DIY LED angel eyes...why? Because I can

[particlewave]

I broke one of my CCFL angel eyes during installation, so rather than order a new tube, I decided to go with LEDs for longer life. I ordered a set, but they did not fit, so here we go.

About a 1 hour job...









Just a low power test. Will be much brighter under full power.



Will post more pics after installation.
I may be a little OCD

[BoxsterSteve]

I may be a little OCD

Good... you're not saying that like it's a bad thing. I've got the t-shirt & bumpersticker too.

Can't wait to see the finished product.

[jaykay]

I have angel eyes.....but they are in my head

Where do these go? Nice work at any rate !

[particlewave]

Originally Posted by jaykay

I have angel eyes.....but they are in my head

Where do these go? Nice work at any rate !

They go around the projector lens and will function as daytime running lamps

Here is a pic of the cold cathode fluorescent light that was originally in them before I decided to mess with it and break it

[Tieniber]

Looks like Tony Stark's chest reactor in that picture!

[particlewave]

Originally Posted by Tieniber

Looks like Tony Stark's chest reactor in that picture!

Haha! My son said the same thing

[particlewave]

This project has been on hiatus for a while due to work and school, but I'm hoping to get it wrapped up early next week.

Calculating resistance...
12v to 3v with 20 LEDs @ 20mA each(400mA total) puts me at about 23ohms and 5watts for the resistor. Stopped by Radio Shack to see what I could find.
The best combination that they had was 2x 50ohm 10watt resistors. Running them in parallel will give me 25ohms @ 20 watts...a little overkill on the wattage, but better over than under.

FYI: I opted to run the LEDs in parallel so that if one goes out, it will not affect the rest. This will also make it easier to identify a bad LED for replacement.
Another advantage is that the electrical contacts also serve as a frame, making it a tidy package.

Yeah, they're big!

[jb92563]

Originally Posted by particlewave

Calculating resistance...
12v to 3v with 20 LEDs @ 20mA each(400mA total) puts me at about 23ohms and 5watts for the resistor. Stopped by Radio Shack to see what I could find.
The best combination that they had was 2x 50ohm 10watt resistors. Running them in parallel will give me 25ohms @ 20 watts...a little overkill on the wattage, but better over than under.

Two 50 Ohm resisters in parrallel is still 50 Ohms resistance however your right about the wattage capacity being 20 Watts.

Its just as well anyway because with less resistance they would be even brighter and thats sure not necessary based on the pictures. They'll last longer this way as heat is the enemy and in an enclosed light like that they will need all the help they can get.

Looks good

[particlewave]

The install is finally finished!
I just need to attach the outer lenses and reinstall the headlights. These LED angel eyes are very bright! Much brighter than the CCFLs. I had trouble getting them to show up in the pictures...

This is the angel eye DRLs only, headlights are not on
Not bad for 9.6 watts, eh?







Lights off pic...

[cbbepop]

Looks awesome! nice work! This led me to think of a version where the LEDs are more spaced out on the ring and fewer, kinda of the range rover look.

[Meir]

What are you using to reattach the lance ?

[particlewave]

Thanks!
I just used Permatex black silicone adhesive sealant. After some research, it seemed to be an ok solution. I've used it before and it seals well and softens up at about 200F degrees, so should be easier to remove than the stock adhesive. The project has been done since Friday, but I've been waiting for decent weather to get the car out and snap some pics. It's been cold, cloudy, and rainy for days

Here are some in the garage pics, but the lighting is bad. Loving the new headlights! They are a huge improvement over stock
Please ignore the bug spatter and messy garage...been too cold for a wash

[986_c6]

Damn! I too thought of Starks enterprise as I was reading your post. Awesome job!

[Meir]

Thanks for the info.
That looks great.

[Homeboy981]

How do they attach? Are they floating or are there some hidden wires?

Good job on the work....we ALL here because we are at least a little OCD, don't let that stop you. It used to be a good thing, until Big Pharma made a pill for it!

I would rather work on projects like this, than medicate! My Porsche is my medicine and I take it every day!

[particlewave]

Originally Posted by Homeboy981

How do they attach? Are they floating or are there some hidden wires?

If you look at the very first pic, you'll see the plastic ring/lens housing which snaps into the projector shroud. The LEDs are mounted into that...

Or did you mean the projector itself? It mounts into the low beam bulb socket. I didn't take many pics during the install, but here is one. You can see the threaded portion of the projector that passes through the original low beam socket and the large nut that threads onto it. On the front side(side facing the original reflector) there is a thick silicone grommet(about an inch thick) that conforms to the shape of the reflector and serves as somewhat of a shock absorber, allowing the projector to move a tiny bit under stress(bumps in the road).

[986_inquiry]

isn't angel eyes a BMW thing? To me, modding a Porsche to have a feature of a BMW is a downgrade. Reminds me of those people that put the side mesh air vents on the side of everything



ya buddy, lots of air getting in the door now!

come on guys, you drive a porsche, not a chevy or honda

[particlewave]

No prob
If I did it again, or if I open up the lights again for some reason, I would use twice as many LEDs for better coverage and change the resistors to dim the light output a bit. A white filter may also help distribute the light better.

All in all though, I'm pretty happy with the way they look

[woodsman]

how do you open them up? I read previously, to use a heat gun and patience???

[particlewave]

Bake at 225f for 15min and gently pry apart with a wide flatbar.
Takes patience and a cool head, though.