turn signal wiring

[Tom Slick]

i have installed these lights they have LEDs to be used as parking lights or turn signals. how do i wire them up so that they can be both parking light and turn signals. the LEDs have a black(ground) and red(power) wire. what doohickey do i need to make this work, relay, rectifier?

thanks...

[Shadow]

Here's what you need. Go to Radio shack and pick up a solid copper PCB. You can easily etch this with a dremel if you wish. Also if you want pick up the smallest bridge rectifier they have. I think it's the size of a #2 pencil eraser, but a little shorter. Maybe. Mechanically cut out a piece about the size of the base of the bulb, but LONGER. Let's say 1 1/2" to be safe. Stab it into the connector several times to leave rub marks. Also when fully inserted mark how much of the PCB it covers. The Rectifier wont be able to fit inside the socket so it'll have to be out side of it. Now mark the holes needed for the rectifier to fit on the PCB with the ~ ~ leads going through the copper that the socket will connect to. Next you'll want to make sure the + and - leads won't touch the ~ ~ traces. but you'll want a little copper to solder to. Use a dremel to separate your traces and drill your holes. Now enlarge the holes the + and - parts will go through so you can fit your wires in them too. Once finished solder on the rectifier ~ ~ leads only. Take your assemblies to Autozone to look for Bulb covers that will fit over the assembly and fit snugly around the socket. Or you may be able to find a soft rubber cover in the hardware section at Lowes also pick up some epoxy. Once all parts are acquired poke a hole in the end of your "Boot" then push your LED wires through it. Now solder the wires to the correct + and - terminals. Now TEST IT! it should flash for turn turn on for park lamps and flash with park lamps just like the original bulbs did. If all tests are good it's time to epoxy it to seal it. Now fill the boot enough to cover the rectifier. Don't worry if you get some on the traces it'll sand right off.

Good luck

[Tom Slick]

here is the lights i'm asking about.
http://www.pilotautomotive.com/Product. ... &PCID=1058

the website says the LEDs can be used as signal and parking lights.

the instructions say to tap into the car's turn signal wire and the other is ground. my question is the front turn signal light has 3 wires going to it. i assume one is for the turn, another is for the park, and the last ground(maybe). so if the LED tap into the turn how will it act as a parking light. i need something that the car turn and parking wires tap into (relay?), so that when the lights are on the LEDs act a parking and when the turn signal comes on the parking light goes off and the signals blink. i hope that makes sense.

thanks...

[Shadow]

With the factory set up on the Fiero the Front side markers are already tapped into Turn and park. The amperage for the bulb to light is much lower than that of the other park lights and the other turn signal lights on that side. So when the Turn lamp is turned on the side marker will pull it's ground through the park lamps of the rest of the car 2 up front, all across the back, rear sides, and interior. This gives the front side markers more than enough amperage to light without illuminating the parks on the car. When the park lamp is illuminated the Front side markers will pull their ground from the Front and Rear turn signals which take even more power to illuminate than the parks since they have the brighter filaments. So the turns will not illuminate when the side marker pulls it's ground through them.

As for the Rear side markers they are only supplied a Park wire and a Ground. To make them function like the fronts if you wish for them to do so simply remove the ground and attach it to the same side's Turn wire.

In this instance if you are using LED's then you'll need to use a bridge rectifier to dedicate the positive and the ground to the LEDs. To do so when you purchase the Bridge rectifier or four rectifying diodes (black ones) you'll have two pins with wavy lines ( ~) and one with a posive (+) and one with Negative (-) markings. You'll attach the Wavy lines to the park and turn wires. This leaves the Positive out and Negative out to go to the LEDs.

Simple? ... To some.

[Shadow]

Ok I actually read thoroughly your post. If you are replacing your current Front turn/Markers you're going to soon start treading a fine line on everything deciding to stop working when you finish. Here's what I mean If you use all LEDs for all lighting Park and turn will give up the Grounds to them. What you'll eventually need to do is either purchase or build a new LOAD to simulate the incandescent lights. The LOAD will be a couple Low resistance High Wattage Ceramic Resistors. Attached from the park to ground and Turn to ground.

Remember what you did for your side markers? Do the same thing with those. Just no ground.

[Tom Slick]

Remember what you did for your side markers? Do the same thing with those. Just no ground.

can you draw me another diagram?

let me see if i understand what your trying to tell me.
the two ~ (rectifier) one will go to the turn signal wire and the other to the parking light wire.
the + (rectifier) will go to the + LED wire
the - (rectifier) will go no where
the - LED wire will go to chassis ground.

the guy on pennock's says can't use a rectifier for the side markers when trying to wire up these lights. have to use a trailer light converter. http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/107576.html

why didn't pay attention in electronics class in high school... oh cause the use vacuum tubes back then.

[Shadow]

Dang I really missed this one.

The rectifier (-) negative goes to the LED negative. Nothing connects to the Chassis Ground.

[Tom Slick]

it does not work like i wanted it to. i believe the LED lights have a built in relay so when it gets power it will blink, so when the turn signals are one the blinking is erratic but when the parking lights are on the blinking is perfect. so i had to wired them up just for turn signals no parking lights, SUCKS!!!

now i want to rip these lights out and go with a small round driving light and a small round LED to use as both a turn signal and parking light.