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Window control LED swap

21K views 34 replies 22 participants last post by  h8eternal 
#1 ·
It seems like this one has been overlooked, so this is what I put together:



1. Pull the plastic panel that surrounds the cluster straight up and remove the screws holding the console in. Remove the connector from the back by pushing in the clip.



2. Disassemble the cluster by removing the screws from the back and removing the PCB assembly.



3. Replace the LED with one in the color of your choice. This is a 1206 surface mount LED; LEDmod.com aka Dooly can likely help you out if you don't know where to find such LEDs (and that's what I used here). If you want crazy bright, there's likely a series resistor you can hunt down and replace with one of a lower value, but it's not necessary IMO. Remove flux (brown residue) before reassembly.



4. It
 
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#32 · (Edited)
Basic LED facts:

Guys,

I can appreciate the popularity of these types of modifications, but to put things bluntly, there are just somethings that shouldn't be done without some prior prerequists, such as:

1. Basic electrical concepts
2. Basic component concepts
3. Basic / proper use of tools for the job, ie solder iron etc.


To simply tell someone to heat up a LED and put any one back in it's place is ludicris.

1. Electrical concepts.

You should have some idea of what the circuit does and how it does it. Dc circuits apply a voltage to a compent, but more importantly, the component DRAWS a specific current. Some devices will need CURRENT LIMITING devices in order to work to specifications. LED are one of those.

2. Componet concepts.

The vast majority of LEDs have a specific FORWARD VOLTAGE spec that dictates the optimal current for proper operation. To much current, it will be the wrong color or overly bright and damage the LED.

LED's for the most part are POLARITY SENSITVE. Meaning they have a PLUS (+) and negative (-) side. Install it backwards, and excede the reverse current limit, and it's toast. Surface mounts are even more critical becuase by there nature you don't very often get a second chance to install them.

Try a simple experiment, get 2-3 your basic RED led with a typical forward current of 25mA, wire it directly to the car battery. See how pretty and bright? REALLY BRIGHT, almost a harsh orange. YOU ARE OVER DRIVING IT. Keep it on there this way. See what happens..it will eventually 'burn' out' or get really dim. Try another one and if it lights up, try reversing you leads......do this a few times, for various amounts of time. See what happens..it will eventually 'burn' out' or get really dim.

The current rating of the LED will give you the proper amount of current draw for OPTIMAL brightness, color and LIFE SPAN for the part. The value is based in simple OHMS law of electronics. Current is controlled usually by a RESISTOR. If you draw more current that specified, you overdrive the LED, and we all should know what can happen if you have been reading this. Too little current, and your not getting the best possible output from the LED.

3. Basic / proper use of tools

Just when you thought you knew it all, there's more. Heat is the enemy of electrical components. The higher the temp, and the longer the time in the heat the more likely hood of part failure.

Many partsuse a small dot of industrial adhesive to secure a component in place before soldering. Most soldering is done by machine, which is precise and has repeatable results that yield quality solder joints and low waste in the form of bad boards.

Enter your hand and the consumer soldering iron. Not so accurate, but what can you do? I know we are limited to what we have access to, but to do this simple task correctly (After detemniing the right LED forward current, and resistive values for proper operation) you need the right tools.

Having worked in an elctronics board rework lab, and still having access to it for my own needs, I feel quailified to say: A regular soldering iron is MEDIOCRE at best for surface mount leds or other SM components. As many have seen, the back and forth heating and prying up of the part can damage teh LED or the traces on the board. Not re-using the LED you take off? I can't tell you how many times in my past when using a soldeing iron to install a new component, the part MOVED on me or slid on the solder as I was placing it.
The correct way is to have a solder station with the correct soldering tip.



See the tweezer looking thing towards the botttom left? This applies the proper heat and you can easily manuver the small parts and HOLD them in position for much easier soldering. It is spring loaded, so you have to hold them together just like tweezers, and when you release pressure, they open up leaving behind the part soldered to the board. You can solder an LED on in like 5 seconds.

YES I know we all don't have those, they are expensive. but there it is, the right tool for the job.

Also, you soldering skills have a large role in the sucess of the job and its longevity. You need to apply enough solder to saturate the part and adhere to the part and board, but not TOO much that it balls up, and not to little heat or time that it created whats called a COLD SOLDER JOINT, that can lead to intermittent operation.


So whats it all mean??

It's all simple right? I cringe when I read or see people just buy an LEd and swap it witout know what they are doing. For many the mod works, but I'm willing to bet, many people damage thier LED, or board by doing something they THINK is really easy without doing the homework and without the proper skill set to the job. As little a job as swapping out an LED seems, it's really not. If it looks like a lot of engineering mumbo jumbo, it is. BUT proven techniques with proven tools can't be beat for quality, long lasting work.

I'm not saying you CANT do it the way described here, I'm just passing along some basic info to those newbies or people not so mechanicaly/ electrically inclined so they can make a judgement as to IF they even should be attempting such a modification. I know the LED in this case is a small part of the switch, and most if they damaged it would live with it, but ever price this part? I think I've seen them around $50 on eBAY, and they looked a bit rough on the outside.. I'm sure new they are 'a few bucks more!'
 
#33 ·
Just did this about 10 minutes ago and it worked great. The blue led is WAY brighter than the old orange one.

I squeezed the led with some pliers and ended up ripping the top half of the led off, and eventually pulverizing what was left. :bang:

After much frustration I got a box knife and pried the remaining 'bits' up with the blade. (It popped off perfectly!) :fawk:

I plugged the unit in and physically placed the led on until it lit up to find out which direction to put it on. Then, I used some pliers to hold the led down in place against the board and soldered it in place.

Probably could have been done a bit more smoothly, but it works and it's blue!

Here is a link to some leds http://www.unique-leds.com/index.php?target=products&product_id=1722 they have blue, amber, green, white, and red. They are about $0.37 a piece with a minimum order price of $3.50 and USPS shipping is like $1.62. Ended up being $5.xx for nine leds.
 
#34 ·
Did the swap. That LED was very hard to remove, I ended up melting/destroying it with a soldering iron. The back and forth solder flow method with flathead screwdriver worked.

Replaced with blue LED from gauge LED swap. Very bright, no need for a resistor.
 
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