Replacing interior lights with LED

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mitchelln
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Replacing interior lights with LED

Post by mitchelln » Fri Oct 06, 2017 10:01 am

Hi.

The cab lights in Barry had already been converted to LED, so I decided to replace the rear door light and neon tube with LEDs as well.

I found these nice panels on eBay. They come with a variety of adapters to fit most sockets. The LED panel has a good quality foam sticky pad on the back.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/T10-501-W5W-B ... 1933722852

I started with the rear light as it was easiest and also to gauge the brightness of the LED panel.

One of the adapters was a festoon one, so fitting was pretty easy. Simply a case of taking the old bulb out, fitting the adapter and plugging the panel in.

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I then stuck the LED panel onto a piece of curtain track I had lying around which sat nicely in the fitting. Almost made for it in fact!

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It gives off a good even white light. Brighter than the original filament bulb. When I get a moment, I might shorten the wires a bit so they are not visible.

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The neon light is a little bit more involved and required some soldering. Getting the unit off was easy. You pop off the lens and there are three screws holding it in. The plug is easy to get off. I thin removed the neon tube and the end support bracket. Then stuck the LED panels on. The rear one seems to have stuck on well enough.

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I then spliced the two panels together and used heat shrink tubing to keep everything insulated:

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Next step was to wire them into the existing switch. Simply remove the panel on the rear:

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Like most automotive electrics, the light is activated by grounding the circuit. Remove the wire from the center switch contact to the neon inverter PCB. This will also stop the inverter burning power, which is the main draw. I simply unsoldered the wire from the PCB so I could easily put things back if needed. The light will still be switched either via the door or the light switch as normal:

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I then spliced the wire to the negative wire of the LED panels, again using heat shrink tubing. I soldered the positive wire for the LED onto the PCB + terminal:

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All wired up.

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Fitted back on the van. With hindsight, I should have routed the wires the other side of the fitting (door side) so they wouldn't be visible so much. I might correct that later ;):

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The two panels give a nice even light. Slightly brighter overall than the tube and instantly on of course. The existing diffuser still works well enough:

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Interior all LED now:

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Overall it saves about 300mA according to the battery monitor. The main saving is obsoleting the neon inverter. 300mA doesn't sound like much, but I guess that a few amps over an evening. Plus the LEDs should last forever as well.
Black Aero City Runner 2L petrol with full side conversion
Bob
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Re: Replacing interior lights with LED

Post by Bob » Fri Oct 06, 2017 5:54 pm

Very neat mod. =D>
mitchelln
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Re: Replacing interior lights with LED

Post by mitchelln » Fri Oct 06, 2017 10:22 pm

Thanks Bob. At least us Bongo owners don't have to worry about Canbus errors. My neighbour can't even change the bulbs on his T5 himself, let alone replace them with LEDs. He was well jealous ;)
Black Aero City Runner 2L petrol with full side conversion
Bob
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Re: Replacing interior lights with LED

Post by Bob » Fri Oct 06, 2017 10:37 pm

I'll agree with that, lots of moden stuff is far to clever for it's own good.

All 'enviromental', of course, but already perfectly good vehicles are being scrapped because the electronics are too fancy and expensive to fix.

As a simple country boy I can't see how thet's better. :?
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mikeonb4c
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Re: Replacing interior lights with LED

Post by mikeonb4c » Sat Oct 07, 2017 1:16 am

Bob wrote: Fri Oct 06, 2017 10:37 pm I'll agree with that, lots of moden stuff is far to clever.....

As a simple country boy I can't see how thet's better. :?
That's because they're not Ben. Honestly, if there's one thing that sends me running for Weed its a country boy who doubts his countryboyness :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: Replacing interior lights with LED

Post by Bob » Sat Oct 07, 2017 10:24 am

Wise words Bill.

I'm off to find some cider in my flower pot. :lol:
Roy748
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Re: Replacing interior lights with LED

Post by Roy748 » Wed Oct 11, 2017 2:22 pm

Hello.
Very interested in following your directions on replacing the center interior light. Can you confirm which wire you mean when you say

Remove the wire from the center switch contact to the neon inverter PCB. This will also stop the inverter burning power, which is the main draw. I simply unsoldered the wire from the PCB

As I cannot make it out on your attached photos
Many thanks
mitchelln
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Re: Replacing interior lights with LED

Post by mitchelln » Wed Oct 11, 2017 4:35 pm

Hi.

The switch has three wires going to it. One from the door switch, one for always on and the middle wire which goes to the tube inverter circuit. It is that middle wire you want. I heated up the connection on the PCB and pulled ;)
Black Aero City Runner 2L petrol with full side conversion
Roy748
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Re: Replacing interior lights with LED

Post by Roy748 » Wed Oct 11, 2017 5:19 pm

By way of the switch you mean the black box in one of your photos which has 3 wires going to it.
Roy748
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Re: Replacing interior lights with LED

Post by Roy748 » Wed Oct 11, 2017 5:21 pm

Are I see it now, the grey wire lying on the PCB along with a clear hole.. thank you.
mitchelln
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Re: Replacing interior lights with LED

Post by mitchelln » Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:25 pm

No probs. Glad you got it sorted.
Black Aero City Runner 2L petrol with full side conversion
Roy748
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Re: Replacing interior lights with LED

Post by Roy748 » Mon Oct 30, 2017 6:14 pm

Hello.
Sorry to trouble you again but I don't appear to be having any success with your instructions. I have followed them as instructed but I believe the problem lies with the earth supply. Which wire did you splice into. There are two grey wires. One was desoldered as instructed the other which goes from the PCB to the original bulb holder. I cut this and soldered the earth from the lcd panel to this (PCB side) only I don't appear to have earth. I have a live supply to the lcd.
Roy748
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Re: Replacing interior lights with LED

Post by Roy748 » Mon Oct 30, 2017 6:27 pm

Hello
Sorry to trouble you. I have followed your directions as given only mine fails to work. I believe it's an earth problem. I desoldered one of the grey wires as suggested and cut the other grey which I used as the earth for the LEDs joining it from the PCB side as the other goes into the original bulb plug.
I like you have a white wire which is screwed to the light body which when traced back joins a black wire in the plug connecting to the van wiring loom. Is this not the earth wire.
From your diagram I cannot see which wire you earthed too from the PCB.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated
mitchelln
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Re: Replacing interior lights with LED

Post by mitchelln » Mon Oct 30, 2017 7:07 pm

Hi.

You shouldn't have to cut any wires. The center grey wire from the switch forms the ground wire to the LEDs. You should disconnect that from the PCB and connect it straight to the negative black wires of the LEDs.

The PCB is left disconnected from ground. You don't need it anymore. It was generating the 90V for the neon tube. You are effectively isolating it by unsoldering the center switch wire.

Like most automotive circuits, the original light is activated by grounding the circuit. The two outer switch wires are connected (via the light fitting connector) to permanent earth to turn the light on all the time or to the door switch, which is a ground connection that's made when the door is open.

The center wire from the light unit switch therefore forms the ground feed that is either connected to permanent ground or the door switch ground depending on which position the switch is in.

The +12V feed is not switched. You just solder the positive red LED wire to the terminal as shown. It's just a convenient pick up point for 12V.
Black Aero City Runner 2L petrol with full side conversion
Roy748
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Re: Replacing interior lights with LED

Post by Roy748 » Mon Oct 30, 2017 8:29 pm

Hello.
Thanks for coming back to me.
So to confirm the grey wire I desoldered from the PCB is the wire that I use to ground the 2 new LEDs.
I have reconnected everything back for the original light now but will try again at a later date.
I assumed from your photos that grey wire was left unused. Should have known better than to assume.. I tried sourcing the earth from the white wire, gave me an earth only also a permanent light.
Still I enjoyed having a go and next time I try it should work.
My original bulb is just starting to blacken so will need replacing in the future. Out of interest do you know what is the amp saving over the original bulb and these LEDs. The reason I ask is I use solar power and a leisure battery as opposed to electric hookups so am keen to reduce consumption as much as possible.
Thanks again.
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