Home Salon Connecting an LED in a car with your own hands: knowledge is power. Choosing LEDs for a car Do-it-yourself lamps for a car

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Connecting an LED in a car with your own hands: knowledge is power. Choosing LEDs for a car Do-it-yourself lamps for a car

Hello, dear readers of our Radio Circuits website! Today I want to tell you about a minor modification to my car. I've been driving a VAZ-2111 for two years now. And all this time I have been bothered by the problem with the side lights not lighting up and living their own lives. Either the contact disappears, or the light bulb burns out. And since the rules now state that you drive with the lights on at any time of the day, the light bulbs don’t last long, which is especially noticeable with large annual mileages.

One day, I decided to solve the problem radically - to remake the entire system! After all, LEDs have a much longer service life and, importantly, lower energy consumption with greater light output.

LEDs for illumination

I ordered these LEDs from China:

white, red and yellow (SMD 5730). Another plus to this are DC-DC converters, a bunch of resistors, etc. Now the LEDs have already arrived, and everything else is still on the way. Therefore, I decided to start small for now - with the license plate illumination. I removed the lights, they contain ordinary five-watt incandescent lamps:

I took measurements of the free space inside and drew a signet:

I first carried out a test on the circuit board, measured the current, and selected resistors. The nominal value turned out to be 50 Ohm 0.5 Watt, since these were not available, I used two 100 Ohm 0.125 Watt. As a result, it turned out that one chain of LEDs consumes about 70 mA at a voltage of 14.6 volts, which is two times lower than the rated current - they will live longer! Heating at this current is minimal and is easily handled by the back side of the board (copper-coated) and the polygons on the front side. The result is a scarf like this:

The diode is necessary to protect against reverse voltage surges, of which there are plenty on the car. Thus, the board is installed in the flashlight housing:

Testing a new lamp

After all this, I conducted a comparative test - before and after the alteration. The consumption of a flashlight with an incandescent lamp at a voltage of 14.6 volts is 350 mA, and with an LED lamp - 140 mA! The light intensity can be assessed from the photograph, both lamps are connected to the same current source, on the left is an LED lamp, on the right is an incandescent lamp.

LED light today is a popular method of lighting not only in apartments, but also in modern cars. Diodes can be used both for low beam and for arranging lighting in the car interior. You can learn more about what an LED is, how to connect it yourself, and what types of such light bulbs there are from this material.

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LED characteristics

LEDs are diodes that can glow when current flows through them. The light of an LED strip or light bulb depends on what additives were used to create the conductor. For example, yellow and red lighting, as well as shades of these colors, are possible as a result of adding phosphorus, aluminum, indium and helium to the conductor. If a blue phosphor is added to the conductor, the color of the diode will be white. Today you can find lamps on sale in dozens of different colors and shades, but their color does not depend on the color of the body of the diode itself, but directly on chemical additives.

It should also be noted that diode elements in a transparent case can glow in absolutely any color when connected to a car.

Such lighting has many advantages, including:

if compared with conventional incandescent light bulbs, then in this case the level of energy consumption will be ten times less;
quite a long service life, which can be up to ten years of continuous operation;
Also, such lamps are very durable and practically impervious to vibrations and shocks;
a huge variety of colors and shades;
ability to operate at low voltage;
diode devices are generally environmentally friendly and safe from a fire point of view - such designs do not contain toxic elements, therefore, they do not heat up, which means fires are excluded.

Marking

As for the main characteristics and markings, we will talk about this further. The crystal of the diode component is mounted in a reflector, which initially sets the required scattering angle. This light flux passes through a special housing made of epoxy resin, and when it reaches the lens, it is immediately dissipated. Moreover, it is scattered at an angle that depends on the design of the lens; it can range from 5 to 160 degrees.

As for marking, such diode elements can be divided into two types:

Visible radiation. Typically used as indicators, as well as backlight sources in various devices.
Infrared range. Such devices are used in remote control panels, sensors, controllers, as well as all kinds of transceiver devices operating in the infrared range.

In any case, such light sources are marked using a color code. First, you should identify the type of diode in accordance with its design, and then clarify it according to the markings given in the table.

Connection Guide

Now we propose to find out how the LED is turned on after connecting the plus and minus, which circuit can be used for this and which cannot.

In the case of a car, a twelve-volt on-board network allows for greater possibilities in terms of connecting plus and minus. If the circuit is implemented in a car, then it can be sequential with three elements. A larger number of parts, as a rule, are no longer connected to the network, since it is necessary to remember that the voltage level decreases under load. For example, if it drops even slightly, by one volt, to 11 V, this can cause a large loss of light flux. When arranging the circuit and connecting the positive, you can use a resistor, but if it is not at hand, then experts recommend using a low-voltage driver in such cases.

Its use is due to the fact that it also operates from a twelve-volt network and is also equipped with a special output voltage regulator. In addition, the driver must also have an ampere setting, which will allow optimal distribution of current and ensure high-quality lighting. In addition, its design is much simpler than when compared to connecting to a household network; such a circuit eliminates the need to use an additional transformer, only a choke.

As you know, despite the fact that a car electrical circuit has 12 volts, when the engine is running, the voltage parameter can vary around 13.5-15 volts. However, if surges occur in the system, this parameter can increase to 30 volts. When the power unit is turned off, the voltage level should be around 12-13 volts, in this case it all depends on how charged the battery is.

So when arranging the circuit, in any case you need to use a stabilizer or a stabilized power supply. Moreover, Chinese-made products have difficulty withstanding voltage surges, since in general the quality of the conductor on the chip leaves much to be desired. If you use higher quality, branded versions of lighting sources, then they can function without stabilizers, it is safe for them (the author of the video is the KAR AutoCity channel).

The procedure for installing diode elements in a car may differ, depending on what kind of circuit you want to arrange and how you will connect it.

Below is a universal version of the assembly steps that will allow you to do everything correctly:

Before assembly, read the technical documentation. You must know exactly the characteristics of your light sources, specifically how many volts each LED will supply in your circuit.
The next step will be drawing up a connection diagram. There are quite a lot of options for such schemes on the Internet, you can easily find something for yourself. When drawing up the circuit, take into account the supply voltage in the electrical network.
Next, you will need to calculate the power consumption level of the circuit as a whole.
When you do this, you will need to select either a stabilizer, an appropriate unit, or a driver that is suitable for your electrical circuit in terms of power. It would also be a good idea to correctly calculate the resistor in case you plan to use power with a stabilized voltage.
Then you need to find the correct polarity on the light source elements. You must know exactly where the plus is and where the minus is. Using a soldering iron and consumables (tin, rosin), solder the wires to the plus and minus, after which you can connect the power source (that is, the cable from the on-board network). The connection in this case will depend on your goals - if you want the lighting to work when the ignition is on, then you need to extend the cable directly from the ignition.
After the wires are soldered, it is necessary to securely and tightly mount the diode elements on the radiator and fix them. Next, the assembled structure is connected to the vehicle’s on-board network. If nothing burned out when connecting, then check, just in case, the energy consumption parameter, the heating of the diode elements, as well as the current they consume. If the current turns out to be higher or lower than you planned, then this indicator should be adjusted.
Please note that although diodes can withstand vibrations and shocks, all components of the circuit must be securely fixed. This will prevent malfunctions in the operation of lighting sources, as well as the appearance of extraneous sounds caused by shaking of loose elements.

Video “How to make a voltage stabilizer for LEDs with your own hands”

To prevent burnout of diode light sources, you can try to make an appropriate stabilizer with your own hands; detailed instructions are given in the video (the author of the video is the Created in Garage channel).

Many car enthusiasts want to replace conventional incandescent car bulbs with LEDs. Their advantage is determined by durability, low current consumption, high light output and lack of heating.

What are LEDs

Lamp device

An LED is a semiconductor device that is capable of emitting light when an electric current is passed through it. It is generally accepted that first light emitting diode(LED) was made in 1962 at the University of Illinois. However, it has recently become widely used. This is due to the relative cheapness and the fact that our lamps convert current directly into light radiation, unlike incandescent or fluorescent lamps.

Device diagram

LEDs are mechanically robust and extremely reliable. Their service life reaches 100 thousand hours, which is 5-10 times longer than that of fluorescent lamps, and almost 100 times longer than that of incandescent lamps. After all, this is a low voltage, safer device.

Varieties

There are the following parameters by which types of LEDs are classified, namely:

size,
number of crystals in the case,
power,
brightness,
emitted color, etc.

As a rule, the LED housing contains only one semiconductor crystal, which begins to glow when electric current flows. In the case of multi-color lamps, instead of one crystal, several are inserted. The crystals themselves emit different light, as they are made of different materials.

Color palette

Application

Two-color light bulbs (red and green) are usually used as indicators. To create light screens, three-color LEDs with the following basic colors are suitable: blue, green, red. When mixing the latter, you can get a display of photos and videos.

For increased brightness, several crystals of the same color are sometimes installed in the body of one lamp. In this case, the brightness is a multiple of their number.

Rules for installing LEDs

The first thing you need to immediately understand is that an LED is not a lamp. You must be careful and careful during the replacement procedure. Repairing the electrical part of a car due to incorrect actions is not a pleasant thing. However, there is nothing complicated in such a replacement, the tuning of which you have already thought about can be installed yourself.

Voltage and current are two fundamental characteristics. In the car's on-board electrical network, the voltage is usually 12-13 V when the engine is off, and when the engine is running - 13-14.5 V. The supply voltage for our lamps ranges from 2-3.8 V depending on the color (to be confirmed with the manufacturer). The current value for a low-power lamp is limited to 20 mA, high-power LEDs reach 350 mA.

It is also necessary to take into account that not all LEDs can illuminate the space around them. When buying new lamps, pay attention to the type of lens, which indicates the dispersion angle. For example, narrow-beam light bulbs have a small lens.

Connection

There are LED panels (clusters) on sale that are powered by 12 V. You can immediately connect them to the mains and enjoy the wonderful lights. But as the engine speed changes, the brightness of their glow will change. In fact, they will normally glow at a voltage of about 12.5 V; low voltage will cause the clusters to glow dimly.

Each cluster consists of LEDs and a resistor. There is one resistor for three lamps, which is needed to dampen excess voltage. The LED strip is designed in a similar way, and if you need a piece, you can cut it at a specific location.

Serial connection

Our lamps can be switched on in series, thereby making a homemade cluster. To do this, you need to connect them to each other, and connect the remaining two terminals to the on-board electrical network. For example, for a voltage of 12-14 V you will need three white LEDs. As you know, LEDs of different colors have different supply voltages. Thus, in this example we get the following supply voltage: 3.5x3 = 10.5 V.

For an LED, one terminal is considered “plus” (cathode), and the second is considered “minus” (anode). A serial connection means that the “plus” of one terminal is connected to the “minus” of the next and so on until the end. But they still cannot be connected directly to the network. We connect a quenching resistor (resistance) of 100-150 Ohms with a power of 0.5 W in series with the resulting chain.

This circuit also depends on the voltage of the on-board network. However, using it, you can connect any number of LEDs in chains of 3 pieces in parallel with a resistor. A parallel connection means collecting several identical chains, where the plus of one chain is connected to the plus of another chain, and the minus to the minus. The nominal resistance is calculated according to Ohm's law.

Remember, if you just take and connect an LED to the car’s electrical network, you are guaranteed to burn it out.

Installing LEDs on cars

Illuminated door handles in a car

For a clear example, let’s look at how car doors can be made, in particular, we’ll install lighting for the pockets of the interior door handles.

The installation location was chosen to be the inside of the handle itself. At this point the LED will not be visible, and at the same time will illuminate the entire pocket.

Car door handle

For this illumination, a bright LED with a resistance of 1 kOhm was used. Additionally, the lens was ground down, so we get uniform light. The lamp itself was secured with hot glue.

Mounted lamp

If you doubt your calculations, you can use one of the calculators for calculating LEDs that are available on the Internet.

Handle illumination

LED lighting for music lovers

If you have installed the backlight and it is still not enough for you, then you can connect our lamps to the speaker wires. This way the LEDs will shimmer to the rhythm of your music.

The LED leads can be connected in parallel to the speakers. With this connection, you need to take into account that the resistance of all speakers is standardized and is usually 4 Ohms, but there are exceptions in the form of 6 and 8 Ohms. By connecting the tape parallel to the speakers, you will increase the load on the speaker, which can cause it to overheat or break. This will also cause a decrease in the efficiency of the working speakers, which will only produce a fraction of their power.

To avoid this situation, there is an electrical circuit (LM 3914), which, due to its own high resistance, reduces the load resistance at the output of the connected radio. The signal to the input of the microcircuit does not come from the speaker wires, but from the low-power output to the amplifier. To operate such a microcircuit, you only need one resistor and, accordingly, the correct connection.

Electrical connection diagram

The output transistor is the power control element. It is powered from it (at a negative potential of the transistor base). To set the backlight turn-on level corresponding to the level of the input signal to the microcircuit, we use a slide switch. If the volume is reduced, then the potential from the 1, 17, 18 or 16th leg is supplied to the base of the transistor through the indicated switch; when increasing, you should switch to one of the following legs: 15, 14, 13, and at maximum volume - to 12, 11 or 10th.

There are many ready-made solutions on sale, but whether it’s worth paying 3 times more for them is up to you to decide.

If you have a desire to install LED lamps instead of standard incandescent lamps in the dimensions or rear signals of a car or motorcycle, then it is not at all necessary to buy them in a store and, moreover, it is not a fact that you will come across LEDs from factory China and, as a result, their service life will be very short , then spontaneous blistering will begin and soon they will go out completely. It’s a completely different matter if you make such light bulbs yourself, using well-tested and personally time-tested LEDs from suitable donors, these can be room lamps, LED strips, strips, etc. Such LEDs can work for a very long time and brightly, and the number of elements in the donor is always large and enough to make any homemade lamps for all the needs in your car, and the price of the resulting finished device will be miserable compared to a purchased one.

To make most car lamps, the following kit will be sufficient:

1. LED lamp or tape or strip for 12-220V.

2. Amateur radio textolite (preferably double-sided).
3. Grinder or hacksaw for metal.
4. Soldering supplies and a minimum of amateur radio tools.

Point 1. Preparation.

First, let's decide what, where and how many homemade lamps we need. To do this, we visit your car or motor vehicle, look and remove the required standard lamps. Now we are studying what the bases of these lamps look like, at the same time we are coming up with what to make them from, or we can even use these.
In my case, the base turned out to be glass, so it won’t be possible to use it, but its shape and contacts can be replicated very simply using a regular copper-plated PCB.
We also find at home or buy in a store a suitable multi-LED donor lamp, but you just need to look at what elements (cells) it consists of, usually these are rectangles of three diodes with a resistor, such elements are easy to dismantle and use for your own purposes. Each such cell is usually 12 volts, even in 220 volt lamps, only a power converter driver is installed there, which we do not need.

Point 2. Manufacturing.

From textolite, using a grinder with a thin disk, I cut rectangles to the size of the desired base, make a cut in the center to separate + from -. If the PCB is double-sided, then this is even a plus, but just be sure to make a cut on both sides, otherwise it will short out and the fuse will fly out.

We dismantle the cells from the donor lamp, if there are no resistors in them, then it will be necessary to modify them and introduce a quenching resistor, usually it is equal to several tens of Ohms, we select it ourselves during installation, otherwise the 12 volt LEDs will quickly burn out.

You can make light bulbs of different light power, for this you just need to use a larger number of elements (cells) by soldering them in a circle, in my case there will be a single and a double.
In the double version, we connect two cells as in the photo, making sure that + to plus - to minus. You can glue it, use tape, or just solder it.

If the textolite is double-sided, then the polarity is not important, turning the light bulb will fix everything, but with a one-sided one it’s a completely different matter and if there are only two contacts in the socket, then you must check the polarity and solder it correctly so that everything works the first time.

The option from an LED strip turned out to be even more convenient for manufacturing, we bite off segments of three diodes, there are already holes with contacts along the edges, there is a + and - designation, all that remains is to connect the polarity correctly and insert the wires for soldering, it is convenient to use legs from resistors.

We solder the contacts to homemade pads (bases). You can additionally insulate everything with varnish, put on a heat-shrinkable casing of the required length, but you don’t have to do this, but rather run to check them in operation.

Clause 3. Test.

We insert the lamp into the socket, apply voltage, if it works, then you can insert everything into the headlight, if not, then change the polarity of the connection by rotating the lamp 180 degrees around its axis.

Good day! After a year of owning the car, I finally got around to replacing the bulbs with LEDs. Among the advantages of LEDs, I would like to note a brighter glow at lower or equal power. The absence of a filament has a positive effect on the service life of these products. I started with a flashlight in the trunk.

I purchased a cool white LED strip.

Voltage -12V. Protection degree IP67. Price 250 rubles per meter. Since there was no confidence in the success of the conversion, I decided to retain the possibility of replacing it with an incandescent lamp (W5W). I started making a “lamp”. I cut out the base of the future structure from the UPS housing.

Trying out an LED strip for a future base.

The resulting foundation. From a prototype printed circuit board with a hole pitch of 2.5 mm, I cut out a blank measuring 10x4 pads. This part will then become the base of the future LED lamp.

Blank for the 'base'. I glued both parts together with super glue.

The future lamp begins to appear. More precisely, its foundation. On the resulting blank, I glued 2 pieces of tape with 3 LEDs in each.

The tape is glued to its own adhesive layer. The ends are stripped of the protective layer. Next comes the electrical work. We clean two pieces of mounting wire (preferably of different colors to make it easier to navigate the polarity later) and pass them through the perforation of the “base” in the place of future contacts. The basis for future contacts.

Then these places are soldered with a generous layer of tin, and the wires are soldered to the tape. Don't forget about the jumpers between the two pieces of tape.

After. It became much brighter. Photos don't fully convey the difference. The camera tried to overexpose the “before” shot due to the shutter speed. This can even be seen in the sharpness of the frame. I'm pleased with the result. A start)

I continue to replace the lamps in the lampshades with LEDs. Next, I discovered that one of the license plate lights does not light up. After opening the lampshade, it became clear that the contacts in the rear license plate light were rusty.

The flashlight was completely disassembled, the contacts were cleaned, and at the same time I replaced the lamp (W5W) with LEDs. More precisely, a piece of LED strip.