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

[emelianenkov]

Look in the beginning of the thread. That info is all over this thread

 

[BigNuge]

Look in the beginning of the thread. That info is all over this thread

Dude, we need to get together to finish up my LED stuff....when are you free?

The wife is about to be driving it for the winter (one week left till the convertible is off the road)....and the HVAC has no backlights

 

[97BlackAckCL]

My most recent work! Night time photos coming up when he finishes the install and it gets dark out

Looks great Alex

 

[notchman103]

excellent write up man! thanks!

 

[emelianenkov]

Dude, we need to get together to finish up my LED stuff....when are you free?



The wife is about to be driving it for the winter (one week left till the convertible is off the road)....and the HVAC has no backlights

I'm free Sunday! [MENTION=98468]BigNuge[/MENTION]

Looks great Alex

Thanks man!

 

[CookieRoe]

12V Mod 2.0

If it's funded by
I'm game

Ok, well my idea of having a ton of LEDs behind the screen doesn't seem feasible, but I did stumble on this:

page 9, post 128 of this thread:

I lurk around here alot, but i do have the reverse polarized screen mod on my hvac screen as well. Since our HVAC screens are back lighted and not reflective, i think its possible to slide in a peice of electroluminescent foil behind the lcd screen as stronger backlighting. This could probably improve daytime viewing and light up the screen without having hot spots from leds.

He may be onto something, but no one looked into it. Found this: ELastoLite Panel - 5x3 inches - Orange - COM-11905 - Karlsson Robotics Alex, or anyone, think this would work behind the HVAC display??

reminder: Doing the 12V mod while also having the reverse polarization mod doesn't really give GREAT results for the HVAC display. At night, the light is fine, during the day, it's not good.

Thoughts??

 

[emelianenkov]

I have a spare HVAC Ed. Let's try it!

 

[CookieRoe]

I have a spare HVAC Ed. Let's try it!

Of course, you would have to do the reverse pol mod. Let me see if these strips can be cut, if so, we're (you) are in business!!!

 

[emelianenkov]

Of course, you would have to do the reverse pol mod. Let me see if these strips can be cut, if so, we're (you) are in business!!!

I was thinking the same thing. Hopefully they can be trimmed or purchased in a precise fit.

And my spare hvac is already reverse polarized and ready to rock and roll!

 

[bawachhe]

I actually was also mulling over finding some EL strips to put behind the LCDs of my stereo and HVAC. The HVAC isn't too bad since I just used lower-resistance resistors (probably produces same output as 12v mod), but I still agree that it could be better during the day (maybe it's the glare?).

The EL strips might still be a bit dim though; looking into some other thoughts as well.

Anyway let us know how it goes! I'm quite interested.

 

[emelianenkov]

The glare is definitely an issue, so is the fading caused by the polarization

 

[zopperman]

The glare is definitely an issue, so is the fading caused by the polarization

i hate my reverse polarization. Can't see it at all during the day.

 

[yosh2000]

yeah, i dont understand this whole reverse polarization fad at all. I like my nice red screen! and dont have to jerry rig anything to see it!

 

[gshadow325]

omg, is there a post with cliff notes on this mod and its many iterations?

collage of pictures with different colors?

i'm itching to do it but so confused on what where i need to order this.
then you guys throw in this 12v mod and i see something about 7v.

 

[yosh2000]

I posted a cheat sheet with all the bulb sizes you need. Get your neo bulbs at superbrightleds and the 3mm and 5mm bulbs at lighthouse leds.

You don't need the 12v mod, just run the regular neo4 bulbs (not HP) in the hvac info center.

 

[zopperman]

You don't need the 12v mod, just run the regular neo4 bulbs (not HP) in the hvac info center.

do you mean the non-SMD ones?
https://www.superbrightleds.com/cat...ge/filter/Cross_Reference_Number,NEO4,21,240:

the 1.29 ones not the 2.29 ones?

 

[yosh2000]

correct, non SMD, $1.29 ones. Cheaper that way as well!

I originally ordered all HP bulbs, but thought it was way to bright during night driving. I redid everything in the center console with the regular $1,29 bulbs and like it much better. I did leave the HP ones in the push buttons near the steering wheel and in the rear window switch.

 

[bawachhe]

Let me see if these strips can be cut,

I was thinking the same thing. Hopefully they can be trimmed or purchased in a precise fit.

How to Attach (or Reattach) EL Tape (Electroluminescent Tape)

I just looked into it.. Can be done for EL Tape. So I wonder about an EL sheet? It's probably not laid out quite the same as tape, but the principal is there.

 

[zopperman]

correct, non SMD, $1.29 ones. Cheaper that way as well!

I originally ordered all HP bulbs, but thought it was way to bright during night driving. I redid everything in the center console with the regular $1,29 bulbs and like it much better. I did leave the HP ones in the push buttons near the steering wheel and in the rear window switch.

I like the SMDs a lot on the HVAC. I might pull my reverse polarization film. I used to have all soldered standard 3mm leds with resistors but they were annoying and rattled loose.

 

[97BlackAckCL]

You don't need the 12v mod, just run the regular neo4 bulbs (not HP) in the hvac info center.

This, I have the neo4 SMD's and they look great