LED lamp for cars with hands 12V. DIY car LEDs

Almost all motorists are familiar with the problem of rapid failure of LED lamps. Which are often placed in side lights, daytime running lights (DRLs) or other lights.
Typically, these LED lamps have low power and current consumption. What, in fact, determines their choice.
The LED itself can easily serve in optimal conditions for more than 50,000 hours, but in a car, especially a domestic one, it is sometimes not enough for a month. First, the LED begins to flicker, and then completely burns out.

What explains this?

The lamp manufacturer writes the marking “12V”. This is the optimal voltage at which the LEDs in the lamp operate almost at maximum. And if you supply 12 V to this lamp, it will last at maximum brightness for a very long time.
So why does it burn out in the car? Initially, the voltage of the car’s on-board network is 12.6 V. An overestimation of 12 is already visible. And the voltage of the network of a running car can reach up to 14.5 V. Let’s add to all this various surges from switching powerful high- or low-beam lamps, powerful voltage pulses and magnetic interference when starting the engine from the starter. And we get not the best network for powering LEDs, which, unlike incandescent lamps, are very sensitive to all changes.
Since often in simple Chinese lamps there are no limiting elements other than a resistor, the lamp fails due to overvoltage.
During my practice, I changed dozens of such lamps. Most of them did not serve even a year. Eventually I got tired and decided to look for an easier way out.

Simple voltage stabilizer for LEDs

To ensure comfortable operation for LEDs, I decided to make a simple stabilizer. Absolutely not difficult, any motorist can repeat it.
All we need:

• - a piece of PCB for the board,

Look like that's it. The entire package costs pennies on Ali Express - links in the list.

Stabilizer circuit

The circuit is taken from the datasheet for the L7805 chip.

It's simple - on the left is the entrance, on the right is the exit. Such a stabilizer can withstand up to 1.5 A load, provided that it is installed on a radiator. Naturally, for small light bulbs no radiator is needed.

Stabilizer assembly for LEDs

All you need to do is cut out the required piece from the PCB. There is no need to etch the tracks - I cut out simple lines with a regular screwdriver.
Solder all the elements and you're done. No setup required.

Thermal blower serves as the housing.
Another advantage of the circuit is that it is fashionable to use a car body as a radiator, since the central terminal of the microcircuit body is connected to the minus.

That's all, the LEDs no longer burn out. I’ve been driving for more than a year and forgot about this problem, which I advise you to do as well.

An article about how to choose the right LED lamps for your car. Pros and cons of lamps, nuances of selection and installation. At the end of the article there is a video about how you can make powerful LEDs with your own hands.

The content of the article:

When tuning a car, much attention is paid to the system of its warning lamps. This is quite natural, since incandescent lamps often cannot boast of high quality, do not last long, creating many problems for the motorist. This does not apply to LED lamps. They shine brightly, are reliable, have a long service life and other useful qualities. You just need to choose the right LEDs so that they fit the size, connector and quality of a specific car. In this article we will take a closer look at the nuances of choosing LED car lamps.

Pros and cons of LEDs

LEDs began to be used in cars relatively recently. Since then, controversy has arisen about the need for such lighting. It should be noted that today many automakers produce LED car lamps. For example, Audi cars already come with LED headlights as standard.

Before you start choosing such lamps, you need to figure out why you should even change traditional lamps in your car to LED ones.

The reasons may be different: for tuning the car, for saving money, because it is a more advanced element, and so on. It should be noted that every year the number of supporters of the use of automotive LEDs is growing. This is due to the rather significant advantages of such lamps. Here are the main ones:

1. The LED is more advanced than an incandescent lamp. It shines much brighter, while having the same power. As the quality of lighting improves, other drivers can see your vehicle better.
2. LEDs are not afraid of temperature fluctuations and shocks that are possible when driving on Russian roads.
3. Such lamps are not afraid of moisture, so they can be freely used for external tuning of the car.
4. The compact dimensions of these lamps allow them to be installed virtually anywhere.
5. The efficiency of LEDs is beyond praise. They burn brighter, last longer (2500 hours of continuous operation), while consuming 10 times less electricity. Thus, the efficiency of each lamp is much higher.
6. LEDs do not heat up during operation, which cannot be said about traditional incandescent lamps, which can melt plastic parts.
7. Using LEDs you can significantly improve the appearance of your car. That is why they are used for tuning (even for domestic cars).
8. The LED lights up for 0.2 seconds. earlier than a conventional incandescent lamp. Sometimes this saves you from accidents.

However, before choosing LEDs, you need to understand their disadvantages in order to make an informed decision. Here are the main disadvantages of these lighting elements:

1. High price. This is the main disadvantage. The production of LEDs requires a lot of money, so the lamps are not cheap. Most likely, they will become cheaper in the future, but at the moment the car owner will have to pay several times more money for LEDs than for conventional lamps. This is what scares off many motorists.
2. Lack of preparedness of auto electronics. For example, when installing an LED lamp in a turn signal, you may get frequent blinking (sometimes reminiscent of the blinking of a strobe light). To fix this, you will need to install additional resistance, which will negate all the savings.

These pros and cons should definitely be taken into account when choosing LEDs for your car.

Are LEDs useful or harmful?

When choosing, you need to consider not only the advantages of LEDs, you also need to understand how safe these devices are for human eyes. Spanish scientists have found that prolonged exposure to light from such lamps can cause blindness, since LEDs have a special effect on the retina of the eye.

However, it is worth noting that the study involved household LEDs, not automotive LEDs. The latest devices have less power and therefore have little impact on human eyes. Besides, no one looks at them for a long time.

Features of choosing LED car lamps

As mentioned above, you first need to decide what goals you are pursuing when replacing conventional lamps with LEDs. Then you need to select the device that is suitable in design and model. This is the main rule when choosing LEDs.

You can find out which type of lamps is best suited for your car in different ways:

• From the car manual.
• If you don't have this option, you can visit the Osram or Philips websites, which have a special service for finding the type of LEDs suitable for a particular car. In this case, you need to indicate the car model, year of manufacture, body type, as well as the place where you want to replace the lamp. By the way, now there are many different catalogs and reference books that will allow you to choose the right LEDs.
• You can take out the lamp that you plan to replace with an LED one from the car, carefully examine its markings, and also measure its dimensions.

Manufacturers of automotive optics often produce one model of lamps for different sockets, which allows them to be used for both high and low beam lighting.

When choosing LEDs, you also need to consider the type of vehicle optics. It can be lens (spotlight) or reflective. If LEDs are installed in a lens, there are certain requirements for the lamps according to the width of the panel with installed chips. Not all lamps fit the width of the panel, so they simply cannot be installed in the lens.

You also need to pay attention to the boot or rear headlight cover. Since some LEDs are equipped with active cooling elements (fans), they must be covered with a lid or boot when installed in a headlight.

In addition to LEDs with a cooler, there are products with a passive radiator, the dimensions of which can exceed the dimensions of the rear headlight cover. Then you will have to cut a special hole in the headlight cover, and this is undesirable. But many reliable manufacturers have special anthers that can replace plastic covers. In some headlights, the back cover is the LED lamp itself.

Also, when choosing lamps, you need to take into account the reliability of manufacturers. You should not buy LEDs from unverified Chinese companies, otherwise you can simply throw money away. It is better to choose quality products from a reputable company.

After this, all that remains is to choose a device for a specific flashlight that is suitable for mounting and provides high-quality lighting. LEDs for each type of flashlight should be considered separately.

Front dimensions and feet

Most cars have baseless lamps. They are installed on the headlights. These devices differ in standard sizes. If a T10 socket is installed in the car, the lamp will be designated W5W. If the base is of a different type (for example, BA9S), the LED will also be of a different type - T4W.

These lamps can easily withstand temperatures of 100 degrees. To protect it, a stabilizer is provided that reduces the level of current passing through the crystal of the lighting product as the temperature rises. If desired, the motorist can choose devices that can cope with high temperatures even without a stabilizer (for example, SF class LEDs). Lamps in this series are distinguished by their affordable price, high-quality light and wide beam angle. However, they are large in size, which sometimes prevents installation in place of a traditional lamp.

The dimensions can also accommodate SMD series lamps, which are compact, have excellent brightness, have a wide radiation pattern and are easy to install. However, they are expensive. In this series of lamps there are “fake” devices that allow you to install LEDs on cars with complex electronic testing.

Rear feet and dimensions

For rear stops, base lamps with two contacts are suitable. Such lamps have the code P21/5W. In machines, such sockets are usually designated as “1157”. You can also purchase a more modern type of two-pin lamps from the 14HP series, which are equipped with 14 high-quality diodes. This type of lamp is suitable for those car enthusiasts who prefer quality, reliability and brightness.

You can go the other way and choose a product from the 3x1W series, which has three LEDs (each one watt). They operate from a special pulse voltage source. Such LEDs are distinguished by maximum light output comparable to three-watt diodes.

An excellent option would be to purchase SMD lamps. In them, the car owner can choose the required number of LEDs (15, 18, 24 or 27). The diodes of this series have 3 chips installed, that is, 3 LEDs are placed in one housing. There is a budget device with 1-2 chips, but this reduces the brightness of the diodes.

If you want to install high-quality LEDs, but not spend a lot of money, choose SF series lamps. They are affordable, have good brightness and are easy to install.

By the way, some cars have single-ended lamps with one contact. They correspond to the code “1156”.

Fog lights

Lamps for fog lights are used as inserts in front car headlights. In fact, they duplicate the dimensions. In this case, the visibility of the car in traffic improves both day and night. But the quality of lighting is much worse compared to a halogen or xenon lamp.

LEDs for interior

Many “tuners” even install LEDs in the car’s interior. Traditional products are of the fiston type with a long length (3-4.1 mm).

Cabin diodes are divided into the following subtypes:

• lamps installed instead of the standard factory lamp directly into the socket. Similar LEDs have almost the same design, and the car owner can easily replace them. Thanks to their compact dimensions, these lamps come in handy in small devices;
• lamps mounted in a socket, but having different dimensions. This creates significant problems. A new lamp may simply not fit into the “box”. The increase in size is usually due to a larger number of LEDs, which increases the brightness of the lighting;
• rectangular matrices with different numbers of LEDs. However, such matrices are rarely placed in car interior lamps.

Some features of LED installation

Installing LEDs is not difficult. You just need to first decide on the required dimensions, evaluate your budget and choose high-quality LEDs that are suitable in size, base and operating current.

The alteration should begin with replacing the lamps in dimensions. Then move on to illuminating the glove compartment and trunk. Once you gain some experience, you can take on taillights, foglights and interior lighting. Just don’t take on everything at the same time.

Good luck with your selection and installation of LEDs!

Powerful LEDs - do it yourself. Watch the video:

It is no secret that in the modern automotive market, LED lighting is gradually replacing the already familiar halogen and xenon lighting. This happens quite naturally, and for a number of reasons:

1. LEDs are much more durable;
2. they do not heat up and have low current consumption;
3. The light output of headlights with LEDs is higher, but the emitted light does not blind drivers of oncoming cars at all;
4. they are shock-resistant and insensitive to temperature changes (withstand from -40 to +80 degrees).

However, such ultra-mono lighting is present, naturally, only in new cars, and even then not in all. Owners of used cars have to either put up with this state of affairs or make LEDs for their cars with their own hands. How? If you take into account a few important nuances, it’s quite simple!

Changing standard car lighting to LED: what do you need to know?

In order to ensure that your motives to make the car better, you do not earn yourself extra “hemorrhoids” in the form of repairing this or that electrical equipment and, accordingly, unnecessary expenses, I would like to draw your attention to this.

The standard voltage of the car's on-board network is 12-13V when the engine is not running, and 13-14.5V when it is running. The standard LED voltage is, on average, 3.5V. Again - on average! Since there are possible options here: for red and yellow LEDs this indicator will be lower (2-2.5V), and for blue, white and green LEDs it will be higher (3-3.8V).

One way or another, the voltage of the LED is always less than the voltage of the on-board network, which means that if you simply wedge the first one into the last one, it will burn out (those who don’t believe you can check it yourself).

How to make LED lighting in a car correctly? Step-by-step instruction.

1. Just buy individual LEDs in the store, or buy solid LED panels. They are, as a rule, designed for a voltage of 12V, so they can be safely connected to the on-board network and not be afraid of anything.
2. Install them in the right place.

I would like to end this article here, but, unfortunately, everything is not so simple. Although this option also has a right to exist, but only if:

• the on-board network of your car has normal voltage (not at its lower limit);
• you are ready for the fact that when the engine speed changes, the intensity of the LED lighting will also change.

If not, you can try to make your own cluster (combining LEDs for a car with your own hands). To do this, purchase the required number of white LEDs, connect them in series (plus to minus) with each other, and then connect the resulting connection to the on-board network.

Taking into account the average voltage of the latter (12-14V) and the voltage of one LED (white - 3.5V), you will need a total of 3 LEDs (3.5x3=10.5V). But 10.5V is still significantly less than 12-14V, therefore, in addition to the resulting connection, you will need to include a resistor in the chain. It will absorb excess voltage and prevent your new lighting from burning out.

And, by the way, such chains (3 LEDs + resistor) can be assembled and connected in any quantity you need. The main thing is to do this in parallel, that is, plus to plus/minus to minus.

How do you know which resistor to use? Using a multimeter and Ohm's law, which states that the resistance of a resistor is the quotient of dividing the voltage that needs to be extinguished by the circuit current that needs to be obtained. That is, if, for example, you plan to use 1 white LED with a voltage of 3.5V (current 20 mA) in your circuit, then your calculations and actions will look approximately as follows:

• using a multimeter, measure the voltage in the place where you subsequently intend to install the LED(s), it is indeed different in different places; Let's say it turns out to be 13V;
• now subtract the voltage of your LED(s) from this number: 13V - 3.5V = 9.5V - this is the voltage that needs to be extinguished;
• the circuit current that needs to be obtained is known to you in this case - 20 mA, for the correctness of calculations we convert it into amperes: 20 mA = 0.02 A;
• All that remains is to calculate the required resistor resistance by dividing one value by another: 9.5 / 0.02 = 475 Ohms;
• in addition to resistance, when purchasing and installing a resistor, you will need to know its power, which is calculated by multiplying the calculated voltage by the circuit current that needs to be obtained: 9.5 × 0.02 = 0.19 watts, however, it is better to take this indicator with a reserve, so when you arrive to a radio store, you will not ask for “475 Ohm resistor 0.2 watt”, but “475 Ohm resistor 0.5 or 1 watt”.

A correctly selected resistor will allow you to connect any number of LEDs of any power to the on-board network, but it cannot eliminate the dependence of the glow intensity on engine speed, which cannot be said about a current stabilizer or the so-called driver.

To obtain a uniform glow of the LEDs, independent of engine speed, all you need to do is:

1. purchase the same resistor (with a resistance of 500 Ohms) and this driver (three-terminal voltage regulator LM317, sold in stores for radio amateurs);
2. solder two wires to the last one: one to its middle terminal, the other to the extreme one, which one doesn’t matter;
3. by rotating the resistor rod and monitoring everything with a multimeter, achieve its maximum resistance - about 500 Ohms;
4. correctly assemble the circuit: device - extreme terminal of the stabilizer - microcircuit connected through the central terminal of the driver - remaining terminal of the stabilizer - LED.

Video.

Elements of tuning not only bring the car to perfection, adding dynamics, speed and power to it, if it concerns the modification of mechanisms and assemblies. Many car enthusiasts use tuning to give it individuality, style and originality. And who does it and how – these are separate stories. But it is very interesting to consider the option of tuning a car using LEDs. It is important to know how to make LEDs for cars with your own hands, so that it is beautiful, stylish, and, most importantly, inexpensive.

For example, LED headlights in many modern cars are already installed by the manufacturer, but those who do not have them are trying to fill this gap. How? They install homemade LED headlights that combine both functionality and individual style.

LED headlights provide a bright beam of light that perfectly illuminates the road without dazzling oncoming drivers.

Connecting LED headlights

It is worth knowing that the brightness of the LEDs depends on the correct connection, or rather, the correctly selected voltage. It is also worth knowing that the supply voltage for each individual LED color is not the same; you need to calculate the energy both with the engine running and with the engine turned off. Typically, 3.5 volts goes to the bulk of the LEDs, in some cases the voltage range can vary from 2.0 to 2.5 volts. The service life of LEDs with proper and careful use is simply phenomenal, or more precisely up to 2500 hours during continuous operation.

In itself, connecting LEDs does not take much time and is not a very labor-intensive process. The absence of an incandescent filament makes the design of LED headlights relatively simple and does not require any extensive knowledge in radio electronics. Moreover, the connection is carried out according to a pre-designed scheme.

You have a great opportunity to install LED lamps in any position, of completely different colors and sizes, nothing prevents you from making all kinds of patterns from LEDs, this will give the car even more originality.

The LEDs are connected directly through the battery, but not directly, but through a series-parallel connection, which allows you to connect several LEDs simultaneously without losing the same voltage. The nine-volt stabilizer, being a universal device, provides optimal connection of LED lights.

When connecting the lights, you should use gel silicone, which will insulate them and protect them from moisture.

Where can it be applied?

LEDs can be used anywhere, as much as the car owner’s imagination allows. They can be used as fog lights, as additional lighting, integrated into turn signals, and also as interior lighting. It’s worth talking in more detail about interior lighting, as this is of interest to many car enthusiasts. All you need to get started is to purchase several LED backlight kits, which include several of the brightest LEDs with built-in lenses. You should not skimp and save; poor quality LEDs will not meet what a car owner expects from LED backlighting.

It is better to prefer moisture-resistant LEDs, they are of better quality and will last much longer.

It is worth paying attention to the length of the wires in the LED set; the longer the length, the better, naturally.

Easy installation of LEDs does not require special knowledge, so after purchase you can begin installation. LEDs should be mounted using miniature brackets that have an adhesive backing, so they are attached wherever possible. The only thing that can sharply limit the flight of imagination is the length of the wires that will be connected to the cigarette lighter.

Complete with LED interior lighting, you can also install a controller that will change the brightness of the flashlights depending on the noise level in the car interior.

It is worth knowing that each fuse and electrical circuit in a vehicle is designed for a strictly defined load, each element has its own.

To avoid damage to vehicle equipment, do not connect LEDs to headlights or any other mechanisms. It would be optimal to connect to the battery through fuses.

Connecting through fuses will protect against power surges, and as a result, protect the equipment from malfunctions and damage. Moreover, you don’t have to worry about the fact that LEDs can drain the battery, since they consume a very small amount of energy.

In addition to the aesthetic component, LED lighting also has a practical function, so installation and connection, as well as the purchase of LEDs, must be approached with all responsibility and in compliance with all safety measures.

Video

You can make LED backlight for the interior and license plate as follows:

And in the following way you can make the wheels illuminated:

Photo

LED light today is a popular method of lighting not only in apartments, but also in modern cars. Diodes can be used both for low beam and for arranging lighting in the car interior. You can learn more about what an LED is, how to connect it yourself, and what types of such light bulbs there are from this material.

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LED characteristics

LEDs are diodes that can glow when current flows through them. The light of an LED strip or light bulb depends on what additives were used to create the conductor. For example, yellow and red lighting, as well as shades of these colors, are possible as a result of adding phosphorus, aluminum, indium and helium to the conductor. If a blue phosphor is added to the conductor, the color of the diode will be white. Today you can find lamps on sale in dozens of different colors and shades, but their color does not depend on the color of the body of the diode itself, but directly on chemical additives.

It should also be noted that diode elements in a transparent case can glow in absolutely any color when connected to a car.

Such lighting has many advantages, including:

• if compared with conventional incandescent light bulbs, then in this case the level of energy consumption will be ten times less;
• quite a long service life, which can be up to ten years of continuous operation;
• Also, such lamps are very durable and practically impervious to vibrations and shocks;
• a huge variety of colors and shades;
• ability to operate at low voltage;
• diode devices are generally environmentally friendly and safe from a fire point of view - such designs do not contain toxic elements, therefore, they do not heat up, which means fires are excluded.

Marking

As for the main characteristics and markings, we will talk about this further. The crystal of the diode component is mounted in a reflector, which initially sets the required scattering angle. This light flux passes through a special housing made of epoxy resin, and when it reaches the lens, it is immediately dissipated. Moreover, it is scattered at an angle that depends on the design of the lens; it can range from 5 to 160 degrees.

As for marking, such diode elements can be divided into two types:

1. Visible radiation. Typically used as indicators, as well as backlight sources in various devices.
2. Infrared range. Such devices are used in remote control panels, sensors, controllers, as well as all kinds of transceiver devices operating in the infrared range.

In any case, such light sources are marked using a color code. First, you should identify the type of diode in accordance with its design, and then clarify it according to the markings given in the table.

Connection Guide

Now we propose to find out how the LED is turned on after connecting the plus and minus, which circuit can be used for this and which cannot.

In the case of a car, a twelve-volt on-board network allows for greater possibilities in terms of connecting plus and minus. If the circuit is implemented in a car, then it can be sequential with three elements. A larger number of parts, as a rule, are no longer connected to the network, since it is necessary to remember that the voltage level decreases under load. For example, if it drops even slightly, by one volt, to 11 V, this can cause a large loss of light flux. When arranging the circuit and connecting the positive, you can use a resistor, but if it is not at hand, then experts recommend using a low-voltage driver in such cases.

Its use is due to the fact that it also operates from a twelve-volt network and is also equipped with a special output voltage regulator. In addition, the driver must also have an ampere setting, which will allow optimal distribution of current and ensure high-quality lighting. In addition, its design is much simpler than when compared to connecting to a household network; such a circuit eliminates the need to use an additional transformer, only a choke.

As you know, despite the fact that a car electrical circuit has 12 volts, when the engine is running, the voltage parameter can vary around 13.5-15 volts. However, if surges occur in the system, this parameter can increase to 30 volts. When the power unit is turned off, the voltage level should be around 12-13 volts, in this case it all depends on how charged the battery is.

So when arranging the circuit, in any case you need to use a stabilizer or a stabilized power supply. Moreover, Chinese-made products have difficulty withstanding voltage surges, since in general the quality of the conductor on the chip leaves much to be desired. If you use higher quality, branded versions of lighting sources, then they can function without stabilizers, it is safe for them (the author of the video is the KAR AutoCity channel).

The procedure for installing diode elements in a car may differ, depending on what kind of circuit you want to arrange and how you will connect it.

Below is a universal version of the assembly steps that will allow you to do everything correctly:

1. Before assembly, read the technical documentation. You must know exactly the characteristics of your light sources, specifically how many volts each LED will supply in your circuit.
2. The next step will be drawing up a connection diagram. There are quite a lot of options for such schemes on the Internet, you can easily find something for yourself. When drawing up the circuit, take into account the supply voltage in the electrical network.
3. Next, you will need to calculate the power consumption level of the circuit as a whole.
4. When you do this, you will need to select either a stabilizer, an appropriate unit, or a driver that is suitable for your electrical circuit in terms of power. It would also be a good idea to correctly calculate the resistor in case you plan to use power with a stabilized voltage.
5. Then you need to find the correct polarity on the light source elements. You must know exactly where the plus is and where the minus is. Using a soldering iron and consumables (tin, rosin), solder the wires to the plus and minus, after which you can connect the power source (that is, the cable from the on-board network). The connection in this case will depend on your goals - if you want the lighting to work when the ignition is on, then you need to extend the cable directly from the ignition.
6. After the wires are soldered, it is necessary to securely and tightly mount the diode elements on the radiator and fix them. Next, the assembled structure is connected to the vehicle’s on-board network. If nothing burned out when connecting, then check, just in case, the energy consumption parameter, the heating of the diode elements, as well as the current they consume. If the current turns out to be higher or lower than you planned, then this indicator should be adjusted.
   Please note that although diodes can withstand vibrations and shocks, all components of the circuit must be securely fixed. This will prevent malfunctions in the operation of lighting sources, as well as the appearance of extraneous sounds caused by shaking of loose elements.

Video “How to make a voltage stabilizer for LEDs with your own hands”

To prevent burnout of diode light sources, you can try to make an appropriate stabilizer with your own hands; detailed instructions are given in the video (the author of the video is the Created in Garage channel).