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Flickering Dash LED's - 6G Celicas Forums

Topic #90708 13 posts Started by M4ddoX
M4ddoX
#1
So after one side of my gauge had no lights I went and replaced them with blue LED's (these ones http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID...p;form=KEYWORD). They worked fine for a while but now the middle and right one are flickering which is really annoying and distracting tonight. Does anyone know why this might be happening I would be very thankful smile.gif
1997 White ST202
richee3
#2
Very common thing. It's from varying wattage and in my personal experience, low quality LED's. I used to buy v-led's and occasionally use my dimmer and I had this problem frequently. I switched to Diode Dynamics LED's and stopped dimming them and haven't had a problem since.
"Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others labored hard for." -Socrates. Even Socrates told us touse the search button!2006 Aston Martin V8 Vantage.1998 Celica GT-BEAMSSwapped.2022 4Runner TRD Off Road Prenium.2021 GMC Sierra AT4.
Box
#3
Do what I do and buy a pack of 100 LED's from China for like $3 and make all the bulbs yourself. Then whatever resistors you need are easily gotten from your nearest Radio Shack. Better, cheaper, and the pride of doing it yourself and saving a good chunk of change. Celebrate your savings with a case of lager. tongue.gif
2001 Miata LS 5-speed
rentaspace
#4
>
QUOTE (Box @ Sep 23, 2013 - 10:10 PM) *
>Do what I do and buy a pack of 100 LED's from China for like $3 and make all the bulbs yourself. Then whatever resistors you need are easily gotten from your nearest Radio Shack. Better, cheaper, and the pride of doing it yourself and saving a good chunk of change. Celebrate your savings with a case of lager. tongue.gif

Instead of using resistors, use a good quality voltage regulator. This will let the LEDs have exactly the needed voltage all the time. These are more expensive than bulk resistors though.
------------------------------| White '94 Celica | Bought 11/05/12 | Sold 12/05/15 |------------------------------------------------------------| White '02 N-Edition Caldina | Weekend Car |------------------------------
Box
#5
Resistors suffice, spec it out to 14.4V and you'll be fine.
2001 Miata LS 5-speed
rentaspace
#6
>
QUOTE (Box @ Sep 24, 2013 - 5:30 AM) *
>Resistors suffice, spec it out to 14.4V and you'll be fine.

That is also an option, but of you happen to get a bad batch or falsely advertised product; it won't help you tongue.gif
------------------------------| White '94 Celica | Bought 11/05/12 | Sold 12/05/15 |------------------------------------------------------------| White '02 N-Edition Caldina | Weekend Car |------------------------------
Box
#7
Just in the way faulty voltage regulators wouldn't help at all either. tongue.gif
2001 Miata LS 5-speed
rentaspace
#8
>
QUOTE (Box @ Sep 24, 2013 - 5:34 PM) *
>Just in the way faulty voltage regulators wouldn't help at all either. tongue.gif

Yup tongue.gif
------------------------------| White '94 Celica | Bought 11/05/12 | Sold 12/05/15 |------------------------------------------------------------| White '02 N-Edition Caldina | Weekend Car |------------------------------
Special_Edy
#9
I find that cheap chinese LEDs usually only fail due to poor soldering on my part. You can't apply heat to the leads for very long or it damages the semiconductor inside
Box
#10
I've actually been quite pleased with the ones I've bought from China. I have the eBay seller saved somewhere. Anyhow out of the 100+ you get I think there was only 1 dud. You buy 100 and you get a little over that, I suppose for that very reason.
2001 Miata LS 5-speed
rentaspace
#11
I am waiting for my resistors to arrive, total cost $8, which gave me 100 LEDs and 500 resistors smile.gif
------------------------------| White '94 Celica | Bought 11/05/12 | Sold 12/05/15 |------------------------------------------------------------| White '02 N-Edition Caldina | Weekend Car |------------------------------
Special_Edy
#12
I paid $24 shipped for 1000 LEDs, maybe 14,000mcd.

DHGate.com

Also look at Mouser electronics for everything under the sun
Nihil
#13
Hope you guys don't expect super bright white LEDs... biggrin.gif
My '97 ST slow mod thread
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