Door handle led mod
10-25-2015, 10:56 AM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Italy
Posts: 277
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1989 Gray ttop GTA
Engine: 5700cc
Transmission: auto 700R4
Door handle led mod
Hi 
I dont know if this mod/upgrade has already been discussed, but I would like to share an ultra simple way to implement the door handle light when you unlock the doors.
The first method I thought about was making a circuit triggered by the remote control unit. This circuit would then controls the light in the door handle. It's a small circuit that has to be placed somewhere below the dashboard.
This has some drawback:
- cables have to be laid along the car, through the doors.
- the circuit is not trivial (you need a monostable multivibrator)
- lights dont turn on if you open the doors from inside (well, this is useless in most cases)
A much simpler method that came to mind is building two identical ultra simple circuits, one for each led (one for each door), to be put inside the door and triggered by the lock/unlock solenoid signal cable. This doesn't need fancy circuits nor cables along the car.
There you have the scheme, all you need is a capacitor (2000uF), a resistor (from 50 to 600 ohm, depending of how much light and time you prefer) a diode and a led. All of this for less than a few euros, or few dollars.
This is enough for keeping the light on for more than 5s. You wire the components, you don't even need a board, and put it behind the door panel. Everytime the solenoid is called to unlock the door, the light stays on some seconds.
Don't avoid the diode from the solenoid, otherwise the capacitor will discharge immediately through the solenoid itself when the signal stops.
A note about the led. DON'T use a standard single led, they are big and produce a narrow light cone. Instead, use a small SMD panel. They are smaller, flat, and produce a wide light cone.
Don't have a nice video now, but you can imagine the nice effect
There you have a picture. Obviously, you can rotate the panel to obtain the effect you want.
Hope this will be appreciated. Enjoy!!!!
bye!!!
I dont know if this mod/upgrade has already been discussed, but I would like to share an ultra simple way to implement the door handle light when you unlock the doors.
The first method I thought about was making a circuit triggered by the remote control unit. This circuit would then controls the light in the door handle. It's a small circuit that has to be placed somewhere below the dashboard.
This has some drawback:
- cables have to be laid along the car, through the doors.
- the circuit is not trivial (you need a monostable multivibrator)
- lights dont turn on if you open the doors from inside (well, this is useless in most cases)
A much simpler method that came to mind is building two identical ultra simple circuits, one for each led (one for each door), to be put inside the door and triggered by the lock/unlock solenoid signal cable. This doesn't need fancy circuits nor cables along the car.
There you have the scheme, all you need is a capacitor (2000uF), a resistor (from 50 to 600 ohm, depending of how much light and time you prefer) a diode and a led. All of this for less than a few euros, or few dollars.
This is enough for keeping the light on for more than 5s. You wire the components, you don't even need a board, and put it behind the door panel. Everytime the solenoid is called to unlock the door, the light stays on some seconds.
Don't avoid the diode from the solenoid, otherwise the capacitor will discharge immediately through the solenoid itself when the signal stops.
A note about the led. DON'T use a standard single led, they are big and produce a narrow light cone. Instead, use a small SMD panel. They are smaller, flat, and produce a wide light cone.
Don't have a nice video now, but you can imagine the nice effect
There you have a picture. Obviously, you can rotate the panel to obtain the effect you want.Hope this will be appreciated. Enjoy!!!!
bye!!!
11-05-2015, 11:38 AM
#4
Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 127
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1985 Camaro
Engine: 5.3
Transmission: 4L80e
Axle/Gears: 3.42 10 bolt
Re: Door handle led mod
That's pretty sweet. How hard was it to install inside the door? Fixing my handle and lock was zero fun.
11-08-2015, 02:46 PM
#5
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Italy
Posts: 277
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1989 Gray ttop GTA
Engine: 5700cc
Transmission: auto 700R4
Re: Door handle led mod
Fixing the lock gotta be a pain in the *** :/
Well, the only annoying part in this is to pass the cable from the door handle (outside) and grav it from the upper inside part of the door. The rest is easy. The circuit mass is the door metal itself. The positive you get from the one wire of the solenoid
have fun!!
Well, the only annoying part in this is to pass the cable from the door handle (outside) and grav it from the upper inside part of the door. The rest is easy. The circuit mass is the door metal itself. The positive you get from the one wire of the solenoid
have fun!!
