Question for all the EEs on the site.

[dzd]

I installed a 24 SMD LED panel in the dome light fixture of the leaf. And when it's on it works great. When it's off it works not at all. (Duh). But the wierd part is when it's on door mode. When door is open no problem bright as day. But with the door closed there is one led with a faint pinpoint of light coming from one of the SMD LEDs.

What is going on here. Poor panel? I check and there are absolutely no shorts. Is there some current leaking to Ground at the door switch maybe? I'm guessing that its a (-) switch.

Ideas?

 

[GerryAZ]

The Leaf dims the dome lights gradually when you close the door (in door mode) so I suspect there is still a small amount of current leakage through the dimming circuit after most of the LED's have extinguished. The remaining LED should go out if you wait long enough for the dimming circuit to turn off completely. Some LED replacement lights work better with dimmers than others so you could try different LED lights if the residual light bothers you.

Gerry

 

[Stanton]

Poor panel. I put a couple of 12 count LED panels in my Leaf (dome and hatch) and they work fine. Do a search on eBay for different colors; they don't cost much.

 

[iluvmacs]

The Leaf dims the dome lights gradually when you close the door (in door mode) so I suspect there is still a small amount of current leakage through the dimming circuit after most of the LED's have extinguished. The remaining LED should go out if you wait long enough for the dimming circuit to turn off completely. Some LED replacement lights work better with dimmers than others so you could try different LED lights if the residual light bothers you.

Gerry

This EE agrees. They're using some sort of solid-state dimmer, which can't necessarily clamp off the current completely for a non-resistive load. On my Prius, the LEDs I put in for the side markers and tail lights glow faintly for a minute or so after the car doors are closed, and then shut off after that when the circuit is completely shut off. The Leaf doesn't seem to do this with its exterior lights (I haven't done the interior ones).