Do we have a canbus system? o.O Options

[czwalga]

Lots of stuff in this thread, but I deal with LEDs a lot. Canbus no way our cars have that system. CAN stands for controller area network, which basically means every single electrical component runs through a bus in the car. Wiring is a lot more complicated with this system. Door switches/locks everything goes through it.


As far as sizing resistors, you should size them for 14volts not 12. Really what you should do, is get a voltage regulator and run all the LEDs in parallel, then you'll have a constant voltage through the LEDs regards of what the battery voltage is.


Most single superbrights operate between 3.2-4 volts depending on specs/color. What I would do to make this type of stuff for car applications. Get a fairly high current voltage regulator, with a fixed output voltage of around 8-9 volts. Run in series off the regulator 2 LEDS + resistor (ohms depending on the working voltage of the led and voltage regulator picked). Then you can run as many of those as you want in parallel off your voltage regulator, up to the operating current of the regulator before needing another one.

This post has been edited by czwalga: Aug 12, 2013 - 7:03 AM

[Box]

Some colours are 1.8V or so, but usually the listings on eBay are good about providing all of the specs you'll need. Hence the calculator I provided earlier, as it gives the optimum solution for whatever arrangement you're needing. A voltage regulator is a good idea for doing all of your LEDs in the dash/console. Might be harder to find a spot for it in other places though. Could always play it safe and spec it out to whatever your car reads at 3K RPM.

[czwalga]

Some colours are 1.8V or so, but usually the listings on eBay are good about providing all of the specs you'll need. Hence the calculator I provided earlier, as it gives the optimum solution for whatever arrangement you're needing. A voltage regulator is a good idea for doing all of your LEDs in the dash/console. Might be harder to find a spot for it in other places though. Could always play it safe and spec it out to whatever your car reads at 3K RPM.

You're correct, the standard LEDs are around 1.8. If you're going to do it might as well get the superbrights though haha.


You can wire the regulators in right where you tap the 12v source, so you will still be able to hide them. They aren't very big, size of a quarter at most.

Something like this, max output current of 1.5 Amps, which is a LOT of Leds.
http://www.newark.com/stmicroelectronics/l...ment%20Products

This post has been edited by czwalga: Aug 12, 2013 - 9:12 PM

[Box]

For some reason when I think voltage regulator, I think of the huge ones used on old cars that didn't have them built into the generator/alternator.