wiring leds in series or parallel
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Lights, Neon, LEDs, HIDs
Forum Discription: Under Car Lighting, Strobe Lights, Fog Lights, Headlights, HIDs, DRL, Tail Lights, Brake Lights, Dashboard Lights, WigWag, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=97141
Printed Date: July 14, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Topic: wiring leds in series or parallel
Posted By: elimenohpee
Subject: wiring leds in series or parallel
Date Posted: September 15, 2007 at 4:32 AM
I've been researching a lot on this subject, reading a lot of the older threads that have to do with this subject. However, I can't seem to find which way to wire the leds together: series or parallel? I was planning on having a few rows of 4 leds connected together. What would be the best way to wire them together, in series or parallel? I'm still kind of new to this, so any kind of explanation or point in some kind of direction would be helpful! Thanks!
Replies:
Posted By: elimenohpee
Date Posted: September 15, 2007 at 4:38 AM
If I understand it right, if the leds were 3.0v, then I could wire 4 of them in series, and I wouldn't need any resistors correct? Because the voltage is divided evenly between the leds? Or in parallel, placing a resistor on each individual led, I think. Thing is, which way would be better?
Posted By: mando2155
Date Posted: September 16, 2007 at 2:03 AM
Your series and parellel examples are both correct. I would not do series, though. Main reason is if one L.e.d. fails everyone after it will stop working until the failed one is replaced. Parellel will be more work if your making your own cluster of lights. If you do parellel i would use a resistor between 330 and 500 ohms.
Posted By: elimenohpee
Date Posted: September 17, 2007 at 9:18 AM
Ah, ok. That makes perfect sense, I didn't think about that. Great, then parallel it is! Thanks for the help.
Posted By: techman93
Date Posted: September 30, 2007 at 2:35 PM
I had trouble back when I first got into wiring up stuff and I read books and asked people about it. If you don't have time to do all of the math yourself then use this simple led wiring calculator...
Led array wizard
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