new toy on the XLR

[monepit]

 

[monepit]

 

[monepit]

 

[agwondra]

I bought all of my LEDs on ebay. The 3157, 3156, and the regular 194 LEDs all came from dt-autotech as well as the resistors for the DRLs (3157). I bought the forward facing LEDs from gtautohause. They both had free shipping and were amazingly fast in getting them to me. You can visit their ebay stores to get your products or do a product search in ebay auto parts with a Cadillac XLR filter and they will show up. I made sure all my white bulbs had a temperature of 6000 K so they would all be the same color.

 

[Tiffany's Dad]

Love all the BLUE Dave. Very nice.

 

[05 GRAND DADDY]

YEP! Pretty sure u got a BLUE OBOSESSION!.......

 

[onalaska]

I ordered the Plasma Glow LEDs in white from Amazon for about $30 and installed them under the headlights. I wired them to the turn signal/DRL circuit so they are on as DRLs and flash as turn signals. I then removed the turn signal/DRL bulbs from the headlight assembly to eliminate the melting problem. I did install a 6 ohm resistor in parallel with the LEDs to keep the turn signals flashing at a normal rate. I like the look much better than the bright yellow DRLs and it gives the XLR a whole new look! Thanks for the tip Monepit.

 

[agwondra]

Any chance you might post a picture of your XLR w/the LED DRL as explained?
Thanks,

 

[ChicagoDave]

I ordered the Plasma Glow LEDs in white from Amazon for about $30 and installed them under the headlights. I wired them to the turn signal/DRL circuit so they are on as DRLs and flash as turn signals. I then removed the turn signal/DRL bulbs from the headlight assembly to eliminate the melting problem. I did install a 6 ohm resistor in parallel with the LEDs to keep the turn signals flashing at a normal rate. I like the look much better than the bright yellow DRLs and it gives the XLR a whole new look! Thanks for the tip Monepit.

Steve,

Sounds pretty cool. I would like to try something similar (but want to keep the amber turn signals, rather than have white LED's as a turn signals) ... is there a way to just wire the white LED strip to the DRL's? I don't mind the amber DRL's - but I DO like the Audi/MB white LED DRL's too. I'd like to try something. Maybe set up a by-pass switch to alternate between the Amber DRL's and the LED ones? Let me know your thoughts.

Lets see pics of your white LED's as DRL's and turn signals. Thanks for the info.

 

[agwondra]

Steve,

Sounds pretty cool. I would like to try something similar (but want to keep the amber turn signals, rather than have white LED's as a turn signals) ... is there a way to just wire the white LED strip to the DRL's? I don't mind the amber DRL's - but I DO like the Audi/MB white LED DRL's too. I'd like to try something. Maybe set up a by-pass switch to alternate between the Amber DRL's and the LED ones? Let me know your thoughts.

Lets see pics of your white LED's as DRL's and turn signals. Thanks for the info.

A simple 3M splice connection into the DRL wiring should work just fine as long as you maintain the polarity for the LED strip. Then the LEDs will funtion simultaneously with the DRLs. Steady ON for DRL and flash for the Turn Signal. Adding additional switches will complicate the install.

 

[ChicagoDave]

A simple 3M splice connection into the DRL wiring should work just fine as long as you maintain the polarity for the LED strip. Then the LEDs will funtion simultaneously with the DRLs. Steady ON for DRL and flash for the Turn Signal. Adding additional switches will complicate the install.

Thanks for the insight, Al. I'm curious (I am no way, an electrical engineer), wouldn't the DRL and Turn signal have different wiring? - so tapping into the DRL should not effect the LED strip, when the turn signal is going, right? Or does the turn signal work by "disrupting" the DRL signal? Ultimately what I would like - is that the LED Strips are on for DRL's - but when the turn signal comes on - then the LED (DRL) strip goes off (I see many oem systems do this - including the CTS I think). When the turn signal goes off - the LED (DRL) comes back on. I'm just not a fan seeing the white LED strip blinking with the turn signal. Any info from anyone will be greatly appreciated. I, too, ordered a WHITE LED strip kit from Amazon.com ($25/free shipping).
I think Monepit's LED's look great.

 

[agwondra]

Thanks for the insight, Al. I'm curious (I am no way, an electrical engineer), wouldn't the DRL and Turn signal have different wiring? - so tapping into the DRL should not effect the LED strip, when the turn signal is going, right? Or does the turn signal work by "disrupting" the DRL signal? Ultimately what I would like - is that the LED Strips are on for DRL's - but when the turn signal comes on - then the LED (DRL) strip goes off (I see many oem systems do this - including the CTS I think). When the turn signal goes off - the LED (DRL) comes back on. I'm just not a fan seeing the white LED strip blinking with the turn signal. Any info from anyone will be greatly appreciated. I, too, ordered a WHITE LED strip kit from Amazon.com ($25/free shipping).
I think Monepit's LED's look great.

I believe there is a 'control module' for this circuit and it uses the same physical wiring to manage the DRL and Turn Signal function through the single lamp and element. I am not 100% certain, but I believe the control circuitry is the reason the 'switch back' LED bulbs do not work on the XLR. Being able to use 'switch back' LED bulbs would be such an elegant option, but I have been assured by 2 seperate suppliers that they will not function properly on a XLR. I fully explain my theory on this operation in my post in LED Question in the General Forum.

 

[onalaska]

The XLR just uses one circuit for both the DRLs and turn signals. Power is on all the time the DRLs are on and the same circuit is pulsed on and off when the turn signal is activated. Connection is simple to wire in "parallel" with your existing DRLs. I removed the three nuts holding the headlamp in place to get to the DRL socket and spliced to the DRL/turn signal wires right behind the DRL lamp socket. The XLR has two black wires connected to the socket and either can be used as negative and one blue/white wire which is positive. Be sure to connect the positive wire with the white stripe on the Plasma Glow LEDs to the blue/white wire behind the DRL socket. With this connection the DRL / Turn Signal will function as normal and the Plasma Glow LEDs will remain illuminated as long as the DRLs are on and they will flash with the turn signal. Since the existing bulb remains operational there is no need for an additional load resistor to slow down the turn signal as the bulb serves that purpose.

Here are a couple of pictures of the ones I installed on my 2006.

 

[monepit]

Although I am not an electrical engineer. I am a 32 year electrician that should have been an engineer. I love desigining things. If you want drl's and turn signals with the LED's, you could tap the white LED's to a switched wire that is on only with the ignition on and the turn signals tapped to the rear turn signals. There is a couple switched wires in the opening for the top pump. That is also where the wireing for the turn signals is. You could just run the 2 wires up front to the LED's and ground to the frame.

 

[jjsea55]

I just received my white/amber LED's from Plasmaglow yesterday (ordered
before I realized they wouldn't work as preferred on my vehicle). Let's say I'm willing to leave the amber's idle and just activate the white... can I have them on with the DRL's and remain on when the headlights are used? Would I need to splice the white LED wire into both the DRL wire and the headlight wire, or would a splice to one of them suffice?

Wish the wire run to the tail light turn signals wasn't such a chore, but it does sound like a viable option for turn signal activation.

Thanks!

Jeff

 

[agwondra]

I just received my white/amber LED's from Plasmaglow yesterday (ordered
before I realized they wouldn't work as preferred on my vehicle). Let's say I'm willing to leave the amber's idle and just activate the white... can I have them on with the DRL's and remain on when the headlights are used? Would I need to splice the white LED wire into both the DRL wire and the headlight wire, or would a splice to one of them suffice?

Wish the wire run to the tail light turn signals wasn't such a chore, but it does sound like a viable option for turn signal activation.

Thanks!

Jeff

Jeff,
Because the 'control functions' for the DRL/Turn Signal are upstream from the wiring at the bulb, you will need to find a different source for your wiring. If you have your DRL bulbs on all of the time it seems to me you will be disabling the front Turn Signal from your car. This may not be the most desirable option . I think the best option is to use the DRL/TS circuit as designed (possibly turning off the DRLs during the day), and sourcing another circuit to use and installing a second DRL LED strip below the HL module (like monepit and onalaska). The only problem I see is where to find the Accessory circuit somewhere in the engine compartment to tap into for the LED strip. Maybe someone can help us out.

Al

 

[jjsea55]

Question for monepit and/or onalaska: Are your LED strips mounted on the underside of the headlight assembly or on the body panel below the assembly? Would there be an advantage either way? I'm installing mine tomorrow... the info seems to imply that the strips would be mounted on the body panel below and flush with the headlight assembly. Onalaska's pix sorta look like they're mounted on the underside of the assembly. Thanks!

 

[onalaska]

Question for monepit and/or onalaska: Are your LED strips mounted on the underside of the headlight assembly or on the body panel below the assembly? Would there be an advantage either way? I'm installing mine tomorrow... the info seems to imply that the strips would be mounted on the body panel below and flush with the headlight assembly. Onalaska's pix sorta look like they're mounted on the underside of the assembly. Thanks!

I mounted mine directly to the bottom of the headlamp assembly. Had to use a knife and scrape off some rough spots on the plastic on the bottom so they would smoothly follow the form of the headlamp.

Like Monepit said there is room there for a second row and that set could be wired to the side marker lamp circuit to be on with the headlamps. That way you would have one set on during the day with the DRL's and the other set on at night with the headlamps. You could also do that with a single strip using diodes to isolate the two circuits, but you would need some knowledge of electronics to get the diodes installed and the polarity correct. A car audio shop could probably help with the hook up in that case.

 

[jjsea55]

Installed the Plasmaglow Lightning Eyes dual color (white/amber) LED strips this morning. Connected the amber lead to the DRL/TS circuit and the white lead to the parking light circuit. Works like a charm as I had initially envisioned... amber on with daytime DRL and white on with parking/headlights. Amber activates with turn signals when headlights/white LEDs are on.

I opted to use the entire 19" strip and ran it up the side of the headlamp assembly to just past the side marker lamp. This gives a nice side view indication of turn signals where the XLR previously had none. It's a bit of a mystery to me why the side marker lights were not designed to pulse as turn signals, but this deficiency is now improved.

I now have a few side firing white LEDs when the headlights are on and, although I like the look, I hope the local DOT/law officials don't disperse grief upon me due to it. Time will tell, I suppose. The white LEDs match quite well with the 6000k headlamps and HID fog lamps previously installed.

I'll attempt to load up a couple of photos tomorrow.

 

[XFireXLR]

Installed the Plasmaglow Lightning Eyes dual color (white/amber) LED strips this morning. Connected the amber lead to the DRL/TS circuit and the white lead to the parking light circuit. Works like a charm as I had initially envisioned... amber on with daytime DRL and white on with parking/headlights. Amber activates with turn signals when headlights/white LEDs are on.

I opted to use the entire 19" strip and ran it up the side of the headlamp assembly to just past the side marker lamp. This gives a nice side view indication of turn signals where the XLR previously had none. It's a bit of a mystery to me why the side marker lights were not designed to pulse as turn signals, but this deficiency is now improved.

I now have a few side firing white LEDs when the headlights are on and, although I like the look, I hope the local DOT/law officials don't disperse grief upon me due to it. Time will tell, I suppose. The white LEDs match quite well with the 6000k headlamps and HID fog lamps previously installed.

I'll attempt to load up a couple of photos tomorrow.

I have also ordered the Plasma Glow LED strip in dual color (white/amber), but I would like to have the white LED's to stay on with the DRL's and headlamps and the amber section to only come on when the turn signals are in use. Any help with wiring this configuration would be greatly appreciated.