Angel Eyes with my own hands
It all started about half a year ago, when I got the idea to put in the headlights angel eyes. True, the question was not about how to make them myself ) First, google, to find out the varieties and their differences, then the well-known Ali. Even then, the choice fell on the COB peephole for their continuous coverage and fairly bright glow around the circumference. Ordered them, they came … And when they turned on to check, then I realized that it is necessary to either order from a single seller, or a set. In general, the two pairs of rings (80 and 110 mm) differed in color quite noticeably (apparently everyone gets “yellow” differently). Well, okay, that was half the problem: their drivers (or just stabilizers) were so hot that one can’t even touch them a minute after powering them on, but there were no devices to screw any kind of heat sink to them. In my stupidity (and not knowing how LEDs work) I just thought that I would cut off these regulators and order myself or kremenki or LMK, which will produce 12V. In the end, the first time I turned on, I burned out both pairs of eyes, and the saddest thing – they were already in the headlights (. Next, a bunch of information was read about the LEDs, as a result it was understood: 1. LEDs are powered by current, not voltage. this means that in order not to burn out the LEDs when you turn on, you need to limit the current. This is done with resistors (although it can still be something else, but for myself I chose resistors). 2. Here you can correct me if I have misunderstood something but LEDs are characterized by “voltage loss”. This means that when you switch on the LED in the electric circuit (by limiting the current via resistor) the LED starts shining and if you measure the voltage before and after the LED it will be different by the amount specified in the data sheet for this LED. In my example is a yellow LED, it has a voltage loss of 2.2V. Let’s assume the voltage source is exactly 12V. Then after passing through the LED, the original voltage is only 9.8V. From this we find out that it is possible to connect 4 more LEDs after this one and then it turns out that each one will take 2.2V from the mains, only 1V will remain and there will not be enough voltage to switch on the following ones.
After all this I decided that I will not order any more blindly and will try to solder these “rings” myself. There are many topics created on this site with the same name as this one… I saw the realization and a detailed report on winston1415 and thought it would not be too hard (I was wrong …). Next comes the introduction to LUT (laser cutting technology). This article, like many others, describes step by step what to do and how to do it.
So, what we will need: 1. The layout of our eyes (I drew it myself in Sprint Layout) 2. Double sided textolite (I ordered this one) 3. The LED’s themselves, which we will solder (I bought a strip, from which then took out each LED. I wanted a SMD 5050 because of the three crystals and the bright glow, but I did not want to use one at a time because of the history with the COB rings). 4. Resistors (in our case these and these. If you want to come up with your own circuits, I calculated the resistors here ) 5. Anhydrous iron chloride (for etching the circuit on the board) 6. Ammonia (to degrease the circuit board) 7. Powder detergent (I used it to wash the boards before use) 8. Solvent 9. Flux 10. soldering iron, solder 11. 12. the laser printer and photo paper (instead of photo paper I took at a construction store glossy brochures. but free). 13. Drills with a diameter of 1mm or lessand a screwdriver. 14. and little things – a sponge for washing dishes, absorbent cotton disks, a plastic container for chlorine iron, wire section 0.5 mm2 flexible (multiwire), rubber gloves.
How to install angel eyes?
In this article we will learn how to install angel eyes in the headlights. Consider the process of disassembly and assembly of the headlamps, the installation of headlamps with lenses and conventional headlamps with a reflector, as well as analyze the scheme of connecting angel eyes as daytime running lights.
How to install angel eyes?
There are several different ways to install angel eyes. The installation of angel eyes can vary depending on the configuration of the headlight. There may be one or two glowing rings inside each headlight.
Tools and materials needed:
- Pliers for stripping wires and crimping contact terminals. Such a tool allows you to cut wires, strip insulation, and crimp connectors.
- Soldering iron. Need a soldering iron to join wires.
- Multimeter. Needed to do electronic work. Helps you check for voltage, resistance, continuity of wires.
- Duct tape.
- Screwdrivers and wrenches. Needed for headlight removal and disassembly.
- Duct tape for wiring. Will protect wires from damage, kinks.
- Drill and drill bits. Depending on the vehicle, you may need to make holes to run the wiring to connect the angel eyes.
Headlight disassembly.
- First, you will need to remove both headlights from the vehicle. Take note of how everything was attached and connected and collect all the mounting parts in some container so that nothing gets lost.
- You need to remove everything removable from them, as the headlights will need to be heated in an oven.
- In order to take the headlights apart, you need to heat them up and soften the sealant that connects the two halves. Heat the oven to 130-150 degrees and place the headlight inside. It should stay inside for about 7 minutes. You have to be careful not to overheat the headlight. Remove the headlamp from the oven with a tack so you don’t burn yourself. You can also use a construction hair dryer instead of an oven.
- Next, you need to carefully separate the headlamp into two parts. Read more about disassembling the headlight in the article “how to disassemble the headlight”.
Installing angel eyes with LEDs on headlights with lenses
Angel eyes are sold in different sizes, usually from 60 mm to 120 mm. LED angel eyes contain the rings themselves with LEDs, one controller with connector, and a remote control to change the color of the angel eyes, including flashing modes. Diffuser covers can be added to the rings for a more traditional, uniform look.
“Angel eyes” in headlights with lenses are mounted on the hood. It can be pre-painted black to make the rings more visible.
It is recommended that the rings are attached at three points at regular intervals. Glue, double-sided tape or special wire is used to attach the glow rings inside the headlight. Glue has its disadvantages. Vibrations from driving and heat can weaken the glue connection. Double-sided tape can not always be used, as there is not always a suitable surface inside the headlight for a secure attachment in this manner. It is better to use thin wire for hanging pictures. You need to drill small holes on the lens shroud and screw the rings on with the wire. If you do everything neatly, you get an almost invisible mount if you don’t look closely. The advantage of this attachment method is that it is very reliable and does not get weakened by vibrations and heat.
If you choose to mount the rings with glue, apply a thin layer of glue to the back of the ring and to the reflector, where the ring will be mounted. Allow the glue to dry for 10 minutes before pulling the wires through. Gently press the ring into place for 5 minutes. Try not to move the ring until the glue dries.
Installing angel eyes in headlamps with reflectors (without lenses)
Fitting angel eyes to headlamps with a reflector is possible but the light from the rings may be randomly reflected by the headlight reflector. Thus, the glowing rings will blend into the background. There is no obvious place to install the rings in such headlights.
After opening the headlight, you need to determine what size rings to use, and where to install them. You can cut an opening in the bottom of the reflector. This will allow the ring to be partially placed there, and it will hold in place. It will be enough to recess the ring by 1-1.5 cm. The top of the ring will touch the reflector. To mark the bottom of the reflector for the cut, glue painter’s tape and use an engraver or other tool to make a cut on it. Make sure that the ring is inserted easily, tightly, and centered. You can drill two holes in the top of the reflector and pass a wire through them to hold the top of the ring.
To pull through the power wires, you need to drill a hole under the ring, remove the connector, slip the wires through and put the connector back on.
How do I assemble the headlights?
Before assembling the headlight, wipe the inside with a clean microfiber.
Heat the old glue with a hair dryer. Put the headlight halves together, put the metal clips in place and add silicone sealant around the perimeter of the headlight if needed. You can use painter’s tape to press the two halves tighter until fully glued.
Connecting the angel eyes
Typically, angel eye kits come with 4 rings, two inverters and a manual that recommends connecting them to the parking lights. With a direct connection, the red and black wires from the inverter go to the clearance wires. Turn on the parking lights, use a tester with a light bulb to find the right wire. Connect the wires, pull out the parking light bulbs so that only the rings light up when you turn them on.
Another option for connecting angel eyes is to use them as daytime running lights. This presupposes a special wiring harness with relay and fuse, or (if the set is not completed with a relay or control module) the purchase of a special control unit daytime running lights or connection of angel eyes through a relay.
Consider in detail the connection of angel eyes as daytime running lights.
Connecting angel eyes as daytime running lights
The daytime running lights turn on automatically when the ignition is turned on and off when the ignition is turned off. These lights increase the vehicle’s visibility on the highway. Usually (if the car has a daytime running lights function DRL ) they are less bright than the headlights at night. They could be normal dipped beam at normal power, fog lights at reduced power or special lights designed for this purpose. They must turn off when dipped beam, high beam or fog lights are on. Angel eyes can act as daytime running lights. Using LED angel eyes as daytime running lights (instead of dipped beam) allows faster charging of the battery while driving, as LEDs consume up to 5 times less electricity. In this case they can be connected via a 4 or 5 pin relay. The relay will turn off the angel eyes when the dipped headlights are on. You will need a car relay ( SPDT 30/ 40A ) with a connector (will save you from soldering wires directly to the relay contacts), a fuse with a holder. It is best to place the fuse as close as possible to the power resource.
Connecting the “angel eyes” as daytime running lights through a 5-pin car relay. When the ignition is turned on, pins 30 and 87a are connected, so the angel eyes light up. When the low beam is switched on, the relay is switched to pin 87, which is not connected to anything, so the angel eyes go out. Connection of the angel eyes through a 4 pin relay. When the ignition is turned on, they light up, and when the lights or dipped beam are turned on, they go out.
Another option involves the connection of angel eyes through the control unit of low-emitting diodes. It is better to buy a Russian product that meets GOST. The control unit (or controller) will provide protection against overloads and reliable operation of angel eyes. Connection of the controller is very simple. Output wires (OUT) are connected to the daytime running lights (angel eyes in our case), input wires (IN) are connected to on-board power. If the on-board voltage is higher than 13V (when the engine is running), the controller turns on the angel lights, if the voltage drops, they are turned off with a 15-second delay. After switching on parking lights or dipped beam the daytime running lights turn off.
Also in online stores sold a wiring harness for angel eyes to connect as daytime running lights (Halo LED Angel Eye Daytime Running Lights Relay Wiring Harness On/Off Switch Kit). It includes wiring, relays, connectors, fuse with holder. This is a universal kit that allows you to connect any kind of daytime lights, including angel eyes or other LED lighting. When the door locks are opened, the angel eyes will gradually light up. When the door locks close, the angel eyes will gradually fade out.
Determine a route for the location of the angel eye wires to the back of the headlight. Consider where to install the control unit. This can be either inside the headlight (if there is room) or outside. When you have determined the connection points of the wires and their route, pull the wires through and secure them with cable ties.
