e-fan monitor lights
Now that shows real class! (The spray paint with (flecks?) - possibly you meant metal flecks here and not flexible paint?) Either way, you've got to post pictures of it!

And, Steve, I knew exactly what you meant, but, you opened a huge door for me and I couldn't resist driving a big truck through it!
No, no dumb question that I saw. You're nowhere near your quota. And, to set the record even MORE straight, I think I'm way ahead of you in the overall dumb question count!
- Jack

And, Steve, I knew exactly what you meant, but, you opened a huge door for me and I couldn't resist driving a big truck through it!

No, no dumb question that I saw. You're nowhere near your quota. And, to set the record even MORE straight, I think I'm way ahead of you in the overall dumb question count!

- Jack
Those dash panels, that I made, have a tendency to flex a lot for some reason ( need to add some milk jug bracing to them, to finish the job off right.
I should have seen that one coming down the road. Jack the bus driver, tossed me right under there, didn't ya

You used to lead me in the dumb question category, but now that I made full mod status ( instead of mod in training ) I went back and edited everyone of your posts to remove all dumb questions. I AM THE KING..... of dumb questions that it
LONG LIVE THE KING !!
That's not the same thing. You're describing the demand lighting circuit which uses a PCM'ed voltage to dim that circuit (like a switching power supply). The illumination circuit dimmer varies the voltage down to dim the dash, and LEDs won't respond to that. Look at the far R of this diagram; pins 1 & 2.

The dimming of the demand lighting circuit is controlled inside the LCM, and can't be adjusted or stopped at a particular level.
Plus...
We don't even know what YEAR gregk's truck is. His might not even have an LCM.
The dimming of the demand lighting circuit is controlled inside the LCM, and can't be adjusted or stopped at a particular level.
Plus...
We don't even know what YEAR gregk's truck is. His might not even have an LCM.
gregk63
Member Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Charleston, WV
Vehicle: 2004 ford F150
Posts: 33
Member Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Charleston, WV
Vehicle: 2004 ford F150
Posts: 33
you really need to get your facts straight before you post things and misslead people some people are relying on sites like this for information on there vehicles when they have problems and it does them no good when people post things and they have no idea what there talking about and do not have there facts straight. because some of them just take it as its said and dont question the information because they dont know any better because it is why they come on here looking for information in the first place.
here is a little video of led lights being able to dim.
Last edited by jrfonte; May 23, 2009 at 04:21 AM.
He filled in his profile after I posted that. Copy & paste mine now, and then check it tomorrow when I fix it back right.
And your video only shows a black screen with some white blobs that dim & go out. We can't see what kind of bulb is producing that light, or why it appears to dim. But I'll assume they ARE LEDs & that they appear to go dim because they actually are (not a video editing effect) - it still only shows that the demand lighting circuit's Pulse-Code Modulated (PCM) voltage will work on LEDs; not that he could parallel LEDs with the incandescents in the dash & have them dim simulataneously to a lower level (other than OFF). Take a few college courses in physics & electrical engineering so you can understand the difference between varying voltage & PCM voltage. And shoot some video of those LEDs dimming & stopping without going OFF right beside some incandescent bulbs doing the same thing, but make sure we can see that they're all wired parallel.
And your video only shows a black screen with some white blobs that dim & go out. We can't see what kind of bulb is producing that light, or why it appears to dim. But I'll assume they ARE LEDs & that they appear to go dim because they actually are (not a video editing effect) - it still only shows that the demand lighting circuit's Pulse-Code Modulated (PCM) voltage will work on LEDs; not that he could parallel LEDs with the incandescents in the dash & have them dim simulataneously to a lower level (other than OFF). Take a few college courses in physics & electrical engineering so you can understand the difference between varying voltage & PCM voltage. And shoot some video of those LEDs dimming & stopping without going OFF right beside some incandescent bulbs doing the same thing, but make sure we can see that they're all wired parallel.
qutoe:] steve83
SSCULLY's right - LEDs don't have a linear output response compared to voltage or current, so you can't dim them like incandescents. Your best move is to use small incandescents if you require dimmability, or accept the fact that they'll be constant brightness if you require LEDs.
i just showed you 3 times that a led will in fact dim just like the incandecents did that came stock factory in the headrest lights and you just keep coming up with new excuses why it cant be done when i just showed you it can when i put in my leds i installed just the leds in just the rear overhead light and it worked just the same as the front ones did which where incandecents still.
and since you have doubts that they are in fact leds i put some pics in here for you to see.
and just so you know you do not necessarily have to have the leds wired in parallel to get them to work with the incandecents it depends on the max voltage that the dimmer switch sends to the dash lights as to how you wire up the leds they may have to be wired in series-parallel to ge the voltage right for the leds to work like they are supposed to but just for you i am going to do this and post it on here. but i have already showed you that leds will infact dim and have told you i have made them work already in my 97 grand am off the dimmer switch.
so maybe you are the one that needs to take a few courses at your local community college so maybe they can teach you a few things.
or you would probally tell the professor that he is wrong and everyone else knows nothing even if they showed it to you.
these are pics of the rear led lights when i did them the fronts were still stock and they both dimmed the same.







can you tell the difference between incandecent and led lighting do you know which one is which?
SSCULLY's right - LEDs don't have a linear output response compared to voltage or current, so you can't dim them like incandescents. Your best move is to use small incandescents if you require dimmability, or accept the fact that they'll be constant brightness if you require LEDs.
i just showed you 3 times that a led will in fact dim just like the incandecents did that came stock factory in the headrest lights and you just keep coming up with new excuses why it cant be done when i just showed you it can when i put in my leds i installed just the leds in just the rear overhead light and it worked just the same as the front ones did which where incandecents still.
and since you have doubts that they are in fact leds i put some pics in here for you to see.
and just so you know you do not necessarily have to have the leds wired in parallel to get them to work with the incandecents it depends on the max voltage that the dimmer switch sends to the dash lights as to how you wire up the leds they may have to be wired in series-parallel to ge the voltage right for the leds to work like they are supposed to but just for you i am going to do this and post it on here. but i have already showed you that leds will infact dim and have told you i have made them work already in my 97 grand am off the dimmer switch.
so maybe you are the one that needs to take a few courses at your local community college so maybe they can teach you a few things.
or you would probally tell the professor that he is wrong and everyone else knows nothing even if they showed it to you.
these are pics of the rear led lights when i did them the fronts were still stock and they both dimmed the same.







can you tell the difference between incandecent and led lighting do you know which one is which?
Last edited by jrfonte; May 23, 2009 at 06:11 PM.
just accept the fact that a led light will infact dim like an incandecent will.
i havent started on the leds working with the dimmer switch yet because it is was memorial weekend but i will do it this week.
why would i try to sell it to him i would just tell him how to do it for himself. i try to help people not make money off them. isnt that what this site is about everyone trying to help each other out?
i havent started on the leds working with the dimmer switch yet because it is was memorial weekend but i will do it this week.
why would i try to sell it to him i would just tell him how to do it for himself. i try to help people not make money off them. isnt that what this site is about everyone trying to help each other out?
Last edited by jrfonte; May 26, 2009 at 04:42 AM.
to the original poster gregk i have just finished testing dimming leds with the dimmer switch in a 07 f150 and they do in fact dim. the leds i used came from oznium.com i used 4 leds wired in a series because i bought them bulk and did not have the proper resistor laying around to only be able to use 1 on 12v dc the resistor is a 470 ohm wired in series with 1 led to be able to use it on 12v dc here is a link to the site http://www.oznium.com/prewired-leds these are pre wired leds that already have the resistor wired in so they will work with 12v dc as is.
sorry for the hand written diagram but i dont have any programs to draw one up.
you will need 2 pre wired 12v leds, 2 4 spst or 5 spdt terminal 12v relays, 1 5 spdt terminal relay, and your wire and connectors to monitor each fan to monitor the set of fans as 1 just eliminate the #2 relay and #2 led.

diagram to use 2 leds per fan a red for off and green for on you would need 2 red pre wired leds and 2 green pre wired leds ( or just what ever color you want to use) and just swap out the 2 relays #1 and #2 for the leds from 4 terminal spst relays to 5 terminal spdt relays.

there may be an instance when the fans are not running the leds trigger on because of the fan turning in the wind while driving and generating voltage powering the relays you can prevent this from occuring by installing a blocking diode that only lets voltage pass one direction like whats in an alternator rectifier in the power line going to the fans in between your splice to the relays and the fan.

and as far as i am concerned there is no difference between pcm voltage that controls the map and dome lights and varying voltage using the dimmer
the leds work off both duh. LOL 
disclosure: i am not responsible for any damage caused to any component for using this wiring diagram or incorrect installation of any part.
sorry for the hand written diagram but i dont have any programs to draw one up.
you will need 2 pre wired 12v leds, 2 4 spst or 5 spdt terminal 12v relays, 1 5 spdt terminal relay, and your wire and connectors to monitor each fan to monitor the set of fans as 1 just eliminate the #2 relay and #2 led.

diagram to use 2 leds per fan a red for off and green for on you would need 2 red pre wired leds and 2 green pre wired leds ( or just what ever color you want to use) and just swap out the 2 relays #1 and #2 for the leds from 4 terminal spst relays to 5 terminal spdt relays.

there may be an instance when the fans are not running the leds trigger on because of the fan turning in the wind while driving and generating voltage powering the relays you can prevent this from occuring by installing a blocking diode that only lets voltage pass one direction like whats in an alternator rectifier in the power line going to the fans in between your splice to the relays and the fan.

and as far as i am concerned there is no difference between pcm voltage that controls the map and dome lights and varying voltage using the dimmer
the leds work off both duh. LOL 
disclosure: i am not responsible for any damage caused to any component for using this wiring diagram or incorrect installation of any part.
Last edited by jrfonte; May 29, 2009 at 02:31 AM. Reason: update and add drawing
The only draw back is they would only work with park lights on. Would have to add another relay. A relay wired with park lights as the trigger to select LED supply voltage. Park lights OFF the voltage would come from an ignition source. With park lights ON the voltage would come from the dimmer.
yea ok i didnt think of that ill edit it to include it. thanks
ok i fixed it thanks 4rd4life for pointing that out if anyone sees something they dont think will work right let me know and ill fix it. thanks
and im trying to learn this new editing software i downloaded to make the diagram easier to look at lol. again sorry for the hand drawn mess.
ok i fixed it thanks 4rd4life for pointing that out if anyone sees something they dont think will work right let me know and ill fix it. thanks
and im trying to learn this new editing software i downloaded to make the diagram easier to look at lol. again sorry for the hand drawn mess.
Last edited by jrfonte; May 29, 2009 at 02:25 AM.

This is an updated diagram to show how to wire everything w/ the Troyer thermistor which is ground switching. Basically, it allows you to remove 2 of the relays and use the same ground as the fans for the LEDs. The only relay determines whether to use accessory or dimmer voltage depending on whether the lights are off or on.
I am sorry I never saw this thread. I have 2 led's and one of them is operated via a master switch to show when the e-fans are on. LED's do in fact dim, cathodes are the only technology I know that do not dim. I just ran a wire to the +12v feed on each fan.
The E-fans do act as generators and illuminate the lights when the fan blades spin, but they never spin fast enough to light up. I know this because when you cut the power the LED gradually fades to off.
The E-fans do act as generators and illuminate the lights when the fan blades spin, but they never spin fast enough to light up. I know this because when you cut the power the LED gradually fades to off.



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