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MrWhoopee
Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2005
Posts: 177
Location: Shingletown, CA
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 Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 4:30 pm Post subject: LED Indicator Lights - 2021 Update |
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The situation with LED dash/indicator lights has changed with the availability of non-polar LEDs. These can be used for both illumination and all of the indicator lights, regardless of polarity. (The oil, gen/alt and turn-signal indicators are all wired backwards)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/224157631753?
There is a well-documented problem with using LEDs for the alternator indicator. I was able to solve this problem by adding a stock bulb in parallel to the LED. Instead of putting it under the dash, I was able to put it in the engine compartment. One lead attaches to the small lead on the alternator, which feeds the indicator light. The other lead is attached to the switched power lead on the coil. Polarity is not important.
The LED has no effect on the behavior of the charging circuit, it functions the same as if the bulb was in the speedo.
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Craig ('51 WASP)
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Culito
11010101
Joined: December 07, 2006
Posts: 5865
Location: Columbia Missourah
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| Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 5:19 pm Post subject: Re: LED Indicator Lights - 2021 Update |
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Nice update.
You could just use a resistor in place of the bulb - it'd be less likely to break from vibration.
I assume this is needed to excite the alternator?
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Copyright CJ Industries, Inc.
'64 standard w/2.0L type 4
'62 bug
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MrWhoopee
Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2005
Posts: 177
Location: Shingletown, CA
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| Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 5:33 pm Post subject: Re: LED Indicator Lights - 2021 Update |
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| Culito wrote: |
You could just use a resistor in place of the bulb - it'd be less likely to break from vibration.
I assume this is needed to excite the alternator? |
Yes, a resistor of the proper value would serve too. My reading suggests one of 70 ohms and 5 watts would do the job. I didn't have one of those, but I have a handful of the bulbs I no longer need.
Yes, the conductivity thru the bulb provides excitement for the alternator.
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mdege
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Joined: January 16, 2018
Posts: 939
Location: Niederkruechten, Germany
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MrWhoopee
Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2005
Posts: 177
Location: Shingletown, CA
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| Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 9:28 am Post subject: Re: LED Indicator Lights - 2021 Update |
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| mdege wrote: |
I would not trust this solder joint:
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Yeah, not my best work. It looks worse than it is, but I should re-flow it.
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Thompson2
Samba Member
Joined: June 06, 2018
Posts: 659
Location: Portland, OR
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| Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2021 12:55 pm Post subject: Re: LED Indicator Lights - 2021 Update |
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And in case anyone is curious, these work with 6v as well. I bench tested them with 6.5v up to 12v and there was little noticeable change in brightness.
I pulled a regular bulb to do a side-by-side but somehow managed to kill the bulb while removing it. Pics to follow when I get another bulb.
One problem I noticed is that that the flashers don't seem to work with the LED installed in the dash indicator, so there may need to be a work-around for that as well (or maybe there's just something wrong in my wiring... can't tell without a good bulb.. DOH!) |
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bobrk
Samba Member
Joined: March 07, 2002
Posts: 288
Location: Beautiful Downtown San Jose
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| Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2021 1:17 pm Post subject: Re: LED Indicator Lights - 2021 Update |
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| Thompson2 wrote: |
And in case anyone is curious, these work with 6v as well. I bench tested them with 6.5v up to 12v and there was little noticeable change in brightness.
I pulled a regular bulb to do a side-by-side but somehow managed to kill the bulb while removing it. Pics to follow when I get another bulb.
One problem I noticed is that that the flashers don't seem to work with the LED installed in the dash indicator, so there may need to be a work-around for that as well (or maybe there's just something wrong in my wiring... can't tell without a good bulb.. DOH!) |
I just saw a video on this. The old flashers think that low impedance means a bulb is out, but LEDs have hardly any impedance when they're off, so there's a different flasher you're supposed to use. Or something like that.
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Culito
11010101
Joined: December 07, 2006
Posts: 5865
Location: Columbia Missourah
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| Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2021 2:18 pm Post subject: Re: LED Indicator Lights - 2021 Update |
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I put a small resistor between the indicator wire (blue) and ground.
I'm using an electronic flasher with adjustable flash speed.
_________________
Copyright CJ Industries, Inc.
'64 standard w/2.0L type 4
'62 bug
| johnnypan wrote: |
| ...dont pay no attention to Culito,he's a cornhole.. |
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MrWhoopee
Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2005
Posts: 177
Location: Shingletown, CA
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| Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2021 3:02 pm Post subject: Re: LED Indicator Lights - 2021 Update |
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| Thompson2 wrote: |
One problem I noticed is that that the flashers don't seem to work with the LED installed in the dash indicator, so there may need to be a work-around for that as well (or maybe there's just something wrong in my wiring... can't tell without a good bulb.. DOH!) |
I'm not having any problem with the turn indicator using one of the non-polar LEDs above. External bulbs are still incandescent and I didn't change the flasher.
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Thompson2
Samba Member
Joined: June 06, 2018
Posts: 659
Location: Portland, OR
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| Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2021 4:01 pm Post subject: Re: LED Indicator Lights - 2021 Update |
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| MrWhoopee wrote: |
| Thompson2 wrote: |
One problem I noticed is that that the flashers don't seem to work with the LED installed in the dash indicator, so there may need to be a work-around for that as well (or maybe there's just something wrong in my wiring... can't tell without a good bulb.. DOH!) |
I'm not having any problem with the turn indicator using one of the non-polar LEDs above. External bulbs are still incandescent and I didn't change the flasher. |
I've got replacement incandescents on order so I can figure out if I just screwed something up when I pulled the flasher indicator out (high probability...  ). If not, if may be a 6v / 12v anomaly... If / when I get this sorted, I'll drop back in with what I've found. |
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ToolBox
Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2004
Posts: 3439
Location: Detroit, where they don't jack parts off my ride in the parking lot of the 7-11
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| Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2021 9:33 am Post subject: Re: LED Indicator Lights - 2021 Update |
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| MrWhoopee wrote: |
The situation with LED dash/indicator lights has changed with the availability of non-polar LEDs. These can be used for both illumination and all of the indicator lights, regardless of polarity. (The oil, gen/alt and turn-signal indicators are all wired backwards)
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Here is a VW specific LED supplier... http://auto-hub.com/type-2/
Cost is higher but it is drop in ready... |
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