# Luxeon Dome/Map Light Upgrade ...



## modamag (Nov 16, 2004)

Ever since I got introduced/hooked to this forum, I've been modifying practically everything I could think off to Luxeon. It first start our with simple mods such as MiniMag (with Sammies), FatMag and FlexMag. It evolved to Luxeon bike lights and now this! My first car Luxeon mod. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

At first I was thinking of using a PIAA Xtreme Super White 19223, but there's no fun in a standard dropin. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif Then when I tried georges80's map light module, it didn't fit /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/Christo_pull_hair.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif So here I'm making my own with his help /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif

=== Parts List ===
- TaskLED CC1WA 700mA
- Lux3 TY0L from oo2oo
- Acrylic Rod from Tap Plastic
- Artic Alumina adhesive
- Nylon 24g wires
- 1/16" aluminum sheet
- Mag OAD lamp housing for parts

=== Assembly Process ===
1. Cut the acrylic rod to a T-6 size + some
2. Dremel the ends so the nylon wire would fit
3. Capped it of with a recycled Mag lamp housing part. Test fit is recommended here.
4. Use some paper to create a mask of the heat sink then fabricate it.
5. Connect all the wirings, epoxy the LuxIII star to the aluminum heat sink and voila!






=== Installation ===
1. Use Flat head screw driver to remove the cover.
2. Install the acrylic rod to the bulb housing. Make sure the positive end is pointed toward the back of the car.
3. Install the CC5WA driver to the side of the rod.
4. Gently push the heat sink with LuxIII into place.
5. Re-attach the cover and you're done!





=== Beam Shots ===


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## LEDmodMan (Nov 16, 2004)

Congratulations!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif So how do you like it so far?

I used one of George's CC5W drivers to upgrade my dome light as well. I didn't have as much room as you did, but I was able to install the driver directly into the festoon bulb socket. I used 4 1w Luxeons (old Q binned low domes I had laying around from various light that have been upgraded to LuxIII) wired in an arrangement of 2 parallel strings of 2 in series. That makes all four of them driven at spec. (350mA), yeilding 5.2w of power and roughly 140 Lumens. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif The four luxeons are mounted in a straight line from front to back on a 1/4" thick 1" x 2.5" piece of Al. When left on for long periods of time, they do get nice and hot, but nowhere as bad as the origianl bulb, and not hot enough to cause any damage to them or the car. It's stupid bright! I love it! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Everytime I open the car door, I smile. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif The amount and color of the light looks like I have a 2' fluorescent tube mounted in the roof of the car, but no! 

The difference between the stock bulb and the Luxeon mod is shown very well in your middle side-by-side pic. I am really surprised just how few people from this forum have still not caught on to how well the Luxeon works in fixed/bare applications like this. I guess they're just slow... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif Not fully "enlightened" anyway. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif

Again, nice job! As I mentioned, they'll bring you joy everytime you open the door. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

PS - Yours should be even brighten than mine! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif


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## Minjin (Nov 22, 2004)

Has anyone figured out a way to upgrade a dome light to Luxeon while maintaining the fade to off that some cars have?

I know I should be willing to give up the fade in exchange for much better illumination, but I'd really rather not. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Mark


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## modamag (Nov 22, 2004)

My car, Infiniti G35, have a "Body Control Module" that automatically dim the light after the door close for 5 minutes. This cause the CCxWA to emits a high freq sound at first while my LM317 works fine. I think the op-amp is trying to regulate as Vin drop. Have to check with the wizard for sure. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I'm planning of dropping by the dealership to disable this + couple other functions that annoys me. Just an excuse to utilize the test car /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif


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## Alexis (Mar 1, 2006)

so with the lm317 regulator, the dimming function doesn't cause any trouble?


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## IsaacHayes (Mar 1, 2006)

I had a LM317T circuit and my dim worked well with it.

You need a few other things such as a cap and some diodes to make the circuit safer for the luxeons. I had a white die on me (1w star) but the royal blue LuxIII emitter survived. I think perhaps it was heat though that killed the 1W as it was on the same heatsink as the LM317t. Both were driven at 900ma.


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## Alexis (Mar 2, 2006)

what modifications to the circuit would you recommend?
I had just planned to use this circuit i found
http://led.linear1.org/a-cheap-current-regulated-luxeon-star-driver-design/


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## Changchung (Mar 2, 2006)

Great job...:rock: :wow: :goodjob:


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## hyperslug (Mar 2, 2006)

Does anyone know if it's legal to use an amber or orange Lux-3 as a dome light? In theory, a longer wavelength would bounce around less and reduce glare but the police might think it's too close to red.


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## Changchung (Mar 2, 2006)

hyperslug said:


> Does anyone know if it's legal to use an amber or orange Lux-3 as a dome light? In theory, a longer wavelength would bounce around less and reduce glare but the police might think it's too close to red.


 
Orange is total legal, in fact, you can use outside, amber, orange and white too...


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## Alexis (Mar 2, 2006)

i got inspiration from this one too
http://home.comcast.net/~icephantom/dome.AVI

http://my350z.com/forum/showthread.php?t=120570
the red lights up with regular use, but when you press the button it becomes white


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## IsaacHayes (Mar 3, 2006)

Alexis: that's a cool setup you found. I looked around for the thread that explained what needed to be added to the 317 circuit but couldn't find it since it was posted on the old forum software so the search doesn't index it... All I remember is that you need some diodes to protect against reverse voltage spikes in the cars electrical system (alternator), and a capacitor can help the 317 not ossilate which can help protect the luxeons from high bursts of current. Remember since this circuit just burns up the extra voltage as heat, the more luxeons you have running off of this in series, the less wasted power and less heat (as the leds will turn the electricty into light and heat, instead of just heat in the 317). So like 2 in series off of it would be nice. or 3-4 at whatever current they will pull (as it's closer to direct drive). But just 1 luxeonIII at 900ma is brigther than the stock bulb!!!

hyperslug: BMW's use 5mm orange LED's that are always on at night, dimly light up the radio/console area. You could possibly do that, and then have a white luxeon for when you need lots of light..


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## trivergata (Mar 3, 2006)

I'd really like to do this, but don't know enough to design the circuit - I want to put a selectable red/white/green light in my jeep, where all the led's change color with one switch (2 in the floor and 1 in the dome).

I have the logisitcs worked out, but need a cheap regulator, and this looks perfect.

Has anyone figured out the extra compnents needed to install this in a auto system? Care to share a schematic?

(that last sentence is kinda fun to say..........try it.........say it out loud with me...........isn't that fun?............Kinda like a poem.......I know, I'm a dork)

Josh


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## red_robby (Mar 4, 2006)

there's a much cheaper way to do this mod...just use a resistor, I did this mod to my dome light over 2 years ago and it's still going strong.
It will probably keep the dimming function in the car as well.


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## wasBlinded (Mar 4, 2006)

red_robby said:


> there's a much cheaper way to do this mod...just use a resistor, I did this mod to my dome light over 2 years ago and it's still going strong.
> It will probably keep the dimming function in the car as well.



You could use a resistor, but the resistor itself will be dissipating 6 watts if you are driving the LED at 3 watts. Thats 9 watts of heat to get rid of inside a plastic enclosed dome light space - be careful!


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## Alexis (Mar 4, 2006)

i thought of about using a simple resistor, but with the variation between luxeons, i didn't want the left/right dome light to be different in output, not sure if it is that big a deal though..


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## trivergata (Mar 4, 2006)

I too thought about a resistor, but was worried that it might cause a problem with the changing voltage of the alternator.

not a problem, I guess?

Josh


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## red_robby (Mar 4, 2006)

wasBlinded said:


> You could use a resistor, but the resistor itself will be dissipating 6 watts if you are driving the LED at 3 watts. Thats 9 watts of heat to get rid of inside a plastic enclosed dome light space - be careful!



it's been well over two years, the dome light hasn't melted yet...how careful do I need to be???


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## wasBlinded (Mar 4, 2006)

red_robby said:


> it's been well over two years, the dome light hasn't melted yet...how careful do I need to be???



You seem to be home free, but that doesn't mean the next guy with a different enclosure might not be. You haven't stated either what the drive current on your Lux is either - earlier posts are talking about 700 mA.

One problem with automotive circuits that I have seen mentioned is that the 12 volt bus is often not very clean - it is rife with very high voltage transients that a bare or resistor protected Lux might not tolerate well. At least non-premium Lux3s are cheap nowadays and one can afford to experiment.


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## red_robby (Mar 4, 2006)

I agree with you, if you're going to drive the lux at 700mA or higher then you would want to make sure you take care of the heat somehow, I dont need that much light from my dome, my lux is getting somewhere between 300mA-400mA
and it's plenty bright, better then stock (i wanted the lux for the color mostly, i like white better then yellow), the Nflex is a very nice driver and mod a mag did a nice job, but for my needs the $1 resistor worked pretty well.


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## wquiles (Mar 4, 2006)

red_robby said:


> I agree with you, if you're going to drive the lux at 700mA or higher then you would want to make sure you take care of the heat somehow, I dont need that much light from my dome, my lux is getting somewhere between 300mA-400mA
> and it's plenty bright, better then stock (i wanted the lux for the color mostly, i like white better then yellow), the Nflex is a very nice driver and mod a mag did a nice job, but for my needs the $1 resistor worked pretty well.


Well said. If done right, as you have, there is nothing wrong with a simple resistor 

This DeWalt 18V LED modification was completed on July of last year and it works awesome. Because of being LONG running and becuase of having a flexible neck, it is my most used work/project light. And yes, it is simply using resistors 

Will


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## Alexis (Mar 7, 2006)

stock bulbs are already 10watts



wasBlinded said:


> You could use a resistor, but the resistor itself will be dissipating 6 watts if you are driving the LED at 3 watts. Thats 9 watts of heat to get rid of inside a plastic enclosed dome light space - be careful!


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## wasBlinded (Mar 7, 2006)

Alexis said:


> stock bulbs are already 10watts


 
Thats a good point. But a lot of that energy is emitted directly as infrared - out the 'lens' and more evenly throughout the compartment. The care one takes will be directed toward placing that 6 watt dissipating resistor somewhere that it won't contact and melt plastic housing or wire insulation.


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