LED Brake Lights

[Rleog]

Originally Posted by spoke

Finally getting caught up with things after my daughter's wedding and the delay for the quest to find a solution compatible with the cruise control units. A pile of boards were shipped today. All boards paid for have been shipped with one exception going to Ireland while we work out shipping.

Here's a couple of pics of my car with the white LED running lights in the turnsignal bucket.



With the headlights on.

I'm loving these LED running lights. Put me on your list whenever you're ready to offer these.

Bob G

[boxcarracer]

Looks great! Looking forward to a full LED package... Looks like it's coming along

[SOAZ]

Just wanted to throw my 2 cents in.
I ordered up a set of the round brake lights for my 88 911. Arrived today and installed. If this install takes more than 25 minutes you're drinking a lot of beer and that's okay.

I also threw on some brighter LED reverse lights I found online.

Needless to say, I'm VERY happy with these. I feel like everyone else around Scottsdale, AZ is used to the brand new cars ultra bright brake lights and giant cars so I wanted to do anything I could to help be seen in my daily driver!

Install


Running lights. LED on left, original on right, of course.


Brake light actuated. It's immensely brighter to the eye, but the camera only captured it a little.


Reverse Light difference. WOH! It's huge.
https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/back-up-light-bulb/1156-can-bus-led-bulb-26-smd-led-tower-ba15s-retrofit-car/1326/



Then I put these in the interior. They are bright, but I prefer the yellow "natural" looking light more than the bright white. It almost hurts my eyes, but for now I'm going to leave it.
https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/dome-light-bulb/578-led-can-bus-bulb-1-smd-led-festoon-44mm-car/1264/2937/

[spoke]

Been designing a front turnsignal board for pre-'74 911's. Here's about how it will look. I may likely round the ends to have a better fit in the fixture. This one will have 72 LEDs and should be bright as ever. The LEDs will be amber; the ones in the pic are just 3d representations of the LED.



Looks like the board should fit pretty well. I estimate the angle of the LEDs on the board to be about 30 degrees so spacers will be used when soldering the LEDs to the board.



This one fixture is a reproduction so I'm not sure all buckets will be of this exact shape. Once concern is how the height of the turnsignal cavity is uneven. There is quite a bit of space above the right side vs the left. Is this unevenness just this repro or are all buckets like this? Anyone know?

[scotricker]

I've been suffering for years with the dreaded too fast turn signals. So, as recommended here, I tried an E36 flasher unit off Amazon with my stock factory bulbs set up, and whoopee! It blinks just at a nice speed, not hyper-crazy! Now, on to LEDs.

[scotricker]

Are both the front and rear turn signals available now for my 78 911SC?

[spoke]

Originally Posted by scotricker

Are both the front and rear turn signals available now for my 78 911SC?

Front turnsignals for '74-'89 911's will be next up. Probably not for 3-6 weeks; followed by rear turnsignals. The rear turnsignals can be configured for amber and red lenses.

[APachon71RN]

Count me in for Fr and Rr turn signals

~A

[Porsche 2]

PM'd

[scotricker]

I have not switched to spokes LEDs yet. Still have just original bulbs. But now, since switching to the new E36 Flasher unit, I noticed that the turn signal indicators in the dash (in the tach) BOTH light up when signal activated. Each side of the signals outside the car operate separately as they should, but both indicators light up inside, as if the 4 way flasher is on. Do I need another resistor, etc? Or check wires? Or was it always this way and I didn't notice? It's not a big deal, but it just bugs me. Any ideas?

[DaveMcKenz]

Originally Posted by scotricker

I have not switched to spokes LEDs yet. Still have just original bulbs. But now, since switching to the new E36 Flasher unit, I noticed that the turn signal indicators in the dash (in the tach) BOTH light up when signal activated. Each side of the signals outside the car operate separately as they should, but both indicators light up inside, as if the 4 way flasher is on. Do I need another resistor, etc? Or check wires? Or was it always this way and I didn't notice? It's not a big deal, but it just bugs me. Any ideas?

I noticed the same thing. Not sure why. Maybe it was like that before? I can't remember either.
Dave

[geoterra]

I am also in for front/rear signals.

[spoke]

Originally Posted by scotricker

I have not switched to spokes LEDs yet. Still have just original bulbs. But now, since switching to the new E36 Flasher unit, I noticed that the turn signal indicators in the dash (in the tach) BOTH light up when signal activated. Each side of the signals outside the car operate separately as they should, but both indicators light up inside, as if the 4 way flasher is on. Do I need another resistor, etc? Or check wires? Or was it always this way and I didn't notice? It's not a big deal, but it just bugs me. Any ideas?

I'm not totally surprised by this. What is happening is the original flasher had 4 prongs and the new one has 3. That 4th prong likely is connected to a common connection between the 2 dash indicators. The flasher connect the 4th prong (sometimes called K, C, C2) to either ground or +12V when the relay flashes. They did this on the 914 as well.

Do the dash indicators flash with 4-ways on? Do they flash at the same intensity as with L or R turnsignals on?

There are ways around this. In the 914, the common connection of the 2 dash indicators was simply moved to ground. I don't have a schematic of your car so I can't trace this connection and recommend a solution. If you do have a schematic in PDF or other electronic/web format, please email it to me at spokester@yahoo.com.

There is another flasher numbered EP26 which has the fourth terminal named C2. I bought a couple and none of them had C2 connected to anything. I took one apart and rewired it to have C2 connect to +12V when flashing.

[spoke]

Just sent this PCB design to the fab ordering 6 PCB's. This is for 69-73 front turn signals. With 72 LEDs, it will be bright. The LEDs will be amber when assembled. Should have these in hand in 2 weeks.

[zelrik911]

Originally Posted by spoke

Thanks, we're having fun making these.

I welcome suggestions and observations. That's why I keep posting in this thread. Lots of good ideas out there.

This would be a good place for an invisible 3rd brake light. There may be one on the market that would fit although the entire length of the vent is curved with the roof and most aftermarket LED strips are straight.

A board could be made to fit the curve then the challenge would be to find/design an enclosure.

I love your developments , especially as it will make driving a 911 at night a lot safer.

I also think the 'roof vent' lights are a great idea - as they are in a high spot where a SUV driver would quickly notice a brake light and react.

They could be unobtrusive and not interfere with the original rear style of the 911.

[spoke]

I found this schematic for a '69 911 on PP. Note the L & R bulbs on the left side with the common connection. This goes over to the KBL terminal on the turn signal relay on the right side of the diagram.

KBL is grounded when the relay flashes. This is similar to what is done on the 914 although sometimes K/KBL/C/C2 (whatever it is named) connects this terminal to ground or to +12V when flashing.

To solve the "both indicators flash with EP36" issue, the common point of the dash indicators should be removed from the KBL terminal and connected to ground. This can be done at the tachometer with a short pigtail wire.

[Jamesrlong]

..

[spoke]

Here's a '73 wire diagram where the 4th terminal is now called "C" and connects the common point of the dash indicators to +12V instead of ground like the "KBL" terminal did in the previous '69 schematic.

The very interesting point about this setup is that the dash indicators are actually connected to the other turn signal. In other words, the "L" dash indicator is connected to the right turnsignal bulbs and the "R" connected to the left bulbs.

When the flasher is flashing say the right turnsignals, the "C" connection powers the common point of the L & R dash indicators to 12V.

The "L" indicator sees 12V on the right turn signal bulb and the other side connected to the "C" terminal is also 12V; the "L" indicator is off.

The "R" indicator sees 0V on the left turn signal bulb and 12V from the "C" terminal; the "R" indicator is on. Its return path is the left turn signal bulb which is off. This arrangement can become a problem when the low impedance incandescent bulbs are replaced with high impedance LEDs.

Again in this configuration, to use EP36 the common wire of the dash indicators is removed from the "C" terminal and connected to ground at the tach through a pigtail wire.

[DaveMcKenz]

Hi Jerry,
On my 84 the C line which is blue/white goes to tachometer. Try as I might, I can find no corresponding wire in any of the diagrams for the instrument panel or elsewhere. In the diagram I show below the turn signal indicator bulbs have ground or flasher output. The common line is grounded, I think. Oddly the indicator bulbs don't flash at all when the emergency flasher is activated, and both indicator bulbs in the tach flash when either turn signal is selected. My eyes hurt from trying to figure this out. I hope you have better luck.
Thanks,
Dave

[spoke]

Dave,

What you are looking for is the loop of wire which connects both L and R dash indicators on the tach. Here's my tach popped out of the dash. Notice the brown wire connecting between the 2 indicator lamps.

On your car, you simply want to remove those wires and tape them up so they don't contact anything. Then make a pigtail like the original connection except this pigtail will connect the 2 bulbs together and then connect to a chassis ground.

Seems like every year of 911 has some subtle differences in the wiring and finding the right wire diagram is crucial. I can't comment on discrepancies of wire diagram to car; I'm learning as I go as well.