LED Dome light???

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

I was thinking about this the other night: I am missing my plastic piece that hods the two contacts apart for the dome light housing, so why not make an LED array to replace the bulb? This came to me when I looked at the LED lights in my Olds Intrigue rear view mirror. They are yellow and green LEDs and give off a really cool, subtle lighting effect. They also do a fade out instead of turning off instantly. I am wondering though, how would I wire my LEDs to work with my car's electrical system? Do I need a transformer or resistors to do it? Can I make it fade slowly too? I have some blue and green LEDs that I picked up for $1 a bag off E-Bay, but I have no idea how to properly wire them. (I will likely buy some yellow and orange to add to the mix too!) Any help is appreciated. I am not positive I will do this, but it does sound like a fun alternative to the normal.

 

[dan2286]

I can't help with the wiring, but I may be able to help with the fading lights. I believe GM uses some type of control module to do that. You may be able to get one and make it work with your car.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

For the wiring, I found this site that explains the way you have to wire them :http://www.theledlight.com/ledcircuits.html. I also ordered 2 prototyping boards and 2 more packs of LEDs off E-Bay for a total of $7. If you add in the other two packs I already have, that puts the grand total at $10 for my experiment. I'll know in a week or two if this is gonna work because that is how long the shipping will take from Hong Kong. Will it all work in the end? Your guess is as good as mine. I have no real experience with electronics. I just figure that I am probably just as smart as anyone else who messes with it, so I can probably figure it all out just as easily. I also found that you can get LED bulbs shaped like the standard dome light bulb on E-Bay for $1, including shipping. However, I am missing the plastic terminal separator/holder thingie on my car, and this gives me an excuse to experiment.

 

[beermonkey9417]

there is a place that makes REALLY good but expencive leds for all lights for most cars. v-leds.com

 

[Doober]

http://www.superbrightleds.com/festoon.html