Does anyone know if you can make the interior dome lights slowly dim untill they are off, instead of just turning right off, basically so it's like on a BMW.
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can dome lights slowly dim off
- Thread starter MHanrahan
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Dre
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I'm currently driving a 2001 Lincoln TC...... it has that feature in it.... shouldn't be hard to make it work in an X, don't you think? I'll ask the dealer to see what gizmo I have to buy.
Later,
Later,
ChrisHeapy
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Maybe a chunky capacitor added into the circuit would do the job. Would need a resistor on the (+) side - If I knew the total current required I could calculate the value.
Chris
Chris
Exploder99
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I remember reading somewhere about just putting a rechargable 9v battery in the line of the light! could that be it?!?! hmm, im gonna have to bench test this one but i know that it is possible and that it can be done. the light turns on, charges the battery lights the light, the light turns off then the bulb dims as the battery dies. COOL!
Exploder99
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i didnt mean 1 batt per bulb. but yeah the capacitor sounds more reasonable.
MHanrahan
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Capacitor? I know nothing about electronics, so if someone with some knowledge, and a digital camera who would like to take me step by step throught it. I am going to go to the dealer soon anyways, I broke off the lever that leans my seat back and forward, so I will ask them what in the towncar makes it do that, of course me being 17 they will lookat me like I'm an idiot, and just give me a bunch of crap. Anyways it is deffinately a cool feature, since my mom got her new BMW X5, which does, I have to have it. So I appreciate everybody's suggestions.
Exploder99
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you can also add 500hp if you paint your car yellow, oil the exaust bearings and change the blinker fluid.
ChrisHeapy
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High value capacitors are dangerous if wired up incorrectly, they can dump a big charge instantly - which is why you would need to restrict the current using a resistor. It's not an ideal solution, when the lights come on the capacitor will charge up, then when the lights turn off (door shut) the charge in the capacitor will keep the lights on for a short while longer before fading away. I'll experiment a bit this weekend to see what's the best value to use.
Chris
ChrisHeapy
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Couldn't wait so I played around with the idea tonight.
The capacitor idea won't work - well, it does for one 5W bulb but not for the 8 or so together, the power requirement is just to high to make it sensible. That was using a 16V 28,000 mF capacitor. Should have realised that, so I guess a timing circuit is needed.
Chris
The capacitor idea won't work - well, it does for one 5W bulb but not for the 8 or so together, the power requirement is just to high to make it sensible. That was using a 16V 28,000 mF capacitor. Should have realised that, so I guess a timing circuit is needed.
Chris
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I heard if you paint your car pink and adjust the trim tabs you get an extra 600 hp. Beats the heck out of changing blinker fluid!
ChrisHeapy
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Not sure, I think all the interior lights use a common hot wire so adding a capacitor would feed all of them. You would have to isolate the dome light with a diode and then wire up the capacitor between the diode and the hot terminal on the bulb (so the current from the capacitor could only pass through the dome bulb, it can't go backwards past the diode to power all the others).
The bulb itself behaves like a low value resistor, so what happens is that it appears to stay lit for a couple of seconds before dimming (fairly quickly but not instantly like the stock light - it's not exactly what is wanted). I'm still working on a delay timer but it's more complicated than it first appears!
Chris
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The black/blue wire is the wire that is hot when the door is open, and not hot when the door is closed.
I recently installed lights under my dash and I spliced off that wire.
That wire controls all the auto lights in the car when the door is open.
If I can get them all to fade, then I'd do it!
Good luck, and thanks..
I recently installed lights under my dash and I spliced off that wire.
That wire controls all the auto lights in the car when the door is open.
If I can get them all to fade, then I'd do it!
Good luck, and thanks..
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I just bought a new 2001 Sport and the dome lights and puddle lights all go off slowly. May be you can get a module form Ford?
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tac0meat
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i was thinkin about all this while playing with some toys at work and come up with this: first off i got really bored and took apart one of those hotwheels cars that you charge for ten seconds and they go really fast for like 30 seconds as they slowly die out, could one of the batteries or whatever it is inside of the cars work(looks like a N sized battery with two wires coming from it)? they seem to provide enough power for those little motors to run and get hot so it seems like it ought to be able to power a couple of light bulbs for a few seconds
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