Interior LED Change

DcMoore

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I've had a couple people ask me how to change the nasty stock green interior lights over to another color.. I was just sending them to the website but that website is not up anymore.

I did this mod on a 99', 00' and an 05' a well over a year ago and I might leave out a couple things so ask questions and maybe it will come back to me.

First lets get some knowledge about LEDs. LEDs have a positive and negative. The positive side is called the anode and the negative is called the cathode. The negative side has the big terminal (anvil post).
Before installing the LED check it with a mulitmeter on the continuity setting, if you put the positive on positive and negative on negative it will light up. If you check it with a battery with out a resistor it will burn up.
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WINDOW AND LOCK SWITCHES
The parts:
3mm LEDs (Pick your flavor) I bought them from
62/36/2 .022 rosin-core solder
Tools(after switches are out):
Set of small screw drivers
Solder iron
Set of solder tools (recommended)
De-soldering bulb or de-soldering braid
Squeeze clamp

Take the switch out and disassemble it. The button pops off and the rest of the switch unclips and then comes apart.
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Grind the top of the LED down to diffuse the light in the switch.. If not the light will point straight up and will be a nuisance while driving at night.

After the switch is taken apart use a squeeze clamp to hold the switch in place while working on it, unless you have a small bench vise.
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De-solder the original LED and replace it with the new.. Pay attention what side the LED is at when you take it off so you don’t reverse polarity.

When you have soldered the new LEDs take a 9v battery and put it on the power terminals to test it.. Or plug it in to your truck and try it out.

On forgotten.net’s write up he said to use a 5.6k resistor to replace the old resistor in the switch. I did not do this and not one led has burned out yet.
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THE GAUGES

Parts:
220 Sand paper
(3) #37 wedge style LED replacements
(5) #197 or 168 wedge style LED replacements

Remove your gauge cluster from your dash and take the clear plastic part off.

Re-install your gauge cluster with the clear piece off. Start your truck and get it up to normal operating temp and mark the position of your needles with a dry erase marker so you know where they go when you get ready to put them back on….. or take a picture, make sure you have a straight on angle or your needles will be messed up when you put them back on.

After you are confident with the mark of your needles remove your cluster and pull the needles to get them off of the cluster.
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If you have an automatic, unclip and slide out the gear selector. If you have a manual unclip and slide out the gear selector blank.

Pull out the trip reset button and the needle stops on the speedo and tach.

After your cluster is bare you can now SLOWLY peel off the gauge plate. Once again slowly.
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Now flip the plate over and you will see the white parts that are on the back.. Those are actually green underneath and that is what is making you gauges green. You can do it how you want but I took a palm sander and sanded the green parts off so that whatever light is behind will show through as is. You can use a flash light to check the spots that you missed.
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Be sure not to sand the black part of any of your warning lights because the light will show through right there. After your happy with your plate re-install everything except for your needles and the clear piece on the cluster.

Re-install your cluster in the truck, start it and get it up to normal operating temp and put your needles on . If you have a scanner you can use live data to get the RPMs and speed, I found out that you have to apply the needle while you are driving to get the correct speed back. You can use a GPS for the speed if you like.

After you have your needles installed put your cluster back together and flip it over.

Finally you are to the easy part, replace your dash lights by removing the light socket and pulling out the old bulb and replace it with the new LED. Remember to pay attention that LEDs are positive and negative unlike the conventional bulb. Your going to have to install the lights and test them before you put everything back in place.

Now re-install everything and be happy…. Something I have learned with the gauge LEDs is do not buy cheap ones because they will go out on you.
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AC CONTROLS
Parts:
(3) #37 wedge style LED replacements

Remove your A/C controls and pull the three knobs out.
With the knobs out take a small screw driver and push the white inserts out.
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On the main part separate the front from the back.
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Remove the light diffuser and pull out the green plastic piece.
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Re-install the diffuser, snap the front and back together and re-install the knobs.
Flip it over and install the new LEDs as you did on the gauges. Remember to test the lights before you install the controls. If the lights do not work, flip them around and test again.
Install and be happy
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JohnConner

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Thanks for the how-to.I have my blue led's, just needed the motivation to get them installed.Looks good.
 

Cody

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how long did you have in doing the truck?

ex 10-15 minutes a switch

30 for spedo

40 for ac..

thanks,
CODY
 

DcMoore

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I have quite a bit of time wrapped up in this.. I'd say 9 hours in the single cab, 13 hours in the ccsb and probably around 15 hours on the 05 ecsb.
 

Sniper32

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Just out of curiousity, is there a way to avoid the 2 color look on the gauges? Im not tryin to poke at your hard work, looks like you did an awesome job, but the gauges look kind of trashy. It may just be the picture but looks to me like you have part blue and part green.

again not trash talkin by any means just askin questions
 

DcMoore

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I'm not a fan of the gauges either.. With the white there were some blank spots but the blue ones look way better that I have in my truck but yes there is.. You can get a strip of leds or a "mat" so to say and do it that way.

Like this style.
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And it would fill in the gauges alot better
 
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