I’m in the process of remaking the gear strip for the shifter plate so it lights up differently. it’s going to have a blue back light except for the letter/number gear it’s in. that will be red. I currently have a crappy shift plate I’m going to be proto typing with.

Has anyone done something like this? I’ve searched but found nothing.

Comments questions suggestions?

I have some components on the way to do a test circuit with. Iff all goes well ill order the rest of the parts and start things up.

 

SHOW PICTURES!

Sounds awesome, I bought some l.e.d.'s off of superbrightleds.com or something and swapped out my gauge lights and replaced the led under the shifter with a red one and painted the gear indicator bright white. I have the B&M shifter though, so I don't really know the difference with the stock one

 

later this afternoon after work ill post some pics and give a little more info as to what im doing. the electronics are at the house so ill get to test a circuit.

 

ok so this weekend i had a little bit of time to play around. i put the circuit together and it worked nice. ill have some pics and the schematic below. so basicly, when the relay gets power/grounded it will switch the bicolor led(which i didnt order yet) from blue to red. now that i know it works im ordering the rest of the relays and the bicolor leds. as for the piece of glass with the gears on it, im working on finding a printer that will reprint it with a non transparent black that will block the light and a transparent white so it will look stock when not lit up.

 

and here is a pic of the pos shifter plate ill be playing with

 

Here is the schematic of the lighting sequence as well as the ground switching concept i've been thinking about.

 

well the rest of the switches, relays, leds, and connectors have been ordered. should be able to start most of the wiring soon.

also. later to day im meeting with a printer to review the options he hasfor the indicator (pic).

 

is there really no other input on this????????

 

So wha u saying is when u shift, it lights up diff from 1,2,D,OD. What I would do is... the lever should be ground, run 1 power feed from the stock light. Run all the Leds in series of that power supply, make a prong off the shifter so its like a switch. As u switch gears it will light up. Mounting will be up to u.

 

I read your posts, but have nothing to input!

 

Watching with interest, but no input yet. Both my cars are autos, so if you come up with something cool, I might try and do the same.

 

but how will you actually switch S1 thru S7?

i used some hall sensors
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/inte...dicator-t.html

not perfect.. but best i could come up with.

 

im currently running different ideas around until i find one that i like best. your hall sensors are a nice idea but.. i have some reed switches laying around to use for now. until i go though the catalog i have about 100 more times that will work for the time being. got my relays and what not in, waiting on the leds, and some connectors befor i start soldering it together.

going to be meeting a printer on thursday. (i missed they last week)

so... that all for now. for to work on the engine a bit.

 

quick update...

called the printer today ad was told the company he deals with can't make the panel.

so.....
i have to go back to my fist idea which was to engrave a peice of plexi and paint on the black, then spray on the transparent white.

as for the circuit, im going to try using the Presensitized PCB board to make a good looking design. but it will be the fist time so it may not come out as i please.

but ill keep updating as things happen(hopfully quicker than they have been)

 

Was just on the phone with the printer and came up with a way to get the ind. plate to show light the way i want it to. so i have to find a day he and i are both free to talk about it.

as for the circuit... nothing. have not been able to do anything with it. im looking to use the Presensitized PCB board like i said earlier but im unsure how well in will come out. has anyone used this before. or how have you made boards like this?

 

i love it make me one when u get a final plan up

 

The berlinettas use a thin plastic black strip w/ white letters that are blue when lit.Maybe that might work as well.

 

calling the printers today about the art work for the plate. this weekend im going to try and get the circuit board etched. heres the piece im going to get printed out for the shifter panel. maybe ill finally have something to show you guys in the next few days.

 

Well. After almost a 2 month hold on this project for various reasons, i finally order the last few parts and the circuit board to put it all on. I’m going to be making the shifter plate this weekend as well as the board when i get it. Attached is a mock up to see if it will fit in the enclosure I have.
Sorry for the lack of updates. I’ve been way too busy.

 

Exactly how I planned to do it. Use the shifter with prong as the ground. Just need a contact strip for the prong.

 

Something like this.

 

thats what my first plan was. but then i was like what if they all blue and changed to red when it was in that gear. so my something simple turned into a little project.

i sould be getting the rest off the parts today might have the pc board etched by the end of the day. possible assembled by the end of tomorrow if i dont have work.

I still have to make the ind. strip and switch circuit.

 

Ahhh,..I see. Decided to get all fancy with multicolor. I have a blue LED lighting the whole plate right now. I'm afraid if I added individual red LEDS they may look purple.

Can't wait to see the finished product.

 

So i actually made some progress on this thing. got the board etched. Not bad for my first time if i do say so my self. Was going to start drilling it out and placing parts but my chuck is broken on the press so I'm waiting for the new one.

Will keep you updated.

 

So I was placing the parts in the board last night and found an "Oh Sh*t" in my design. When I designed the board the white connectors were the last parts designed in. after placing them I forgot to space them to account for human error in the drilling. If they were drilled perfectly, I would have this binding issue. so i have repositioned them in the design and will have to etch out another board. I ordered a few boards this time because radio shack charges way too much for one. While that is coming in I’m going to start making the indicator strip that will light up.

 

I like making my board in Eagle and buying through BatchPCB.

 

Pretty cool, but why on earth would you use relays? You're just lighting up an LED. Small signal transistors would have sufficed and you could have made the board the size of a quarter.

 

mainly because my knolage about electronics is limited. the project along with my car is on pause for a while now.

 

One would have never guessed that, making your own PCB and all.