| Author | Message | ||
| Jim Wilkerson (Wagwar)
Registered Member Username: Wagwar Post Number: 173 Registered: 12-2009 Posted From: 69.151.63.113 Rating: N/A |
Hi, I wanted to swap my Toggle switch light bulbs and guage lights for LED's. So I found LED's that fit the OEM bulb sockets on my MC 9 toggle panel and (most) of the gauges. That worked OK, but I ran into two problems I haven't figured out how to solve: 1. The OEM dimmers switches did not work with the LED's. So I found (with Sean's help! Thank you, Sean) 24Vdc LED dimmers and swapped those in. However, the LED dimmers will not dim the lights using chassis ground for the bulbbs - it requires all of the lights to share the dimmer's own output ground. I solved that problem on the toggle panel by isolating the panel from the chassis ground. However, the dash guages all use the chassis ground and I can't see a way to isolate the light buld grounds from the dash guage grounds! 2. The Tell-Tales (idiot lights) also now have LED bulbs and look nice. There's no dimmer for the TT's, so I don't have that issue, but several of the TT's are supposed to flash using one of those narrow black rectangular flashers in the front junction box. The LED's don't have enough resistance (or so I assume) to make the flasher flash. Borrowing an idea, again from Sean, could I put a resistor in the bulb circuit so the the flasher would work with the LED's? I'd rather not pay the $40 each for LED flashers. If a resistor would work, any idea what size I need for each bulb? Thanks in advance. | ||
| Jim Wilkerson (Wagwar)
Registered Member Username: Wagwar Post Number: 174 Registered: 12-2009 Posted From: 69.151.63.113 Rating: N/A |
Update: I fixed the problem with the guage lights! Using bulb sockets with both pos and ground connections. So now I just need some ideas on how to make my LED's work with the standard black plastic flashers in my front junction box! Any ideas? Thanks. | ||
| David Evans (Dmd)
Registered Member Username: Dmd Post Number: 621 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 69.114.3.22  Rating: N/A |
i was hoping someone electrical would post but i have seen LED turn signals that would not flash. The fix was to wire in a regular bulb or lite into the circuit to get the resistance. In this case they "hid" the bulbs on the inside of the engine door. You need resistance i believe. good luck, bus is coming along, good work. | ||
| Bill Gerrie (Bill_gerrie)
Registered Member Username: Bill_gerrie Post Number: 549 Registered: 3-2006 Posted From: 216.198.139.38  Rating: N/A |
David Use an electronic flasher as they will flash without needing a load. They are available at NAPA or similar store. If not you could try a resistor at the existing flasher. Try about 10 ohms, 10+ watts. They are cheap enough. If 10 doesn't make it flash put another 10 ohm in parallel with that one. It becomes 5 ohms when you do that. Bill | ||
| Jim Wilkerson (Wagwar)
Registered Member Username: Wagwar Post Number: 175 Registered: 12-2009 Posted From: 69.151.63.113 Rating: N/A |
Thanks Bill for your suggestions. I tried a 10 ohm, 2 watt, a 10 ohm, 5 watt and a 10 ohm 10 watt on each side of the flashers - they had no effect on the light - no flashing. Any other suggestions? Thanks, Jim |