Normal Sidelight current draw

Butters · 12 Nov 2007 at 17:19

Hi,

does anyone know roughly the current draw (in milli-amps) of a single standard sidelight fillament style?

Thanks

Howard · 12 Nov 2007 at 17:20

5 watts.

Butters · 12 Nov 2007 at 17:27

OK, so now, to convert to Amps I need to know the voltage. I'm guessing 12?

therealnerd2 · 12 Nov 2007 at 17:29

Butters said:
OK, so now, to convert to Amps I need to know the voltage. I'm guessing 12?

indeed

Butters · 12 Nov 2007 at 17:33

Ok, so checking this back the way

5w/12v = 0.41A * 1000 = 416ma?

Dogbreath · 12 Nov 2007 at 17:34

Butters said:
Ok, so checking this back the way

5w/12v = 0.41A * 1000 = 416ma?

Correct.

Butters · 12 Nov 2007 at 17:36

Ahh crap that means the LED sidelights I'm replacing them with will illuminate my bulb warning light probably.

MikeHunt79 · 12 Nov 2007 at 17:46

try it, you may get lucky...

Butters · 12 Nov 2007 at 17:53

Well the LEDs have a 50ma draw so I'm guessing I wont be lucky, but if you dont try you never know

therealnerd2 · 12 Nov 2007 at 17:57

Butters said:
Well the LEDs have a 50ma draw so I'm guessing I wont be lucky, but if you dont try you never know

Big fat resistor in parallel?

Butters · 12 Nov 2007 at 18:14

therealnerd2 said:
Big fat resistor in parallel?

Parallel? Really, I thought it would have been Series.

FreeStream · 12 Nov 2007 at 18:46

series IIR my physics correctly

Clarkey · 12 Nov 2007 at 19:44

Butters said:
OK, so now, to convert to Amps I need to know the voltage. I'm guessing 12?

try more like 14v with the engine running

Dogbreath · 12 Nov 2007 at 20:02

Butters said:
Parallel? Really, I thought it would have been Series.

No, parallel to increase current draw. A series connection will reduce current and reduce the voltage available for the LED making it less bright.

Enfield · 12 Nov 2007 at 21:05

LEDs are crap. They always melt or break in some way or another.

Get some Philips Blue Vision bulbs (not sure if that is the correct name or not, but something to that effect).

MikeHunt79 · 12 Nov 2007 at 21:33

Or put a Luxeon (and big resistor) on there, they draw around 700ma. :eek:

Actually, don't do this, it may blind other drivers...

therealnerd2 · 12 Nov 2007 at 22:59

Butters said:
Parallel? Really, I thought it would have been Series.

Concorde Rules said:
series IIR my physics correctly

If I say parallel, I mean parallel.

Butters · 13 Nov 2007 at 16:10

OK, so would we have it like this?

Code:

Red Wire          Black Wire
   |                      |
Resistor           Resistor
   |                      |
Red Wire          Black Wire

i.e. two resistors? or one 4 pronged resistor? What sort of size?

therealnerd2 · 13 Nov 2007 at 16:17

Code:

 Red Wire
     |
    / \
  /    \
Res   LED
  \   /
   \ /
    |
Black Wire

Although i'm not sure this is a good idea. It would render your warning light useless clearly.

MikeHunt79 · 13 Nov 2007 at 17:15

The whole point of an LED is that it is more efficient and uses less power... I wouldn't use a resistor myself... I'd disable to warning light somehow...