DIY sequential blinkers 2005 Ford Mustang

Thread Starter

Camperik

Joined Aug 23, 2017
10
Hello I'm looking for help choosing components for a sequential tail light assembly, particularly an IC which I assume is needed I'm talking about the tail lights that bling inside to out, I want to make my own boards to make my mustang do that without spending 200$ Which I know is very possible so please anything helps
 

crutschow

Joined Mar 14, 2008
34,282
Need more info:
How many lights in the sequence?
What type of bulbs?

Sequence speed?
  1. One bulb lights for each turn signal blink or
  2. All bulbs sequence for each signal blink.
 

Thread Starter

Camperik

Joined Aug 23, 2017
10
There are three bulbs on each side I would prefer to keep the stock incandescents and just wire them to a PCB it should Be 12vdc. and all bulbs sequence for each blink... btw thanks for the reply
 

crutschow

Joined Mar 14, 2008
34,282
I have a discrete design using a 555, a flip-flop, some gates and transistors, but I have to modify is slightly for your specifics, which I won't be able to do until tomorrow.
 

AnalogKid

Joined Aug 1, 2013
10,986
Are the lights turned on by sourcing 12 V or by grounding?

The original Mustang blinker was a motor and three cams on a shaft, similar to a music box mechanism. As each light came on, it stayed on until the end of the cycle rather than go out when the next light came on. In an electronic circuit, this can be done with a clock oscillator and a serial-in/parallel-out (SIPO) shift register such as a CD4035.

Note that in any circuit with a 555 clock, the first light of the first cycle will be on longer than the other two in that cycle and all following cycles. The first timing pulse of a 555 oscillator is longer than the rest, because the timing capacitor is completely discharged at the start of the first cpulse, but sits at 33% charge at the beginning of subsequent pulses. The same is true (with different percentages) for hysteresis oscillator circuits based on the CD4093, CD40106, etc.

555
4035
3 - power MOSFETs
3 - protection diodes

ak
 

Thread Starter

Camperik

Joined Aug 23, 2017
10
Id like to see that design if you have the chance thanks a bunch.. The lines for the lights are constant hot out of the fuse box and the blinker switch closes the connection it looks like... I'll post the diagram below... which now makes me wonder what the lights will do if braking and signaling simultaneously. Interesting note about the mechanical tail light I'll have to keep my eye out for that I see a lot of classics around here. Thank you all for the help
 

AnalogKid

Joined Aug 1, 2013
10,986
The lines for the lights are constant hot out of the fuse box and the blinker switch closes the connection it looks like...
...Like what? Closes the connection to ground?

There are no lights on the diagram, and that raises issues:

IF there are no separate brake lights
And IF the light bulbs are not dual-filament
AND IF the turn signal lights come on steady for braking
THEN the control system just got a bit more complex.

I've done a lot of stuff for cars, but I'm not a "car guy", so fill me in. How many lights are there on the back of the car, and when/why do they illuminate?

ak
 
Sequence can also be:

A) 1,2,3
B) (1), (1,2), (1,2,3)

In terms of "seqential", I think I've seen pattern B.

There's Brake, Turn and Hazzard patterns to deal with. Parking could very well be a dual filament bulb.

The car may not have had hazzard, but if it did, I think you would want the
brake" pattern where 1,2 and 3 are on at the same time. Turn overrides brake and 4-way, I think.

Parking lights can be separate to a point.

The presence of "side markers" can also complicate things. I've seen side markers be in an anti-pattern than turn. e.g. if turn is on side is off. I don;t know if these are dual filament bulbs. I don;t think they are included in Hazzard mode. Not sure.
 

crutschow

Joined Mar 14, 2008
34,282
Here's the LTspice simulation of a basic sequential circuit using a 555 timer, a flip-flop IC package, an AND gate IC package, and a NOR gate IC package, that I believe generates the sequence you want.
R6, R7, and D6 precharge C3 to avoid the initial long first cycle that AK mentioned in post #6.

Note that the circuit doesn't include the MOSFETS needed to drive the lights, or any additional circuit possibly needed to handle brake lights.
Pot U2 adjusts the 555 time to match the blinker period.
upload_2017-8-24_0-41-49.png
 

Attachments

ArakelTheDragon

Joined Nov 18, 2016
1,362
There are three bulbs on each side I would prefer to keep the stock incandescents and just wire them to a PCB it should Be 12vdc. and all bulbs sequence for each blink... btw thanks for the reply
You should reconsider this part! Your battery may be a "12VDC" battery, but its normally charged to "13.7-14V" and despite that it might not cause a problem, its good to expect it and the higher current that might come from it.
 

Thread Starter

Camperik

Joined Aug 23, 2017
10
The blinker switch "multifunction switch in the diagram I posted" closes the connection to ground, the "bussed electrical center" is the fuse box I'm assuming and the rear lights are my brakes and blinker, this video is how my car currently operates

 

AnalogKid

Joined Aug 1, 2013
10,986
In the video, the outside lights can be either bright or dim. Are these dual-filament bulbs, of does the car have a dimming function (PWM, series resistor, etc.)?

ak
 

ArakelTheDragon

Joined Nov 18, 2016
1,362
Your car should never have the battery drop to "12V", plus when the dinamo is on, it charges with "14-14.4V". But if its working, I dont think you have anything to worry about.
 

shortbus

Joined Sep 30, 2009
10,045
I predict this will get more complicated as time goes by:) Most newer cars (2005?) have a BCM, body control module, that does the lamp functioning, If this is true in the mustang, doing the sequential thing will require major wiring and turn signal switch changes too. Ask #12 what he thinks of Ford computer controls having to do with lights.:D
 

ArakelTheDragon

Joined Nov 18, 2016
1,362
I predict this will get more complicated as time goes by:) Most newer cars (2005?) have a BCM, body control module, that does the lamp functioning, If this is true in the mustang, doing the sequential thing will require major wiring and turn signal switch changes too. Ask #12 what he thinks of Ford computer controls having to do with lights.:D
Yes the new cars have a computer or more than 1 inside. They put electronics, because electronics get broken and you need to buy the new model.

As for the complexity, thats not difficult! All you need to do is put the circuit on the wire to the blinker. But if you want to switch from constant to blinking, than its a problem. You will need some form of control and you have to wire the control to the driver's board or seat. Its best to just put 1 multivibrator or "square impulse generator with "LM324" and you have the blinking.
 

shortbus

Joined Sep 30, 2009
10,045
Won't argue because I've never tried doing this, and am not used to working with Fords. But do know that on GM cars the newer ones use a totally different turn signal/brake light protocol. The 'vintage' switches separated the flashing of the turn signals from the steady lighting of the brakes in the switch inside the steering column, using contacts operated by the turn signal handle. Now the turn signal switch is just that a switch, the separation of flash and brake is done in a module.

So I'm saying just putting a sequential control into the wire will also need a way to discriminate between steady state for brakes and intermittent state for flashing. If not, then the brake lights will also be flashing sequentially too.
 
Top