Green LED dash light swap

SO!

After seeing Greg's blue interior dash lights I have been in a fever to figure out how I can switch my dash lights out for a different color. I cant make it to the summit this year because my wife is expecting around that same time so I cant wait for Tincan (BlueRoom) to do it for me.

So I've decided to get a bit crazy and I have ordered the 50-LED’s SMD SMT PLCC-2 lights for 15.00 bucks and I am going to try not to ruin my dash. On that same crazy note I picked green LED's to replace the stock orange. I was thinking about red or blue but I decided to get crazy and tryout green. If you want to talk me out of green I can understand why! But if I'm successful with the LED switch I can always go back to red it was my second choice.

Anyone know how to use a solder iron? I'm an amateur at best! I figure if I take it slow and don't get ahead of myself I can do this mod with TinCans instructions.

Anyone else want to change out you dash LED's? I know that we just had a wrenchathon but if anyone wants to join in the LED swap let me know. Maybe we can all ruin our dashes together j/k knock on wood!

As I watched TinCan do mine I have some things that I remember that seemed really good practice. He took and heated up one side of the LEDs that he was changing and pulled that side up and free of the solder. He then removed only one section at a time. Once he had about ten removed he wnet and replaced those by heating up the exisiting solder and plaing the one side down then moved to the other side. Once he had them all replaced he tested it by plugging it in and checking all the lights. Mine all worked but he did say if any did not work he would simply remove it and replace it with another one. He never added more solder to any of the lights but did say that sometime he needed to add just a little bit. I have done some soldering but my iron is a cheapo now so I wouldd recomend getting a good iron if you try this yourself. Also think if you want to change out the climate control as well as the compass. I know you take the climate control off to get the dash part out but he was so fast at getting everything out I just stood there dumbfounded as he yanked things apart. And yes I mean yanked he knew exactly what he was doing and what he needed to pull out and how to do that.

I think Green will look good in your ride. Keep that color theme going.

Greg thanks for all that info! none of that info was in Tincans description on how to change the LED out. I am going to do the dash, ac unit and compass. I will use the compass or the AC unit as the dummy so that I can learn how to do it before I tackle the main dash itself.

I purchased 50 Green LEDS and from what I have read you only need 20. So if anyone else wants the other 20 (10 being used as backups) they are all yours.

TinCan also took some of the red ones that he took out liek from the seatbelt indicator and moved them to other places that I can not remember but it might be something that maybe we should put our next to each other and look at the actual lights that he changed. If memeory serves it was some of the 4x4 or diff locker and VCS something in that vicinity.

Nate, I would be willing to try to lay waste to my LED's at the same time as you. I actually ordered orange LEDs a while ago....they must be in the "future to do" pile somewhere.....

Why not do the really popular mod and do black lights for that blacked out look.

Green would be my first choice.

I couldn't handle the black lights it would be like a night club every time I got into my car. Those days are long gone! Hey BOB it would be fun to have some support with the LED's when mine get here we should plan a time.

GambleCamble wrote:

I couldn't handle the black lights it would be like a night club every time I got into my car. Those days are long gone! Hey BOB it would be fun to have some support with the LED's when mine get here we should plan a time.

The Utah FJ dateline in action. I smell Bromance.

That sounds like something my wife would make fun of me for! bromance!

I can only handle so many days of work, kids and chores before I need to get out to the desert with some guns the FJ and good company to get some real R and R.

I hope I never know what a bromance smells like

Brett you need to broaden your horizon. A Bromance smells like gunpowder and blood.

^

SKIBUMM wrote:

Why not do the really popular mod and do black lights for that blacked out look.

Greg,
I am surprised that you did not get the OEM black dash light mod. I got it. I'm pretty sure Brett and Brad got it too.

Most people call it a "headlight switch knob." At night, try turning it clockwise (top back towards you) and the dash lights go BLACK!

Cool, huh?

SKIBUMM wrote:

Brett you need to broaden your horizon. A Bromance smells like gunpowder and blood.

You had me at gunpowder.

BlackIceBob wrote:

SKIBUMM wrote:

Why not do the really popular mod and do black lights for that blacked out look.

Greg,
I am surprised that you did not get the OEM black dash light mod. I got it. I'm pretty sure Brett and Brad got it too.

Most people call it a "headlight switch knob." At night, try turning it clockwise (top back towards you) and the dash lights go BLACK!

Cool, huh?

YEa I have that one the only problem si you can't see stuff written with the cool paint and pens.

So I got my green LED's in the mail a couple days ago and I thought I would attempt to change out the orange LED's to green on my cluster gage. First Tin can made it sound allot easier than it really is to take off the orange LED and switch them out for another color. The cluster comes off pretty easy and its simple to take apart. I was able to get the hang of soldering the new LED's but I definitely needed a little bit of flux/solder to help out with this mod. Look at this pic of a work in progress.



as you can see I still have to replace 4 orange led's and the 4 LEDS behind the temperature gage are now green. But if you notice to the far upper left of the circuit board one LED is not lit up. Thats because the other LED to the far bottom left is missing because I didn't have any flux to help with reattaching it to the circuit board. So if I cant get the far left LED reattached I might have FUBAR'D my cluster gage. I'm glad that I did my practice run on this and not the dash.

Ill keep you posted on the progress.

Update!

Well after about 20 min of slow going soldering I finally got everything working and all the lights are now green. Check it out in my parking garage.



What do you think? Is green the way to go for everything?

AND!!!

who is ready to change out lights on your dash? I now have the hang of it, its really easy once you get past you fist couple LED's.

Well 2 hours of working on my FJ and I got everything greened out except for the radio. check it out









What do you think? Kinda reminds me of the hulk . Its pretty sweet at night to drive around.

I LOVE the green. I'm scheming how to do mine.

Doesn't the FJammer change with a few button presses?

Ya it does but just the screen, the buttons and volume nob stay orange. Unless I'm missing something I don't know how to change the whole units color. When your ready for the LED switch I can help out with some great tips. I definitely had my fair share of small setbacks so I can help anyone avoid the same mistakes.

Looks pretty sweet!