DIY LED Brake Light | Arduino Controlled

This video shows how we replaced the brake light bulb with an array of LEDs powered by an arduino.
Using an arduino nano to control the light sequence, we made 7 rows of LED lights and mounted the board inside the OEM brake light housing of our Honda Odyssey.
TOOLS WE USED
Arduino Nano: amzn.to/2yZeJq2
LED Diodes: amzn.to/3crxdya
220ohm Resistor: amzn.to/2XEa9Yy
22 AWG Wire: amzn.to/3ag9KOT
USB Adapter: amzn.to/3bfTCOE
Soldering Helping Hands: amzn.to/2wKraW1
Cutting Mat: amzn.to/2RDb9sj
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[@EthanCarterDesigns]

Very cool! Nice upgrade - don't pump the breaks, keep the videos coming (had to work breaks in here somewhere haha)

[@IMEEMADE]

LOL you're a punny guy my dude! Thanks for checking out the video!

[@bryanwarman]

Really cool mod. I personally think it would make more sense (and look a little nicer) if you had the LEDs trace from center of the brake light to the outside of the brake light. Since the rest of the lights and car are symmetric that would maintain the symmetry and look like it was meant to be.

[@IMEEMADE]

Thanks for the suggestion! I think that would totally be a better pattern

[@riddleme2573]

@@IMEEMADE can you share how we can program arduino like you did ?

[@JohnCastillo]

This is amazing. Subbed because I want to improve my DIY skills and your walkthrough was amazing.

[@IMEEMADE]

Thank you so much for the support!

[@DBTechYT]

I love the idea, but you sounded like you were bored (or high out of your mind) during the recording of the voice over. I'd love to see the code and the actual wiring diagram of this so I could do something similar to my car.

[@IMEEMADE]

Haha, I know I have a monotone voice... I try to force an uplifting/energetic tone, but it sounds too fake (in my opinion) and I'd rather portray who I am in reality. To your other point, feel free to reach out to us via email: [e-mail] I can whip up a quick schematic for you and give you a copy of the arduino file :) Thanks for watching!

[@theilluminatimember8896]

@@IMEEMADE Nothing wrong with you voice imo

[@laural5703]

Came out awesome!! Great job! 😊

[@IMEEMADE]

Thanks!

[@slabua]

Simple and effective, nice job

[@IMEEMADE]

Thanks!

[@MyCatInABox]

This was a good one....😉👍 I'd love to attempt this on my own HMSTL

[@GeorgeChristofi]

nice idea... I would have liked to see a test before hot glueing it all back together. Also might be an issue with canbus based wiring, causing an error on the dash to say the high brake light is out.

[@IMEEMADE]

I went a bit rouge and powered through the project without testing it out first. Luckily everything ended up working OK after I glued it up haha. I was worried it might throw a light on the dash as well, but luckily it seems like the high brake light doesn't affect it.

[@jennylim609]

Great idea man!!

[@IMEEMADE]

Thank you!

[@ManRat]

Alright that is "LIT" I would be a bit worried about working on the electrics. but good video man.

[@IMEEMADE]

Haha thank you!

[@Coronadigital]

does the audrino need a constant power source? or is everything driven by pin 9?

[@RobertBranch-FL]

Awesome video! Thanks!

[@IMEEMADE]

thanks for watching! ✌️

[@XDIY]

Great work, looks amazing

[@sitehost]

so can you share your code?

[@Nitewatch-xc9yz]

What can you do with a 2001 dodge van

[@funkblack]

How do you control so many LEDs with the arduino? I know the ports are limited to 5V and 500mA. How you make that without frying the board?

[@IMEEMADE]

I go through all the wiring in the video! 😁

[@joncoop2873]

Arduino Sketch / Code? Checked your guide on instructables, but it's not there... VERY COOL project, but without the arduino sketch it's kinda useless...

[@jonnyb2532]

I learned that your skills are waaaay above mine! lolol

[@IMEEMADE]

You can do it too!!

[@IMEEMADE]

You can do it too!!

[@iceman1st1]

Hi, could I use this on a vehicle to activate the brake light's when it senses the vehicle slowing down

[@PPPP-qi4kh]

Excellent video. Excuse me sir, do you need to program the arduino board? Thanks

[@IMEEMADE]

Thank you! Yes you do need to program the arduino

[@PPPP-qi4kh]

@@IMEEMADE Ok, thanks'

[@jakemartin4305]

Love the vid its simple easy to do and I love how the light looks like something on the city busses 😁

[@IMEEMADE]

Thank you so much!!

[@EndoftheRd]

is the sketch available somewhere ?

[@GM-dx3dq]

Aren't blinking red/blue lights prohibited for use in unpriviliged cars? In my country those are. So making led stop light is nice job but I would not risk any flshing or chasing lights at my car.

[@bob-ny6kn]

Awesome!

[@IMEEMADE]

Thanks!

[@garagemonkeysan]

Nice video! Great project, makes perfect sense, I wonder if it is legal in Cali? : ) Agree, love modifying cars but hate maintaining them! Mahalo for sharing. : )

[@IMEEMADE]

Uhm.... I think its... "legal" until they tell me it's not.... Thanks for watching!

[@seanjenkins4459]

Its illegal. It can get you in a load of trouble.

[@squirralien1863]

Is there a purpose to using individual LED's and not addressable LED strips, just curious, I really like the job done.

[@charlessssj]

more durable and bright i suppose

[@mdscownz]

So I have 12v leds that I'd like to power with my car through an arduino. Signal input is battery voltage (12v-14v), going into 5 volt buck controller. From the 5 volt controller it goes into the arduinos input. Output signal voltage from arduno will be 5v. How do I power my 12v leds? I'm assuming your leds are rated for lower voltage since they're powered pretty brightly with the 5v signal

[@IMEEMADE]

To power the 12v LEDs I grouped all the (+) legs and connected them to the car brake light wire. The (-) leg of each LED is connected to the digital output pins of the arduino.

[@mdscownz]

@@IMEEMADE I didn't know you could use the arduino's digital output pins as a switch to ground in circuits above 5v. I guess I've been over complicating this.

[@I_SuperHiro_I]

Have a friend trying to hookup a custom led taillight on a snowmobile without a battery. 3 wires, common ground in a sealed assembly. Brake light works, tail light does not. Chassis/hood, tail light and brake light all come from the same connector on rectifier. Brake light gets +12VDC, but he is getting -12VDC going to tail light and I don’t understand why. Any ideas?

[@IMEEMADE]

Sounds like there’s a short somewhere. Could be in the snowmobile harness or internal to the taillight

[@I_SuperHiro_I]

@@IMEEMADE light tests fine on the bench. Could it be bad diodes or inductors in the rectifier? Or you think the harness more likely?

[@IMEEMADE]

@@I_SuperHiro_I that’s hard to say. If possible, I would swap to a known good rectifier to see if that helps. If not, test the harness to see if there’s a short somewhere.

[@I_SuperHiro_I]

@@IMEEMADE I’ll have to take a look at how difficult it is to remove the rectifier. But checking the wiring is probably easiest. Thanks.

[@petarsarbinski4772]

How can I do the same for my Braking, turning, day,fog and reverse lightning? I mean I've currently assigned for a project at my University and im tryna find a way to get that source of individual control over all of the signals. The socket of my tail light has 6 outputs, So i guess 2 of them are for the ground and positive and the rest 4 of them are for the individual signals. Do I have to connect em all to the arduino, i think that i must power the arduino through that power and ground using as u showed car charger amd the rest signals being connected to the arduino itself?

[@petarsarbinski4772]

I'm also not sure if the arduino will be able to feed the led strips that I'll use, my idea is for Static day/brake light on the same place, and for sequential turning(hazard) light, for the reverse i can use some individual led smd's on a board we'll see. I will appreciate it if you give me any advices.

[@uvwuvw-ol3fg]

Are these 5mm LEDS bright enough in direct sunlight? 5050 rgb LEDS with 30° and 60° lenses seem to be too dim. So called rainbow effect is another setback.

[@IMEEMADE]

Yes they're definitely bright enough.

[@Gmtail]

This project only had 1 Input but if it had multiple then using an Opto isolator would be easier, smaller and cheaper than using multiple 5v power supplies.

[@IMEEMADE]

Thanks for the suggestion. I will definitely keep that in mind for the next project!

[@donnewkirk2051]

Too cool

[@IMEEMADE]

Thank you!

[@laggerwerks3517]

I wish i could’ve learned something but the explanation was a different language to me.

[@randikapiyumal3329]

good work,plz code

[@rkrzbk]

"We"? 🤔 Unless you're referring to your hands...? I'm now realizing you probably told people your were pregnant....😞

[@IMEEMADE]

Haha clever... There are two of us. One behind the scenes for this particular project 😅

[@rkrzbk]

@IMEE MADE Nice, good job. And glad you saw the humor in it, didn't mean to be rude. 🤙

[@IMEEMADE]

@@rkrzbk didn't take any rudeness from it at all mate! Life is too good to be butt hurt about internet comments anyway 😂

[@John-McAfee]

Lol why?

[@IMEEMADE]

Lol why not

[@John-McAfee]

@@IMEEMADE Touché, I respect the work that went into this nonetheless, can tell you're a smart guy. 🙂