 Alternator Light Can you Use an LED, Replacing the alternator light with an LED bulb |
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| LotusJoe |
 Oct 29 2013, 02:13 PM
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#1
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Europa Twink Driver  Group: Members Posts: 406 Joined: 30-November 09 From: Southern California Member No.: 11,085 Region Association: Southern California  |
Can you replace the alternator bulb in the dash with an LED? Will the circuit still operate correctly? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)
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| stugray |
Oct 29 2013, 04:02 PM
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Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 3,825 Joined: 17-September 09 From: Longmont, CO Member No.: 10,819 Region Association: None |
QUOTE The problem, as I understand it, is that the indicator light is in the middle of the charge circuit. Since an LED acts as a diode, only 1 side of it would be hot when it is on (neither side is hot when it's off), where a normal bulb the current flows 'through', showing current on both sides. Your battery won't be charging with an LED in there, resistor or not. Actually that is close. The LED only flows a few milliamps of current to illuminate and that is all. That is not enough current to "excite" the alternator winding to kickstart it. Putting a high power 70 Ohm resistor in parallel with the LED works fine. And the reason I replaced mine was that I pulled everything out of the dash and dont have the combo gauge. Matching FLAPS LEDs for the oil & Alt just made more sense. |
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| LotusJoe |
Oct 29 2013, 04:11 PM
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#3
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Europa Twink Driver Group: Members Posts: 406 Joined: 30-November 09 From: Southern California Member No.: 11,085 Region Association: Southern California |
QUOTE(stugray @ Oct 29 2013, 03:02 PM)  Actually that is close. The LED only flows a few milliamps of current to illuminate and that is all. That is not enough current to "excite" the alternator winding to kick start it. Putting a high power 70 Ohm resistor in parallel with the LED works fine. And the reason I replaced mine was that I pulled everything out of the dash and don't have the combo gauge. Matching FLAPS LEDs for the oil & Alt just made more sense. That is what I was just reading about. When wired in parallel does the resistor act like an incandescent bulb? What is the wattage of the factory incandescent bulb? A 70 Ohm resistor is about the equivalent of a 2 watt bulb. My old dash bulb was 2.5 watts. Obviously this works if you have already done the conversion.  |
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Posts in this topic
LotusJoe Alternator Light Can you Use an LED Oct 29 2013, 02:13 PM
timothy_nd28 No, the LED will cause your car to stop charging. Oct 29 2013, 02:17 PM
LotusJoe
No, the LED will cause your car to stop charging.... Oct 29 2013, 02:53 PM timothy_nd28 Yes you could add a resistor to simulate the same ... Oct 29 2013, 03:01 PM LotusJoe
Yes you could add a resistor to simulate the same... Oct 29 2013, 03:25 PM Mikey914 I just use a reg bulb for the charging circut. Als... Oct 29 2013, 03:05 PM Mikey914 Correct me if I'm wrong, but as I understand t... Oct 29 2013, 03:07 PM nathansnathan The problem, as I understand it, is that the indic... Oct 29 2013, 03:10 PM timothy_nd28 quick and easy fix "I think", keep the L... Oct 29 2013, 03:33 PM LotusJoe
quick and easy fix "I think", keep the ... Oct 29 2013, 03:44 PM stugray
yes, as a matter of fact you can just use the bul... Oct 29 2013, 05:04 PM LotusJoe
yes, as a matter of fact you can just use the bu... Oct 29 2013, 05:32 PM |
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