has anyone completed the blue led project

[pixiesfan78]

i really want to do this to all the stock lighting that i can but being the wus that i am i want to see pics of the completed climate control buttons and some one has to find a way around the resisters.without having to worry about the dimmer staying low. so post your pics or ideas here .3 gee dont fail me now!

[Blkblurr]

What do you mean, find a way around the resistor? LED's have to be current limited so the resistor is a must. If you need help sizing a resistor for your LED's I can help. Let me know. I have not done the dash but have done my rear backup lights. They come on when I have my running lights on. The white backup lights still work.

[pixiesfan78]

ok the only thing im confused about is that i read about someone on here saying they had done there dash lights and had to leave there dimmer all the way down or it would blow there leds. now if your using a resister does that not limit the voltage to the leds.if so then you should be able to turn your dimmer up right. even if your delivering way to much voltage shouldnt the resister resist the extra volts. i dont know maybe im way off here.

[Blkblurr]

Yea, if you size the resistor to be used at the full voltage you have when the dimmer is all the way up (brightest) you can use your dimmers all you want. The resistor drops most of the voltage accross it instead of the LED. You must limit the current flow through the LED or it will burn out. It will be very bright bright without the resistor which is what I suspect happened to the other person that did this. If you put the proper size resistor in series with the LED it will last longer than your car. Measure the voltage at the bulb you what to replace with an LED and let me know. Hope that helps.

[johnwc723]

yes i have completed the blue climate control led project, everything on my cars dash (with the exception of the clock because it is illuminated by gas) is blue. yes you need to use a current limiting resistor because you want to drop the voltage from ~12v to about 3.3V for any led really with a 12v system i would reccomend 470OHM resistors from radioshack

DONT use the dimmer switch as your "resistor" the voltage out of it varies too much just put a 470 ohm resistor on EACH led that you install and then you can also use the dimmer switch normally

im pretty sure that if you used the dimmer switch it would work but as i said the voltage across the dimmer in the most dimmed point can vary from ~3V when the car is turned off to around 5V when it is on so not a good idea

my leds work just fine, im sure i can take a picture and answer any questions that anyone has about it as well as give a few tips about the most effective ways of doing it.