neils

I fitted a number of LED lamps from autolumination.com to my car, including the direction indicators. This causes the direction indicators to flash around twice as fast as they should. This is lamp failure detection normally used to indicate a failed lamp.

I decided not to go down the route of fitting a load resister to simulate normal filament lamps, but to disable the lamp failure detection circuit. (This involves using a soldering iron.)

The lamp failure detection circuit is in the flasher unit. The flasher unit is behind the lower facia on the driver's side. More specifically, it is behind the coin box near the boot lid release swicth and bonnet release lever. It is a small black box, around 3cm x 4cm x 5cm, mounted on a small metal plate and with a white plug plugged into the end facing the front of the car.

Removing the unit can be tricky and involves going head-first (facing upwards) into the footwell, armed with a philips screwdriver and a torch:
* Unplug the white plug (mumbles something about battery negative lead first). The release catch is on the upper side of the plug (so that you can't see it) and may require something pointy to release it.
* Unscrew the mounting plate (at the rear of the unit) from the facia.
* Remove the unit and mounting plate (which are joined together).

Now let's get inside the unit (requires pointy tools and patience):
* Release the two clips on either side of the unit.
* Hold onto the plug and slide the cover off.

On the underside of the circuit board there is a single 14 pin chip. Pin 8 is the lamp failure detection input. Using a soldering iron, small pointy tools and some thin wire, I disconnected pin 8 from the circuit board and connected it to pin 10.

Reassemble the unit, install it in the car and you're done.

If anyone wants me to explain how the lamp failure detection circuit works, wants to know what my changes do, wants datasheets for the chip or photographs of what I've done, please ask, nicely. :-)

Notes:
* I am simply describing something I have done and am not suggesting that this is a process that anyone should follow.
* My car is a 2005-built UK-spec RX-8 231. It's very nice! :-)
* The LED lamps I have used in the direction indicators are the 15 LED Amber 7440s.
* A direction indicator may be referred to as a 'turn signal'
* The boot lid release may be referred to as a 'trunk release'
* The bonnet release may be referred to as a 'hood release'

Neil

Tamas

iTrader: (1)

How are you satisfied with the LED turn signal bulbs?
I have the same ones as you and let's just say, I'm pretty disappointed. Their brightness is about half of the stock bulbs, so much so that in bright sunlight the turn signals are hard to see. I'm seriously considering to return to the stock bulbs... especially since I heard that the "stealth" bulbs are also significantly less bright than the stockers.

neils

I find they're ok, just. They're not as bright as the original filament lamps and are not as good at filling the reflector. They are ok from directly behind, but from the side they're not as good.

I've also got red LED lamps for the brake lights, but I'm not using them as they're not good enough. If I can't find anything better then I'll open them up and change the LEDs inside for more and/or brighter LEDs.

Maybe if we all complain at supplier that they are not good enough, and that they should complain to the manufacturers, we might get something better.

Neil

Omicron

Wow, nice little DIY neils! Care to take a pic or two for this thread, perhaps of the flasher unit?

GiN

Is there really such thing as lamp failure detection?

Back in the days of old, flashers were simply heat-resettable breakers. When the load on the breaker (flasher) exceeds a certain amount, the generated heat causes it to unlatch and disconnect the light. Once the flasher cools down it re-latches. With the use of a filament bulb, the load (and therefore heat) is shared by the bulb (light emitting resistor) and thus will make the latch and un-latch repeat once or twice per second (aka blinking or flashing). The use of an LED assembly results in reduced current resistance and therefore will cause the flasher to latch and un-latch (blink) faster.

So what you're saying is that modern day engineering has incorporated a "lamp failure detection warning system" which simulates the old electromechanical latching effect through a chip? Amazing!

Still, would it not be easier (and safer) to add a current-limiting resistor inline to one of the blinker wires when using the LED bulb assemblies?

truemagellen

I'm sorry to break it to you but LEDs blow out after about 6-12 months without load equalizer...this is bad, when the leds for turn signals are EXPENSIVE

your $12.99 a piece turn signal LEDs when replaced every 8months (I'll take the average and for all 4 turn signals)...will cost $155.88 for ONLY two years of coverage (4 bulbs replaced 3 times)....meanwhile you could have spent $8.99 X 2 for the 3ohm load equalizers and now your LED bulbs should last for 100,000 continuously on...since they are turn signals that means they should last forever

funny thing is I started to put together a DIY for installing Load equalizers (all the pics are done) but when I was finished with the install it was so easy that I thought it wasn't going to be worth posting it)

truemagellen

ok did most of those calculations on the signal lights...but the info does still apply...get load equalizers :D

kellybrf

iTrader: (2)

id love to see this diy

lurch519

used to run led bulbs in my old civic. had the same situation where the blinkers blinked 2x as fast. reason: LED's operate at much lower voltages than what we use in our vehicle, ie 12 volts, so a properly designed LED replacement bulb will have.......

duh duh duh.........

resistors so as to drop down the voltage to the LED's so as to avoid burning them out.

said higher resistance now causes the circuitry in the vehicle to "think" that the blinker bulbs are blown because of the higher resistance.

having the blinkers blink faster may be more annoying to some, but i personally dont think so, as i barely notice the noise(is there any noise from the blinkers?) and having a faster blinking light would make the blinkers more attention getting to other motorists on the road, leading to (maybe) a little safer driving experience.....

just my 2 cents for the most part

Tamas

iTrader: (1)

Fast blinking turn signals look stupid.
Also, they are rice.

truemagellen

I promise to put them up in the next month...ok well maybe promise (I'm going out of the country so we'll see )

JasonRX8

I just installed all LED bulbs front and rear, these were the new super refractor type. I bought them off of http://stores.ebay.com/Velocity-leds. They have leds around the side of them. I installed only one side on the rear, brake, reverse, and turn, and left the right side stock so I could compare. Man, the LED side was WAY brighter and looked F-in kewl as heck. This dude ships the same day and it was well worth it. Since then, I have replaced EVERY bulb in the car with LED from this guy, all the interior and exterior (except the xenons). I had to buy the dome light from another guy, but its the same brand so it will match the color of all the other LEDs inside. These bulbs are great, if you want LEDs, I have not found ANY out there that do what these can do. They are bright, even in the day, and they fill the entire reflector with light. So they light up the entire fixture. AND, they are clear when off, it makes the lens look so much better. Hope this helps out guys...

L8TER

Tamas

iTrader: (1)

Do you mean these?

They are the very same 15-LED matrix bulbs every other vendor sells - and I know from experience that they are definitely NOT as bright as the stock bulbs. Not by a long shot.

Dick Carlson

I tried a set of the autolumination lamps. First did the brake lights. At first test I got an ABS failure warning lamp (I replaced all three stop lamps). Removed the outside stop lamps and reinstalled the filament bulbs but have left the center lamp as LED and it works fine. Then tried the turn signals (left side only at first). Got both LEDs installed, and hooked up the load resistor, but could not eliminate the rapid flash. Tried the resistor in series AND in parallel. No joy. What's the deal?

truemagellen

different omhs for different number of bulbs

there are two types of load equalizers...keep that in mind

I installed mine well over a year ago and they've been problem free

Dick Carlson

I've got the resistors they sent me - three ohm, one for each side. I'm thinking about the solid state flasher instead of load resistors, though. Might have to use the resistors on the brake lights to get rid of the ABS warning.

truemagellen

I didn't get the ABS warning you speak of...but I also gave up the brake light LEDs...i thought it is critical for maximum brightness to use incandescent

rotarymike

iTrader: (1)

This mod worked for me. Double-checked with the Atmel U2044B pinout.

This just disables the fast-flash if you've got a bulb out (or LEDs). It does not change anything else. You can still use it with regular bulbs OR with LEDs (unlike the parallel resistors) if, say, one of your LEDs burns out and all you can find is a filament bulb.

It *is* difficult soldering, though.