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DISCUSSION => Exterior => Topic started by: Master on July 10, 2007, 01:46:14 PM

Title: LED Tail Lights. What do you think?
Post by: Master on July 10, 2007, 01:46:14 PM: I'm in the process of doing custom Angel Eyes for my ZKW headlights, and then thought to myself, why not go rear LED while I'm at it :]
Here are the ones I'm thinking on getting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JovfvJFWoYs
What do you think?

P.S. I'm thinking of making a custom voltage regulator for those, so maybe I'll switch the brake light layout in the process (if I can), so that the stop light is like stock (closer to the center)
Title: LED Tail Lights. What do you think?
Post by: Master on July 11, 2007, 02:27:04 PM: I hate myself already, but today I bought one of these:
(http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s319/Masterrer/E36_LEDTailLights/e36_LEDTailLights_1.jpg)
Don't ask me how much they cost (194$), but it's a lot (to me anyways)…
I guess I'm beginning to suffer from something called riceomania :D

Here's what was inside the box:
Pair of these:
(http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s319/Masterrer/E36_LEDTailLights/e36_LEDTailLights_2.jpg)
(http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s319/Masterrer/E36_LEDTailLights/e36_LEDTailLights_3.jpg)
4 voltage regulators i guess (couldn't take them apart to see what circuit is inside):
(http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s319/Masterrer/E36_LEDTailLights/e36_LEDTailLights_4.jpg)
2 reflectors (when I saw these I realized that the lights themselves don't have a reflector):
(http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s319/Masterrer/E36_LEDTailLights/e36_LEDTailLights_5.jpg)
Installation manual:
(http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s319/Masterrer/E36_LEDTailLights/e36_LEDTailLights_6.jpg)

Now I'm in the process of rewiring the lights, so that they light up in the right places
I also scraped my plan to build custom voltage regulators (because they were already included)

What do you think people, is it safe to drive without any reflectors in the back? Coz I don't want to glue them to my bumper
Title: LED Tail Lights. What do you think?
Post by: Alpine003 on July 11, 2007, 04:41:18 PM: I'm assuming you have an E36. Anywho, the 'voltage regulators' that you speak of are really only just big resistors to slow down the blinking of the turn signals and to prevent any OBC light errors. This is because LED's have less resistance than incadesent bulbs.
Title: LED Tail Lights. What do you think?
Post by: Master on July 11, 2007, 05:04:57 PM: How do you know that they are resistors?
I checked those "regulators" and it measures resistance in every direction
Guess that means that there is no voltage regulator transistor inside, hmm I'll have to sort out that wiring tomorrow, so maybe I'll understand how it works :)

I've been thinking on building a voltage regulator like this one (So that those diodes don't burn out real soon…):
(http://www.otherpower.com/images/lm317.png)

Also you can see my car in the avatar, so yes it's a e36 ;)
Title: LED Tail Lights. What do you think?
Post by: Vladi on July 11, 2007, 05:12:05 PM: There was a guy on e30.de wich had his tail lights to LEDs. I'll post some pics when i find them. They were real sweeeeeeet. :cool:
Title: LED Tail Lights. What do you think?
Post by: Master on July 11, 2007, 05:20:22 PM: Quote from: Vladi;29461
There was a guy on e30.de wich had his tail lights to LEDs. I'll post some pics when i find them. They were real sweeeeeeet. :cool:

Please do, it would be very interesting to see ;)
Title: LED Tail Lights. What do you think?
Post by: Vladi on July 11, 2007, 05:51:43 PM: Found it. :) Sweeeeeeeet (Homer Simpson style). :D
http://www.behindmatrix.com/e30/fotost/f00513/f00513.htm
Title: LED Tail Lights. What do you think?
Post by: Alpine003 on July 12, 2007, 12:08:24 PM: Quote from: Master;29459
How do you know that they are resistors?

The first generations had resistors for the blinkers just like the angel eyes but the later ones got the voltage regulation circuit primarily to make the LED's last longer. I overlooked the fact that you just bought these so most likely, you got the voltage regulator version. Let me see if I can dig up an older LED light that I took apart to study the regulation circuit.
Title: LED Tail Lights. What do you think?
Post by: Master on July 12, 2007, 01:12:59 PM: Quote from: Alpine003;29518
The first generations had resistors for the blinkers just like the angel eyes but the later ones got the voltage regulation circuit primarily to make the LED's last longer. I overlooked the fact that you just bought these so most likely, you got the voltage regulator version. Let me see if I can dig up an older LED light that I took apart to study the regulation circuit.

That would be great!
As far as I can see there are only resistors inside the light itself, I don't know whats inside those black bricks I called voltage regulators though, the insides are completely sealed with some plastic
(http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s319/Masterrer/E36_LEDTailLights/e36_LEDTailLights_7.jpg)
Title: LED Tail Lights. What do you think?
Post by: paprkut on January 20, 2008, 10:56:18 AM: wow ive actually found someone whose got these lights on a 318. have you figured out how to correctly make the led lights light up?? ive got a coupe and some of the nighttime lights do not light up
as such

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v91/umiran/DSC00608.jpg)

if you figured out how to make them work and could maybe tell me that would be SOOOOOOOO great
Title: LED Tail Lights. What do you think?
Post by: kowalski on January 23, 2008, 07:35:15 PM: that e30 looks pretty neat with them in the stock lenses.
Title: LED Tail Lights. What do you think?
Post by: DaveM-sport on January 23, 2008, 10:17:36 PM: That E30 looks pretty neat, Full stop!!!
Stunning car...

Be pretty cool to find a way of making rear LED lights in which the brake lights get progressively brighter as you stand on the pedal like the E46 cars:cool:
Title: LED Tail Lights. What do you think?
Post by: kowalski on January 23, 2008, 10:26:23 PM: where do you get those LEDs?
Title: LED Tail Lights. What do you think?
Post by: paprkut on January 27, 2008, 03:49:49 PM: ebay theres a seller in thailand who sells them and theres various german sellers aswell
Title: LED Tail Lights. What do you think?
Post by: paprkut on January 27, 2008, 03:51:08 PM: btw i got the led lights working fine on the 318 e36, writeup comin up.