I want to convert my 69 Dart marker/ turn signals to LED. Reason for this is because my intercooler pipe runs right behind my passenger marker light. I want to use the factory housings and lenses but use an LED board so they will be thin. Has anyone attempted to do anything like this? Im looking for a place to get the LED board from too.
Thanks
I've done the tail light and front turn/run conversion on my 66 dart. you will need a few things to do it right . luckily the parts are cheap and can be placed somewhere else other than in the marker light.
you can spend a lot or a little money on the conversion. your choice.
if you like learning a new thing and see just what it's all about and discover the process of how they are made. you can save a bundle on the second set(not really on the first set since you'll need to buy most of the stuff soldering iron, boards, leds, solder ect...) the first set might cost around 100-150 using radioshack tools and supplies. the second set 's cost is 50% of that.
of course there is the time involved. mine took 6 hours per light (4 of em all different sizes too!) for the rear 2 hours per light in the front and 45 minutes to etch and build the regulators.
cost effective?? not really if you add in your time. but
1 I did it myself. and didn't have to pay 180.00 400.00 for tail light (oh plus they don't make any for mine anyway)
2. I did it my way, the way I like it sort of ringed like the newer chargers.
3. I can redo it again in any other way for 1/3 the cost since I already went through the learning curve nad have the tools.
4. if I have problems I can FIX it instead of having my car down. waiting or arguing with the company that made it to send me a replacement . or I can go back to bulbs in a pinch.
5. if it dies after warranty I don't need to buy again at full price since I made em. and yeah I can make it do the silly tuff using micro controllers and such like "knight rider" scans and so forth. Will i NO but I can.
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before (1)
check out the light area and make a template of the shape you want from foamboard (walmarts,kmarts, target,michaels,joann fabric's ect)
before (1a)decide on design.
before (1b) got to
http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz with the spec's of your led's basically you need to know
A. battery voltage, most use 13.5 volts
B. forward voltage can be anywhere from 1.6v to 3v.
C. use the calculator to get the correct resistor value.
then go to 1
1. you can go to radioshack (or the web) to get some prototype boards)
basically they are just component boards of various sizes that have holes drilled in them and they have copper plating on the backside of the holes to solder to.
link to ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/10Pcs-DIY-P...779?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d3543e9f3
2. go get some good led's from superbright's web site (lumiled or superflux)
not the little round ones they don't last(or cheap china ebay ones).
you want the
4 leg square ones. Agilent(SP) work best
amber's are harder to find but they are at mouser eletronics if superbright is out.
resistors (look em up using the online led wizard for parallel leds)
schottky diodes to stop the current from transferring backwards. that mistake does weird things to your lights! ask me how I know:banghead:
sharp regulators 1 for each function running or parking likght are 1 function and turn/brake is number 2 so 2 regulators needed
Capacitors 2 types per regulator 1 .33uf and a 47 , 1 per regulator so for turn/running/brake you'll need 2 setd of caps.
I'll have to look it up but i'm pretty sure it is .33uf and 47uf (again hidplanet in the led section search for sharp regulator wiring
14 and 12 gauge wire different colors ,i used red and black for this setup but I am going to change to the normal green,brown,black to make color coding easier on the next couple of set's plus it'll last longer than the stock 16 gauge.
shrink tubing(3x shrinking not cheapie stuff)
expandable loom to run the wiring harness in (you may not need this if your not running new or altered lights. I used 3/8 loom for the 4 tail light conversion on the 66 changing the inner tail light to turn /tail/stop lights. I also will incorporate a power trunk and light wire in the new harness using 1/2 expandable tubing.
order extra's you'll need em.
3. make sure you have a
good soldering iron or soldering station and the thinnest solder you can get for electrical work. small shaping saws to shape the boards and tweezers, small dykes(wire cutters) jewelers magnifying glass ect..
4. make circuit diagram. or just draw up a pattern that you like and post it on hidplanet.com in the led section and see where you have gone wrong. (oh yes! you will have messed up somewhere or forgot to add a regulator of diode) or if you want them to blink with the turn siganals , that a different ball of wax all together, you have to make 2 regulators up 1 for running and 1 for brake.
5. fix your mess ups and repost again. (goto 4 untill there is no 5)
6. after that's all done you can lay out your board using the diagram that you have revised 30 or 40 times. unless you do Electronics for a living.
then if you have made them good enough you can have the boards etched and made to look professional.(of course your the only one going to see them)
7. test and fit your board into the lense or bucket that you are using.
8. make a voltage regulator (sharp regulator and 2 capacitors) it's on hidplanet in the led section. I put my regulators right in the running light circuit, that stopped the brightening and dimming of the light when the engine was idling and brightening when it was rev'd up.
9. since I wanted mine to be able to go back to bulbs if I ever sold it or had a problem I used light bulb bases that I gutted using old burned out bulbs. you do not need to do that you can use a 2 pin connector like a trailer connector you can get in a lot of places
10. Light em Up!
