kramttocs Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 Since there are a lot of smart electrical guys on here.. My trailer brake controller has a bi-color led at the end of a long lead. Green = connected Red = braking What I want is to split out the single led into two smaller leds (a green and a red). I am not expecting the functionality to change nor do I need it to. Meaning I don't need the green to be lit when braking. It is a two leg led. There is a single wire going to one leg and then two wires going to the other. I've never messed with bi-color leds so have been watching some youtube videos in which I learned the + and - flip to light the different colors. With the three wires I have I am a little lost. I haven't cut anything yet or even hooked the controller to power so no actual testing has been done. Will I be able to cut the 3 wires, identify one that is + on Connected, one that is + on Braking, and then discard the other? At which point I can create my own ground and hook the two positives to the different leds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 Forgetting that there are three wires, lets focus on the two pins. As you said, one goes negative and the other positive for red, and the reverse for green. So, if you replaced the one LED with two, one green and one red, but reversed their polarity you'd have the same functionality. If wired correctly the green would be on when you are connected but not braking, and the red would be off. Then, when braking the green would go out and the red would come on. (If wired the wrong way 'round the red would come on when connected and the green during braking.) Is that what you want? If so, use a pair of jumpers from the existing LED to your green and get it going when connected. Then add a pair of jumpers for the red. All the LEDs should work fine with the others there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kramttocs Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 Forgetting that there are three wires, lets focus on the two pins. As you said, one goes negative and the other positive for red, and the reverse for green. So, if you replaced the one LED with two, one green and one red, but reversed their polarity you'd have the same functionality. If wired correctly the green would be on when you are connected but not braking, and the red would be off. Then, when braking the green would go out and the red would come on. (If wired the wrong way 'round the red would come on when connected and the green during braking.) Is that what you want? If so, use a pair of jumpers from the existing LED to your green and get it going when connected. Then add a pair of jumpers for the red. All the LEDs should work fine with the others there. Ah. So I won't completely separate the new two leds. G+ will connect to R- and both will connect to one leg (whether the single wire or the double wire tbd) of the existing lead. G- will connect to R+ and both will connect to the other leg of the lead. That? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 Ah. So I won't completely separate the new two leds. G+ will connect to R- and both will connect to one leg (whether the single wire or the double wire tbd) of the existing lead. G- will connect to R+ and both will connect to the other leg of the lead. That? I got lost. Let me do some drawing....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 I got lost. Let me do some drawing....... The bi-color LED is really two LEDs in one housing. I've attempted to depict that with the dotted line around the pair on the left. So all you need to do is to parallel that LED combo with two other discrete LEDs, as shown. They should all work just fine when wired together, but when you get your two working you can take out the combination/bi-color LED. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kramttocs Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 The bi-color LED is really two LEDs in one housing. I've attempted to depict that with the dotted line around the pair on the left. So all you need to do is to parallel that LED combo with two other discrete LEDs, as shown. They should all work just fine when wired together, but when you get your two working you can take out the combination/bi-color LED. Thanks Gary! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 Thanks Gary! I guess it made sense? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kramttocs Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 I guess it made sense? Yep, well I think so. Essentially we are relying on one of the leds to not light up at a given time because it is directional and we are passing positive to its negative leg. Right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 Yep, well I think so. Essentially we are relying on one of the leds to not light up at a given time because it is directional and we are passing positive to its negative leg. Right? Yep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny G Posted March 11, 2020 Share Posted March 11, 2020 It most likely works by reversing polarity. Many Christmas LEDs actually do this. In one direction they show white, in the other they show color. Split out your wiring and then flip one led backwards it should work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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