HB Led's for car tail lights

[rolo95]

Hey guys
i have seen so many china aftermarket tail lights
the problem with those ,is that they are dim and the difference between the runnin light and the break light is very minimal

My question
if somebody can point me in the right direction of what type of led
for example Cadillac uses on its led tail lamps... those are really Brightttt
does anybody have been on a street with a an escalade or deville in front of you at night when they are breaking ..... that is bright

i want to get those type of leds to modify my car tail light
or get an aftermarket one and replace the cheap leds for the high power ones

but maybe someone can know some about it

i have seen some controller chips to do PWM on the led's to control the current and thus the brightness , but they dont seem to easy to tackle as i am not a pro electronics designer

Thanks
Rolo.

 

[audioguru]

Modifying car lights is illegal in Canada and in other countries because so many kids buy cheap after-market lights or LEDs on E-Bay that are too dim, fail soon and have a very narrow beam angle. So we don't talk about them on this website.

 

[rolo95]

Modifying car lights is illegal in Canada and in other countries because so many kids buy cheap after-market lights or LEDs on E-Bay that are too dim, fail soon and have a very narrow beam angle. So we don't talk about them on this website.

Audioguru

Led Tailights are not Illegal in USA , at least in Texas
I want to modify one and make to the bright of the cadillac escaladetailights
or at least to the toyota camry ( those are not as bright as cadillac tailights )
i found this ones that i think will fit
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=CP42B-RKS-CL0P0AA4-ND

piranha led have 90 degree angle that will suffice for a tail light

check this thread
http://ls1tech.com/forums/appearance-detailing/1062775-new-led-tail-lights-done-all-superflux-3.html

and i wasn't aware that you can't ask for help on a LED project here
i stated that i was used for a car tailight,becasue that is the truth
but i can just have lied
and write that i want a 6"x5" led panel for my room...

Led's are Led's regardless what application you want them to be used for
the part that matters is the circuit who drives them...

if you don't like led's on tail lights , i can understand that
but that all of the members of the forums don't talk about them because
they are dim, fail soon and have a very narrow beam angle
that i don't believe , as you refer to the ebay cheap ones.

I do not want to get an ebay cheap led tailight, i want to make my own boards
and stuff them in with good quality HB led's
so i will not have the "dim, fail soon and have a very narrow beam angle" limitations

Rolo.

 

[carbonzit]

That red LED you linked to from Digi-Key is rated at 7 lm (lumens). Do you know how bright that is? I sure don't. Wonder if it's as bright as those Caddy LEDs you seem so impressed by.

Since they're only 19 cents each, why don't you go ahead and buy a few and experiment with them? You'll need the proper current-limiting resistor so it doesn't go poof! See if they're bright enough for you.

And no, contrary to what Audio McDuck quacked, there are definitely folks here who will help you with such LED questions.

 

[HiTech]

The problem with the lumens spec. is at what distance was it measured? 7 lumens could be considered "fairly" bright when measured from 6" away! From a distance of 5' the light fall off has a considerable visual difference. I've seen LED flashlights advertised as having 220 lumens but that's measured up close and is misleading somewhat.

 

[audioguru]

How will you cool the LEDs so they don't over-heat and fail soon?

 

[carbonzit]

The problem with the lumens spec. is at what distance was it measured? 7 lumens could be considered "fairly" bright when measured from 6" away!

That's why I said that I have no idea how bright these things are. But at 19 cents a pop, I'd just buy a handful of them and experiment. Should be obvious just how bright they are. Could also work out any necessary cooling issues with them.

 

[audioguru]

I have some very bright and wide angle Philips Luxeon SuperFlux red LEDs in the same package and with the same specs. They are very difficult to cool.

 

[rolo95]

That red LED you linked to from Digi-Key is rated at 7 lm (lumens). Do you know how bright that is? I sure don't. Wonder if it's as bright as those Caddy LEDs you seem so impressed by.

.

Well, yes i am impressed with the caddy tailights as no other car tailight gets near , even the ones with led tail lights like infiniti ,lexus and bmw, according to guys who have used them (the piranhas) , those are pretty bright for car tail lights, however i wish i can have a caddy tail light to dissect and see if they use any heat sinks or just a plain pcb board, i have a nissan sentra thats the one i want to mod...and it have the third brake strip led light , it is bright but not as bright as the caddy's , i removed it and inspected it and i can see that piranha type of LED, clear lens and 4 legs... but i dont know if they are piranhas, i dont think so because of the not so bright shine, however i cant open it as i need to bake it on the oven to melt the epoxy glue, it is a 2 piece assembly that is welded in the middle line with epoxy, i can see on the inside a pcb and some resistors and thats it...
i assume that those led's dont produce too much heat and they are can withstand the braking cycle times...

i will start to look on high end body shops on my town and ask... hey do you have a caddy with broken tail lights ? can i see the leftovers of it ? ... ahhh they are in the trash ? ... where is the trash can.... thanks...
i want to peek inside one!!! of those. and see what they are doing...

also... after i can "clone" that shine... next project will be DTRL ) day time running lights .... like those AUDI, MERCEDEZ and BMW...
those are super bright also but they are cool white... towards the blue/purple end of the spectrum

 

[rolo95]

The problem with the lumens spec. is at what distance was it measured? 7 lumens could be considered "fairly" bright when measured from 6" away! From a distance of 5' the light fall off has a considerable visual difference. I've seen LED flashlights advertised as having 220 lumens but that's measured up close and is misleading somewhat.

That i dont know, i need to see one of the caddy ones ,to see what they do... because those are really bright
i need to see if they are mounted on some metal pcb or something... or just the plain pcb
also... temperatures inside tailights will get pretty hot in the summer , specially at day time when the sun is hitting directly...
so they must endure that harsh environment

haaaa
i found this ones...
but i think they will cost a lot more than the .19 cents ones

https://www.philipslumileds.com/products/luxeon-rebel/luxeon-rebel-automotive#redorange

i was reading that for automotive use , RedOrange is better as they are still perceived as red, but the light output is quite better than the pure red ones

 

[HiTech]

How will you cool the LEDs so they don't over-heat and fail soon?

Use "blinker-fluid" of course!

 

[carbonzit]

I will not explain electronic theory. For those who know, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not, no explanation is possible!

You have to have one of the most off-putting sigs I've ever seen.

I'm just sayin' ...

 

[OlPhart]

I'll have to 2nd CZ: being by nature condescending isn't a great posture for a forum contributor. While I share the sentiment, I wouldn't broadcast it (I just practice it).

Past that: I'm in USA, and have built Several LED signal / brake / marker lights. While more directional than incandescent, they're Way more visible at distance. I usually build in sequencing / flashing (because it's easy) but also makes them more noticeable. I've yet to be pulled over for noncompliance or being without proper signal/lighting.

Once did have an officer remark how attention grabbing the lights are on one of my motorcycles.

It's a shame when officious bodies block potential advances, for the sake of conformity. Build / Learn / Repeat ... <<<)))

 

[rolo95]

I'll have to 2nd CZ: being by nature condescending isn't a great posture for a forum contributor. While I share the sentiment, I wouldn't broadcast it (I just practice it).

Past that: I'm in USA, and have built Several LED signal / brake / marker lights. While more directional than incandescent, they're Way more visible at distance. I usually build in sequencing / flashing (because it's easy) but also makes them more noticeable. I've yet to be pulled over for noncompliance or being without proper signal/lighting.

Once did have an officer remark how attention grabbing the lights are on one of my motorcycles.

It's a shame when officious bodies block potential advances, for the sake of conformity. Build / Learn / Repeat ... <<<)))

Hey man
can you share some of your works ?
how you made your led boards and what drivers you have used to drive them

i just get 4 DATAK perfboards 3"x2" as i cant fit any larger boards inside my sentra tailights without major surgery
still looking for highflux p4 type led's, they will be red/orange as automotive industry use those because the eye perceive stronger illumination at those
wavelengths than the pure red ones

still i think i will get a pair of tailights on where i can work, that way i can still use my car,
these are the tailights my car have

**broken link removed**

another option will be to get a pair of these

**broken link removed**

or

**broken link removed**

and modd them with better led's and driver if any

what you think
just saying because the already made tailights cost 160+ bucks
Rolo.

 

[OlPhart]

Depending on location/access, constant current drivers are available. The ones with serial input & latches are best for complex patterns. The ST series of STPxxCxx05 are just great.

From there, it's a matter of uC & swre to make it behave the way you want. I attached (sorry 'bout size) a pict of my hotrods' embedded set in the saddlebags. The octagonal ring has 2 strings of red LEDs.

Each are on at ~50% (PWM) for running lights, but go 100% & inner/outer counter rotate for braking. The turn signal is a 10 step sequencing yellow arrow, which has to timeshare with the brake sequencing... making the turn signal w/braking Really "flashy".

I'll share the code (it's Really Simple), but unless you write HC908QY Freescale, you'll be better off brewing your own.

A much simpler approach is straight forward to do (have several) using the LM3914, a venerable driver. As the 555 is to timing... this is to dot/bar LED driving. I have these on a few K bikes (besides mine).

A little diode/power steering allows running illumination be separate from braking. Mine has ~50% bright for running, then shuts off for an instant (<10mS) and "opens" like a curtain at full bright for brake.

It's all fun to play with... <<<)))

 

[Dragon Tamer]

I think a lot of the new cars with LED tail lights have clear difusers and very high intesity clear case red LEDs. I personaly find that LED tail lights are more noticeable during the daytime and especially at night.

Replacing my tail lights is something I've been wanting to do but the difuser on my car is red so I need to find ultra bright white ones.

I have replaced the intirior lamps in my car with a white LED and they work very well.

 

[alec_t]

How do insurers react to lighting mods on your side (States-side) of the pond guys? Over here they don't want to provide vehicle cover (unless at some exorbitant premium) for even the slightest mod of a vehicle (and lighting mods would not be regarded as merely adding 'accessories').

 

[carbonzit]

How do insurers react to lighting mods on your side (States-side) of the pond guys? Over here they don't want to provide vehicle cover (unless at some exorbitant premium) for even the slightest mod of a vehicle (and lighting mods would not be regarded as merely adding 'accessories').

On that account, we (N. Americans) are slightly less "nanny-state" than you Brits. Not that I'm a Tea Party type that wants to shrink government to the size where it can easily be drowned in a bathtub; far from it. But y'all over there seem to be subject to the most silly sets of laws governing every aspect of life.

Having said that, I have no idea how insurers here would react to aftermarket mods, especially in case of an accident: I wouldn't be surprised if they might invoke this in an act of covering their ass. But I don't really think it would extend so far as to make brake-light mods problematic, unless it could be proven that the lights failed and somehow actually contributed to an accident.

 

[Dragon Tamer]

How do insurers react to lighting mods on your side (States-side) of the pond guys? Over here they don't want to provide vehicle cover (unless at some exorbitant premium) for even the slightest mod of a vehicle (and lighting mods would not be regarded as merely adding 'accessories').

Well then how are they going to respond when I put xmas lights on my car this year?

 

[audioguru]

The insurer will ask the guy who rear-ended your car with the modified rear lights, "Did you see his car?" Of course the answer will be NO and the insurer will not pay.