LEDmod
09-22-2006, 10:12 AM
From scionlife.com
Gauge Cluster
1) Remove the stock trim housing. First, move the steering wheel all the way down and move the turn indicator and headlight stalks all the way down. Pry along the bottom edge of the trim until it begins to separate. Once you can get a hold of it, pry along until it comes off.
2) There is one Philips head screw on the top of the cluster, take a screwdriver and remove it. Place the screw somewhere where you won't lose it.
3) The gauge cluster is now held in by two latch mechanisms on the sides. There is no easy way to pry them out. I found that after some time prying, it will eventually come out. Be sure you are removing the whole cluster and not just the plastic exterior.
4) Once out, remove the wire harness from the connection on the top left of the gauge. The cluster is now out.
5) Take the gauge cluster to a nice, clean work area. This is going to get fun.
6) First take off the black bezel. You can keep the clear plastic attached to the black bezel and remove the whole thing as one unit. Press in a few plastic tabs and it will come apart.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/01s.jpg (http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/01.jpg)
7) Mark the area where your gas and temp needles end softly with a pencil to aid putting them back on. The speedometer and tachometer have built in bump stops so that it is easy to find the exact postion to put them back on. You want to put on the needle so the bump stop is just slightly below 0.
8) Remove your gauge needles. Easiest way to do it is to grab two spoons and two pieces of paper towel. Place the two pieces of paper towel down on the gauge to protect it. Then place the head of the spoons on opposite ends of the base of the needle and gently pry upwards. The needles will come off. Gently pry off the gauge faces as well.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/02s.jpg (http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/02.jpg)
9) Once you have the needles off, you want to take off the LCD panel in the gauge cluster. I used a small flat head screw driver to gently pry it off. Keep on moving the screw driver around the LCD to prevent bending the pins.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/03s.jpg (http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/03.jpg)
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/04s.jpg (http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/04.jpg)
10) Remove the white plastic base of the gauge cluster by pressing some more tabs. Remove the PCB from the plastic base.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/05s.jpg (http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/05.jpg)
11) Now is the time to desolder the LEDs on the board. My technique is as follows: use a low wattage soldering iron to heat one side of the LED until the solder begins to melt. Quickly use the tip of your soldering iron to flip the LED towards the soldered point. The leads on the LED will bend back. With the LED half up in the air, desolder the other lead. Use a pair of tweezers to quickly grab the LED before the solder solidifies again.
12) If you just want to change the illumination of the gauge cluster, you will have to change 14 LEDs. 2 for the gas gauge, 2 for the temperature gauge, 5 for the speedometer, 2 for the LCD panel, and 3 for the tachometer. The LEDs are PLCC2 sized. You can find them at any electronics supply house. I personally bought mine from www.mouser.com. Look for LEDs that have a luminous flux (brightness) of more than 100 mcd. Otherwise, your gauge cluster will look dim.
13) Solder in the new LEDs paying close attention to orientation. LEDs are dependent on orientation so if you flip one around, it won't work. Use the cutout tab as a visual indication of polarity. There should be enough solder left on the pads to make a connection. If not, you can use some solder to add onto the LED after the intial connection to make a more solid joint. I found that even a little bit of solder on the pad can make the LEDs stick. You can use additional solder to build up the connection.
14) Go back down to your car and plug the board back in. Make sure that all lights are properly lit up. If not, be sure that all LEDs face the right direction and are properly soldered in. If one LED is out, then that particular circuit may also affect other nearby LEDs.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/06s.jpg (http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/06.jpg)
15) If they all look okay, reassembly you gauge cluster. Pay careful attention to needle reinstallation. If you don't put them on all the way, the gauge won't be as responsive. The base of the needle should be nearly flush against the gauge face. Make sure the bump stops are stopping at slightly below zero. Erase the pencil marks you made on the temp and gas gauges.
16) Install your cluster back into your car and enjoy your work.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/07s.jpg (http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/07.jpg)
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/08s.jpg (http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/08.jpg)
Gauge Cluster
1) Remove the stock trim housing. First, move the steering wheel all the way down and move the turn indicator and headlight stalks all the way down. Pry along the bottom edge of the trim until it begins to separate. Once you can get a hold of it, pry along until it comes off.
2) There is one Philips head screw on the top of the cluster, take a screwdriver and remove it. Place the screw somewhere where you won't lose it.
3) The gauge cluster is now held in by two latch mechanisms on the sides. There is no easy way to pry them out. I found that after some time prying, it will eventually come out. Be sure you are removing the whole cluster and not just the plastic exterior.
4) Once out, remove the wire harness from the connection on the top left of the gauge. The cluster is now out.
5) Take the gauge cluster to a nice, clean work area. This is going to get fun.
6) First take off the black bezel. You can keep the clear plastic attached to the black bezel and remove the whole thing as one unit. Press in a few plastic tabs and it will come apart.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/01s.jpg (http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/01.jpg)
7) Mark the area where your gas and temp needles end softly with a pencil to aid putting them back on. The speedometer and tachometer have built in bump stops so that it is easy to find the exact postion to put them back on. You want to put on the needle so the bump stop is just slightly below 0.
8) Remove your gauge needles. Easiest way to do it is to grab two spoons and two pieces of paper towel. Place the two pieces of paper towel down on the gauge to protect it. Then place the head of the spoons on opposite ends of the base of the needle and gently pry upwards. The needles will come off. Gently pry off the gauge faces as well.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/02s.jpg (http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/02.jpg)
9) Once you have the needles off, you want to take off the LCD panel in the gauge cluster. I used a small flat head screw driver to gently pry it off. Keep on moving the screw driver around the LCD to prevent bending the pins.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/03s.jpg (http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/03.jpg)
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/04s.jpg (http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/04.jpg)
10) Remove the white plastic base of the gauge cluster by pressing some more tabs. Remove the PCB from the plastic base.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/05s.jpg (http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/05.jpg)
11) Now is the time to desolder the LEDs on the board. My technique is as follows: use a low wattage soldering iron to heat one side of the LED until the solder begins to melt. Quickly use the tip of your soldering iron to flip the LED towards the soldered point. The leads on the LED will bend back. With the LED half up in the air, desolder the other lead. Use a pair of tweezers to quickly grab the LED before the solder solidifies again.
12) If you just want to change the illumination of the gauge cluster, you will have to change 14 LEDs. 2 for the gas gauge, 2 for the temperature gauge, 5 for the speedometer, 2 for the LCD panel, and 3 for the tachometer. The LEDs are PLCC2 sized. You can find them at any electronics supply house. I personally bought mine from www.mouser.com. Look for LEDs that have a luminous flux (brightness) of more than 100 mcd. Otherwise, your gauge cluster will look dim.
13) Solder in the new LEDs paying close attention to orientation. LEDs are dependent on orientation so if you flip one around, it won't work. Use the cutout tab as a visual indication of polarity. There should be enough solder left on the pads to make a connection. If not, you can use some solder to add onto the LED after the intial connection to make a more solid joint. I found that even a little bit of solder on the pad can make the LEDs stick. You can use additional solder to build up the connection.
14) Go back down to your car and plug the board back in. Make sure that all lights are properly lit up. If not, be sure that all LEDs face the right direction and are properly soldered in. If one LED is out, then that particular circuit may also affect other nearby LEDs.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/06s.jpg (http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/06.jpg)
15) If they all look okay, reassembly you gauge cluster. Pay careful attention to needle reinstallation. If you don't put them on all the way, the gauge won't be as responsive. The base of the needle should be nearly flush against the gauge face. Make sure the bump stops are stopping at slightly below zero. Erase the pencil marks you made on the temp and gas gauges.
16) Install your cluster back into your car and enjoy your work.
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/07s.jpg (http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/07.jpg)
http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/08s.jpg (http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/illuminationchange_tc/08.jpg)