The Heat Factor

I just looked at my car, trying to decide where I want to put the lighting and such. I have 2 places however that I wish to place lighting, where the LED's may at some point come in contact with skin. How hot to these LED's get? The places I'm looking to put them, will only fit something as small as an LED.

The first place I'm looking at putting them in is hidden underneath the handle of the door on the inside (the part you'd have to slip your hand into in order to pull the lever and release the door). It's a place where #1, I'll have to mount the LED just about flush with the plastic (recessed) and therefor the LED will be touching vinyl/plastic and will have the silicon on the back part of the LED as well. I don't want to have it cause a fire or burn the plastic, or my finger...

The second place I wanted to put one is on the under side of the door grip (the part you'd grab onto in order to pull the door shut). This item is for the most part a solid, hard rubber. It has a few wholes on the underside of it where screws are placed. I figured I'd make one right above one of those wholes to place the LED, and cut a slit in the underside to run the wire. I don't want the LED to melt the rubber or my hand when touched...

Let me know. In both cases, there is no place in those area's due to the size, to put a cathode.

Thanks!

They get warm but by all means they are not hot they dont burn if you touch them and the rubber wont melt

go to www.howstuffworks.com love that page!!! they have a whole section on led's. the light efficiency is a direct effect of the lack of heat!... or the lack of heat is a direct effect of the efficiency. either way, it all works out!!!