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

[97BlackAckCL]

HVAC off.

I'm open to any suggestions............. :shrug:

I don't have a lot of experience with screen backlighting, but the hot spots are definitely due to the spacing and light distribution. You need wide angle LED's that distribute the light better.

 

[CookieRoe]

I don't have a lot of experience with screen backlighting, but the hot spots are definitely due to the spacing and light distribution. You need wide angle LED's that distribute the light better.

Good point, but with a distance of less than 1/2 inch to play with, a "wide angle" LED won't do much. I'm going for a "cluster" of leds with the factory light disperser and maybe another piece of plastic ( [MENTION=5149]riceandpho[/MENTION] ) to further disperse the light. That may be the trick.

Anyway, LED strips ordered...................

 

[chiahead52]

Yeah I guess he can spray it a reflective color or put reflective tape in there. Never tried it so I would know. I used the sanding etching trick in a few audio builds though.

I tried both of these methods with no luck. I used aluminum tape and then tried chrome paint. On both occasions it made the light dimmer. Of course this was with the reflector assembly stock and not cut up. What I found out with the stock diffuser method is the LED actually makes the square piece over it glow. So the little square piece is doing the lighting since it is thin enough to let the light glow thru it. Putting tape or spray painting over it just defeated that function and made it dimmer. I ended up carefully filing the square cover just a bit thinner and that helped but very slightly. Hopefully a better solution can be done. Good luck

 

[Tyota89]

Etching spray pretty much does what sand paper does. The reflective tape was for the backside of it, if you recess the bulbs a bit and use the light and reflective tape as a reflector.
I think your main issue is in the type of led though. It looks like it don't diffuse the light it'd all centralized. What was behind their originally? I never tried modding that area.

 

[CookieRoe]

I tried both of these methods with no luck. I used aluminum tape and then tried chrome paint. On both occasions it made the light dimmer. Of course this was with the reflector assembly stock and not cut up. What I found out with the stock diffuser method is the LED actually makes the square piece over it glow. So the little square piece is doing the lighting since it is thin enough to let the light glow thru it. Putting tape or spray painting over it just defeated that function and made it dimmer. I ended up carefully filing the square cover just a bit thinner and that helped but very slightly. Hopefully a better solution can be done. Good luck

I understand where you guys are getting at. Thing is, there isn't much space to put traditional LEDs (big round ones and then file them to widen the beam) and the fact that I already hacked up the back plastic assembly, LOL. If my new idea doesn't work out, then I'll get another "untouched" assembly and jam NEO4 bulbs (make their own 12V connection) and call it a day.

 

[yosh2000]

I still think smd leds on a custom board will give you exactly what you are looking for. This is how many of the older tacoma radios were done. The was like 30 1206 (and many times just swappped to plcc-2) leds behind the screen. Search for posts of guys with 05-08 tacoma clusters.

 

[dominicanborn]

Thanks Yosh for my LED gauge swap. Great work, fast turn around time. If anyone else wants there's done I highly recommend Yosh and his work.

 

[rjb75]

Is there a way to test one of the OEM LEDs on the cluster to see if it is burnt out?

 

[yosh2000]

Use a dmm to see if there is any voltage across it

 

[rjb75]

Thanks

 

[yosh2000]

What led do you think is burned out? I HIGHLY doubt an oem led would go bad

 

[A/V1]

I finally did it! Thanks to all who posted pics of their adventures, findings, and accomplishments! Special shout out to darkie3495, of course, for the fan-freakin-tabulous post and follow up answers, HokieRunner, Riceandpho, CookieRoe, Yosh2000, and again, others for posting what you found.

I replaced my backlighting to white on my instrument cluster. I didn't want anything else changed to different colors, such as the warning & caution lights. Sorry about the crappy pics. My phone didn't want to take good pics without a flash.


I also changed the steering wheel illumination.


Next, I did my rear window switch, 4wd switch (used 2 plcc-2 LEDs), and the climate control switches. As you may have noticed I changed the A/C LED to blue as well. I haven't touched the display illumination - yet...... Not sure if I'm gonna. Still working out the particulars on it. I'm not thrilled with what I've seen on others, and I actually have another unit I have taken apart playing around with. More to come on that.


And here is my center console. I added a 3mm LED for each cup holder, and since I have no desire what so ever to install the "smoker's kit", I also added a 3mm LED to the small storage area next to the shifter. It doesn't bother me when I'm driving, and you can't even tell the light is on with the cover closed. I then replaced the shift / gear position light with a plcc-2 LED, and installed plcc-2s in my seat heat switches as well.
The slight amber light that you may notice reflecting off of the shifter assembly is from the Lexus overhead console, which has the ambient lighting. I haven't decided if I'm going to do anything to that.

 

[toyo]

I finally did it! Thanks to all who posted pics of their adventures, findings, and accomplishments! Special shout out to darkie3495, of course, for the fa-freakin-tabulous post and follow up answers, HokieRunner, Riceandpho, CookieRoe, and again, others for posting what you found.

I replaced my backlighting to white on my instrument cluster. I didn't want anything else changed to different colors, such as the warning & caution lights. Sorry about the crappy pics. My phone didn't want to take good pics without a flash.
View attachment 165984

I also changed the steering wheel illumination.
View attachment 165985

Next, I did my rear window switch, 4wd switch (used 2 plcc-2 LEDs), and the climate control switches. As you may have noticed I changed the A/C LED to blue as well. I haven't touched the display illumination - yet...... Not sure if I'm gonna. Still working out the particulars on it. I'm not thrilled with what I've seen on others, and I actually have another unit I have taken apart playing around with. More to come on that.
View attachment 165986

And here is my center console. I added a 3mm LED for each cup holder, and since I have no desire what so ever to install the "smoker's kit", I also added a 3mm LED to the small storage area next to the shifter. It doesn't bother me when I'm driving, and you can't even tell the light is on with the cover closed. I then replaced the shift / gear position light with a plcc-2 LED, and installed plcc-2s in my seat heat switches as well.
The slight amber light that you may notice reflecting off of the shifter assembly is from the Lexus overhead console, which has the ambient lighting. I haven't decided if I'm going to do anything to that.
View attachment 165987

The pictures are coming up as invalid. I'm curious to see how it all turned out. My Lexus LS has the 2 amber lights that shine down from the overhead console and I really like it. I have been pondering on how to do this as well on the 4R.

 

[A/V1]

Here are my various switches modded to white.


Then I decided to throw an LED in the center console storage box so I can see in there at night. It turns on by a magnetic switch mounted on the lid & side.



Here is a pic of the small center console storage area


That's what I have done so far. I haven't done the door window switch yet. In good time. I do plan on doing it. I also plan on adding additional lighting in the glovebox. The lighting we have is pathetic.

Thanks all!

 

[A/V1]

The pictures are coming up as invalid. I'm curious to see how it all turned out. My Lexus LS has the 2 amber lights that shine down from the overhead console and I really like it. I have been pondering on how to do this as well on the 4R.

You must have caught it right when I was editing the post. Right after I posted the first one, I saw the pics were GINORMOUS! so I made them smaller. Hopefully you can see them now...

 

[riceandpho]

I finally did it! Thanks to all who posted pics of their adventures, findings, and accomplishments! Special shout out to darkie3495, of course, for the fa-freakin-tabulous post and follow up answers, HokieRunner, Riceandpho, CookieRoe, and again, others for posting what you found.

I replaced my backlighting to white on my instrument cluster. I didn't want anything else changed to different colors, such as the warning & caution lights. Sorry about the crappy pics. My phone didn't want to take good pics without a flash.
View attachment 165984

I also changed the steering wheel illumination.
View attachment 165985

Next, I did my rear window switch, 4wd switch (used 2 plcc-2 LEDs), and the climate control switches. As you may have noticed I changed the A/C LED to blue as well. I haven't touched the display illumination - yet...... Not sure if I'm gonna. Still working out the particulars on it. I'm not thrilled with what I've seen on others, and I actually have another unit I have taken apart playing around with. More to come on that.
View attachment 165986

And here is my center console. I added a 3mm LED for each cup holder, and since I have no desire what so ever to install the "smoker's kit", I also added a 3mm LED to the small storage area next to the shifter. It doesn't bother me when I'm driving, and you can't even tell the light is on with the cover closed. I then replaced the shift / gear position light with a plcc-2 LED, and installed plcc-2s in my seat heat switches as well.
The slight amber light that you may notice reflecting off of the shifter assembly is from the Lexus overhead console, which has the ambient lighting. I haven't decided if I'm going to do anything to that.
View attachment 165987

nice work. did you happen to take out the center console to get to the cup holder to do the leds? im just to lazy right now to fix it lol, but i do have a nice dim blue glow in mines, i had to dim my bass remote by using a sharpie to go over it. it dimmed alot so no one can see me inside.

 

[A/V1]

nice work. did you happen to take out the center console to get to the cup holder to do the leds? im just to lazy right now to fix it lol, but i do have a nice dim blue glow in mines, i had to dim my bass remote by using a sharpie to go over it. it dimmed alot so no one can see me inside.

Thanks! Yeah, I had the center console removed and completely taken apart so I could better run the wiring, drill the holes I needed, and install the LEDs easier. I then installed Molex connectors on each piece that I may remove again in the future, so I don't need to cut wires, remove LEDs, etc. I simply unplug it as if it was an OEM plug.

 

[riceandpho]

i see, when i try using 80mm ccfl, they were too bright, when the interior lights starts to get too bright for the background, it starts to draw your eyes focusing on the inside than on the road, i took that ccfl out and just left it dim, then i try the presolder smd led, they lasted about 2 months and then died out, they were not too bright, but it was just right for me, i used my radio remote turn on to trigger a relay for my amps and used that as a source after the relay.

 

[CookieRoe]

I finally did it! Thanks to all who posted pics of their adventures, findings, and accomplishments! Special shout out to darkie3495, of course, for the fan-freakin-tabulous post and follow up answers, HokieRunner, Riceandpho, CookieRoe, Yosh2000, and again, others for posting what you found.

Next, I did my rear window switch, 4wd switch (used 2 plcc-2 LEDs), and the climate control switches. As you may have noticed I changed the A/C LED to blue as well. I haven't touched the display illumination - yet...... Not sure if I'm gonna. Still working out the particulars on it. I'm not thrilled with what I've seen on others, and I actually have another unit I have taken apart playing around with. More to come on that.

Thanks for the shout out, but I honestly don't think I deserve any recognition. At least not yet, LOL.

My HVAC display looks absolutely terrible. I recently moved, wife is preggers so getting back to this project isn't a priority. BUT IT WILL improved. Of course, any updates will be posted.

I've already purchased more dense LED strips and will be moving the LED further back into the assembly AND placing an additional "light disperser" to even out the light. Hopefully that will do the trick. IF not, well, I won't give up.

BTW, your gauges look awesome! I don't have the courage to unsolder the tiny LEDs. That's for [MENTION=30225]yosh2000[/MENTION] to worry about, hahahahaha.

Regarding the center dash and console, I have some plans for some mods that does include lighting (indirectly ........ i have an electronic inclinometer and wanted to install a Kiwi mpg and flush mount it right in front of the cupholders. Should look cool at night. I just haven't figured out how to properly do it).

Kudos [MENTION=9622]A/V1[/MENTION] !!

 

[A/V1]

Thanks for the shout out, but I honestly don't think I deserve any recognition. At least not yet, LOL.

My HVAC display looks absolutely terrible. I recently moved, wife is preggers so getting back to this project isn't a priority. BUT IT WILL improved. Of course, any updates will be posted.

I've already purchased more dense LED strips and will be moving the LED further back into the assembly AND placing an additional "light disperser" to even out the light. Hopefully that will do the trick. IF not, well, I won't give up.

BTW, your gauges look awesome! I don't have the courage to unsolder the tiny LEDs. That's for @yosh2000 to worry about, hahahahaha.

Regarding the center dash and console, I have some plans for some mods that does include lighting (indirectly ........ i have an electronic inclinometer and wanted to install a Kiwi mpg and flush mount it right in front of the cupholders. Should look cool at night. I just haven't figured out how to properly do it).

Kudos @A/V1 !!

Thanks Ed. I appreciate it. I've been watching your climate controls mod for a bit getting ideas, and frankly, I'm stumped. I'm wanting to illuminate it like it is originally, only with pure white lighting, but have it dim a little bit as it does normally when you turn the headlamps on.

So I either need to create an elaborate circuit for this, or hopefully, figure out how to use the display lamp backlight power for the LEDs.

I also unfortunately didn't take too many pictures while I was doing my work. I think I get caught up in it and don't think of it LOL! But I did snap a few of the instrument cluster, which I labeled the ones I changed out in RED, and the others are simply in turquoise blue. There are a few I'm not sure what they are, but it really didn't matter. I wasn't going to change it out. But for anyone else with a Limited 2003 - 2005, this should be similar.


I did my switches somewhat different as well. Instead of installing the resistors into the lamp holders with the LEDs, I modified the switches to integrate the resistor into the switch itself. Then the LED was either hard wired (soldered), or installed into the lamp holder alone. I filed down all the 3 & 5 mm LEDs for better light dispersion.