DIY: Interior LED swap (cluster, HVAC, switches, window, *steering wheel)

[t0nyth3tig3r]

Do all 4th gens have LED's in the cluster or only the newer 06+ ones? I was under the impression that my cluster was incandescent since the HVAC controls were.

For my 05, all the bulbs in the HVAC panel (display and control buttons) were incandescent, just different sizes.
One observation when switching to LEDs is that the LEDs you find are most likely going to be on a spacer or riser that allows room for the resistor, add that to the fact that LEDs are directional, you will see some hot spots. if you look at how others' have come out you can see on the HVAC controls the left side is a little brighter than the right (the LED is installed off center), and the display has a cloudy sky kind of look. Not a deal breaker for me but if you are OCD like that it may bug you.

 

[d33pt]

For my 05, all the bulbs in the HVAC panel (display and control buttons) were incandescent, just different sizes.
One observation when switching to LEDs is that the LEDs you find are most likely going to be on a spacer or riser that allows room for the resistor, add that to the fact that LEDs are directional, you will see some hot spots. if you look at how others' have come out you can see on the HVAC controls the left side is a little brighter than the right (the LED is installed off center), and the display has a cloudy sky kind of look. Not a deal breaker for me but if you are OCD like that it may bug you.

I was referring to the instrument cluster lights. I was thinking of switching those out to LED's, but if they already are, then I probably won't unless they stopped working.

 

[t0nyth3tig3r]

I was referring to the instrument cluster lights. I was thinking of switching those out to LED's, but if they already are, then I probably won't unless they stopped working.

Ah, the dash cluster are LEDs soldered onto the board.

 

[Kev9180]

Currently still in the process of upgrading my T4R. I've done all non solder bulbs. Anyone that stumbles on this, if you buy the ones on amazon, 50 pk, that go in the holders and don't need resistors... you can scuff or sand the acrylic to reduce the hot spot effects in your center console lights. For the hvac LCD, I can confirm there are neo wedges you can buy that don't need the 12v accessory mod. I'll repost the link to save someone from digging through all the pages. I just did a direct swap with the neo4 wedges and they work fine.

Neo Wedge

Did you use the neo 4 tall lights? Or one of the other ones?

 

[matthewkristof]

Resurrecting an old thread…so much good info here.

Let’s say I purchase another instrument cluster and switch out the incandescent for the leds as not to ruin my original one. When I plug that into my harness, will my mileage show in the newer updated cluster or does the mileage from the other vehicle show up? Dumb question I know but it crossed my mind as I was researching.

 

[t0nyth3tig3r]

If you are referring to the speedo/tach instrument cluster it has LEDs, not incandescent, but I understand the worry about ruining the one you have. As for the mileage, I can't say for certain but i feel like the mileage would be saved on the car's computer and not the cluster.

 

[Wile Kyote]

Did you use the neo 4 tall lights? Or one of the other ones?

I can't recall. I believe the size matches the ones you take out. Think I had to look up the size as if it burned out and needed to replace and ordered that size. My LEDs are still working with no issues.

 

[SPC4Runnergirl]

Not sure if you are still working this so many months later. I'll share a short story here. I found the same issue with the backlight bulbs not getting ANY juice to those twin holes with the copper pads. All of my other LEDs (a SuperBright kit) with the NEO3s worked fine once the polarity was found out.

I ended up running a hot and neutral jumper from the smaller bulb that lights the reset/mode to the twin backlight LCD bulbs. Here is where I may have gone wrong, though:

I assumed the contacts the twin bulbs touch were no longer part of any functional circuit on this board. I figured I had trashed some trace I couldn't see in my disassembly. I now have a really baked resister (R1 on the board) and noted how hot it had become one afternoon. I haven't traced the whole board (anyone have a schematic for this board from the 2003 SR5?) -- before I can put it back into service, I'll fully isolate the wiring of the twin LCD backlight LEDs -- feed them off of that reset/mode lamp.

I'm not sure what that resister does -- I suspect it did the voltage drop from 12VDC to 6VDC that may have fed the original LCD bulbs. If I have time this weekend to trace the board, I'll drop more info here.

I also have a baked resistor R1.