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Powerful Car Headlights Using LEDs

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In this post we see how to build an enhanced and efficient car headlight lamp using Pirhana LEDs.

Using 4-pin Pirhana LEDs

You might be pretty familiar with the ordinary two-pin,m 5mm white LEDs, which are by no means “ordinary” and produce lights at reasonably high intensities.

However when it comes to 4-pin LEDs, the 2-pin types stand no where near it. Include just 50 of them in a group, and you are well producing lights that may be more dazzling than conventional car headlight intensities.

Here we discuss how to implement 4-pin LEDs in automobiles for making their headlights more power efficient and more powerful.

In fact the application may not be restricted to just car headlights, you might want to use them for other applications also, like as a LED tube light in your home, that can result in a lot of saving in your electrical utility bills.

Before we proceed with the proposed circuit of efficient high power LED head light design details, let’s first analyze the important specs of this interesting light emitting device.



A 4-pin super bright piranha LED might look complex at the first appearance, but a careful look will assure you that it’s as easy to understand as a two pin type.

Though the device includes 4 pin outs, two on each side are actually shorted internally, and therefore technically it has just two outputs, one anode and the other cathode quite like our ordinary two pin LEDs.

However a four pin arrangement is made to suit it’s size and for assisting firm PCB mounting, the square extra large shape of a 4-pin LED is designed to introduce some special features in it, attributing the qualities of generating extravagant light emissions to them.

Main Specifications of 4-pin super flux LED

The following text provides some of the important specs related to 4-pin LEDs:

Safe operating temperature – 25 to 80degree Celsius

Typical operating voltage – 3.5 volts,

Maximum operating voltage – not to exceed 4 volts.

Normal continuous operating current – 20 mA,

Peak instantaneous current – up to 100 mA Viewing angle – 50 degrees.

Efficient Car Headlights Using 4-Pin Super Flux Piranha LEDs

The DIAGRAM illustrates a simple application circuit using 48 high intensity 4-pin LEDs for automobile headlights.

Since the operating forward voltage of the LED type is around 3.5, three of them accommodates in each channel, in series.

The series are further connected in parallel for making the total number up to 48. Voltage is derived from the car battery via the dashboard switch.

Preferably the LEDs may be arranged in circles for uniform distribution of light across the whole headlight enclosure.

 Circuit Schematic

powerful car headlight lamp using piranha LEDs

The PCB used must be a glass epoxy type, double sided; the hind side copper of the laminate is not etched and is used as a heatsink for absorbing heat from the LEDs and dissipating it in the air.

Using a Single 10 watt LED

If you thing the above discussed method is too laborious, then you can opt for a single 10 watt LED for enhancing your car headlights with low consumption LED lights.

The following image shows how a 10 watt LED actually looks like:

10 watt 12V LED image

The two fins across the sides are the two terminals which will connect with the 12V supply from the car.

Not to mention each of these LEDs on the headlights must incorporate a current control circuit in order to ensure a safe and an optimal illumination.

I have already posted a couple of LED current limiter circuit which you can study through the following links, and implement these in between the LED lamp and the 2V supply from the battery:

Universal High Watt LED Current Limiter – Constant Current Circuit for LEDs

Make a 100 Watt LED Floodlight Constant Current Driver

Any of the above concepts can be applied for protecting the 10 watt car headight LED lamps from over current or a thermal runaway situation.

However make sure the LEDs are mounted over well calculated heatsink, which could be a round finned type as shown below, this may be mounted behind the headlight box:

 

round heatsink for car headlight LED

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Comments

  1. Hi Swagatam,
    I want to build a led top light for aquarium using 4 pin leds the circuit mentioned above can it be used off a 12v DC adapter?

    Reply

    • Hi Suhail, yes you can build it for the mentioned purpose. You can add or deduct the LED strings as per your preference for increasing or decreasing the illumination

      Reply

      • Thanks
        Please provide a circuit diagram If I use straw hat 5mm Leds .in a string of day 200.
        Driving it thru a 12v DC adapter.
        Thank you.

        Reply

        • The circuit design will be the same, just the resistors values will change to 450 ohms…1/4 watt, but whether 200 numbers can be accommodated or not will depend on the current consumption of your adapter

          Reply

  2. Hello Swagatam,
    I can't see the attached pics and circuit diagram. Following error is shown: HTTP Error 404 – File or Directory not found

    I wish to make DRL and tail light using superflux led's in place of regular 3 or 5mm led's.
    Can you pls help me out in making a drl & tail light for my bike using your circuit diagrams and layout. I am a novice in electronics with but love doing DIY stuff.

    Thanks

    Reply

    • Hello basit, see the diagram in the above article, you can see two leads on each side of the LEDs are shorted and connected to each other in series, you can do it in this manner.

      Reply

  4. Hi all,

    I build a replica Iron Man ARC reactor last year for Halloween.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B32qJakASDM4OENsSzJBMTZXeG8/view?usp=sharing

    I used 17 LEDs used here in this project, directly connected to a 3.7v LiPo cell. Unfortunately the cell runs at ~4.1v at full charge. This caused several of the LEDs to fail over the course of the evening.
    I want to replace the LEDs and build in a regulator or a resistor to stop this from happening again.

    I'm fine with the mechanics, but not entirely 100% on what I'd need, or how to place it regarding the electronics. Can anyone assist?

    Reply

  5. Hello Swagatam,

    Really nice and useful projects.

    Can you upload a bigger circuit diagram. The one present doesn't show other compopnents very well.

    Reply

  7. Hi Swagatam,
    Thanks for the prompt reply. So now I am ready with the circuit and will construct it.

    Also I do have 12v and 2A adapter with me. what LED circuit can i use in conjunction with it.

    And lastly, I have brought LED strip light which has its own resistors connected. can you suggest me a circuit using these LEDs.

    Regards
    Nagaraj

    Reply

  8. HI Swagatam,

    Thank you for your prompt reply. So i am in the final stage of building the circuit with hopefully one last help requesting a good PWM circuit as mentioned by you and the integration. Also i need this circuit to work from mains and hence any modification needed. Usually whenever i see any circuit, i straightaway go to the comment section to see what are the queries asked, any modification required and then make note of all the details and lastly will request your help in getting the required refinement before going ahead and building one.

    Regards
    Nagaraj.

    Reply

  9. Hi Swagatam,

    One hopefully last set of questions to get clarified before spearheading to build the circuit.
    1. Can i use 1 watt LEDs as suggested in the above circuit?.
    2. Will there be any modifications for me to do?
    3. Should I use heat sink for the 1 watt LEDs and if so what type of heat sink should i use.
    4. Will there be any power saved by using 30 nos 1 watt LED to that of 28 watt normal tube light.

    I think these above questions are all i need for me to start the project.

    Regards
    Nagaraj

    Reply

    • Hi Nagaraj,

      feel free to ask as many question as you want…

      1) you may use 1 watt leds in the above circuit.

      2) The resistors will become 10 Ohms 2 watt for each string

      3) Yes heatsink type PCB is strictly recommended.

      4) Power saving would be there if a PWM circuit is used otherwise no difference.

      Regards

      Reply

  10. Hi Swagatam,

    As these LEDs are much brighter than the ordinary LEDs, I need your advice on the following points.
    1. How much LEDs do i need to have in the above circuit if i need to get a brightness as that of tube light (28 watts).
    2. Can i use 1 watt LED in the above circuit instead of Piranha LEDs)
    3. What will be the total power consumed.

    Since I am planning to have LED lights in place of ordinary Tube light as they consume more current, Kindly enlighten me on this above query so that i can decide if it is feasible for me to switch over or not.

    Reply

    • Hi Nagaraj,

      I think 50 nos piranha LEDs would be more than enough.

      If you are using 1 watt LEds then 30 nos would be enough.

      Put them in a straight line with 2.5 cms or an inch gap between each LED, that will help to produce light equivalent to a normal FTL.

      Definitely it should be feasible for you or anybody to do it.

      Regards.

      Reply

  11. Dear Swagatam,

    Further to my question asked here, some more queries that i wanted to get clarified. Is this LED will be more brighter than the 1 watt LED? Can i think of using this for tube light application using the above said 133 LEDs and how bright will it be and what is the current consumed.

    Regards
    Nagaraj

    Reply

    • Dear Nagaraj,

      1 watt leds will produce diffused high intensity light, while piranha LEDs will produce sharp clear focus type light, both are blinding to see, difficult to say which one is brighter.

      133 leds will definitely produce a lot of light but again not sure how much, i think you must spread the angle in 180 degree direction, that will help to distribute the light uniformly and efficiently.

      current is given in the above comment.

      Reply

  12. Dear Swagatam,

    Again Nagaraj here. Using 4-Pin Super Flux Piranha LEDs, can I have up to 133 LEDs in the above circuit? and what would be the approximate cost of the LEDs.

    Regards
    Nagaraj

    Reply

    • Dear Nagaraj,

      Yes you may use any number of leds, but the series/parallel connections should be as shown in the diagram.

      Each series will consume about 60mA, means 133/3 = 44 strings x 60 = 2.6 amps, means the battery should be at least 20AH rated

      Reply

  14. Thank you Bro.

    i also want to add power led in the mid of 5mm led's.can i use the same resistance what u had suggested to above person 15 ohm 2w for this?

    brother i hv 1 confusen abt voltage.i think scooty will give me different v on different speed bcoz of this light will dim/bright every time when the speed will change.can i use any capacitor or anything else for constant voltage?

    Reply

    • You are welcome Bro,

      If you are three in series, then you may use 15 Ohm resistor, however a 56 Ohm would be safer.

      You may add a 2200uF/25V cap across the bridge rectifiers positive and negative points…

      Reply

  16. Hello Swagatam

    I m 15 year old student i have so much interest in electronics.

    i want to use this headlight on my scooty with little change in led i m using 30 5mm and 3 1w Power led.my scooty lights running on ac supply.
    (i think i have to use diode rectifier for ac to dc convert and a 100ufd / 50v capacitor)Battery power is 12v 2.5 ampere. plz guide me i m going rite???? Help me in this project.

    Reply

    • six nos will be insufficient, you may have to use at least 24 of them, however 1 watt leds don't produce focus type light, so i'm not sure about these for this application.

      Reply

    • Thanks for reply me Swagtam sir.Sir i m using 60 degree lenses on 1w led for focus.sir i m using 2.2 ohm 1w one resistance on 3 led and bike Battery is 12v is resistance value is fine?
      and 1 thing more how many 1w led i can use with 12v battery?can i use led in parallel plz help me if u can.

      Thanks

      Reply

    • Hi Rahul,

      2.2 Ohms is far to low, use 15 Ohms/2 watt resistors for each string of three LEDs….yes you may connect more such strings, to an extent though otherwise your will become flat pretty quickly.

      Reply

  18. Thanks.

    And a little note that "Comment as :" combo box is missing "Anonymous" option from your other blogs. Plz. do add it, it is more easier then using available options.

    Regards

    Sam

    Reply

  19. Hi Swagatam

    Thanks you have a great number of projects for automobiles. I would like to have your valuable comments on one of my Chinese Honda CD-70 like bike.

    Within 5 years I have two alternator regulator burn outs which fries all lightning bulbs etc. My questions are:

    1). In absence of a regulator how much voltage & ampere a bike alternator produces.
    2). if a regulator burns then it is supposed to be an open circuit and bulbs shouldn't be burned but it does.
    3). You had a 12V solid state flasher circuit at BrightHub, if introduced here (even if regulator burns out) will it continue working?
    4). If indicators and back light is replaced with LED's and your invented circuit of regulating voltage to LED's is used, will it protect the burn outs?
    5). Does homemade regulator justifies itself as a replacement for commercial regulator?

    If you have some spare time, then do answer these questions.

    Thanks and regards

    Sam

    Reply

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