chris W, in the past you solved another problem I had related with the fog light that I wanted to use also as a brake light. You recommended adding a diode somewhere and it worked ... Pierre Edited by - Pierre Gillet on 17 Oct 2006 18:36:26 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheds Moderator Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 I'm not Chris W but how about adding a diode in series with each LED? This will drop 0.6V across each diode and probably prevent the LEDS from lighting. It's unlikely to affect the LEDS when there is 12V being fed to it. (Only an experiment, try it first!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eccles Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 Not sure if it's true in all cases but I seem to recal that the dashboard indicator light is wired accross the indicator switch and uses the off indicators for an earth path. Maybe as the LEDs use far less current, the little current that is flowing through the dash light is enough to slightly light these LEDs. Try disconnecting the dash light and see what happens. Just a thought...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Gillet Posted October 8, 2006 Author Share Posted October 8, 2006 Thank you both. I just tried Eccles suggestion and it worked. My plan is to use for the dashboard indicator light a earth path different from the one of the indicator switch. Am I right ? Cheers, Pierre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eccles Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 Hi Pierre, Glad it worked. You will also need two diodes (1N4004 or similar) though. Earth one side of the dash light as you say, then join the other side to the cathodes of the diodes. Then connect one of the old lamp wires to one of the diode anodes, and the other lamp wire to the other diode anode. When the volts appear on the dash light, the diode will stop the voltage going down the other lead and lighting the LEDs on the other side of the car. Regards Ivan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Gillet Posted October 9, 2006 Author Share Posted October 9, 2006 Thank you very much Eccles Your plan sounds very good to me . However the dash light has only 2 wires and it seems that you are referring to three wires: earth and 2 wires. I will have to find these diodes. Anyone knows where I can buy them with a reasonable minimum order amount ? Cheers, Pierre Edited by - Pierre Gillet on 9 Oct 2006 08:53:18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eccles Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 Hi Pierre, The earth wire will be a new one and the two existing wires are the two that go to the diodes. We have stacks of the diodes here, if you like, mail me your address and I will send some over to you along with a diagram. May take a couple of days as I am working away from the office until Thursday. Regards Ivan I am assuming this idea will work, it works in my head anyway!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Gillet Posted October 9, 2006 Author Share Posted October 9, 2006 Ivan, YHM 😬 Pierre Edited by - Pierre Gillet on 9 Oct 2006 14:50:40 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eccles Posted October 10, 2006 Share Posted October 10, 2006 Hi Pierre, Not sure what happened but nothing came through Could you try again? Cheers Ivan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Gillet Posted October 10, 2006 Author Share Posted October 10, 2006 A problem obviously Eccles. Another mail has been sent. Many, many thanks Cheers, Pierre Edited by - Pierre Gillet on 12 Oct 2006 11:46:34 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eccles Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 Thanks Pierre, I have made a note of your address, and will get the bits in the post tomorrow if possible. BTW your second mail got through OK Regards Ivan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Gillet Posted October 17, 2006 Author Share Posted October 17, 2006 Yes Ivan, it does work *thumbup* *idea* Congratulations and thank you very much. This morning the postman brought a letter from England (very nice stamp). Enclosed was a wiring diagram of the mods to be made to the old circuit (also enclosed) of the indicators dash light. And, even better, a module including two diodes wired to the 3 connectors all professionnaly conditioned in heat shrinkable duct. I just had to connect the module to the two former wires of the dash light and to the dash light, and connect the dash light to the instrument earth point. I added a small buzzer in parallel to the dash light since the LED flasher unit is silent ! Now I can use the 4 LEDs indicators normally: when I flash the indicators of one side the other side does not flash anymore, and there is a small buzz. Also enclosed were several 'spare parts' : diodes, connectors etc. Ivan, I am very grateful, you are a great man *thumbup* Cheers, Pierre Edited by - Pierre Gillet on 17 Oct 2006 18:01:30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eccles Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 HI Pierre, Excellent! Must admit it's a mod I think I will do when I build my new seven next year. Terible isn't it, thinking of mods and Caterham haven't even started building it yet 😬 Regards Ivan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Gillet Posted October 18, 2006 Author Share Posted October 18, 2006 It is certainly a modification you would want to do to your own Caterham, Ivan, if your turn it to LEDs Oh yes, I have also replaced the 10 A flasher unit fuse by a 2 A one. Am I right ? Regards Pierre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eccles Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 Yes, sorry, I meant the ledification that you have done. A 2A fuse should be plenty big enough. I'm guessing that the LEDs will use around 1A max (if not some what less) Regards Ivan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Gillet Posted October 18, 2006 Author Share Posted October 18, 2006 Yes. I would think that 10 W is probably the max power of the 4 ledified indicators + dash light + buzzer. So even under only 12 V it would be 0,83 A. Sightly O/T, would it be interesting according to you to turn the dash light into a LED one ? Pierre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eccles Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 It would work certainly, you would just need to work out he correct value resistor to drop the 12V down to that of the LED. I had wondered (a couple of years ago) about changing all three dash lights to LEDs, but use two tri-coloured LEDs (in the bottom two) so it would be possible to connect an oil pressure switch to the red LED side and leave the indicators on the green side. This would also leave a spare green LED (in the ignition warning light position) that could be used as another warning light of your choice. Regards Ivan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Gillet Posted October 18, 2006 Author Share Posted October 18, 2006 Thanks Ivan. I will think about it. I am a little bit reluctant with the use of LEDs for dash lights since I had painful eyes for a day or two after looking at the front indicators LEDs without the plaltic caps and just in front of them ... Regards, Pierre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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