time delay courtesy lighting...
02-01-2002, 05:35 PM
#1
time delay courtesy lighting...
Having spent a little time with newer cars I'd like to add this feature to a thirdgen. In our grand am the dome light comes on and stays on 15 seconds or until you turn the ignition. Also in the 87 Camaro manual it shows that this feature was included with cars equipped with overhead consoles. The only cars I've seen that have this lighting feature are Berlinetta's. Also there isn't anything in the overhead console that would control this so I imagine there was somethign somewhere else in the car controlling this. So What can I do to add this feature? Also on some cars I've noticed that when you lift the door handle the dome light comes on and then goes off about 15 seconds later.
02-01-2002, 11:13 PM
#2
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Transmission: auto
This subject came up about a month ago--I vaguely remember hearing something about some kind of delay box under the dash for the dome light--sound familiar?
02-02-2002, 01:38 AM
#3
Quoted from that post: -jza
Dome Light Dwell Extender
By - lawrence mazza
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
M any new cars have a nice interior lighting feature -- after you close the door, the lights stay on for a few seconds to allow you to put on your seat belt, get the key in the ignition, and get otherwise situated before driving off to wherever it is you are headed. I have two cars that aren't new enough to have this nicety, so this represents another opportunity to do some Electrical Enhancement Surgery.
A simple timing circuit is all that it would take to add this functionality to any car that doesn't already have it. Since I didn't want to redesign the entire interior lighting system of my cars, I imposed a couple limits on myself. First, a single circuit has to control all the interior lamps. Both cars have dome lights located on the roof of the car, but one car also has courtesy lamps in the foot wells and door panels, while the other car has lamps in the foot wells and on the rear view mirror. Second, the circuit has to work when connected to any part of the lighting system. I should be able to find the most accessible lamp, and attach the circuit there, rather than dig into the door pillar to get to the switch.
The circuit described here performs these functions, and has some options that increase its functionality. Looking at the schematic, you can see that the circuit is based on a 555 one shot timer. It is triggered as the door closes and the door switch releases the dome light from ground. This action causes a momentary pulse at Pin 2 of the 555 causing it to turn on and begin timing. At that point, Pin 3 goes high and turns on a high power MOS-FET that essentially parallels the door switch, thereby keeping the lamps on. The dwell period for the one shot is about 20 seconds and is determined by the 330KW resistor and 47mf capacitor combination that is connected to Pins 6 and 7 of the 555 timer. Cool.
Too Much Time
But let's say that you've started the car, and look in the rear view mirror and see your daughter's bike behind you. Like a good parent, you get out of the car, move the bike, get back into the car, but now, when you close the door, you must tolerate the dome lights for a full twenty seconds. Not cool. You could reduce the dwell time of the circuit by changing the timing resistor or capacitor, but then you might not have enough time for normal automobile entry.
Instead, you can add the optional parts that are on the right side of the schematic (in blue) to change the dwell time when the car is running. Connecting this input to a switched ignition wire will reduce the dwell time to about 3 seconds when the ignition is on. The IGN input will turn on the transistor that will provide a faster discharge rate of the timing capacitor through the 220KW and 150KW resistors.
More Options
By adding the parts that are in red, you can trigger the timer with auxiliary inputs. If you have a remote or keyless entry on your car, you can connect the unlock output here to have the interior lights come on when you unlock the car. Or, if you have an alarm, you can connect this input to the siren. If the siren goes off, the lights come on and may scare a potential burglar away. If you have both a keyless entry and an alarm, you can add both functions by paralleling additional inputs as shown. This is very cool.
Once you've fabricated the circuit, you can connect it anywhere in the system between the door switch and any one of the lamps. On both of my cars, I was able to get to one of the foot well lights easily. I ran a wire from the radio and hooked it up to the IGN input of the circuit. After I made the connections and checked the operation, I just put the board into a convenient recess up in the dash.
-L
Dome Light Dwell Extender
By - lawrence mazza
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
M any new cars have a nice interior lighting feature -- after you close the door, the lights stay on for a few seconds to allow you to put on your seat belt, get the key in the ignition, and get otherwise situated before driving off to wherever it is you are headed. I have two cars that aren't new enough to have this nicety, so this represents another opportunity to do some Electrical Enhancement Surgery.
A simple timing circuit is all that it would take to add this functionality to any car that doesn't already have it. Since I didn't want to redesign the entire interior lighting system of my cars, I imposed a couple limits on myself. First, a single circuit has to control all the interior lamps. Both cars have dome lights located on the roof of the car, but one car also has courtesy lamps in the foot wells and door panels, while the other car has lamps in the foot wells and on the rear view mirror. Second, the circuit has to work when connected to any part of the lighting system. I should be able to find the most accessible lamp, and attach the circuit there, rather than dig into the door pillar to get to the switch.
The circuit described here performs these functions, and has some options that increase its functionality. Looking at the schematic, you can see that the circuit is based on a 555 one shot timer. It is triggered as the door closes and the door switch releases the dome light from ground. This action causes a momentary pulse at Pin 2 of the 555 causing it to turn on and begin timing. At that point, Pin 3 goes high and turns on a high power MOS-FET that essentially parallels the door switch, thereby keeping the lamps on. The dwell period for the one shot is about 20 seconds and is determined by the 330KW resistor and 47mf capacitor combination that is connected to Pins 6 and 7 of the 555 timer. Cool.
Too Much Time
But let's say that you've started the car, and look in the rear view mirror and see your daughter's bike behind you. Like a good parent, you get out of the car, move the bike, get back into the car, but now, when you close the door, you must tolerate the dome lights for a full twenty seconds. Not cool. You could reduce the dwell time of the circuit by changing the timing resistor or capacitor, but then you might not have enough time for normal automobile entry.
Instead, you can add the optional parts that are on the right side of the schematic (in blue) to change the dwell time when the car is running. Connecting this input to a switched ignition wire will reduce the dwell time to about 3 seconds when the ignition is on. The IGN input will turn on the transistor that will provide a faster discharge rate of the timing capacitor through the 220KW and 150KW resistors.
More Options
By adding the parts that are in red, you can trigger the timer with auxiliary inputs. If you have a remote or keyless entry on your car, you can connect the unlock output here to have the interior lights come on when you unlock the car. Or, if you have an alarm, you can connect this input to the siren. If the siren goes off, the lights come on and may scare a potential burglar away. If you have both a keyless entry and an alarm, you can add both functions by paralleling additional inputs as shown. This is very cool.
Once you've fabricated the circuit, you can connect it anywhere in the system between the door switch and any one of the lamps. On both of my cars, I was able to get to one of the foot well lights easily. I ran a wire from the radio and hooked it up to the IGN input of the circuit. After I made the connections and checked the operation, I just put the board into a convenient recess up in the dash.
-L
02-02-2002, 03:09 PM
#6
Ok, I just keep researching this and keep finding more info...
The other thread is at https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...threadid=13617
The thread deals with an artical at http://electronicsworld.tripod.com/c.../carsckt3.html that deals with slowly dimming the light till it goes off... Which is what the diagram Jza posted is for.
Since I'm looking to combine the two features I'll have to research this further. If I could figure out how our 98 Grand Am did it, it'd be quite a bit easier since I could just get the module from the junkyard and wire it in.
Has anyone used these diagrams or pulled a module from a junkyard car? Unfortunately I don't have any wiring diagrams for the Grand Am, otherwise I'd check them.
If anyone has any other information, please let me know.
The other thread is at https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...threadid=13617
The thread deals with an artical at http://electronicsworld.tripod.com/c.../carsckt3.html that deals with slowly dimming the light till it goes off... Which is what the diagram Jza posted is for.
Since I'm looking to combine the two features I'll have to research this further. If I could figure out how our 98 Grand Am did it, it'd be quite a bit easier since I could just get the module from the junkyard and wire it in.
Has anyone used these diagrams or pulled a module from a junkyard car? Unfortunately I don't have any wiring diagrams for the Grand Am, otherwise I'd check them.
If anyone has any other information, please let me know.
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02-03-2002, 10:49 AM
#8
No problem, it at least pointed me in the right direction.
I'm still not sure how to make these diagrams work, and from the looks of it I'd have to combine them to make it work how I'd want it too. I can't help but think it would be much easier to just gank the circuitry out of a newer GM car and wire it up. The only problem is I need a good wiring diagram of a newer Pontiac or something to that effect so I can figure out where the controller is located and how it could be interfaced with a Firebird. I might just have to drop the $$$ on a shop manual.
I'm still not sure how to make these diagrams work, and from the looks of it I'd have to combine them to make it work how I'd want it too. I can't help but think it would be much easier to just gank the circuitry out of a newer GM car and wire it up. The only problem is I need a good wiring diagram of a newer Pontiac or something to that effect so I can figure out where the controller is located and how it could be interfaced with a Firebird. I might just have to drop the $$$ on a shop manual.
02-04-2002, 02:12 AM
#9
It looks like both circuits work just by installing them inline with the existing wiring (or could). Like on the dimmer circuit, cutting the wire to the dome bulb and hooking the 12v to the hot wire, and the GND wire to the bulb. I dunno though, but I think I'll try and build it (my curiosity it piqued, now, thanks a lot, Drew 
). I'll just do it at work in the electrical shop, and I'll let you know.
). I'll just do it at work in the electrical shop, and I'll let you know.
02-04-2002, 08:59 AM
#10
hmmm... My only concern is that I want it to work as if it had come with the car originally... that and I'm not too hot on dicing my cars wiring unless I fully understand what I'm working on. Maybe in the future there will be more info available on this.
02-04-2002, 11:48 PM
#11
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Not quite what you're asking for, but many car alarms contain "domelight supervision". this feature turns on the domelight for around 30 seconds when the unlock button is pressed on the keyless entry remote. Light turns off immediatedly if ignition is turned to run position or lock button is pressed on keyless remote.
02-20-2002, 08:12 PM
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02-21-2002, 12:43 AM
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Car: 82 Camaro Z28
Engine: LU5 - Crossfire 305
Transmission: 200c - 3 Speed Automatic
http://www.webelectricmagazine.com/00/2/dome.htm
im pretty sure this is the same guy thats intending to make the theature lighting/dimming.. im in the dark when it comes to reading all this electrical stuff.. someone please read this over and tell me what exactly it does? thanx..
mike (loomdog)
im pretty sure this is the same guy thats intending to make the theature lighting/dimming.. im in the dark when it comes to reading all this electrical stuff.. someone please read this over and tell me what exactly it does? thanx..
mike (loomdog)
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