Need help on LEDs!!!

[TheScientist]

I was thinking of putting a pair of LED lights in my 1/18 Maisto Mercedes S500, and make the headlights and tail lights glow like a Hess Truck. Clueless of what to get, I just went to RadioShack, bought a 9volt batter, some 9 volt connectors (heavy duty), 2 5volt LEDs and 2 3.7volt LEDs, LED holders, and some submini slide switches. When I got home i didn't know shit what to do, so I just played around, burned 2 of the LEDs out, and got the wrong slide switches. I need help, very bad. I would like to know what exactly I would need to make thi light setup flawless, otherwise I'm gunna be really pissed off for wasting $40 on junk, that I could've used to buy another model. Help would be greatly appreciated.

[mike@af]

Look on the internet for LED wiring...

[TheScientist]

didn't help much. most are about LEDs on cars.

[Rolla89]

the 9 volt is to much for the led's.. you need a resistor on them so they don't burn out like they did... on my escalade i used a 4 AA battery holder with a 220 ohm resister (wasn't sure which one to get but this worked fine) and some led's

[TheScientist]

niiiice man, i like it.

[TexasF355F1]

Originally Posted by Rolla89

the 9 volt is to much for the led's.. you need a resistor on them so they don't burn out like they did... on my escalade i used a 4 AA battery holder with a 220 ohm resister (wasn't sure which one to get but this worked fine) and some led's

Is there anyway you could post pictures of your electrical install and tell us how you did. It would make a good tip to add.

[TheScientist]

I actually found another way, cost around $30 for me. I bought a pack of LED lights, made by RAM for Maxx RC cars. Included was a pair of LED lights, bi-xenon blue (just the color, not actual xenon lights), and red tailights, with a 9 volt battery and a resistor all connected into one, so all you needed to do was modify your car the way you need to, to make the lights fit, and a 9 volt battery. As i learned from my experience, a resistor is like a fuse, it limits the power current flowing to the LED lights, to prevent from too much current going through, or possible a spike.

the "make your own way" is pretty hard: you need to research the type of resistor; find lights (run expensive, from 3 - 10 dollars each), and find the right type of wire. THen you have to manually solder the lights and wire together, which is another pain.

I'm almost done with my project, and i'm making a website out of it, which i will post later.