Westfalia rear fluorescent light - big mistake

JDub113

Ok. Here it goes. I straight F'ed my original light fixture. Take a look at my avatar and you will know know why I originally picked it.

The light didnt work, the ballast or whatever it was was not transfering the current to complete the circuit. Like a jackass, I went to home depot to get the 7/8ths hose to replace the oil breather tube and figured I'll swap the guts of a cool LED light into the vintage Hella.

I worked. I slaved. I made a beautiful piece of crap. Its 110v for the house and not 12v. I am posting with embarrasment and also asking if there anything I can salvage so its not a total loss, but I don't think there is a way to revert this to 12v and I'll have to start over with a new/used fixture. Damn thing works great too. Embarassed

If anybody has a spare, send me an email or any other ideas you may have.

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84 Wolfsburg Edition Westy

Channing81 · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 7:17 pm Post subject:

It Could be simple. That big box is an inverter that transforms 110 AC to DC. Sometimes they have labels. The bus outputs ~12V DC. Most of the times the LEDs need 5V DC, but you have to figure that out. Are there any specs in the instructions?
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1974 Type 2 Bus Westfalia, 1600 Dual Port

Wildthings · Samba Member Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 52239

You can get hundreds of different LED bulbs. Find one that will operate on 12v and has the base style you need. The wiring should be dead simple.

Here are two suppliers, there are others out there as well:

https://www.1000bulbs.com/?gclid=CjwKEAiA68WnBRCJx...oCSTHw_wcB

https://www.superbrightleds.com/?gclid=CjwKEAiA68W...oCvo7w_wcB

tristessa · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 7:40 pm Post subject:

Channing81 · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 9:07 pm Post subject:

That's what I would do, but you need to be confident in your wiring for 110V. It hurts a little bit. Then hook the multimeter up to the output.
I ordered some LEDs online and made my own.
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1974 Type 2 Bus Westfalia, 1600 Dual Port

JDub113 · Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 9:07 am Post subject:

There were no specifics in the instructions. I'll hook it up and figure out how to use my multimeter...
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84 Wolfsburg Edition Westy

PITApan · Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 9:53 am Post subject:

I'm using these for general lighting"

http://www.amazon.com/Alpena-77254-White-12-LED-Dome/dp/B00D1SWH4A

If I can find them I can give you the module dimensions. Very bright. Two would be a whole lot of light.

JDub113 · Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 9:50 pm Post subject:

I learned how to use the multimeter, well as much as a man can learn in 5 minutes on the internet.

So say its wired to the 110v, do I test with the AC or DC portion of the multimeter and will I fry that little board when I test it the wrong way?

Can I just hook it up to my bus battery and see if its 12v on the other side? Seems safer and then I'll know I can't buy a different strip for it. That should work right?

eh.

I'll also mention that the LED strip is a solid plate that I actually screwed into place.
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84 Wolfsburg Edition Westy

telford dorr · Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 10:43 pm Post subject:

Be careful!

LEDs are DC devices, not AC. They could be wired in groups such that they could operate on AC, but without looking at what you bought, can't say for sure.

Contrary to popular opinion, LEDs are current dependent, not voltage. That's to say, the LED diodes themselves don't like constant voltage drive. Thus, connecting them across a car battery could result in impressive flash bulbs.

Do the voltage measurements and report back. If you get no readings on your meter on DC, try AC. Report back on what you find.

Most likely, the unit you bought converts 120 vac to a constant current output to drive series connected LEDS. It's possible to re-engineer something that would do the same thing with 12-14 vdc input, but is most likely not trivial.

Plug the original unit into 120 vac and count the number of LEDs that light up.
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'71 panel, now with FI
'Experience' is the ability to recognize a mistake when you're making it again - Franklin P. Jones
In theory, theory works in practice; in practice, it doesn't - William T. Harbaugh
When you're dead, you don't know you're dead. The pain is only felt by others.
Same thing happens when you're stupid. - Philippe Geluck
More VW electrical at http://telforddorr.com/ (available 9am to 9pm PST)

Bala · Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 9:45 am Post subject:

If you want to "start over", here's an option.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6410396#6410396
Been working great for a few years now.
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1976 Westy

1966 Beetle

Manfreds78bay · Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2015 12:55 pm Post subject:

DougB · Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2015 7:45 pm Post subject:

I bought a roll of in-series warm (3300K) LEDs from eBay for about $15, removed the fluorescent guts from mine, used an old switch from a broken portable air compressor and adhered 3 rows of those LEDs to the metal plate under the lens. Works very well. Then again, the OO of my '75 Westy also have me a totally MOS, in the original box, never used floured ent light as a backup. I think I prefer the instant brightness of the LEDs though.

Try those warm LEDs and a self contained toggle switch...maybe $20 in parts and 1-2 hours of assembly...you'll love it!

Good luck!

- Doug Smile

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'75 Campmobile (tin-top to SpaceRoof)
'73 Fastback
'52 BMW R67/2
'41 Zundapp KS600
'55 Puch SGS250
A very, very understanding wife

airschooled · Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2015 8:21 pm Post subject:

So I'm a little late to the party-

I use the 12v LED "ribbon" you can get on eBay for engine compartment lighting. It's cool, because you can cut it every inch (on the quality stuff; on the cheap stuff, you can cut it every three inches,) and it's available in many colors.

I like the expensive ones from litegear.com because I've used them in 30 amp runs for eight hours straight off a 12v deep cycle setup with 100% success. I can't say the same for the el-cheapo eBay knockoffs. With my engine compartment lights I've accidentally left them on overnight with no trouble, and I couldn't hear a difference in cranking speed on the next day's first cold start.

Robbie

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One-on-one tech help for your vintage Volkswagen:

www.airschooled.com

https://www.patreon.com/airschooled

SGKent · Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2015 8:49 pm Post subject:

Help an old man understand. Did I read your problem right?

You bought a new LED fixture then used the guts to convert your existing Westphalia light to LED without realizing the new one was for 110V AC and now you can't go backwards? So, in this universe you are looking for either a way to make the new light work on 12V DC, or find a used one to roll back to what you had before?

If so I agree that you need to step back and decide what you want. Both a LED or a used original light are easily obtained. O'Reilly shows these and many are in stock in the stores in your area. Maybe one of these models might work http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/search.oap?keyword=interior+light

FWIW all of us have done things like that, in fact I just spent considerable time getting a permit from the state to trap a squirrel that has been eating everything in sight. One condition was that it be destroyed. Well, how do you un-destroy a squirrel, and roll that back when you realize it was a mistake? You should feel fortunate it was just a light you destroyed. I think I got my squirrel covered and the light seems really easy to fix compared to the problem with the squirrel so if you take a step back you'll decide how you want to handle it - I am sure you can if you haven't already figured it out. And for those of you who wonder how to un-destroy a squirrel you destroyed, I can show you a way but it won't be measurable in this world, at least not yet.

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"Most people don't know what they're doing, and a lot of them are really good at it." - George Carlin

JDub113 · Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2015 9:26 pm Post subject:

I am starting over with a "new" flourescent light. Mine never worked so I probably won't do the LED thing for a while. The LED one I made has been wired and will have to accompany a workbench in my garage in the future.
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84 Wolfsburg Edition Westy

JDub113 · Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2015 9:37 pm Post subject:

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84 Wolfsburg Edition Westy

SGKent · Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2015 9:40 pm Post subject:

good solution. There should be some RV store near you. Drop in and see what they have. They may have something perfect for your needs. A good LED would give you much more battery life than a florescent.
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"Most people don't know what they're doing, and a lot of them are really good at it." - George Carlin

Wasted youth · Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2015 8:22 am Post subject:

Duh! The obvious answer is licensed squirrels lighting candles everywhere. How did you not know that?


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