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Seriously, try my suggestion of adjusting the modules. The reason is, if you change back to standard wiring, the failure module will still work fine. All that would happen is that the "test" failure illumination would extinguish earlier.
If you use resistors, you're just pulling more current than required. And if someone puts the bulb back to standard and doesn't know the resistor is there, you'll pull twice as much current and risk overheating the wires.
And if you install a bulb hidden in the wing, there's a risk it will touch something and burn it.
I'll email you my article. I'm sure you'll think it's the right way to go!
Paul, yes I understand the possibility of burning, I fear that too. I dismissed the light bulb from consideration.
I just don't understand (maybe I misunderstood) how the bulb error circuit can work when the bulb is missing from the wing, so the circuit is open and has infinite resistance.
I ended up going the 3 route. I bought power resistors that are used when replacing classic bulbs with LED bulbs. Of course the radiator was hot. That's why I screwed it to the L aluminum profile and hid it under the wing.
This construction is lukewarm and the heat dissipation is quite good.
The bulb error circuit goes off after about 10 seconds and everything works as I imagined.
Am I wrong somewhere in my thinking? Many thanks to everyone for the advice.
Last edited by roman_mg; Aug 28, 2024 at 08:06 AM.
The bulb failure modules work by taking a spur of the live feed to the bulb and sending it to a bi-metallic strip in the module. When the strip heats up and deflects then it breaks the circuit in the module and the feed to the warning light is broken and the light extinguishes. That's why it takes c20 seconds for the warning light to extinguish as all the modules need to initially warm up, break the circuit, and then there is no feed to the warning light.
So, if the sidelight bulb fails, or is removed, or of an LED bulb with a lower current draw is installed, the bimetallic strip will not warm up sufficiently and so the the warning light will stay on.
However, I found I could adjust the modules, so that the circuit broke with a lower current draw, so they then could work with LED current draw and still function properly.
I'll email you my article when I'm home tonight which hopefully will make sense. And then you'll be able to remove those resistors from the circuit, if you wish!
