Lighting circuit conundrum

[Fat Freddy]

I have a wiring conundrum I’m hoping you can help me with. Apologies if my description of the problem is a bit clunky, I don’t really know much about electronics or the correct terms to use.

 

I’m wiring up the lights for a Jeep Wrangler and would like them to be as close to the 1:1 as I can get them.

 

From what I can tell, the 1:1 version rear lights are clear at the bottom and red at the top. The clear lenses are reversing lights, and the red is rear light/brake light/indicator all rolled into one.

 

I have a lighting control circuit board that has connections for rear lights/brake lights, rear indicators and reversing lights.
Thats three separate circuits but in each rear light cluster there are only spaces for 2 LEDs each side.

 

I shall use white LEDs in the bottom slots as the reversing lights leaving space for one LED each side.

 

If I put a red LED in the remaining spaces and connect it to the rear light circuit, that will give me rear lights and brake lights, but no indicators.

 

BUT, (and this is where I need your knowledge of electronics!) if I were to connect the red LED to both the rear light AND indicator circuits would that work? Or would having one LED in two different circuits stop any of it working properly?

 

Hope my explanation makes sense?
 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lone-wolf]

sorry mate cant help on that one

[Stormbringer]

Hmmm reading this earlier im not sure it would work 

Way i see it is your going to have 2 powers to led  so 1 will always be on and 2nd power wont do anything  but could be wrong

All i can suggest is try it on the bench  and see if you can get it to work 

the rear and brake lights are same led so probably works by increasing voltage to led when brakes applied so hmm maybe a way to get it to work

[BigGinge]

Depending on how the driver circuit is designed it might work or it might blow up (likely in a very undramatic way). Without having designed it myself, or knowing the circuit design, I'd not risk it if I was sort of happy with just having brake lights working.

 

The other alternative would be to see if you an make some sort of light pipe to get the output from both LEDs channelled into the one space you have available. Possibly using something like this:

 

1216.1002. Mentor, Light Pipe, Flexible, 80 mm | Farnell UK

[Stormbringer]

what size led for indicators ?  

was thinking you could drill a hole next to light cluster and put the indicators in that but i guess that depends on led size and space next to cluster

Edited February 8, 2023 by Stormbringer

[Fat Freddy]

Thanks @Stormbringer@Lone-wolf@BigGingefor your input. 
Space is at a premium in this one so I don’t think the light pipe would fit, although I’ll file that idea away for future use, Thanks.

I looked at the light cluster and worked out that if I very carefully removed the divider and extended the cavity by .5mm top and bottom, then I could JUST fit a 3rd LED in there…just, but it would be very tight and ridiculously fiddly.

I also realised that 0603 smd LEDs are exactly half the size of the 1206’s so I could fit two lights into one space….but how bloody fiddly would THAT be?

 

So after much pondering I’ve decided to forego the rear indicators and stop trying to be clever. Toying with forgetting the front indicators too, and just putting auxiliary lights in there instead?
 

After all, if this thing goes to plan, it’ll have an interior lit cab, backlit dash, light bar, and under body lights…. as well as the regular headlights, rear lights, brake lights, reversing lights and a slightly baffling strobe setting where they all flash in turn.🤷‍♂️
 

That’s probably enough lights for something small enough to park on my phone😂

Edited February 10, 2023 by Fat Freddy

[Stormbringer]

probably the way to go mate 

Edited February 10, 2023 by Stormbringer