Not to mention it's going to cost him more than $12.99 when his current hack job goes wrong and breaks something.
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The Car Mod Thread...
- Thread starter MatthewLTL
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I did run the lights manually, PITA, doing so fried on of the SBLEDs (had to get it replaced 8 days later), Doing so also ruined one of the tail light LEDs, and fried the CREE projector-lens LED on the other, The only thing that has held up to "running the lights all the time" was one SBLED and the Amber and Purple side marker LEDs along with the License Plate LEDs.
Not sure where u got most of that from, The DRLs run off the Power Window Circuit, protected by the power window fuse (30A) hence the DRLs are isolated from the rest of the lighting system. The car has no power windows, or power anything to use that circuit, hence why I used that relay, It's a otherwise, unused and un-important circuit in the car. It took longer time installing the 1157 sockets and plugs than it did wiring up the DRLs. We are talking about a 2-3Amp current draw, on a wire the same gauge used in household thermostats, which run 24V, this is running 12V. In fact, the factory wires on the harness that GOES to the parking/turn signal lights on the car is no thicker than the wire i used, and that was designed for use with Incandescent bulbs.
Statistically speaking, the 3rd brake light isn't a necessity either but i still reversed the polarity to use a LED in that anyway, even put in a 1157 socket into it
It takes less than 15 minutes to wire DRLs, its the initial install that takes the most time.
It's the power Window circuit, nothing on it to break.
EDIT: Wrapping a wire around the RAP Relay in a 2000-2005 Impala, is literally the only way to hard wire things for ignition on/off control.
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The voltage through a wire is irrelevant provided that the insulation is thick enough and has a high enough dieelectric constant to properly insulate the wire for the voltage traveling through it.
The current draw is what you have to pay attention to. I'd be concerned about using less than 16 AWG for a sustained 2-3A current draw.
i know nothing about wire gauges, I go by eye, but i can't tell by looking what the AWG is.
If you "go buy eye" you should be able to read the marking on the insulation. There are also ways to measure wire gauge. I usually use a micrometer, but this is overkill for anything but very small wires. There are simple interference type gauges usually available.
Whatever the case, using whatever wire you have lying around without knowing the specs on it is asking for trouble whatever the application.
MathewLTL: Why bother tapping everything into existing relays? Find an ignition powered circuit from your ignition switch and wire an auxiliary fuse box like this one from Blue Sea?
https://www.bluesea.com/products/5026/ST_Blade_Fuse_Block_-_12_Circuits_with_Negative_Bus_and_Cover
Your ignition will provide power to the box when you turn the key and you can add whatever you want to it. You can put it under the dash or in the trunk if you want. I use something similar to power all the gauges and sensors in my race car.
EDIT: It seems you aren't using automotive wire for your projects. The gauge is marked on the packages of all I have. Hit Amazon and enter Automotive Wire or go to an auto parts store. I use wire and switches from Painless Performance.
Dale
https://www.bluesea.com/products/5026/ST_Blade_Fuse_Block_-_12_Circuits_with_Negative_Bus_and_Cover
Your ignition will provide power to the box when you turn the key and you can add whatever you want to it. You can put it under the dash or in the trunk if you want. I use something similar to power all the gauges and sensors in my race car.
EDIT: It seems you aren't using automotive wire for your projects. The gauge is marked on the packages of all I have. Hit Amazon and enter Automotive Wire or go to an auto parts store. I use wire and switches from Painless Performance.
Dale
Looked back and found this video. What headers are those? Are they long tube, shortie or tri-y? They look easier to deal with than the Hooker Super Comps in my 68 Mustang. That's a 302 (5.0L), right?
My modified car. 1968 Mustang. Ford Racing 302 with aluminum heads from Air Flow Racing and a bunch of other speed stuff. Holley 600 DP. Full cage. Mostly a strip car but I don't have the cash for a trailer and truck so it's street legal. I built the trailer to haul stuff to the track and nap in on weekend long races. Just got it finished in time to make some test runs and put it away for the Winter. 13.06@108mph.
Dale
Very nicely done!
If all your lights can't handle being run 24/7 for years on end, you bought crappy lights. That's the problem with cheap LED's, they are cheap, and don't last. If you can't afford $12.99 for a generic DRL wire harness, you can't afford to be modifying your car. I know, I've been there.
All the speakers in my Bronco I bought more than 10 years ago and they've sat on a shelf most of that time because I couldn't justify buying the rest of the gear to run them PROPERLY. Sometimes I would pull them out of their boxes and look at them, then put them back away. I wound up selling the project car they were meant to go into after owning it for ten years. Over the last five years I slowly collected the rest of the stereo gear to run and finally started installing it a year and a half ago, I just turned it on for the first time this week!
All that delayed gratification paid off. Instead being in a hurry and being disappointed by my $2000 of speakers, I am incredibly impressed with how it sounds. It is everything I wanted it to be 10 years ago, but in a different(better) car.
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I like to use phone cord, I've got a bunch of it lying around from old modems and answering machines.
I did a bit more work on the Bronco today. All the small parts to make my Spectre air filter setup work came in. The Spectre kit showed up a few days ago, but the air filter base is a drop base, and that interferes with the transmission linkage. Also, the housing would hit the distributor and firewall if centered over the throttle body. I found a non-drop base air filter bottom that was offset, it fit great. Here is the final install picture:
You can't tell in the picture, but the filter is offset to the passenger side by about two inches. It's not that easy to notice in person either.
Here is where the ducts go, I added the screws after taking the pictures.
Passenger side:
Driver side:
I had to oval the tubing a bit to fit past the radiator, but I'm not too concerned about it. The tubing is 4", two of those is far more area than the single 3" of the exhaust. Before this setup the engine was breathing 140ºf+ air once the engine was warmed up, now it's pretty much ambient.
This is how the battery wiring wound up, I have about 1500CCA available with this setup. 350 feet of various sized split loom arrived today and tomorrow I'll tackle protecting those wires.
Here is the chassis ground, I was very fortunate that this JL Audio ground stud fit in the factory jack bolt. I have two JL ground studs near the amps, I will eventually tie them all together and add one to the actual frame.
You can't tell in the picture, but the filter is offset to the passenger side by about two inches. It's not that easy to notice in person either.
Here is where the ducts go, I added the screws after taking the pictures.
Passenger side:
Driver side:
I had to oval the tubing a bit to fit past the radiator, but I'm not too concerned about it. The tubing is 4", two of those is far more area than the single 3" of the exhaust. Before this setup the engine was breathing 140ºf+ air once the engine was warmed up, now it's pretty much ambient.
This is how the battery wiring wound up, I have about 1500CCA available with this setup. 350 feet of various sized split loom arrived today and tomorrow I'll tackle protecting those wires.
Here is the chassis ground, I was very fortunate that this JL Audio ground stud fit in the factory jack bolt. I have two JL ground studs near the amps, I will eventually tie them all together and add one to the actual frame.
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I did a bit more work on the Bronco today. All the small parts to make my Spectre air filter setup work came in. The Spectre kit showed up a few days ago, but the air filter base is a drop base, and that interferes with the transmission linkage. Also, the housing would hit the distributor and firewall if centered over the throttle body. I found a non-drop base air filter bottom that was offset, it fit great. Here is the final install picture:
You can't tell in the picture, but the filter is offset to the passenger side by about two inches. It's not that easy to notice in person either.
Here is where the ducts go, I added the screws after taking the pictures.
Passenger side:
Driver side:
I had to oval the tubing a bit to fit past the radiator, but I'm not too concerned about it. The tubing is 4", two of those is far more area than the single 3" of the exhaust. Before this setup the engine was breathing 140ºf+ air once the engine was warmed up, now it's pretty much ambient.
This is how the battery wiring wound up, I have about 1500CCA available with this setup. 350 feet of various sized split loom arrived today and tomorrow I'll tackle protecting those wires.
Here is the chassis ground, I was very fortunate that this JL Audio ground stud fit in the factory jack bolt. I have two JL ground studs near the amps, I will eventually tie them all together and add one to the actual frame.
Nice ground wire. Now that the engine is out of my Mustang I intend to upgrade the available ground there. The batteries are in the trunk and the grounds are welded studs on the cage and the alternator charge and ground wires run back there too, so that's good, but everything under the hood needs attention. One bad ground kills everything.
Dale
EDIT: If you really lust after a teardrop trailer, here is a link to the plans I used for mine, Quite detailed, even though it is an unfinished PDF.
http://mikenchell.com/images/GenericBenroyPlans.pdf
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I actually thought of doing something like that from a hobby box at ACE. more like a Positive Junction box. Unfortunately, running anything from the engine bay to the cabin is not a easy task to do. With my car, all wires go from the engine bay to the cabin by running behind the driver's side fender, not the firewall. I was going to use a Fuse Tap to power the DRLs but every fuse under the hood always has power, the relays are switched so that's why I used it. Removing the fusebox, and removing the P/W wires from the box and using my own wires, i could essencially build a DRL LED Relay into the existing fuse box.
Why didn't you just use the factory speaker wire, or just buy automotive speaker wire? Not that expensive.
isn't that wire too thin?
NICE!I did a bit more work on the Bronco today. All the small parts to make my Spectre air filter setup work came in. The Spectre kit showed up a few days ago, but the air filter base is a drop base, and that interferes with the transmission linkage. Also, the housing would hit the distributor and firewall if centered over the throttle body. I found a non-drop base air filter bottom that was offset, it fit great. Here is the final install picture:
You can't tell in the picture, but the filter is offset to the passenger side by about two inches. It's not that easy to notice in person either.
Here is where the ducts go, I added the screws after taking the pictures.
Passenger side:
Driver side:
I had to oval the tubing a bit to fit past the radiator, but I'm not too concerned about it. The tubing is 4", two of those is far more area than the single 3" of the exhaust. Before this setup the engine was breathing 140ºf+ air once the engine was warmed up, now it's pretty much ambient.
This is how the battery wiring wound up, I have about 1500CCA available with this setup. 350 feet of various sized split loom arrived today and tomorrow I'll tackle protecting those wires.
Here is the chassis ground, I was very fortunate that this JL Audio ground stud fit in the factory jack bolt. I have two JL ground studs near the amps, I will eventually tie them all together and add one to the actual frame.
Most of the wire i've seen or have, have no markings to indicate gauge at all.
It's not about just the wire. It's about needing the proper power and processing to hit my goals. I work in live entertainment and wanted a system designed to sound like a good concert. That take LOTS of power, a REALLY good processor, speakers that can do it while not sounding stressed, and a PROPER install.
The system is designed around Image Dynamics CD2 COMP compression drivers on big body horns:
(not my picture)
It worked quite well. I was listening to a song a couple days ago that slowly tapered off, and the next song started with a big snare hit, that snare startled me. But aside from just being loud, it is clean, images well, has good height and has zero audible distortion.
I still need to upgrade my mids with the ones sitting on the self.
Thanks.
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Wait, so what lights are the DRL lights? The headlights, parking lights, or completely new bulbs you drilled in?
What do you mean "running the lights all the time? And did you just say you have purple side markers?
My mistake. I though you said you used the fuel pump relay. That obviously would not be a smart thing to do. I'm glad you at least chose something without a function.
Well perhaps the study you cite makes it statistically unncessary, but by legal standards you do (I believe everything 1990 and later). Seems easier to me just to have one than get pulled over and/or ticketed-- especially since it is already there. Of course, cops would never pull you over. But on the rare chance they did...Stastiscally the brake light isn't a necessity either but i still reversed the polarity to use a LED in that anyway, even put in a 1157 socket into it
@MatthewLTL this is what the official NHSTA says in their research about 3rd brake lights.
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/808696.pdf
In practice they reduce accidents by 4.3%. That means (in the context of 1994 money and # of drivers) preventing 92,000-137,000 accidents, 58,000-70,000 non-fatal injuries, and supposedly saving $655,000,000 in damages (over $1T today with inflation). There was an earlier study in the 80's that claimed 60% reduction in accidents amongst taxis with a 3rd brake light which warranted the NHSTA study.
I only read the abstract on this, but one of my jobs in life is to read and analyze clinical trials which are statistical experiments applied to medicine. This is very similar, just replace a drug or treatment with brake lights. The outcomes- lived saved, reduced damages, and money saved are pretty much the same between then two topics. If you provide your source (and data) claiming them statistically irrelevant, I will gladly reconcile the information. Not all studies are well designed.
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/808696.pdf
In practice they reduce accidents by 4.3%. That means (in the context of 1994 money and # of drivers) preventing 92,000-137,000 accidents, 58,000-70,000 non-fatal injuries, and supposedly saving $655,000,000 in damages (over $1T today with inflation). There was an earlier study in the 80's that claimed 60% reduction in accidents amongst taxis with a 3rd brake light which warranted the NHSTA study.
I only read the abstract on this, but one of my jobs in life is to read and analyze clinical trials which are statistical experiments applied to medicine. This is very similar, just replace a drug or treatment with brake lights. The outcomes- lived saved, reduced damages, and money saved are pretty much the same between then two topics. If you provide your source (and data) claiming them statistically irrelevant, I will gladly reconcile the information. Not all studies are well designed.
1. The Parking light (White LED) side of the SBLEDs are the DRLs.
2. By running the lights all the time i meant just that, headlights and all on in broad daylight as well as at night. And yes, I put purple LED's inside my rear side marker light housings, makes it 2X brighter than the red LEDs i had in there.
3. Initially I DID have the DRLs running off the fuel pump relay, ran it that way for a week or 2 before i decided against it and used the Power Window relay instead.
4. In some states you are actually only required by law to have atleast 1 brake light and one tail light functioning, therefore if you remove the CHMSL or it burns out, it's not legally probable cause to get pulled over in such states. Minnesota is one of those states. Also its 1986 and never on cars and 1990 and newer on vans and trucks. Back in 1986 the CHMSL stopped accidents by 86% today, because all cars have one, that has been reduced to 3%. Using the fried SBLED in my 3rd brake light will make the entire interior smell like burning electronics. hence the reason for the 1157 socket in the CHMSL
ok it was 4.3% that was my mistake, but DRLs reduce accidents by 2.7% (around 3%, not sure the precise number) and people say DRLs are a needless feature, Due to that logic, I applied it to the 3rd brake light since it's accident-reducing number isn't much higher.
If you're talking about hundreds of thousands, if not millions of accidents though- 2.7% to 4.3% can be a significant number of accidents. If you consider the cost off adding these features versus the cost of car accidents (vehicle and property damage + healthcare), it's a significant amount of money.
In statistics numbers are statistically significant or they're not. Without getting too complicated, basically in this case if the margin of error of the estimation reduction of accidents included the number of accidents that actually happen- then it would be determined 4.3% is insignificant because I'm not proving that there is definite improvement due to the margin of error (a calculation to complex to speak about here). The study I posted considers 4.3% significant, meaning it is valid.
Then there is a matter of practical significance. 4.3 may seem like a small number, but in proportion to the number of accidents and the cost of accidents, it is quite significant. If there were only 10 car accidents a year- 4.3% seems is negligible. In that there are millions, it's a big number.
Last year in the US there were 10.8 Million reported accidents. If a 3% reduction in accidents would be 324,000 fewer accidents. That's significant don't you think?
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Since when did you care about statistics? Airbags reduce the driver fatalities by 29% and yet you brag that you've disabled yours.
I've said this more than once...if it's worth doing it's worth doing right. I don't "do" car audio, but know that there's more to a good quality set up than just the speakers and wire. In fact, I'd venture to guess that the wire is only a small part of the equation.
There again, it's a bad idea to use wire without knowing the specs on it.
Most of the wire in my "wire box" has not only the gauge but insulation type, breakdown temperature, and other information printed on it. Most of my wire scrap is left over from projects where I've gone to the hardware store and bought a certain length of a certain type of wire to the specifications I requested-any decently stocked hardware store(whether big-box or local) should have a big rack of wire on spools where you can buy it by the foot like this.
Legally speaking, I can disable my airbags if I want, and since my specific insurance company will pay out book value for a car that is totaled, and since insurance companies automaticaly total cars with deployed airbags, disabling mine will not hurt anything. I talked to my agent and he stated that disabling the airbags will not at all affect my rates, or being paid if the cars get totaled.
You drive a 2001 Daewoo. It's worth hardly anything. Any accident that would be severe enough to deploy your airbags if they weren't disabled will still be enough to total your car without airbags.
