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Obc light bar

2K views 9 replies 4 participants last post by  EddieBut 
#1 ·
I installed a new/used OBC today and the light bar and button bulb are not working. I read that some people have gone to a LED replacement. I am a big fan of LED as I am an electrician by trade. Has anyone here done this and is there anything else I should know? Pros and Cons? It looks like I can get a rebuilt light bar from E-Bay and the other bulb as well. Just looking for a little advice.:)
 
#2 ·
Eddie, I have no advice on this, but I wish you'd figure it out and pass along a DIY. The OBC light bar in neither of the E30s I have work, and one of the two E24s. I believe Garagistic has an exchange program for the light bars, but I don't think the lights they use are LEDs. I'm like you...big believer in using LEDs where I can. I'm one of those old guys that has a model railroad, and all my old locomotives lights have been converted to LEDs.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Ok, did the Led conversion today. Wasn't that difficult, the hard part was finding the parts. Went to Radio Shack and they weren't much help. After searching through their drawers for half an hour I called it quits. I figured I would just buy one from E-Bay. On my way out the door the clerk said to try Electronics Plus in Littleton Ma. (next town over).They had what I needed. I followed a DIY from bmwforums. I'll see if I can post the link.
Now I need to order the little bulb that is in the back of the OBC before I take the dash apart again.
 

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#4 ·
If your in that neck of the woods there is always YouDoIt Electronics on 128 in Needham. I used to be a beltway member back in the 90's. lived over in Lincoln.

OT but as an electrician why don't you like LED's? I personally love them due to the fact they lower my consumption of kW and bulbs last longer and numerous other pluses. What could the negatives be?
 
#10 · (Edited)
The LED's I used are clear Amber colored and as to if you can use them for dash lights, I don't know. I had to install a resistor in the light bar circuit so the LED's would work. If the dash lights you are referring to are all fed on the same circuit/ voltage then I think it might be possible. I had to size the resistor to the voltage the LED's use and to the voltage that feeds the light bar. The light bar is fed with 10 volts and the LED's are 2.4 volts each. The Electronics store I went to did the calculations for me and told me a resistor with 270 ohms would work.
To see if you could convert the dash lights to LED's I would search all the forums that are available and see if anyone has done this before.
 

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