Dual Color Door L.E.D. Lights.

ghpk · 16th June 2009, 02:43

hi all,
another DO-IT-Yourself itch going under my head since many days.
wanted a small light for my Santro doors, which glows when doors are opened and prevents those
cycle wala's to Bang the car door.

many ready made were not digestable for me, i remember in few foreign cars i saw some door lights
which had red and white light combo.

here iam ready with one more DIY door light, consisting
9 RED L.E.D.
9 White L.E.D.
A small PCB
and Indicator cover of WagonR (the clear one used on front fender indicators)
2 560ohm 1/2 watt resistors. (using 1 resistor per color only, cause RED L.E.D consume very less current and can easily be lit using little voltage, same is with the white ones iam using.)

Not Installed yet, will do when i make them for all 4 doors.

Pics Attached.
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Size: 41.5 KB

Dual Color Door L.E.D. Lights.-lens2.jpg

Dual Color Door L.E.D. Lights.-18led_1.jpg

Dual Color Door L.E.D. Lights.-18led_2.jpg

Dual Color Door L.E.D. Lights.-soldered.jpg

Dual Color Door L.E.D. Lights.-red_white1.jpg

Dual Color Door L.E.D. Lights.-red_white2.jpg

Dual Color Door L.E.D. Lights.-red_white3.jpg

greenhorn · 16th June 2009, 07:05

I too was thinking about it , but was not quite sure about getting the wiring etc part right

try aiming it a bit downwards when you install it , so that it illuminates the ground - sort of like a puddle light in the new superb etc

goandude · 16th June 2009, 07:56

focus would help clarity. or use macro mode in your cam.

shabahmad · 16th June 2009, 10:50

@GHPK: Good one, i am also thinking to do the same in my car for all 4 doors and dickey.

For dickey, i am thinking to make a blinking kind of stuff. Your work will be inspiration and guideline for me. Please post the circuit diagram with ratings of LED's and registers.

shyamhegde · 16th June 2009, 12:25

Cool. It requires lots of patience and concentration to make a cluster like this. Please make it weatherproof on soldering side as it might develop dry solders over the time (specially hostile conditions of car). Hot glue gun could be useful doing so.

ghpk · 16th June 2009, 14:10

Thanks all for comments. I didn't expected this would be of anybody's interest, luckily you guys seems to be liking it, Thanks again

greenhorn, I think embedding a few blue L.E.D.'s on the bottom side, so when the door opens, you have blue light downwards ground, How's the idea ?

Gaondude, the pics are taken from blackberry 8330 who's camera doesn't have much customizations.

shabahmad i took a few flashers from local stores, they keep flashing and are available in 3, 4 colors, will try to make a video of it, but i think flashers would only look nice for small time, however having them in dickey is a excellent idea (so you don't get the plane crashed in when the dickey is open) they were cheap Rs.100/pair. it has a small circuit which makes it flash.

shyamhegde don't know if i'll be able to find the hot glue gun in my town, but have 2 things at my disposal to make it water-proof, silicon based adhesive, used to stick glass, and araldite. Solders are done nicely so it shouldn't get dry until water enters.

gopinathann · 16th June 2009, 14:43

how do you plan to connect this when the door opens, I believe you have to get the wire which connects the cabin light.

ghpk · 16th June 2009, 15:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by gopinathann

how do you plan to connect this when the door opens, I believe you have to get the wire which connects the cabin light.

yes, I'll making use of the door switch which is already on all four doors, they are "push to off" types used for car security system.
so any door opened will complete the circuit and make all 4 glow.

gopinathann · 16th June 2009, 16:37

please make photo shots when you do this, so that it will help us to do the same setup

gaddiwale · 17th June 2009, 14:25

Good idea man. Other than working as a warning light to cyclewalas, it can be act as a door open indicator flash light too. Fit an extra LED in the dash. Many a people I have seen driving with not properly shutted door. This will be a good DIY for all forgetful minds. Please post a few pix after installation.

DerAlte · 17th June 2009, 15:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghpk

yes, I'll making use of the door switch which is already on all four doors, ... make all 4 glow.

You are right partly, but it is not so simple. Most cars have a body electronics ECU (replaces a LOT of relays, for door/cabin lights, wiper, power windows, headlight minder, etc.) to which these switches are wired. One side of the switch may be either be wired to an 'enquiry' voltage coming from the ECU or to ground on one side (0V = switch closed, any other V = switch open). The ECU will misbehave if you load the power supplied as 'enquiry' voltage, which may not be enough to light your LED module

If so, you will have to additionally do the following:
1. Use a 12V coil miniature relay (PCB mounting), whose coil has to be wired to the 'cold' side of the door contact (the side that does not have any voltage when the door switch is in 'break' condition) and ground
2. Bring in 12V into the door, wire it to one side of an NO contact of the relay, with the other side wired to the + of your module (- wired to ground in the door itself)

jobinjv · 17th June 2009, 20:17

Good going.. Me keeping a watch on this.. I was planning on the xylo puddle for Santro. Don't forget pics when u do the the things.

shyamhegde · 17th June 2009, 20:54

Just ask your nearest car electrician to pull a pair of wires from cabin light. Use a fuse as near as possible from that point. You can take the connection from there to all doors. Use a good quality wire and use red and black for +ve and -ve lines for easy identification.
If I were you, i would ask the electrician to do all wiring once all clusters are done. This will ensure more professional wiring as this is all round the car and not a single point.

DerAlte · 17th June 2009, 21:14

Right said, @shyamhegde, that is a more pragmatic approach. You just need one wire, actually, since the lamp voltage is w.r.t. chassis ground which is kind of everywhere.

arin_12 · 17th June 2009, 21:34

Even I was thinking of doing same kind of light which I want use inside the car and also in engine bay

By the way how did manage to fix a switch.

16th June 2009, 02:43	#1
ghpk BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Ghaziabad Posts: 870 Thanked: 211 Times	Dual Color Door L.E.D. Lights. hi all, another DO-IT-Yourself itch going under my head since many days. wanted a small light for my Santro doors, which glows when doors are opened and prevents those cycle wala's to Bang the car door. many ready made were not digestable for me, i remember in few foreign cars i saw some door lights which had red and white light combo. here iam ready with one more DIY door light, consisting 9 RED L.E.D. 9 White L.E.D. A small PCB and Indicator cover of WagonR (the clear one used on front fender indicators) 2 560ohm 1/2 watt resistors. (using 1 resistor per color only, cause RED L.E.D consume very less current and can easily be lit using little voltage, same is with the white ones iam using.) Not Installed yet, will do when i make them for all 4 doors. Pics Attached.
	() Thanks

16th June 2009, 07:05	#2
greenhorn Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: KL-01 Posts: 7,744 Thanked: 4,387 Times View My Garage	I too was thinking about it , but was not quite sure about getting the wiring etc part right try aiming it a bit downwards when you install it , so that it illuminates the ground - sort of like a puddle light in the new superb etc
	() Thanks

16th June 2009, 07:56	#3
goandude Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Mysuru Posts: 1,761 Thanked: 1,276 Times	focus would help clarity. or use macro mode in your cam.
	() Thanks

16th June 2009, 10:50	#4
shabahmad BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Pune Posts: 270 Thanked: 21 Times	@GHPK: Good one, i am also thinking to do the same in my car for all 4 doors and dickey. For dickey, i am thinking to make a blinking kind of stuff. Your work will be inspiration and guideline for me. Please post the circuit diagram with ratings of LED's and registers.
	() Thanks

16th June 2009, 12:25	#5
shyamhegde BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 284 Thanked: 5 Times View My Garage	Cool. It requires lots of patience and concentration to make a cluster like this. Please make it weatherproof on soldering side as it might develop dry solders over the time (specially hostile conditions of car). Hot glue gun could be useful doing so.
	() Thanks

16th June 2009, 14:10	#6
ghpk BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Ghaziabad Posts: 870 Thanked: 211 Times	Thanks all for comments. I didn't expected this would be of anybody's interest, luckily you guys seems to be liking it, Thanks again greenhorn, I think embedding a few blue L.E.D.'s on the bottom side, so when the door opens, you have blue light downwards ground, How's the idea ? Gaondude, the pics are taken from blackberry 8330 who's camera doesn't have much customizations. shabahmad i took a few flashers from local stores, they keep flashing and are available in 3, 4 colors, will try to make a video of it, but i think flashers would only look nice for small time, however having them in dickey is a excellent idea (so you don't get the plane crashed in when the dickey is open) they were cheap Rs.100/pair. it has a small circuit which makes it flash. shyamhegde don't know if i'll be able to find the hot glue gun in my town, but have 2 things at my disposal to make it water-proof, silicon based adhesive, used to stick glass, and araldite. Solders are done nicely so it shouldn't get dry until water enters.
	() Thanks

16th June 2009, 14:43	#7
gopinathann BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 765 Thanked: 20 Times View My Garage	how do you plan to connect this when the door opens, I believe you have to get the wire which connects the cabin light.
	() Thanks

16th June 2009, 16:37	#9
gopinathann BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 765 Thanked: 20 Times View My Garage	please make photo shots when you do this, so that it will help us to do the same setup
	() Thanks

17th June 2009, 14:25	#10
gaddiwale BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: BANGALORE Posts: 399 Thanked: 77 Times	Good idea man. Other than working as a warning light to cyclewalas, it can be act as a door open indicator flash light too. Fit an extra LED in the dash. Many a people I have seen driving with not properly shutted door. This will be a good DIY for all forgetful minds. Please post a few pix after installation. Last edited by gaddiwale : 17th June 2009 at 14:26.
	() Thanks

17th June 2009, 20:17	#12
jobinjv BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chennai, Thiruvalla Posts: 126 Thanked: 6 Times	Good going.. Me keeping a watch on this.. I was planning on the xylo puddle for Santro. Don't forget pics when u do the the things.
	() Thanks

17th June 2009, 20:54	#13
shyamhegde BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 284 Thanked: 5 Times View My Garage	Just ask your nearest car electrician to pull a pair of wires from cabin light. Use a fuse as near as possible from that point. You can take the connection from there to all doors. Use a good quality wire and use red and black for +ve and -ve lines for easy identification. If I were you, i would ask the electrician to do all wiring once all clusters are done. This will ensure more professional wiring as this is all round the car and not a single point.
	() Thanks

17th June 2009, 21:14	#14
DerAlte Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 8,069 Thanked: 2,919 Times	Right said, @shyamhegde, that is a more pragmatic approach. You just need one wire, actually, since the lamp voltage is w.r.t. chassis ground which is kind of everywhere.
	() Thanks

17th June 2009, 21:34	#15
arin_12 BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 627 Thanked: 84 Times View My Garage	Even I was thinking of doing same kind of light which I want use inside the car and also in engine bay By the way how did manage to fix a switch.
	() Thanks