Redo of Old AC neon to CCFL! [Archive]

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Blue Lucifer

10-11-2003, 08:03 PM

Hey guys. I decided to redo my old neon AC panel mod, and redid it to CCFL (Cold Cathode Flourescent Lamp). I had a 6" one lying around and it was suppose to go into my computer, but I figured I would put it in my car instead. The install guide is exactly the same as the old AC neon one I had posted long ago. The color is more turqoise or Cyan but more bluish, however the Neon one was best for overall color as it was a Dark UV blue. THe CCFL is great as it is very very bright, and here are the pics. The pics do not do justice.

This is during the day. Still bright!
http://www.clubcelica.com/forums/uploads/post-24-1065927333.jpg

This is with the panel off. Still bright!
http://www.clubcelica.com/forums/uploads/post-24-1065927402.jpg

And this is when it was evening/dusk

http://www.clubcelica.com/forums/uploads/post-24-1065927454.jpg
A nice thing about using CCFL is that the AC button and Defrost Button illuminate brightly. Enjoy, and ask questions here if you need some help.

SexyCelica

10-11-2003, 11:32 PM

Sweet! Give us a link to the install guide for the lazy though.

02TrDCeLiCa

10-12-2003, 01:45 AM

i like it looks good

BETGTS21

10-12-2003, 01:48 AM

that looks sweet man!!!

Blue Lucifer

10-12-2003, 04:22 AM

I found my old install. Some of the pics are missing though. :(

http://newcelica.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=66317&highlight=blue+climate+control

JohnnyG101

10-12-2003, 05:54 AM

Did you use an inverter or go directly to the cig lighter?

CelicaRacing22

10-12-2003, 08:32 AM

What kind of meon did u use to do that.its really nice

S|Lv3rBu||et

10-12-2003, 11:56 AM

He used a 6" "CCFL (Cold Cathode Flourescent Lamp)"
...no "meon"s were harmed in this mod. ;)

CelicaRacing22

10-12-2003, 01:07 PM

where can u buy those and how much did the center consual cost i like the screen

Blue Lucifer

10-12-2003, 02:10 PM

Originally posted by JohnnyG101
Did you use an inverter or go directly to the cig lighter?

I went directly to the cig ligher's lamp. I'm suprised there's enough power to power that lamp, though it doesn't take much energy to power.

CelicaRacing22 where can u buy those and how much did the center consual cost i like the screen

You can buy CCFLs from any computer store or comp moddin' store. Like pcmods.com, newegg.com, etc. I don't know how much the center console cost, because it was a gift from my relatives in Japan. It cost me 60 bucks for the LCD, and 3 bucks for the plastic to make it fit, plus 6 bucks for paint and glue, and alot of patience. :D

Avenge2c

10-12-2003, 05:27 PM

look's good bro!I'll be tryin this out some time,hopefully soon!

Ok now after some seraching I can't find any 6" one's just the 12's!Damn man someone help me out with a link?Thank's Bradley

Blue Lucifer

10-12-2003, 08:33 PM

You can try ebay too. Sometimes they show up there.

neorowen

10-13-2003, 03:59 AM

How does it compare to the rest of the car lights? Does it dim?

Blue Lucifer

10-13-2003, 09:18 AM

Yes it does dim when you turn the dimmer switch.

MeGaXmAn27

10-13-2003, 10:11 AM

note to self.. must do this unexpensive mod asap

Blue Lucifer

10-13-2003, 06:22 PM

Originally posted by MeGaXmAn27
note to self.. must do this unexpensive mod asap

:headbang:

Yeah do this mod. it's not that complicated if you have some knowledge in what's + and what's - in electrical lines.

neorowen

10-14-2003, 04:54 PM

Originally posted by Blue Lucifer
[B] I went directly to the cig ligher's lamp. I'm suprised there's enough power to power that lamp, though it doesn't take much energy to power.

How about this (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3435032167&category=51064)?

So you don't even have the inverter in there? Just the lamp directly wired?

How about the cig lighter? Can we get an short guide on how to make that blue too?

Blue Lucifer

10-15-2003, 09:16 AM

no. I have the inverter in there. You need it, or else it can't power the lamp. I just have it hidden inside the panel on the passenger side. Just connect the Red wire as + to a source, like cig lighter lamp or cig light, and the - to the corresponding ground.

Blue Lucifer

10-15-2003, 09:19 AM

You want to make the cig light blue? I used a 10,000mcd or 10 candella blue LED, and added a 560ohm resistor to it. Technically, I used the wrong resistor, but it doesn't matter because that's all I had in my toolbox. deltaV=-IR . Because I used a slightly higher resistor than I was suppose to, it comes out just a little bit dimmer than it would if I used the correct resistor. But I'm happy with that. Just make sure you know your anode and cathode on the LED, or + , -, and wire that to your cig light lamp and check polarity, because and LED will only work in one currect direction. If it doesn't illuminate, switch the led around and it should light up. That's how I did mine. Also, try to aim the LED towards the cig ring, it helps to even the color a bit, since LEDs are like spot lamps.

neorowen

10-15-2003, 09:20 AM

Originally posted by Blue Lucifer
no. I have the inverter in there. You need it, or else it can't power the lamp. I just have it hidden inside the panel on the passenger side. Just connect the Red wire as + to a source, like cig lighter lamp or cig light, and the - to the corresponding ground.

Thanks for your help, I must be driving you nuts with all my blue questions lately.

Blue Lucifer

10-15-2003, 05:32 PM

Originally posted by neorowen
Thanks for your help, I must be driving you nuts with all my blue questions lately.

No. It doesn't drive me nuts actually. Because you are an avid person who seeks answers to learn and enjoy a hobby, as opposed to some people who just demand it like I'm some sort of vending machine of ideas and instructions and get his or her own instant gratification without the pleasure of really doing something for him or herself. So I really don't mind.

Avenge2c

10-15-2003, 06:08 PM

neorowen

10-16-2003, 05:10 AM

Originally posted by Blue Lucifer
No. It doesn't drive me nuts actually. Because you are an avid person who seeks answers to learn and enjoy a hobby, as opposed to some people who just demand it like I'm some sort of vending machine of ideas and instructions and get his or her own instant gratification without the pleasure of really doing something for him or herself. So I really don't mind.

Yeah I have seen that a lot on here. People with !!! in the subject lines and such. Again, thanks for all your help so far.

Off topic: I found some small LED's with the resiter and all on the wiring already, all you have to do is add them to a 12v source, and have rigged them up in my dome light. Now I've got some blue accent lighting inside the car too.

Originally posted by Avenge2c
Well I would like to do it myself but I'm scared to F it up!I'm ordering the tube and hopefully can ghet someone to translate what you said about the lighter! :)

I was going to the Neon Pulsar version of this, but I ended up shattering the tube when I attempted to remove it from the housing.

Now I'm just going to do this, the tube comes housing free.

Avenge2c

10-16-2003, 10:32 AM

ya thank you for the link,I bought one from there.Although shipping seemed kinda high I paid it and hope to have it in soon.Where did you get the prewired led's?I'm really wanting to do the interior light's in blue but I don't have the nerve to soder anything expensive or difficult seem's like this would be a lot easier.Thank's Bradley

neorowen

10-18-2003, 11:12 AM

I just got the one off ebay that I had bid on and it seems to be to big. It's about 1/3 of an inch thick. I finally figured out how to get the dash apart on an auto and found it looks like it's to big. Where did you find a tube thin enough to fit, did you take it out of the plastic tube case?

LEDmod

10-18-2003, 03:17 PM

One of the option would be..
Flexible wire neon... you can wrap it around the AC control for even distribution to every part... and also someone wrap it cig light which will give you good distributed lights in the cig light ring...

Blue Lucifer

10-20-2003, 03:23 AM

I didn't like the EL cables. They weren't bright enough. But they do create an even appearance, and they are easier.

mangoboy7

10-21-2003, 07:58 AM

Streetglow makes a short 4 or 5 inch straight tube neon that will fit too. They have it in red, green and blue. You guys should try th at. I can buy it at a local meijer's if any of you know what that is or need one.

Avenge2c

10-21-2003, 07:24 PM

You can buy CCFLs from any computer store or comp moddin' store. Like pcmods.com, newegg.com, etc. I don't know how much the center console cost, because it was a gift from my relatives in Japan. It cost me 60 bucks for the LCD, and 3 bucks for the plastic to make it fit, plus 6 bucks for paint and glue, and alot of patience.
They have the smaller one's at these place's also.I just borke out the file and filed the end's down.I need to do one side some more and it'll fit fine.Right now I can't trun the air direct switch to the defrost location but I'll file it tomorrow and fix that.
Now where to get the led's for the cig lighter!?

neorowen

10-28-2003, 02:44 PM

damn! I tried going the neon tube thing, and I carefully extracted it from it's housing and the little POS won't turn on now.

First I got a 6" CCT but it was to wide to fit, now this, I jsut am cursed when it comes to making these things blue.

Avenge2c

10-29-2003, 06:22 AM

Hey do you still have it?Try this,I got a file and filed dwon the end's so they would be just slightly larger than the tube.Then cut a small piece off the black mount piece behind the knob's so it would fit behind there.Now it slide's in and I can trun the control's.PM me if you need a pic of what I did.~Bradley

neorowen

10-29-2003, 08:17 AM

Originally posted by mangoboy7
Streetglow makes a short 4 or 5 inch straight tube neon that will fit too. They have it in red, green and blue. You guys should try th at. I can buy it at a local meijer's if any of you know what that is or need one.

How bright is it?

mangoboy7

10-31-2003, 08:40 AM

Originally posted by neorowen
How bright is it?

I don't know. Its bright i assume. They wouldn't sell dim neons

neorowen

11-02-2003, 07:53 PM

Originally posted by mangoboy7
I don't know. Its bright i assume. They wouldn't sell dim neons

As long as it fits, tell me how much it would be w/ shipping and all that.