Jon Posted August 9, 2018 Report Share Posted August 9, 2018 My bulbs arrived this morning and are an exact match with the original ! (Maybe 1mm longer) Tricky bit was stripping the insulation from the flexible tails. God it's all so small !I And posting the wires through the tiny holes. Success was achieved with two pairs of glasses and a torch ! Back into the clock without drama. Bingo ! Perfect ! I can confirm light comes on with the ignition not the side lights but it dims, bless it, when they are turned on. It's hard for me to imagine a more satisfactory outcome for once, no resistors or polarity issues to worry about. It's only taken me about 15 years to get round to it Thank you PTR for starting this thread and Dave for your input and interest. Steve at Railwayscenics supplied the bulbs. Cheers Jon 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PTR200S Posted August 9, 2018 Author Moderators Report Share Posted August 9, 2018 Well done !, Jon, makes me want to have another go at mine ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted August 9, 2018 Report Share Posted August 9, 2018 It was you who inspired me ! thank you, please be inspired ! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PTR200S Posted August 10, 2018 Author Moderators Report Share Posted August 10, 2018 Might have a go again this weekend, along with testing the isoft crplus again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PTR200S Posted August 11, 2018 Author Moderators Report Share Posted August 11, 2018 Still no clock light ? Confirmed the led lights up on the bench, any terminal config. Confirmed original bulb knackered. Insert led in socket, no light, lights on, ignition on . Meter connected on back of bulb gives 11.99v ... No engine running , ignition circuit plus lights on. It would appear that these particular led can't fire up on that voltage... Need to test in dark now with engine running.. bright sunshine today doesn't help !!! If still no joy then I need a * real * bulb to try !!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Laird_Scooby Posted August 11, 2018 Moderators Report Share Posted August 11, 2018 Where are you connecting the black probe of your meter Pete? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PTR200S Posted August 11, 2018 Author Moderators Report Share Posted August 11, 2018 Across rear of bulb terminals, can't reach a clean earth so appreciate some voltage drop there too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Laird_Scooby Posted August 11, 2018 Moderators Report Share Posted August 11, 2018 That's good - a lot of people go on an earth and read +12v on one side of the bulb and assume it should work. A lot of the lighting is earth switched so while you might have had +12v on one side of it WRT earth, it may not have had an earth actually at the bulb - hence the reason for my question! As you went on the bulbholder, i would check the two "legs" of the LED and resistor that wrap over the end of the "wedge" on the base of the bulb. Sometimes these aren't in exactly the right place to mate with the contacts so no power is transmitted to the bulb despite power to the holder. Silly question now - did you try starting the engine to see if the bulb lit up then? The Chinese seem to have realised at long last that alternators produce 14v as a charging voltage which burns out LEDs in short order if they're fitted with a resistor for maximum current at 12v and have finally fitted bigger resistors to prevent this. To explain, let's assume Vf (forward voltage of the LED) = 3v and maximum current is 30mA. Using Ohms Law, the resistor would be 12v - Vf (3v) = 9v/0.03A (30mA) = 300 Ohms. Bear in mind that's already running the LED at it's maximum ratings! Starting the car and changing the battery voltage to 14v because the alternator is now charging gives 14-3 = 11v/300 Ohms (to find the new current through the LED) which is a smidge under 37mA and while that doesn't sound much, that's about 25% OVER the maximum rating! As said, the Chinese are realising this at last and also that most LEDs only need 20mA to achieve maximum brightness (a tiny bit of extra brightness can be had by going to the maximum current but not really noticeable) so transposing those figures into the equation gives 14-3/0.02 = 550 Ohms. I think you see where i'm going here, if you've been faffing about and the battery voltage or indeed the voltage through switches etc has dropped a bit, the LED may not light until the engine is running. Interestingly it will usually light if you flick the ignition or lights on to view the time then off again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PTR200S Posted August 11, 2018 Author Moderators Report Share Posted August 11, 2018 4 hours ago, Laird_Scooby said: As you went on the bulbholder, i would check the two "legs" of the LED and resistor that wrap over the end of the "wedge" on the base of the bulb. Sometimes these aren't in exactly the right place to mate with the contacts so no power is transmitted to the bulb despite power to the holder. Silly question now - did you try starting the engine to see if the bulb lit up then? I think you see where i'm going here, if you've been faffing about and the battery voltage or indeed the voltage through switches etc has dropped a bit, the LED may not light until the engine is running. I did actually go on the bulb not the holder, these bulbs have wires wrapped under and over the base,, in this case the terminals on the holder touch on the front face of the bulb not the rear, that is, there is no socket to fit in. As i suspected and hence the thought about running the engine tonight that i mentioned I am with you on the battery voltage point, be interesting to see if it does work under those conditions. Will report back later on. ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PTR200S Posted August 12, 2018 Author Moderators Report Share Posted August 12, 2018 Unfortunately it does not light up even with the engine up and running, lights on obviously! Not sure what's going on but could do with a standard , as opposed to led, to try it out with. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted August 12, 2018 Report Share Posted August 12, 2018 Sorry you are still having no luck with the led bulb. My grain of wheat bulbs came from www.railwayscenics.com or I can send you one. Good luck Jon 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted December 2, 2018 Report Share Posted December 2, 2018 Time for a progress report on my clock light which I noticed was becoming dim. On inspection the bulb was blackened and showed all the signs of getting too hot ! Fitted another grain of wheat bulb but this time did not seat it tight in the plastic holder so cooling might be improved ? Only 4 months service is disappointing so if anyone has tracked down an LED alternative it seems to be a better solution. See how long this one lasts ? 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Laird_Scooby Posted December 2, 2018 Moderators Report Share Posted December 2, 2018 What colour LED Jon? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted December 8, 2018 Report Share Posted December 8, 2018 Well I just think white would be good. Now I am not chasing gremlins I might apply myself. It doesn't want to be too bright, might have to experiment with different resistors plus there isn't much room. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Laird_Scooby Posted December 8, 2018 Moderators Report Share Posted December 8, 2018 Here you are Jon, pick your colour : https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/T5-COB-LED-DASHBOARD-NUMBER-PLATE-SPEEDO-INSTRUMENT-CLUSTER-WEDGE-LIGHT-BULB-12v/223083242519 These LEDs don't normally have an external current limiting resistor but it is within the LED housing itself. If that is the wrong fitting, the wires can be unfolded from the T5 wedge base and the LED pulled out and treated as a "grain of wheat" bulb. Obviously being an LED it is polarised so after fitting it to the holder, you may have to remove the holder from the clock and refit it 180 degrees round. Given that it's free postage, buying 4 instead of one isn't that much dearer, could be useful for other bulbs too! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted December 8, 2018 Report Share Posted December 8, 2018 Thanks Dave 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PTR200S Posted March 28, 2020 Author Moderators Report Share Posted March 28, 2020 As its three years almost to the day I started this thread I thought an update might be "timely" !!! Now got the led running, the contacts were suspect initally but having cleaned the clock contacts too the led actually lit up ! Brilliant, I thought...but there is no light in the face of the clock still ...... I can see the bulb is lit at the back but it's either the led pad that's not far enough inside the clock or something covering the light aperture inside the clock which I think is unlikely. I am going to get a T3 replacement, standard bulb , and try again now i have power on the clock contacts . I can get 10 genuine bulbs from the States for 40 quid but actually don't need 10 !!! Amazon do the 35505 S84 N01 version for £26.30 !!! Avin a larf !! $1.77 at hondaparts now in the States 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PTR200S Posted March 29, 2020 Author Moderators Report Share Posted March 29, 2020 Seems there are two Honda codes for the bulbs and as I cannot find an equivalent UK version to any of them and Cox do not list it either I am sort of stuck...Next job is to get a hold of my lad in the States and get one shipped...is Airmail still running? 35505-S84 B02 or 35505-S84-N01 are the codes, the B02 seems to be for the 2000 series cars and later.... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PTR200S Posted June 5, 2020 Author Moderators Report Share Posted June 5, 2020 At last the replacement genuine Honda bulb has left the States and is headed over here. Lockdown has stopped it being posted out but hopefully I might get the clock back in the dash soon !! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PTR200S Posted June 20, 2020 Author Moderators Report Share Posted June 20, 2020 Bulb arrived today 🙂 I installed it bugger they are small !!!, and it immediately lit up on ignition control. Tried to see if clock front lit but again, as with the led, it looks dark....bit sunny at the moment so will check it later, if I am still awake.. not convinced it will be lit, it's just like there is something obscuring the internal lenses. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PTR200S Posted June 20, 2020 Author Moderators Report Share Posted June 20, 2020 Ok, so I am wrong ! The clock is lit perfectly 🙂 having been through two led and a model train bulb with no success the genuine Honda bulb has sorted it ! so just three years to come up with the same solution that Honda sorted when they built the cars 🙃 doh !! 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators hughezee Posted June 20, 2020 Administrators Report Share Posted June 20, 2020 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Founding Member Retro Rich Posted July 6, 2020 Founding Member Report Share Posted July 6, 2020 To be honest I’d rather just order the genuine bulbs and get on with my life 😂 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PTR200S Posted July 6, 2020 Author Moderators Report Share Posted July 6, 2020 4 hours ago, Retro Rich said: To be honest I’d rather just order the genuine bulbs and get on with my life 😂 Ok,ok , 😜🤣 I know, point taken!!!!! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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