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LED dash lights. Finally did it.


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LED are polar sensitive.
The ones I had, have a long lead and short lead and the long lead was positive. I used a test light, plugged in the circuit board into my truck, turned the marker lights on and checked which side was power and marked it with a sharpie marker.

 

These were the LEDs I went with. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011E8T9G2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And this is the stepper motors I went with. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KWRHVM6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

You need a decent solder iron. I use "Sta-Brite" silver solder and has a liquid flux that you can use a toothpick to apply it exactly where you need it, and it is a little easier to work with.

 

I will be installing the LEDs on my heater controls and headlight switch today.

 

Between the Instrument panel, heater controls, headlight switch, I will probably use most of two 20 packs of LEDs.

 

Youtube tutorial

 

Edited by 0patience (see edit history)
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LED are polar sensitive.

The ones I had, have a long lead and short lead and the long lead was positive. I used a test light, plugged in the circuit board into my truck, turned the marker lights on and checked which side was power and marked it with a sharpie marker.

 

These were the LEDs I went with. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011E8T9G2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And this is the stepper motors I went with. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KWRHVM6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

You need a decent solder iron. I use "Sta-Brite" silver solder and has a liquid flux that you can use a toothpick to apply it exactly where you need it, and it is a little easier to work with.

 

I will be installing the LEDs on my heater controls and headlight switch today.

 

Between the Instrument panel, heater controls, headlight switch, I will probably use most of two 20 packs of LEDs.

 

Youtube tutorial

 

 

i might buy some of these also, the ones i brought re mounted to a base so it makes them hard to mount, have you replaced the bulbs for leds in the steering wheel controls also but i see those are tiny, have you done them, do you know which ones are best for them?

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i might buy some of these also, the ones i brought re mounted to a base so it makes them hard to mount, have you replaced the bulbs for leds in the steering wheel controls also but i see those are tiny, have you done them, do you know which ones are best for them?

They fit in the steering wheel switches, the cargo light switch and the heater controls, but not the headlight switch.

The heater controls are a royal pain, and you have to be careful not to overheat the circuit board, as you can burn the printed circuit.

I cut the leads shorter and bent them and then soldered. (see picture)

The headlight switch takes a T1-1/4 bulb with a turn lock connector.

 

Also, on the heater controls, you will want to have white LEDs for the red and blue around the knobs, because if you use blue bulbs, you will end up with almost white and not so red. Looks awful.

 

And FYI, a hook pick helps a lot putting the steering wheel switches back in and at that, you will probably be cussing up a storm. Or at least I was.

I'd like to catch the engineer who thought those were a good idea.

 

A warning though, they are bright. So, if you do the steering wheel, you will probably have to turn them down quite a bit.

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Edited by 0patience (see edit history)
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thanks for the advise. everything ordered so this will be a nice winter project along with another projector retrofit in the headlights :)

 

Like this?

I had to take the picture with the park lights on, as my camera just showed a huge light blob with the headlights on.

post-27520-0-11303600-1514258173_thumb.jpg

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  • 5 weeks later...

They fit in the steering wheel switches, the cargo light switch and the heater controls, but not the headlight switch.

The heater controls are a royal pain, and you have to be careful not to overheat the circuit board, as you can burn the printed circuit.

I cut the leads shorter and bent them and then soldered. (see picture)

The headlight switch takes a T1-1/4 bulb with a turn lock connector.

 

Also, on the heater controls, you will want to have white LEDs for the red and blue around the knobs, because if you use blue bulbs, you will end up with almost white and not so red. Looks awful.

 

And FYI, a hook pick helps a lot putting the steering wheel switches back in and at that, you will probably be cussing up a storm. Or at least I was.

I'd like to catch the engineer who thought those were a good idea.

 

A warning though, they are bright. So, if you do the steering wheel, you will probably have to turn them down quite a bit.

 

Hey so i got all my lights done in al l the cluster and wheel etc, but having trouble finding the correct one for the headlight switch, could you help me with the links for the led i need to buy for that. thanks

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Hey so i got all my lights done in al l the cluster and wheel etc, but having trouble finding the correct one for the headlight switch, could you help me with the links for the led i need to buy for that. thanks

 

That one is a tough one.

The bulb size is T-1 1/4

I haven't found a direct LED replacement yet for it.

I'm still trying to figure out what to do.

 

The problem I ran into is that the old bulb melted the slot the bulb goes into on the headlight switch housing and I'm having a hard time fitting an LED in there.

It is either too big a diameter or the LED hits.

 

I'm ordering a couple new incandescent T1 1/4 bulbs and going to pull the bulb out and solder the LED in and then probably have to use a drill bit to clean up where the plastic melted.

The headlight switch and heater controls are proving more of a pain than the instrument panel was. :ohmy:

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That one is a tough one.

The bulb size is T-1 1/4

I haven't found a direct LED replacement yet for it.

I'm still trying to figure out what to do.

The problem I ran into is that the old bulb melted the slot the bulb goes into on the headlight switch housing and I'm having a hard time fitting an LED in there.

It is either too big a diameter or the LED hits.

I'm ordering a couple new incandescent T1 1/4 bulbs and going to pull the bulb out and solder the LED in and then probably have to use a drill bit to clean up where the plastic melted.

 

The headlight switch and heater controls are proving more of a pain than the instrument panel was. :ohmy:

I might have a good at one of my headlight switches over the weekend. I found the cluster pretty simple to do. I’ll keep you updated on my headlight switch then

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