green interior light conversion

[sickslow]

Has anyone ever tried this or know what bulbs to order? I would love to do this.

http://www.powerstroke.org/forum/6-...-blue-led-interior-dash-light-conversion.html

http://powerstrokenation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102360

Me and a buddy are about to start this project on his '06 duramax but this is the only 2 threads that I can find related to doing it to out trucks.

 

[TrailerHauler]

Here's another pretty good write up.

http://powerstrokenation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85322&highlight=interior+lights

 

[sickslow]

Here's another pretty good write up.

http://powerstrokenation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85322&highlight=interior+lights

Thanks man that's a better thread than the 2 that I found.

 

[Enoch]

Here's another pretty good write up and pics.

http://powerstrokenation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85322&highlight=interior+lights

Anyone feel like copy and pasting this write up?
I was banned from psn a long time ago and I pm'd the mod who is a member here and asked if it could be lifted, but he has nothing to do with the site anymore, so I can't get on there.
The write up from powerstroke.org is ok, but not very detailed.

I would appreciate it, would really like to do this someday.

 

[TrailerHauler]

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

On the main part separate the front from the back.

Remove the light diffuser and pull out the green plastic piece.

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

If you want to do your stock radio, take it apart and desolder the old LEDs and install the new ones.. You'll need 35 of them and suggest you get 2mm, I did it with 3mm and had a hard time putting it back together.

Let me know if that's what your looking for.

 

[Enoch]

I so appreciate this, thanks a bunch!

 

[powerstrokedkid87]

we did this in my truck, a little different but same general idea. The best way we found to do this in order to not need any resistors, is take the time and measure all the voltages. this way you can order LEDs that match the voltage of the lights and will not need resistors. Also want to make sure the intensity of the bulbs is realtivley the same so you have all the same color. The actual soldering of the bulbs was simple, measuring and order LEDS on the other hand...that was the biggest PIA...but well worth it, the red LEDs i have in my truck now gets nothing but compliments

this is a video when we first got the truck back together, but it shows a pretty good shot of the whole cab and the lights...This was also befor i re did the interior...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZuMWmEaAsQ

 

[Enoch]

That is SO nice!
I wish you were closer because I honostly would pay someone to do this. How's the red on the eye's?

Thanks for posting.

 

[powerstrokedkid87]

That is SO nice!
I wish you were closer because I honostly would pay someone to do this. How's the red on the eye's?

Thanks for posting.

as you can tell from my truck, i love red, but its just the right intensity so its not blinding at night. one of the coolest mods i did to the truck.

 

[Enoch]

It looks great!
Is that red red, or do they look more like what came in Pontiacs? Hope that made sense, I know my wifes rav is Orange, but I had a few Pontiacs and I think they were more red/orange.
Just wondering if red filtered through the lenses and switches dumbs down the intensity, which would be a good thing.
Now can the dimmer work on the leds as well?

 

[powerstrokedkid87]

It looks great!
Is that red red, or do they look more like what came in Pontiacs? Hope that made sense, I know my wifes rav is Orange, but I had a few Pontiacs and I think they were more red/orange.
Just wondering if red filtered through the lenses and switches dumbs down the intensity, which would be a good thing.
Now can the dimmer work on the leds as well?

they are a true red, because the stck lights put out different voltages, and required different LED's (surface mount, reverse surface mount..ect) the intensity numbers is what we had to make sure was the same so there was no variation in the color., with the climate controle unit, i replaced the green screen with a piece of red...and yes the dimmer works.

 

[DcMoore]

It's already been copy and pasted but here's the thread on PSA http://powerstrokearmy.com/forums/showthread.php?t=443

 

[skew12]

I wish I had enough down time to do this

 

[DcMoore]

Just do one piece at at a time.