electronics, anyone?

[Ext User(Trumpetskickbrass@gmail.com)]

Well, I have a thing for special effects lighting, and today I started
modding my car with some LED's. I robbed the 12V power source from the
cigarette lighter (I'll never smoke) to power quite a few LED's all
throughout the car - in the vents, floors, grill, etc. While I was
doing the final touches (ie, soldering the toggle switch connections)
I had accidentally left the battery connected after a final test, the
two wires touched, and bang, I blew a fuse. Easy enough fix - I had it
replaced and the new LED's working perfectly in no time.

Then tonight I went out for a movie with some friends, afterwards came
outside and realized that my instrument panel lights weren't lighting
up. I checked through all the fuses, replaced any that looked "iffy",
and still no light on my speedometer, tach, yet my warning lights,
turn signal indicators, and bright light indicators still work. I'm
trying to think of how this may have happened...? I realize that the
short I created that took out the first fuse can cause havoc on an
electrical system, but the cigarette lighter and the instrument panel
are two completely different circuits. I'm wondering if anyone has any
ideas, before I have to go up into my dash to see if the lights
suddenly all burned out at once. Since everything else on that circuit
still is live, it leads me to believe that these lights simply just
burned out all at once.

This happening, now I'm wondering about new ways to light up the
gauges. Since the warning lights still all work, I'm thinking 'why not
get creative' here, and rig some new lights to light up the panels.
The themed color I've got is blue, and if I could, I think that
lighting up the dash panel blue instead of the boring old white, would
be pretty awesome. However, I don't know where I could find a blue
replacement light, and I don't think LED's would spread light well
enough to illuminate the dash, at least from the back. Any ideas from
anyone? I'm considering the possibility of lighting the dash from the
front - get some TCH3's and mount them aimed at the dash, it would be
rather unobtrusive but I'm not sure how it would look in lighting up
the dash. Any ideas, feel free to email me,
trumpetskickbrass@gmail.com

Thanx!

-Aaron

[Ext User(Clockmeister)]

<Trumpetskickbrass@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1175315230.964444.237470@p77g2000hsh.googlegr oups.com...
> Well, I have a thing for special effects lighting, and today I started
> modding my car with some LED's. I robbed the 12V power source from the
> cigarette lighter (I'll never smoke) to power quite a few LED's all
> throughout the car - in the vents, floors, grill, etc. While I was
> doing the final touches (ie, soldering the toggle switch connections)
> I had accidentally left the battery connected after a final test, the
> two wires touched, and bang, I blew a fuse. Easy enough fix - I had it
> replaced and the new LED's working perfectly in no time.
>
> Then tonight I went out for a movie with some friends, afterwards came
> outside and realized that my instrument panel lights weren't lighting
> up. I checked through all the fuses, replaced any that looked "iffy",
> and still no light on my speedometer, tach, yet my warning lights,
> turn signal indicators, and bright light indicators still work. I'm
> trying to think of how this may have happened...? I realize that the
> short I created that took out the first fuse can cause havoc on an
> electrical system, but the cigarette lighter and the instrument panel
> are two completely different circuits. I'm wondering if anyone has any
> ideas, before I have to go up into my dash to see if the lights
> suddenly all burned out at once. Since everything else on that circuit
> still is live, it leads me to believe that these lights simply just
> burned out all at once.
>

Have you tried turning the dimmer up?

[Ext User(Michael C)]

<Trumpetskickbrass@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1175315230.964444.237470@p77g2000hsh.googlegr oups.com...
> Well, I have a thing for special effects lighting, and today I started
> modding my car with some LED's. I robbed the 12V power source from the
> cigarette lighter (I'll never smoke) to power quite a few LED's all
> throughout the car - in the vents, floors, grill, etc. While I was
> doing the final touches (ie, soldering the toggle switch connections)
> I had accidentally left the battery connected after a final test, the
> two wires touched, and bang, I blew a fuse. Easy enough fix - I had it
> replaced and the new LED's working perfectly in no time.
>
> Then tonight I went out for a movie with some friends, afterwards came
> outside and realized that my instrument panel lights weren't lighting
> up. I checked through all the fuses, replaced any that looked "iffy",
> and still no light on my speedometer, tach, yet my warning lights,
> turn signal indicators, and bright light indicators still work. I'm
> trying to think of how this may have happened...? I realize that the
> short I created that took out the first fuse can cause havoc on an
> electrical system, but the cigarette lighter and the instrument panel
> are two completely different circuits. I'm wondering if anyone has any
> ideas, before I have to go up into my dash to see if the lights
> suddenly all burned out at once. Since everything else on that circuit
> still is live, it leads me to believe that these lights simply just
> burned out all at once.
>
> This happening, now I'm wondering about new ways to light up the
> gauges. Since the warning lights still all work, I'm thinking 'why not
> get creative' here, and rig some new lights to light up the panels.
> The themed color I've got is blue, and if I could, I think that
> lighting up the dash panel blue instead of the boring old white, would
> be pretty awesome. However, I don't know where I could find a blue
> replacement light, and I don't think LED's would spread light well
> enough to illuminate the dash, at least from the back. Any ideas from
> anyone? I'm considering the possibility of lighting the dash from the
> front - get some TCH3's and mount them aimed at the dash, it would be
> rather unobtrusive but I'm not sure how it would look in lighting up
> the dash. Any ideas, feel free to email me,
> trumpetskickbrass@gmail.com

It's very unlikely they all blew at once. Did you happen to leave something
unplugged when you pulled the dash apart. Those lights working are not
something you would immediately notice.

As for the replacement bulbs I'm pretty sure you can get them in blue
somewhere.

Michael

[Ext User(the_dawggie)]

On Mar 31, 2:27 pm, Trumpetskickbr...@gmail.com wrote:
> Well, I have a thing for special effects lighting, and today I started
> modding my car with some LED's. I robbed the 12V power source from the
> cigarette lighter (I'll never smoke) to power quite a few LED's all
> throughout the car - in the vents, floors, grill, etc. While I was
> doing the final touches (ie, soldering the toggle switch connections)
> I had accidentally left the battery connected after a final test, the
> two wires touched, and bang, I blew a fuse. Easy enough fix - I had it
> replaced and the new LED's working perfectly in no time.
>
> Then tonight I went out for a movie with some friends, afterwards came
> outside and realized that my instrument panel lights weren't lighting
> up. I checked through all the fuses, replaced any that looked "iffy",
> and still no light on my speedometer, tach, yet my warning lights,
> turn signal indicators, and bright light indicators still work. I'm
> trying to think of how this may have happened...? I realize that the
> short I created that took out the first fuse can cause havoc on an
> electrical system, but the cigarette lighter and the instrument panel
> are two completely different circuits. I'm wondering if anyone has any
> ideas, before I have to go up into my dash to see if the lights
> suddenly all burned out at once. Since everything else on that circuit
> still is live, it leads me to believe that these lights simply just
> burned out all at once.
>
> This happening, now I'm wondering about new ways to light up the
> gauges. Since the warning lights still all work, I'm thinking 'why not
> get creative' here, and rig some new lights to light up the panels.
> The themed color I've got is blue, and if I could, I think that
> lighting up the dash panel blue instead of the boring old white, would
> be pretty awesome. However, I don't know where I could find a blue
> replacement light, and I don't think LED's would spread light well
> enough to illuminate the dash, at least from the back. Any ideas from
> anyone? I'm considering the possibility of lighting the dash from the
> front - get some TCH3's and mount them aimed at the dash, it would be
> rather unobtrusive but I'm not sure how it would look in lighting up
> the dash. Any ideas, feel free to email me,
> trumpetskickbr...@gmail.com

What you are asking suggests you should not be going
rice.

[Ext User(mark jb)]

> be pretty awesome. However, I don't know where I could find a blue
> replacement light, and I don't think LED's would spread light well
> enough to illuminate the dash, at least from the back. Any ideas from
> anyone? I'm considering the possibility of lighting the dash from the
> front - get some TCH3's and mount them aimed at the dash, it would be
> rather unobtrusive but I'm not sure how it would look in lighting up
> the dash. Any ideas, feel free to email me,

Go to supercheap and ask for blue lightbulb condoms at the back counter.
They stock most colours, but blue is particularly dim. LEDs would be much
brighter.
Or go for an EL cover for your existing dash, check out Ebay.

Did the ciggie lighter light up with the parkers? Chances are you've
accidentally grounded the wire from the light in there.

As for it all burning out at once - what do you think the fuse is there for?
Run through your new wiring with a testlamp or multimeter. Usually stupidly
obvious when you find it.

-mark

[Ext User(Dan)]

What car?

Had a similar problem when we installed an after market stereo in my mates
Rodeo. Lights were piggy backed off the radio and we hadn't re-connected
them. check your wiring.

DAN


<Trumpetskickbrass@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1175315230.964444.237470@p77g2000hsh.googlegr oups.com...
> Well, I have a thing for special effects lighting, and today I started
> modding my car with some LED's. I robbed the 12V power source from the
> cigarette lighter (I'll never smoke) to power quite a few LED's all
> throughout the car - in the vents, floors, grill, etc. While I was
> doing the final touches (ie, soldering the toggle switch connections)
> I had accidentally left the battery connected after a final test, the
> two wires touched, and bang, I blew a fuse. Easy enough fix - I had it
> replaced and the new LED's working perfectly in no time.
>
> Then tonight I went out for a movie with some friends, afterwards came
> outside and realized that my instrument panel lights weren't lighting
> up. I checked through all the fuses, replaced any that looked "iffy",
> and still no light on my speedometer, tach, yet my warning lights,
> turn signal indicators, and bright light indicators still work. I'm
> trying to think of how this may have happened...? I realize that the
> short I created that took out the first fuse can cause havoc on an
> electrical system, but the cigarette lighter and the instrument panel
> are two completely different circuits. I'm wondering if anyone has any
> ideas, before I have to go up into my dash to see if the lights
> suddenly all burned out at once. Since everything else on that circuit
> still is live, it leads me to believe that these lights simply just
> burned out all at once.
>
> This happening, now I'm wondering about new ways to light up the
> gauges. Since the warning lights still all work, I'm thinking 'why not
> get creative' here, and rig some new lights to light up the panels.
> The themed color I've got is blue, and if I could, I think that
> lighting up the dash panel blue instead of the boring old white, would
> be pretty awesome. However, I don't know where I could find a blue
> replacement light, and I don't think LED's would spread light well
> enough to illuminate the dash, at least from the back. Any ideas from
> anyone? I'm considering the possibility of lighting the dash from the
> front - get some TCH3's and mount them aimed at the dash, it would be
> rather unobtrusive but I'm not sure how it would look in lighting up
> the dash. Any ideas, feel free to email me,
> trumpetskickbrass@gmail.com
>
> Thanx!
>
> -Aaron
>

[Ext User(Scotty)]

Whats the bet that you havent plugged the dimmer socket back in when
replacing bits if your dash board!




<Trumpetskickbrass@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1175315230.964444.237470@p77g2000hsh.googlegr oups.com...
> Well, I have a thing for special effects lighting, and today I started
> modding my car with some LED's. I robbed the 12V power source from the
> cigarette lighter (I'll never smoke) to power quite a few LED's all
> throughout the car - in the vents, floors, grill, etc. While I was
> doing the final touches (ie, soldering the toggle switch connections)
> I had accidentally left the battery connected after a final test, the
> two wires touched, and bang, I blew a fuse. Easy enough fix - I had it
> replaced and the new LED's working perfectly in no time.
>
> Then tonight I went out for a movie with some friends, afterwards came
> outside and realized that my instrument panel lights weren't lighting
> up. I checked through all the fuses, replaced any that looked "iffy",
> and still no light on my speedometer, tach, yet my warning lights,
> turn signal indicators, and bright light indicators still work. I'm
> trying to think of how this may have happened...? I realize that the
> short I created that took out the first fuse can cause havoc on an
> electrical system, but the cigarette lighter and the instrument panel
> are two completely different circuits. I'm wondering if anyone has any
> ideas, before I have to go up into my dash to see if the lights
> suddenly all burned out at once. Since everything else on that circuit
> still is live, it leads me to believe that these lights simply just
> burned out all at once.
>
> This happening, now I'm wondering about new ways to light up the
> gauges. Since the warning lights still all work, I'm thinking 'why not
> get creative' here, and rig some new lights to light up the panels.
> The themed color I've got is blue, and if I could, I think that
> lighting up the dash panel blue instead of the boring old white, would
> be pretty awesome. However, I don't know where I could find a blue
> replacement light, and I don't think LED's would spread light well
> enough to illuminate the dash, at least from the back. Any ideas from
> anyone? I'm considering the possibility of lighting the dash from the
> front - get some TCH3's and mount them aimed at the dash, it would be
> rather unobtrusive but I'm not sure how it would look in lighting up
> the dash. Any ideas, feel free to email me,
> trumpetskickbrass@gmail.com
>
> Thanx!
>
> -Aaron
>