Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Aesthetics A6 sidemarks- 3A rectifying diode??

please help me out here guys

i got all the parts that Louis said to get, now i am not sure how to use the 3A diode. well i am no electronic engineer, so i have no idea how to use it. Its got 4 metal pronges coming out of a black piece, they each have a symbol on the other side, +, s, -, s....is this the correct piece? how do i use it? what is the point of it? will the lights work correctly without it?
please help me out!
thanks
Darski

What you're describing is a rectifier, which is a 4-diode bridge. It converts AC to DC current which you are not interested in. Anyway, it's not the right part. What you want is an ordinary 3A, two-prong diode. I specified rectifying because there are many types of diodes (zener, Schottky, etc); rectifying is the "normal" type. The lights won't work correctly without it, current will feedback and you'll get weird results.

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Louis Wang
Austin/Sugar Land, TX
1998 Black E0 #3826
http://web.wtez.net/tw57472

oh, alright, thanks, i'll try it again....were did u get yours at?

Louis, cant he just use one half of it? Like the two opposite prongs.

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Chris Hightower
http://crush7.dyndns.org/

darski:
I got mine at a local electronics surplus outlet. Radio Shack might be able to help. If not, check http://www.mouser.com.

Chris:
Theoretically he can use one ~ terminal and either the + or - terminal (depends on which ~ terminal) and that should work. But I didn't try it so I couldn't make that recommendation. It would be easier to buy the right component.

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Louis Wang
Austin/Sugar Land, TX
1998 Black E0 #3826
http://web.wtez.net/tw57472

Radio shack does have the right diodes, they look very similar to a small resistor and have a black body with a silver or white stripe around it that's closer to one prong/wire than the other.

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something like that, with the thin ends being solid wire and the space where the stripe would be. Hope that helps.

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Eric Walton
2000 Silver Frost SVT
1571 of 2150
Richbrook shift knob
Pioneer 6x8 2 & 3-ways
Hoodliner removed
Energy suspension motor mount inserts and rear bar bushings
Lighted SVT mod
Fog lamp mod
A6 sidemarkers

ok, i went to radio shack, and i got the right part...but now i actually started, and i am more confused...can u try to explain the whole wiring part again....i am lost...like i said, i know pretty much nothing about electronics, but i wanna try and do this on my own...so far i have 2, 5 foot wires soddered to the copper spades, on both sides, and they are mounted, well i didn't peel the 3m tape off yet, just in case, but they are up...anyways....what do i do from there? i dont really understand the schematic....from what i see, is the ground not shown? it says u only spliced 3 times per side, but then how do the 2 join after the components to get to the side marker? another question is...i have a orange wire w/ a light blue line, and a blue wire, and the ground....which of the 2 is the turn signal and which is the parking lamp? thanks for all your help guys
darski

hope this helps
(credits to Blake S. Nelson)

Can you take pictures while you are doing this mod,
Thanks

Later,

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jjh
Union City, NJ
2000 T-Red SVT
#1033 of 2150
Xenon fog lights

thanks so much!!!!! but i dont have a digital camera or scanner, sorry

I started this mod tonight! I have the wires plumbed through the fenders. Took about 45 minutes - passenger side was more challenging. I'll take some pics during progress and post here later this week..........

MArk