DIY Taillight sequencers for $5-$6
 

I've recently started making and selling my own splice-in sequencers. The ones I personally make are on proper fabricated circuit boards and have an auto-calibration feature (no pun intended) for any speed of flasher. These however cost $12 and REQUIRE A PIC PROGRAMMER (around $80 if you don't have one) as well as some more detailed electronics knowledge.

FOR EVERYONE ELSE: Since I got a whole lot of interest at my local Mustang club selling these, it occurred to me that maybe people on here might like super-cheap sequencers too.

I have designed a splice-in sequencer circuit that would cost around $5-$7 to make and requires nothing but a bit of soldering to build (and maybe a little math to find the right resistor value to match the speed of your flasher).

Is there any interest in this? I have no problem doing up the schematics and maybe even a picture tutorial, but I won't bother if there's no interest.

That sound cool!!! go for it :tup

I think it would be appreciate from many of us..

I figure I probably will. It wouldn't take much to do. However this "easy" version is a concept at the moment. I'm waiting on a few parts from ebay (probably a couple of weeks) to make 100% sure it works, and then I can take pictures of assembly also.

I also forgot, add about $3 to the price I said before, you have to get a part off ebay to be able to add a Major wire to your two inner brake lights.

I'll post when I have 100% confirmed the design and have a tutorial done.

:cheers:

Interesting!

Is the time for the sequence determined by the R/C time constant?

To make math simple and to avoid one thing I'm concerned may or may not be a problem, I'll be using a pair of 555 timers. A quick google for "555 timer calculator" should bring up plenty of web apps that make it easy to find the resistor value you'd need (you probably only have to change 1 resistor from whatever I decide on for the stock one to get a custom speed).

The two 555s will feed into a CD4001 which will act as a pair of latches, and those will drive an IRF9540 Mosfet to switch the actual lights.

Pricing thus being approximately:
555 x4 = $1
CD4001 x 2 = $1
IRF9540 x 4 = ~$5
Pins to upgrade the minor/ground "inner" taillight to have major/minor/ground = ~$3

I'll post more, including ebay links for all the parts, once I'm done testing this to make sure I haven't overlooked anything!

VERY interesting. I'm looking forward to following this.

Just a quick update that rather upset me the other day: Mustangs made in November '05 or after have a type of taillight socket that can't easily be upgraded to have a third wire for Major. These people will have to get a taillight harness (only one would be necessary) from a local scrap yard and simply replace the third taillight instead of adding a wire to it. Since each side of a wiring harness has 2 fully wired sockets, you will only need 1 side to get both sockets.

Cheers

Used the 555 Timer lots when I was in college (many years ago). Major problem is that the stock flasher( which can be modified) ultimatly determines the time that the sequencer can operate in.

Yes, this is why I'll try to post values for a stock flasher and suggestions for modified ones. If you see here it's not hard to modify a flasher though. I personally have an 8.6uF cap for mine (just a 6.8, with the original one removed) and I love its speed. But this is why I opted to make the sequencers I sell self-calibrating to your flasher speed :)

It's possible to have a slow sequence taillight and normal flasher speed, but again it would involve a more advanced circuit (like the ones I personally make) as well as an always-live line run from the battery.