I am working with a 3 wire,15 led tail/ brake light that is 12 v. and a 24v. system. If I wire a pair of these in series to get the tail lights to work, how do I get the brake lights to work? Each light has 15 leds in it. Next question, using a 6 led marker light, how do I determine what resistor I need to use to connect them to 24v.?
thanks.
Truck-lite sells 24V units, but at nearly $100 a pop they are pricy. To determine series resistor size for a 12V led to be used in a 24 volt system measure the current to the led when it is powered by 12V. The series resistor value is then 12V / measured current. The resistor power rating should be greater than 12V * measured current.
-Rick Brown in Reno, NV
I use 3 wire 12v LEDs in my 9, used them for about a year, sometimes they are on for 8-10hrs at a time and they are always on when driving. I wired mine parallel , Used an1156 auto 12 bulb as the resistor in series on the 3rd wire (ground). Resistors are cheap at radio Shack but I used what was on hand the day I decided to install the LEDs.
I just converted my taillights to LED and I was able to get 24 volts. I replaced all the lights, including the 7 inchers for less than 200.00. If possible, can you return your 12 volt units. I was able to get amber and red 4 inch lights with water tight pigtails and grommets for 24.00 a piece. The 7 inch brake light (56 led) was only 44.00. I was able to hook directly to original wires without issue. IU got my lights from:
http://www.etruckpart.com/index.htm
Good luck! I was also concerned about warranty trying to hook 12 volts to a 24 volt system? I have a lifetime warranty on these units.
Grant