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Thread: Blue LED Switch and Instrument Mod

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    Default Blue LED Switch and Instrument Mod

    Tools Needed:

    Phillips head screw driver
    Flat screw driver
    6 x Wide dispersion LED's. (I used 500 - 700 mcd Blue oval LEDs. Oval or rectangle LED's can be used, round won't fit the switches properly, but may work anyway)
    1 x 5.1 K ohm resistor (for the T/C switch if needed)
    Quality electronics soldering iron with a fine tip
    Some solder
    Side cutters
    Small Pliers

    Method:

    1. Remove the switch module:

    Remove the center console top fascia. It's pretty basic and covered in a few other places in detail. Just remove the 1 Phillips head screw at the front, just above the rubber tray ( have a look, it's easy to see ) then lift the fascia up from the rear. Open the rear compartment for easy access to the rear edge of the fascia. You only need your fingers, take it easy and feel for the press clips lifting as close to them as you can. Lift the fascia out from the back, tilting it up with the front in place.

    Once the fascia is free, disconnect the wire loom and pull the fascia free. Turn it upside down and use the flat screwdriver to release the clips holding in the switch module. Use just enough pressure for it to come free. Once it and the T/C switch is free, you're done in the car for now.

    2. Disassemble the Module:

    Here is the switch module on the bench. On the back are the 2 screws holding it together. Undo these and put them out of the way.



    Next you need to release the clips shown below. Again use the small flat screwdriver and be gentle. When they are free the back cover will be free, but the circuit board will not just drop out. The button for the "child switch" is a press fit on its switch and will hold the circuit board in. Just give a gentle pull on the white plug and the circuit board will come free.



    Here it is all apart. It's hard to see here but there are slots in the back of the buttons that the LED's fit in to. This is why round LED's won't fit.



    3. Swap the LEDs:

    Before you do anything else, look at the original LEDs. There are 2 things to note here...

    1: The orientation of the LED: The fellas only light up if inserted the correct way. The easiest way to get this right is to look at the existing ones and note the internal construction. One side looks like a small bucket, this side goes toward the top of the photo below.

    2: The bends in the legs: You need to match these bends as close as possible, remembering the bit above. If you bend the wrong way, the LED won't fit or won't work. You need to be accurate to make sure everything will go back together correctly.

    Next we have the component side of the circuitt board, showing the LED's to be replaced. Don't miss the one in the center of the "child switch"... Just de-solder the existing LED's and pull them out. The legs on mine were bent through the holes in the board, so I needed to straighten them with the soldering iron tip and then just yanked them out. Once they are out, clean the holes of any solder. Again I had some issues with some holes not clearing properly.



    Once the original LED's are out and the new ones are "correctly" bent, fit the new LED's. Remember to check that all looks OK and the the LED's are the right way round. When you are certain that all is OK, solder them into place and trim the legs off. Here's mine after the LEDs were soldered in.



    There is a trick to fitting the LED inside the "kiddy switch". Pull the switch off before working on the LED. It's only held on by 2 legs so it's pretty easy and gives you full access to the LED inside. Replace the LED, checking it's round the right way, and re attach the switch, it only goes on one way so you should be right.

    Before you put the whole thing back together, it's a good idea to check that all is OK. Just jump in the car, plug the circuit board in and hit the unlock button. This activates the window switch unit turning on the lights. If it doesn't then maybe you'll need to turn on the parkers. If the dash lights up and the new LEDs don't, your in trouble and will probably need to remove the LED's and turn them around.



    Once it all looks correct you can put the module back together. Just slide the circuit board back in place, pressing the "child switch" to seat it correctly. Click the rear cover back on and then do up the screws.

    4. The T/C Switch:

    If you have a Traction Control switch you'll need to do this as well. Here is the switch showing the globe fitting. That's right, it still uses a globe and will need some work to convert. Remove the globe by giving the fitting a 1/4 turn C CW. It may be tight to remove, just wiggle it till it comes out.



    If you connect an LED directly up to 12v, you will get a very brilliant light..... for a very short time. It's fun if you simply want to destroy LED's but doesn't help much in this case. You'll need to drop the voltage down to an acceptable level. If you look at the picture of the completed switch module above, you will see resistors in front of the LED's. They are 5.1K ohm jobs and drop the voltage to the correct level. To fit everything inside the switch, I used a 1/8th watt resistor which should be fine for the job.

    The picture below shows the inside of the switch once the LED was fitted. To remove this part, use the flat screwdriver on the clips holding it in. There is a small copper contact inside, don't drop this out. To fit the LED I just bent the legs up through the globe hole and soldered them to the original globe contacts. Remember how the LED has to be connected a particular way? Well you don't have an existing one to go by this time. You need to connect the "bucket side to the terminal in the center of the switch. Also keep the legs as short as possible so the don't foul the sliding parts of the switch.

    To be continued...



Look Here ->
  • #2
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    Default ...Continued

    Once reassembled there was almost no sign of any change to the switch. BTW, next to the completed switch is the original globe. Give the switch a few test presses to make sure it feels right. Any binding means the LED is in the wrong place or the legs are too long. Now is a good time to test that the LED in the T/C switch works. Plug it back in and turn on the lights.



    5. Putting It All Together:

    That's all the hard work done. You just need to reassemble the centre console and put it back in place. The T/C switch only goes in one way, it's got a small key way to fit into. Remember to reconnect the switches to their plugs. Replace the fascia by fitting the front first and then lowering the rear into place. Again starting at the front, lock the clips into place by taping them in with your hand. Finally fit the screw and the rubber tray at the front.


    When it gets dark, you can sit in your car and enjoy your new, blue switches.


  • #3
    Senior Member global88's Avatar
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    Default

    Nice tut intelligeorge.

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    Default

    Was bored this long weekend, so I thought I'd fire up the soldering iron and get to it as I have been meaning to do this for a while now.

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    Default

    nice job IG, looks tidy

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