LED Interior light help

FkVtech · 11-20-2009, 11:03 PM

Okay, so I wanted to try and change my maplights and domelights to White LEDs.

I bought the kind of bulbs where there's two metal wires(that's the best way I can describe it sorry) Coming off of the bulb.

The Map+Dome light are 12V, so I bought 22-Ohm Resistors which is 1/2 watt or 5% tolerance(That's what the package said and the guy at radio shack told me what to use

).

Here's the questions, I hooked up the resistor to the power wire and then the ground to the bulb and it's not working. I tried switching which metal wires they were connected to also.

Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong?? I didn't wanna spend big bucks to buy the lights that just plug in as I thought I'd be able to do this myself. Thanks a lot everybody.

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go0sebumpz · 11-20-2009, 11:06 PM

you can just buy pretty cheap lights that directly plug in ...

FkVtech · 11-20-2009, 11:08 PM

Well I already have them all so If I'm able to do it then that would be great... It really doesn't seem to hard, I just need a little info.

FkVtech · 11-20-2009, 11:09 PM

And from fastwrx.com, the maplights and domelight would come to 100 bucks.... That's not what I would call "Cheap".

Spore · 11-20-2009, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FkVtech

Okay, so I wanted to try and change my maplights and domelights to White LEDs.

I bought the kind of bulbs where there's two metal wires(that's the best way I can describe it sorry) Coming off of the bulb.

The Map+Dome light are 12V, so I bought 22-Ohm Resistors which is 1/2 watt or 5% tolerance(That's what the package said and the guy at radio shack told me what to use

).

Here's the questions, I hooked up the resistor to the power wire and then the ground to the bulb and it's not working. I tried switching which metal wires they were connected to also.

Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong?? I didn't wanna spend big bucks to buy the lights that just plug in as I thought I'd be able to do this myself. Thanks a lot everybody.

It's hard to say if the resistance is good or not. What are the specification of the LED's you are planning to use? LED's are polarized, have you tried reverse the poles and see if they work? There's not much point in using bulk LED's for interior lights unless you are running customized applications (eg. instrument panel lighting). The ones that are meant for car applications are better as they have integrated resistors in them. And they aren't expensive if you just look on the internet a bit more. I paid around $35 for all the interior lights inside my Impreza. You can PM me and I can tell you a few places where you can look into for your lights as I don't want to advertise something which doesn't have vendor status...

FkVtech · 11-20-2009, 11:37 PM

Yea I switched the poles, that's what I was referring to when I said tried switching the meal wires. The specs for the bulbs are:
Forward Current- 20Ma
Forward Supply- 3.5V(typical), 4.0V(max)

FkVtech · 11-20-2009, 11:45 PM

Ok I just tried it again and it flashed but then went out. I need a different resistor I think, can anyone tell me what size??

d0ugch0i · 11-20-2009, 11:56 PM

i did my maplights, domelights, licenseplate, trunk, radio, hvac all for $25.

FkVtech · 11-21-2009, 12:13 AM

Okay that's nice. Do you think you could explain to me how to do it??

murrdogg24 · 11-25-2009, 12:45 AM

OH yea I did my maplights, domelights, licenseplate, trunk, radio, hvac all for $24

JackTheMetalHead · 11-25-2009, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by murrdogg24

OH yea I did my maplights, domelights, licenseplate, trunk, radio, hvac all for $24

where'd you buy the LEDs from?

kakihra · 11-25-2009, 01:17 AM

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-b...sp=%2F1157.htm

c0rehax · 11-25-2009, 03:49 PM

just got a set from autozone that are pnp for about 15 bucks.. did both dome n map lights..

Big-E · 11-25-2009, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kakihra

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-b...sp=%2F1157.htm

Use two of the 3022-WHP2 SMD LED's for the map lights and one UNV-PCB-W12 for the dome light.

573 · 11-25-2009, 04:08 PM

Just put 4 of those LEDs in a series and be done with it. If you want a bit more output, add a second series of 4. If you do it like that, I don't think you'll have to bother with a resistor.

11-20-2009, 11:03 PM	#1
FkVtech Scooby Specialist Member#: 198968 Join Date: Jan 2009 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: Putnam County Vehicle: 2008 WRX Lightning red mo****a	LED Interior light help Okay, so I wanted to try and change my maplights and domelights to White LEDs. I bought the kind of bulbs where there's two metal wires(that's the best way I can describe it sorry) Coming off of the bulb. The Map+Dome light are 12V, so I bought 22-Ohm Resistors which is 1/2 watt or 5% tolerance(That's what the package said and the guy at radio shack told me what to use). Here's the questions, I hooked up the resistor to the power wire and then the ground to the bulb and it's not working. I tried switching which metal wires they were connected to also. Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong?? I didn't wanna spend big bucks to buy the lights that just plug in as I thought I'd be able to do this myself. Thanks a lot everybody. * Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

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11-20-2009, 11:06 PM	#2
go0sebumpz Scooby Specialist Member#: 147521 Join Date: Apr 2007 Chapter/Region: SCIC Location: 626 Los Angeles Vehicle: 03 Saggy buttwagon PSM Super slow	you can just buy pretty cheap lights that directly plug in ...

11-20-2009, 11:08 PM	#3
FkVtech Scooby Specialist Member#: 198968 Join Date: Jan 2009 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: Putnam County Vehicle: 2008 WRX Lightning red mo****a	Well I already have them all so If I'm able to do it then that would be great... It really doesn't seem to hard, I just need a little info.

11-20-2009, 11:09 PM	#4
FkVtech Scooby Specialist Member#: 198968 Join Date: Jan 2009 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: Putnam County Vehicle: 2008 WRX Lightning red mo****a	And from fastwrx.com, the maplights and domelight would come to 100 bucks.... That's not what I would call "Cheap".

11-20-2009, 11:37 PM	#6
FkVtech Scooby Specialist Member#: 198968 Join Date: Jan 2009 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: Putnam County Vehicle: 2008 WRX Lightning red mo****a	Yea I switched the poles, that's what I was referring to when I said tried switching the meal wires. The specs for the bulbs are: Forward Current- 20Ma Forward Supply- 3.5V(typical), 4.0V(max)

11-20-2009, 11:45 PM	#7
FkVtech Scooby Specialist Member#: 198968 Join Date: Jan 2009 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: Putnam County Vehicle: 2008 WRX Lightning red mo****a	Ok I just tried it again and it flashed but then went out. I need a different resistor I think, can anyone tell me what size??

11-20-2009, 11:56 PM	#8
d0ugch0i Scooby Specialist Member#: 198861 Join Date: Jan 2009 Chapter/Region: SCIC Location: Orange County, CA Vehicle: 2004 WRX PSM	i did my maplights, domelights, licenseplate, trunk, radio, hvac all for $25.

11-21-2009, 12:13 AM	#9
FkVtech Scooby Specialist Member#: 198968 Join Date: Jan 2009 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: Putnam County Vehicle: 2008 WRX Lightning red mo****a	Okay that's nice. Do you think you could explain to me how to do it??

11-25-2009, 12:45 AM	#10
murrdogg24 Scooby Specialist Member#: 50586 Join Date: Dec 2003 Chapter/Region: SCIC Location: San Diego Vehicle: 2004 WRecked Black with dents & scrape	OH yea I did my maplights, domelights, licenseplate, trunk, radio, hvac all for $24

11-25-2009, 01:17 AM	#12
kakihra Scooby Newbie Member#: 106714 Join Date: Feb 2006 Chapter/Region: E. Canada Vehicle: 2003 WRX	http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-b...sp=%2F1157.htm

11-25-2009, 03:49 PM	#13
c0rehax Scooby Newbie Member#: 197363 Join Date: Dec 2008 Chapter/Region: BAIC Location: pg 831 Vehicle: 05 STi AW	just got a set from autozone that are pnp for about 15 bucks.. did both dome n map lights..

11-25-2009, 04:08 PM	#15
573 Scooby Specialist Member#: 144821 Join Date: Mar 2007 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Troy, Michigan Vehicle: 2007 WRX wagon Black http://cgbagne.com/wrx	Just put 4 of those LEDs in a series and be done with it. If you want a bit more output, add a second series of 4. If you do it like that, I don't think you'll have to bother with a resistor.