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

[holmern]

You wouldn't have to hook them to an external potentiometer since the LED will dim normally using the stock dimmer switch.

Just realized it already has a dimmer switch.. that's what I get for posting something like that after owning the truck for less than 2 hours.

 

[Calif-4runner]

Dang it, I refuse to read another post in this thread until Darkie opens his LED Cluster business and I can send mine in to be LEDized :jk:

Anyone know of someone in the San Francisco / San Jose Area who does LED swaps??/

 

[engin_ear]

Great mod

1) I did the HVAC display mod and the voltage to those bulbs is in fact 6.7-7.0 volts. Since it is low, the LEDs light up very dimly (I used the SuperBrightLEDs NEO3/4). I would think a lower-value resistor will need to be swapped in to get the LED brightness up.

2) I'm ready to do my speedo cluster, but after looking at this entire thread about 4 times, I still can't figure out where the LEDs are that light up the circumference of the speedo and tach (the numbers area). The 2 or 3 LEDs by the needle appear to light only the needle, correct? There are at least 2 versions of PC board shown here, I see one only has the LEDs by the needle base, while another seems to have LEDs arranged in a big circle. What's the diff between those two, which models? I have a 2003 4Runner SR5.

Help appreciated. This is funny, I spent 10 years as a moderator on ClubLexus (my other heavily-modified machine), but this is either my first post here or one of the first few. Cheers!

 

[darkie3495]

Just realized it already has a dimmer switch.. that's what I get for posting something like that after owning the truck for less than 2 hours.

Adding a secondary dimmer switch probably would have discouraged me from doing the mod in the first place.

Dang it, I refuse to read another post in this thread until Darkie opens his LED Cluster business and I can send mine in to be LEDized :jk:

Anyone know of someone in the San Francisco / San Jose Area who does LED swaps??/

All this pressure...i can't take it!! haha. If you can't wait until i'm in the bay area again, you could always ping Riceandpho. He had someone finish up his cluster for him.

1) I did the HVAC display mod and the voltage to those bulbs is in fact 6.7-7.0 volts. Since it is low, the LEDs light up very dimly (I used the SuperBrightLEDs NEO3/4). I would think a lower-value resistor will need to be swapped in to get the LED brightness up.

I think this would work if you were building your own but IIRC, the ones you get from super bright has resistors molded into the LED.

2) I'm ready to do my speedo cluster, but after looking at this entire thread about 4 times, I still can't figure out where the LEDs are that light up the circumference of the speedo and tach (the numbers area). The 2 or 3 LEDs by the needle appear to light only the needle, correct? There are at least 2 versions of PC board shown here, I see one only has the LEDs by the needle base, while another seems to have LEDs arranged in a big circle. What's the diff between those two, which models? I have a 2003 4Runner SR5.

In the Sport and the SR5, they use clear plastic reflectors to evenly distribute the light across the gauge. The Limited cluster is the one with LEDs that surround the perimeter of the gauge.

Help appreciated. This is funny, I spent 10 years as a moderator on ClubLexus (my other heavily-modified machine), but this is either my first post here or one of the first few. Cheers!

Welcome!!

 

[riceandpho]

seth redid my leds.
Seth Sinclair - Specializes in 05+ Tacomas.
Sacramento (area), CA

Contact Details
Phone: 916-759-6853
AIM: Dagixxerkid2
Email: [email protected]

or u can try this guy
"Jotaro" from toyotanation.com - Specializes in Toyota Tacoma LED gauge swaps. Does local as well as mail order installs.
Tustin/Irvine, California

Contact Details
Email: [email protected]

they are both in the toyota nation forum.
try this guy, if he is good at soldering, than he is able to swap
Trung Nguyen - Specializes in Scion tC, xB, and xA work
San Jose, CA

Contact Details
AIM: SquallLHeart TN
Cell Phone: 408-375-0939

 

[engin_ear]

In the Sport and the SR5, they use clear plastic reflectors to evenly distribute the light across the gauge. The Limited cluster is the one with LEDs that surround the perimeter of the gauge.

Thanks for the reply, Darkie...
So given the above, on an SR5, can you set the needle color to be different than the surrounding color? Sounds like no, unless you paint the needle. I'm shooting for white numbers and red needles.

 

[Calif-4runner]

seth redid my leds.
Seth Sinclair - Specializes in 05+ Tacomas.
Sacramento (area), CA

Contact Details
Phone: 916-759-6853
AIM: Dagixxerkid2
Email: [email protected]

or u can try this guy
"Jotaro" from toyotanation.com - Specializes in Toyota Tacoma LED gauge swaps. Does local as well as mail order installs.
Tustin/Irvine, California

Contact Details
Email: [email protected]

they are both in the toyota nation forum.
try this guy, if he is good at soldering, than he is able to swap
Trung Nguyen - Specializes in Scion tC, xB, and xA work
San Jose, CA

Contact Details
AIM: SquallLHeart TN
Cell Phone: 408-375-0939

Thanks for the links I will start making contact with one of these.

 

[blue4run]

1) I did the HVAC display mod and the voltage to those bulbs is in fact 6.7-7.0 volts. Since it is low, the LEDs light up very dimly (I used the SuperBrightLEDs NEO3/4). I would think a lower-value resistor will need to be swapped in to get the LED brightness up.

2) I'm ready to do my speedo cluster, but after looking at this entire thread about 4 times, I still can't figure out where the LEDs are that light up the circumference of the speedo and tach (the numbers area). The 2 or 3 LEDs by the needle appear to light only the needle, correct? There are at least 2 versions of PC board shown here, I see one only has the LEDs by the needle base, while another seems to have LEDs arranged in a big circle. What's the diff between those two, which models? I have a 2003 4Runner SR5.

Help appreciated. This is funny, I spent 10 years as a moderator on ClubLexus (my other heavily-modified machine), but this is either my first post here or one of the first few. Cheers!

The small LED's in the pic's actually light up all of it, when you take it apart you can see a clear plastic lens that scatters the light from them through out the gauge. I did not take out the old factory LED's I covered them up with new ones and it works great much brighter and I can undo everything on the gauge cluster in about 20 min's.

 

[blue4run]

I don't know how much heat the stock LEDs generate, but I would be a bit weary of sticking something on top of them. They might prematurely blow or worst case destroy your board. Just my unsolicited opinion. I'm glad they are working great but I would check it from time to time.



You wouldn't have to hook them to an external potentiometer since the LED will dim normally using the stock dimmer switch.



Those tremors didn't stop you from doing the cluster :bigok: Can't help you with the part number though

I have checked them and several weeks after doing the work. Everything is just fine, My experience with LED's is that they don't put out much heat and or none at all. But it's a good thought you have, Thank You. I would not recommend that everybody do what I did and I surly would not recommend everybody try to solder their factory LED's out and replace them. Everybody's got different limits on their abilities. No mater who you are you may pay the price for messing around with items. I learned a valuable lesson with the LED's that I put under my dash (crossed a wire on a switch fried my power wire)
One thing I would recommend to anybody is do your homework and USE A FUSE! Also use a very low amp fuse with LED's. And in some cases use relay. I also did some research and found that with most good LED's you don't need a voltage regulator if you hook them up to a correct power source, but they do need a resistor.

 

[blue4run]

Updated PIC's

Here are some more recent pic's of the LED's. I just got new lights for the center display screen to make it brighter. (need to instal)
Notice on the interior pic the glove box is open and with a blue LED. put 2 lights in the cup holder. added 2 lights in the shifter display (center) have a single led in the ash tray compartment and a 4 chip led in the center console glove box.
The small blue/green light on the dash far left is the switch for the back LED's
I can also control the footwell LED's by a remote control. Also most of the light's are wired through the dimmer (rheostat) switch.

 

[blue4run]

A few more Pic's

Have had a few people ask for pic's.
I would recommend to anybody if you don't feel comfortable about what your doing or you have doubt THEN DON'T DO IT. Anybody can make a mistake so be prepared to pay a price for messing around with your Electronics/Lights/Wiring. A dash mod is not for everybody the center console is pretty straight forward with replacing bulbs you can buy and just plug in but your gauges are a different story. So PLEASE just take care

 

[emelianenkov]

Have had a few people ask for pic's.
I would recommend to anybody if you don't feel comfortable about what your doing or you have doubt THEN DON'T DO IT. Anybody can make a mistake so be prepared to pay a price for messing around with your Electronics/Lights/Wiring. A dash mod is not for everybody the center console is pretty straight forward with replacing bulbs you can buy and just plug in but your gauges are a different story. So PLEASE just take care

What kind of LEDs did you use for the cup holders and other center console areas (that are relatively easy to do)?

Thanks

 

[blue4run]

What kind of LEDs did you use for the cup holders and other center console areas (that are relatively easy to do)?

Thanks

They were pretty easy to do. Depends on how you want them to turn on? you can wire them to turn on when you interior lights are on, or you can run more wires and add a switch. I have added a toggle switch on the dash I was going to place it on the center console but figure it would get bumped, and when I started the work found it just worked better by the dimmer but also so I could dim them. Here is a switch I used had to cut the back plastic just a little. Scion OEM Style Rocker Switch
Here is a link to the LED's. Tiny Prewired Super Bright Surface Mount LEDs - 12V DIY Plug and Play SMT LED
They come with a 3M sticky back and inline resistor they are pretty small no heat and the wire to them is so thin you can tuck it through the gaps in plastic. They come in lots of colors. I placed them on the back side so you don't see them just the glow.
The light in the center console glove box is this.
12V LED - Pre-wired Waterproof SuperFlux LEDs
I added a rubber grommet to hold it. And there is a small plastic pop out in that box the factory uses for power supply on some models I believe? Mine does not have anything but the stereo hook up in there so this way I did not put a hole in the box it's self.
One thing I did is find a place to run every wire to and put a small amp fuse I used the center area for allot of the light to wire back to and also have some wired back to a fuse at the switch just under the dimmer there is a little room there as well.
There are lots of lights and makers out there so look at some of the pic's give it some thought.
I'm going to use the small flat LED's to light the speaker grills when I get the time.
And TIME was everything on this mod. Take your time make a good connection because it would be a pain to go back and fix a short or something.
I have found the lights are pretty cheap work great and work even if the voltage is not an exact 12v I was worried at first because auto's run as low as 12.Xv to 14.4v (varies on a few things) Hope this helps some.

 

[blue4run]

Dash/HVAC... LED's

Here are a few pic's of the factory bulbs and the LED's that replace them.
Here is a link to super bright.

Instrument Cluster and Gauge Backlights - Super Bright LEDs

Also a pic of the back of the HVAC and display unit. The display takes the 4mm
You will want to purchase 3mm and 4mm LED's no need for the 5mm.
And if your wondering if you should get the NEOx-x: NEOx LED Instrument bulb
or the NEOx-xHP: NEOx High Power LED Instrument bulb. I would strongly suggest the High Power ones. If you go for Cool White it may not be as important. But I purchased both and found the high powers to be much better.
In the last picture you will see the light that goes in the glove box and also used for the shifter light. (center of pic) On the right are the resistors and led
top left are 3 different type of prewired with resistor LED's. I really like the flat thin 5050's you can place them just about anywhere and they put out a fairly good amount of light.

 

[riceandpho]

i tried the high powered ones behind the screen part and it did not work, so i had to use regular leds.

 

[emelianenkov]

They were pretty easy to do. Depends on how you want them to turn on? you can wire them to turn on when you interior lights are on, or you can run more wires and add a switch. I have added a toggle switch on the dash I was going to place it on the center console but figure it would get bumped, and when I started the work found it just worked better by the dimmer but also so I could dim them. Here is a switch I used had to cut the back plastic just a little. Scion OEM Style Rocker Switch
Here is a link to the LED's. Tiny Prewired Super Bright Surface Mount LEDs - 12V DIY Plug and Play SMT LED
They come with a 3M sticky back and inline resistor they are pretty small no heat and the wire to them is so thin you can tuck it through the gaps in plastic. They come in lots of colors. I placed them on the back side so you don't see them just the glow.
The light in the center console glove box is this.
12V LED - Pre-wired Waterproof SuperFlux LEDs
I added a rubber grommet to hold it. And there is a small plastic pop out in that box the factory uses for power supply on some models I believe? Mine does not have anything but the stereo hook up in there so this way I did not put a hole in the box it's self.
One thing I did is find a place to run every wire to and put a small amp fuse I used the center area for allot of the light to wire back to and also have some wired back to a fuse at the switch just under the dimmer there is a little room there as well.
There are lots of lights and makers out there so look at some of the pic's give it some thought.
I'm going to use the small flat LED's to light the speaker grills when I get the time.
And TIME was everything on this mod. Take your time make a good connection because it would be a pain to go back and fix a short or something.
I have found the lights are pretty cheap work great and work even if the voltage is not an exact 12v I was worried at first because auto's run as low as 12.Xv to 14.4v (varies on a few things) Hope this helps some.

Wow thanks for the info! I'm seriously considering some 'mood-lighting'. But as far as the wedge bulb in the cup holders, where did you get that bulb? I've already done my gauges and HVAC unit, just going for a total annihilation of orange now, with a few added items to give my truck a little more towards its character. Again, thanks a lot for all the info!

 

[chaz]

i used these Super Bright Pre-wired LEDs , easy to wire in under console. sorry , i have orange tho. also in door handle

 

[engin_ear]

i tried the high powered ones behind the screen part and it did not work, so i had to use regular leds.

I had the same experience...I don't think the 6 or 7 volts is enough to kick them on. When I get some spare time over the next few weeks I'll figure out what needs to be done to light this area properly.

 

[williamZ]

I had the same experience...I don't think the 6 or 7 volts is enough to kick them on. When I get some spare time over the next few weeks I'll figure out what needs to be done to light this area properly.

Excellent, thanks!

 

[blue4run]

I had the same experience...I don't think the 6 or 7 volts is enough to kick them on. When I get some spare time over the next few weeks I'll figure out what needs to be done to light this area properly.

I ran into same issue with the 2 high powers behind the
display screen I just tried working on it 2 days ago with
no luck. Anybody figure it out would love to know.
Thanks.