Hey Lads,
Pretty experienced working around all sorts of electronics but today, I let the magic smoke out of my SLM.
Was experimenting with a new LED tail light design and was overconfident that the SMD lights I was using was not going to overtax the electrical system - big mistake
I should have done all of the associated testing and math but I was in a bit of a hurry and with my shiny bright tail lights all lit up - I went to get my GF to show her. By the time I got back outside, the lights had gone out and the expensive smell was rising through the air. The PCB is burned up pretty bad and the resistors are all smoked as one would expect.

Alas - I was able to track a replacement module on eBay for a decent price but since this is not just a lighting module - but also a security module, I am wondering what I am going to be in for when I install the replacement in the car? Do I simply need to re-do the key-fob to the new module or am I in a world of hurt with ignition defeat and the like? Please tell me I do not have to go to a dealership to get the replacement module activated - ugh. Off to do my forum searches.

 

The SLM is more concerned with vehicle perimeter security - it plays no part in the key & transponder dialogue, just fob pairing.

Make sure you get one from a convertible to match yours.

 

Ouch! Hard to imagine overloading a circuit with some LED lamps; how much of a load was added to the system?

 

Very happy to hear that.
Yeah, I found a vendor on ebay that had the exact same module as mine. All numbers line up exactly.
Even better news was that he accepted 35.00 with shipping included for it. Total score and it takes the sting out of it for me.

Thanks!

 

Ha! Now that line of thinking is what got me into trouble in the first place lol.
Using a series of halo rings that i found on eBay and they had enough sizes to allow for 4 rings per tail light.
Flexing all of my shop tools - CNC, 3D printer, powder coating, etc., I was able to build out the tail lights you see in the photo.
When I first turned on the park lights, I thought - OMG - they are as bright as the sun lol. Turns out they were.
I tested a single ring that I had as a spare and without any resistors or anything in place, the little sucker pulled 2.8 amps at 12.5 volts DC from my supply. It also consumed 31 watts.
Since I had 4 of them together, the outside ring on each of the 4 tail lights, well you can see how that ended.
Currently waiting on the arrival of the replacement SLM and I also ordered in a bunch of PCB based PWM units so that I can set the amperage to whatever I like.
My theory is that I would get a lumens reading off of my GF's F-Pace for the various lights and then, using the PWM modules, set the lumens to the same basic regions.

So - outside ring of each tail light all come on as Park.
the next two rings on each tail light are for brakes
outside inner ring (yellow) is indicator
inside inner ring (looks yellow but is actually white light) is for reverse.

Lots of electronics and wiring going on to make these all work but I am super close now.