Another question I get asked all the time "What method do you use to remove or solder on a tiny plcc leds?" Well this is how I do it and how all of my swaps are done. If any other swappers have any input or advice, feel free to post! Happy to have your knowledge as well.

Tools required
- A good 15-25w soldering iron or variable unit.
- .032 lead free solder
- tweezers
- Small stiff brush
- rubbing alcohol
- q-tips
- Patience & a bottle of JD "for after haha"

Start off by letting your iron come up to temp. Once up to temp, use the tip of the iron to heat and lift the edge of the led.

http://www.garage1217.com/GAUGECLUSTERS/SOLDERING/ledins1.jpg

http://www.garage1217.com/GAUGECLUSTERS/SOLDERING/ledins2.jpg

Next use your tweezers to lift the led while you heat the 2nd contact. The led should lift right off of the board.

http://www.garage1217.com/GAUGECLUSTERS/SOLDERING/ledins3.jpg

Once the led is remove, apply a small amount of solder to each contact. Do NOT go overboard here. A little goes a long ways!

http://www.garage1217.com/GAUGECLUSTERS/SOLDERING/ledins4.jpg

Next, use your tweezers to hold the new led and press it down on the board while heating the edge of the solder. The solder will melt and bond with the metal on the led. If you make a brush like stroke with the iron while the solder is hot, the solder joint will look and be flawless.

Only thing to be VERY carefull about here is to NOT overheat the led or melt it.

http://www.garage1217.com/GAUGECLUSTERS/SOLDERING/ledins5.jpg

Once a single side of the led is held in place, use your tweezers to press down on the other side while you heat the solder. Use the same method to solder this side of the led. Keep holding the led down until the solder becomes solid.

http://www.garage1217.com/GAUGECLUSTERS/SOLDERING/ledins6.jpg

This step is VERY important. Once both sides of the led are soldered in place, go back to the first side you soldered and heat the solder back up and you may hear a faint "click" that is taking away stress from the first solder joint that bent slightly while soldering on and pressing down on joint number 2. If you do not perform this step, the led may break itself loose over a long period of time and very hot weather :)

http://www.garage1217.com/GAUGECLUSTERS/SOLDERING/ledins7.jpg

Use the stiff brush and alcohol to remove any flux leftover from solder, use a q-tip to help clean it up if needed. A good quality lead free solder & iron at the proper temp should leave little flux on the board.


Below are some random photos of solder work on my customers swaps. If your joints look like this, then you are doing great!


Now all of this sounds easy that you have mastered 1 led. Now go forth and finish the other 50+ of them hahaha! You will know why led swappers do not do work for free. Very tedious and very time consuming to do it all right.


Example 1, OEM solder joints.
http://www.garage1217.com/GAUGECLUSTERS/SOLDERING/oemsolderjoints.jpg


Examples 2+ My solder work.

http://www.garage1217.com/GAUGECLUSTERS/SOLDERING/solderingexample1.jpg

http://www.garage1217.com/GAUGECLUSTERS/SOLDERING/cleansoldering2.jpg

http://www.garage1217.com/GAUGECLUSTERS/SOLDERING/solderingexample3.jpg

http://www.garage1217.com/GAUGECLUSTERS/SOLDERING/pinsresoldered.jpg

damn i would pay you to do this for me!

That is what I do on this forum :) Perform swaps for people. Let me know and I can have you send in your items!

looks good!

hmm.. for fully pushing down on the leds.. i perfer not to use tweezers but my own fingers for complete full control.. :P

yes.. my fingers come millimeters away from a hot soldering iron.... lol.. i'm used to it.... i don't think i have much feeling in my fingers much... but i do grow my fingernails slightly to help.

also, i like to remove as much solder as possible.. and at least to one side... and when adding solder back to the pad, just do the other side. it'll help in having the led flush with the board.... so solder in the led with that side... push down as i do the second side (adding solder).. and continue to push down while redoing the first side.

voila! :P

oh and jeremy? what method do you use to remove the 1206 sized leds and resistors? if it's the same way i do it, then well

HERE'S A VIDEO!!

clicky-->> Desoldering/Soldering Small SMD LEDs (http://www.llamma.com/xbox360/video/SMD%20LED%20INSTALLATION.wmv)
video found on http://www.llamma.com/xbox360/mods/xbox%20360%20Controller%20LED%20Mod.htm#surface%20mount%20led

Nice work as always!!

Thanks for putting this up jeremy. I tried to explain this some in some of my writeups, but have never put any pics to go with it. This should make it easier to understand.

Also good that you mentioned adding new solder. The flux in the old solder is gone (flux is what cleans the connection and makes for a good, long lasting one), so new solder should always be used to put the new components on. I actually just remove all of the old solder with solder wick after removing all of the old leds and then start over with new. Just makes it easier to keep from adding too much when I put the new solder down.

Now, if you do the leds first, then you are ready for the resistors... and then the leds on the head unit... THEN a bottle of captain (sorry, I will let you drink the JD jeremy ! ) :rofl:

For reference though, here are pics of the plcc-2, the 1206 resistors for the 05-06, the 0805s for the 07-08 and finally, the leds for the head unit!

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y111/engifineer/SizeComp_0294.jpg

hahaha yeah, I love that pic, Good to show all 4. I have a pic like that with a plcc and an 0603 sitting on an quarter on my site trying to show how really small this stuff is. I was not going to do a writeup for the 0603's but I did shot a pic of an 0805 in the pic above. I find most noobs end up wreaking havok on anything smaller than an 0805 :( 25w non temp controlled radioshack irons do not cut it on 0805 and smaller leds *LOL*

looks good!

hmm.. for fully pushing down on the leds.. i perfer not to use tweezers but my own fingers for complete full control.. :P

yes.. my fingers come millimeters away from a hot soldering iron.... lol.. i'm used to it.... i don't think i have much feeling in my fingers much... but i do grow my fingernails slightly to help.

also, i like to remove as much solder as possible.. and at least to one side... and when adding solder back to the pad, just do the other side. it'll help in having the led flush with the board.... so solder in the led with that side... push down as i do the second side (adding solder).. and continue to push down while redoing the first side.

voila! :P

oh and jeremy? what method do you use to remove the 1206 sized leds and resistors? if it's the same way i do it, then well

HERE'S A VIDEO!!

clicky-->> Desoldering/Soldering Small SMD LEDs (http://www.llamma.com/xbox360/video/SMD%20LED%20INSTALLATION.wmv)
video found on http://www.llamma.com/xbox360/mods/xbox%20360%20Controller%20LED%20Mod.htm#surface%20mount%20led


*LOL* Yeah I do not use tweezers either to remove the leds, I just grab them and touch the other side to remove. With practice burns are very few and far between.

I found the most killer pair of spring loaded tweezers that have become my right arm for placing leds or resistors. They grab an led or resistor and hold like no tommorow. They work on any size. You can set them down and they still grip whatever they grap with no damage.

Not at all. That is why I have a weller temp controlled iron!

For those that dont know the difference, here is how they work.

A power controlled iron (like one rated 25W) controlls the current to the element, which, since it is at a known resistance, controls the power, thus the heat output. The problem is that over time, if the resistance of the element begins to drop (or raise), the iron is now producing more or less heat than it used to. Not a good thing. It also doesnt account for soldering large items, which wick away heat quickly, or small items, which do not.

A temp controlled iron has a sensor in the tip that actually measures temp and keeps it steady, regardless of everything else. As you start working with smaller devices or soldering IC's, like processors, a power controlled iron is not a safe thing to use. The other side is that most temp controlled irons are ESD (electro static discharge) shielded. And on any part of these boards, static is a BAD thing. CMOS and static do not get along :)

I remove the 0603's just like I do the others really. The difference is that the whole led heats up and just sticks to the iron, so I just knock it off quickly in the parts bin :)

I do the same with the 0603's as the plcc's but they do not melt on me at 260f. Also yeah I use a ESD safe iron / rework station with hot air for ic's and smoke filter sucker. Man it saves my lungs when solding so much.

And do you guys have a parts bin with about 40K old leds *LOL* My wife always asks when I am going to empty it. Has grown to be quite large and full haha!

I have little parts bags filled with all sorts of leds :D

And you dont even want to know how many amber leds I have have :rofl: I have no idea why I still have them.. but it is cool to see the pile grow larger!

I also run lower temp on the 0603s. If you tin the tip well and heat them the led will stay with the little blob of solder and you can just scrape em off before they get too hot and melt.

Now, if you really want fun, hand solder a 144 pin flat pack processor... and get out the giant magnifying glass when you do it !

does anyone live in socal, cuz i pay them to do this for me?

*watches*

Squall is the closest I know of to you that I know enough about to recommend. Jeremy is a bit further away in AZ. I am in Minneapolis.

Clean!!! I don't have a thin head solder like you do. mine is larger because it is being worned out. Each time I solder leds, I always have big puddles of lead right next to the leds. Using large soldering head to swap leds like the ones in the HU is a pain in the a$$

Definitely get yourself a smaller tip. Also, use solder very sparingly. My solder info and tips writeup here goes into detail on the actual soldering piece as well... which reminds me.. I need to put that up with my other writeups on the scionwiki as well!

Yeah, I use a 1.5mm tip on mine for plcc's and I have a very small .5mm wedge for the 0603's. A GOOD iron is your best friend when doing this work.

Bump!

Bump!

Nice work man and great pics. Your skills are better then OEM and robots. I've been practicing for years and mine pretty much look like that but those pics make yours look pretty and smooth. The key is definitley not to overdue it on the solder or it looks messy. Hopefully this helps some people out and it will be easier explaining it to people now that there are pics.

Thanks for the compliment man!

You are very welcome. Your work amazes me everytime I see it.

garage i need to talk to you ASAP. i need to send you my stuff to have the work done to it. i am on a time table i need to send tis stuff out thursday of this week. you can email me at excelon72@earthlink.net . asap please thanks dude

email sent man, you will be taken care of :)

Bump!

bump for an awesome work, i too do the solder work, i mostly use my fingers with the PLcc's, and use tweezers for the resistors and a razor blade to hold them in place while i solder in one side. The 0805s i simply heat up the entire led and pull up with a tweezer, viola, they off. I have ordered many kits through jeremy, he is a great guy to work with.

You should've posted this for beginner long time ago......
I'm sure alot of people new to soldering were frustrated...

You should get your self a SMD soldering iron.... it's like big giant tweezer with two soldering iron..
This will make your life so much easier...

^^ aka.. "hot tweezers"

:)

Almost FRIDAY bump!

interesting

Very!

FRIDAY BUMP!

Almost Friday bump!

Monday BUMP!

Almost Friday BUMP!

How common/how much of a danger is letting the solder from one side of the led flow over into the solder on the other side? like..bridging the connection? has this ever happened?

I have a friend who is certified in electronics circuit..board..stuff...(he's got some qaulification I cant recall the name) but I was afraid to let him get near my car buy this looks relatively simple, just takes skill.

That is called a dead short, very very very very very bad.

Monday BUMP!

Bump!

Nice write up... makes me want to go out and give it a try. What is a good way to practice before I touch my guages?

Get an old curcuit board out of an old pc or other, and start playing :)

Sunday BUMP!

Back in the us / back home BUMP!

a little practice and some blood sweat and tears and ill be just like u in no time... or maybe i can just send them to you :bow: lol

bump because i like doing LED work too. mostly from scratch though.

nice work garage.

Hey guys. Just an update I am putting on all of my posts. Some of you swappers may know that the an7710sp power IC is no longer in production and not available anyplace in the usa. This was a wonderfull package size that was an exact match to the oem. Engifineer "Dave" did a great job locating it and figuring out the overall hvac mod so kudos to Dave!

This has caused a small delay in my shipping until a reliable alt was found and tested out. The new power ic is a bit larger but actually a tad quicker to install. I tested the chip thermally without a sink and it has no issues with the small requirements of the leds and is quite overbuilt! Since the original power ic has been axed, there may be different options people come up with. This is my choice to run with this package size and install method and it will be included in all of my kits. It will come pre-cut but not pre-bent as it could cause shipping issues in bubble envelopes. The legs are cake to bend with just your finger.

Below is an example of one of the chips I have been testing. The actual unit that will be in the kits is a different brand, but same chip basically :) Excuse the small amout of flux on the board *LOL* Just a test unit!

This is what the new power ic will look like installed. Again this model number chip works perfect but is not the unit I will be including in the kits. Visually they are identicle. Also to note the center leg is bent the opposite way and is attached to the ground pad "common" for the old power IC. The mount is rock solid and there will be no issues.

http://www.garage1217.com/GAUGECLUSTERS/POWERIC/ic2.jpg

BUMP for holiday swaps!

Bump of the week ;)

ok cook well dats how you install them. how you get those bad bois out of there? how do you get the boards out to install them?

Normally I would say "if you cannot figure that part out, do not attempt the install... but if you want basic removal instructions.. Here ya go.

Gauge Cluster
1. Lower the steering wheel
2. Pull off plastic gauge surroung, literally pulls off.
3. Take out 1 phillips screw at the top of the cluster
4. Reach in and pull out the cluster
5. Unplug the cluster

HVAC
1. Take off your shift knob by twisting it counter clockwise many times.
2. Pull hard on the lower console towrds the back of the car and slightly up. Will pop out.
3. Unplug cig lighter from lower console
4. Shut the radio door
5. Pull off entire top console
6. Unplug hvac wire harness
7. Take out 6 screws that hold on the hvac unit.
8. Pull hard on the HVAC unit box "backside of console" and the temp knob will pop off

DOOR LOCKS
1. Use a very small flat blade screwdriver and insert between the rubber arm rest and the door locks panel.
2. Pry up with force being carefull not to mangle the edge of the rubber arm rest
3. Door lock will pop up and then simply unplug it.

STEERING CONTROLS
1. Disconnect the negative terminal of your battery.
2. Use a T30 torqs bit and loosen each t30 bolt located in the holes on each side of the steering wheel
3 Torqs bolts will be in TIGHT and usually let loose with a loud pop
4. Gently pull off the airbag but do NOT disconnect it.
5. Take out the one phillips screw holding in the steering wheel controls.
6 Pull out steering wheel controls and cut small zip tie holding the wire harness
7. Unplug it
8 Make SURE you do not pinch any wires when putting the airbag back on.

Wow.. that looks hugh compare to the older one....

It is much larger unit, but still fits perfectly inside the case with no issues :)

Almost the best time of the year bump!

Stuck at an airport in the cold... BUMP!

bump for a great guy! leds turned out awesome! thanks!! :D

Week is going SLOW bump!

Bump from overseas! Sitting in Zurich Switzerland right now out on business. I will be back on or after March 12th. All orders as of Feb 29th shipped on time. My wife will be taking care of shipping for me before I arrive home so no delays! Thanks guys!

Freakin cold outside right now! 5:30am here. Man this 8 hour time difference is freakin me out man!

Thanks for the write-up, got to order the parts and then I will be tring this! *crosses fingers*

Right on man, appriciate it!

My 1st baby girl due the end of this month BUMP! Very excited!

Evening BUMP!

Bump!

do i "need" to swap the resistors, if i change the leds to white and blue!!

On an HVAC yes, on a gauge cluster it is optional.

can i get the part numbers for the resistors and the 10volt regulator for the hvac

I sell them as a kit on my website under this link.

http://www.garage1217.com/album1_025.htm

the only reason i ask is cause i work for a company that sells these parts, but i need part numbers.... if you need stuff too www.quest-comp.com way better than mouser!!

I do not buy from mouser even though they have good stuff, and working LED mods and sales is how I am able to keep my wife at home and from working so she can spend time with our kids :) If you want the part numbers for the resistors & so forth, they are available elseware on this site.

thanks

Sl is back and running bump!

quick question. Is it ok if i only want to swap some of the leds in the hvac and leave others stock? For example only to change the display and button activated lights. Is the procedure still the same in this case?

Answered via PM BUMP!

Bump!

Updated the website tonight & started up the new online store! Makes it SUPER easy to shop without hassle. I have a ton of new products on the way that you guys are going to dig big time!!!
:rolling: :rolling: :rolling: :rolling: :rolling: :rolling: :rolling: :rolling: :rolling:

New store is located at:
http://store.garage1217.com/

Of course the old website is still up in a fashion... Will use it for text & other documentation.

As always myself and my family really appriciate your business!
www.garage1217.com

Working my tail off on the new webstore, new items being added daily! Added quite a few this evening!

I really appriciate the scionlife community support! You have no idea how much the garage1217 family appriciates you keeping your business with us.

http://store.garage1217.com/

Saturday BUMP! Have a great weekend guys!

Almost FRIDAY bump!!

Hey guys great info btw I wanted to know if you could tell me if cold heat pro soldering iron would be good to use? I got one for christmas and figured I'd use it for this project. Anyway thanks again let me know guys. Again great LED work you guys have done can't wait to do it and post pics.

not sure...never used one. i would stick to a regular 15w - 30w soldering iron. 15w will do the trick.

how much would it be to do my hvac and gauge cluster jus blue with white needles if not all blue? and can i drive without my gauge cluster in? wouldnt sum miles not show up?

correct. some miles will not show up. if you have an auto, it may shift weird. not sure.

hmmm i wish sum1 around me did this so i wouldnt have to ship this

As for the cold heat, No sorry it will not work. In fact it bairly works on anything larger than 22awg wire.

Back from Ireland BUMP!

Evening bump! Be sure to check out the wicked LED 194/168 dome light bulbs on the webstore! The light dispersion & brightness is wicked & they are RELIABLE!

Monday stinks bump :(

Tuesday bump!

Monday bump!

Saturday night bump!

This is an excellent write-up, and I plan on doing this soon. :clap:

Question: Why do you want lead-free solder? Is there lead-full solder? I don't remember which kind I bought, it is at home and I am not. :eyebrow:

looks good!

hmm.. for fully pushing down on the leds.. i perfer not to use tweezers but my own fingers for complete full control.. :P

yes.. my fingers come millimeters away from a hot soldering iron.... lol.. i'm used to it.... i don't think i have much feeling in my fingers much... but i do grow my fingernails slightly to help.

also, i like to remove as much solder as possible.. and at least to one side... and when adding solder back to the pad, just do the other side. it'll help in having the led flush with the board.... so solder in the led with that side... push down as i do the second side (adding solder).. and continue to push down while redoing the first side.

voila! :P

oh and jeremy? what method do you use to remove the 1206 sized leds and resistors? if it's the same way i do it, then well

HERE'S A VIDEO!!

clicky-->> Desoldering/Soldering Small SMD LEDs (http://www.llamma.com/xbox360/video/SMD%20LED%20INSTALLATION.wmv)
video found on http://www.llamma.com/xbox360/mods/xbox%20360%20Controller%20LED%20Mod.htm#surface%20mount%20led

I do the same thing too Trung. For removing i heat one side til i see the solder melt the I carefully lift up the one tab. then i get some really nice needle nose to hold that sucka in place and then i desolder the other side. I put just a little of solder on the tabs. I use my fingers to align it then i put down one side the the other. Pretty simple once you get in the zone. Kinda help if you have the right soldering iron and solder.

cool dude! yea.. actually i've been using hot tweezers to desolder plccs for some time now.

uhh.. yea.. removing plccs takes like... yea... no effort at all.. and much quicker too. lol :P

I used hot tweezers for awhile, found I was actually quicker with the iron setup I have *LOL* Should not work that way, but man I love the iron I use.

I got a Weller temp control iron. It is the bomb!!!

I did my hvac last night and I must say that this kind of stuff is not for the weak hearted. I'm still in shock that I pulled it off despite having absolutely no soldering experience what so ever. I'm gonna tackle the gauge cluster this weekend, but that should go a lot smoother since I got the hang of it from doing the hvac. I ordered the leds from garage and boy do they look stunning!

Right on man congrats!

Bump from Paris!

Bump!

Bump for a good guy, great products, and killer R.I.P. tC....lol. I miss that car so much.

Just placed an order of LEDs and other raw parts to swap a local tC.

ooooo...ps, your tails are in good hands..lol. thought i'd show ya a pic of them in safety!!!
http://greenislandtalk.com/MyPics/100_0682.JPG

Wow man those look HOT on your car! I do miss my tC, but the new toy puts just as big of a smile on my face :)

Thanks Jeremy. I bet your new toy puts joy all over your face. New toys always do that to me. ahhhhh, I just miss your tC so much. such a beauty and a sick paint job. O well, sometimes you have to just move on to better things. Anyways, I've been enjoying these tails since the summer time when i received them from you and they are for sure turning other tC owners heads around my area. I actually had 1 tC owner follow me to the mall to ask me about the tails since he's been trying to find a pair for his. Had to give him the entire story on the tails and where they came from...lol. Well, they will be coming off the car soon and carefully stored away for the winter. I don't want to wreck them with the horrific ice we get around here. Thanks Man.

Right on man :) And yeah, still not driving the new toy, about ready to roll it out of the garage for a shake down / then tear it back down for the build.

how can I go about getting that mirror effecto on the outside of the gauge? I saw it one time and looked so damn cool. It looked awesome. Anyone know? Thanks!

Silver spraypaint :)

I sent you a pm

Almost turkey week BUMP!

Monday blues BUMP!

One day closer to FRIDAY!

Happy Holidays from garage1217!! Get your orders in by tomorrow for a possible before Christmas delivery or just after!

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope it rocked for all of you!

New year bump!

Tuesdays gone with the wind BUMP!

Weekly bump!

Weekends almost gone :( BUMP!

Weekend BUMP!

Weekend BUMP!

Sunday BUMP!

alright so how much would it cost to have the gage clusters done? do you also do the heat controls too?

Bump!

so how much does it cost for the gage clusters? and do you do the heat controls too?

alright so how much would it cost to have the gage clusters done? do you also do the heat controls too?

Price depends on what you would like to have done. Examples of work and prices are listed on my site.

http://www.garage1217.com/album1_015.htm

Friday BUMP!

Ordered these last night, cant wait to get them!

Already shipped!

Almost the weekend BUMP!

BUMP!

Monday BUMP!

Easter BUMP!

Evening BUMP!

Sunday BUMP!

Almost FRIDAY bump!

id like to do this to my tc, however im a little frightened. im in Lithuania and its hard to find a tc, not to mention how hard it is to find a tc led swapper.
i have a little experience in solding, so its not that new to me.
therefore ive got a few quetions:
1) do you swap oem orange leds with white ones and paint the back of the cluster in desired color? if so, what paint do you use? or you use light filter (dont know how its called in english. a transparent sheet in whatever color?)
2) if the method i described above is good the one that can be used, can i buy only the leds from u or another swapper?

thanks for your time,
luv ur work :D

If you want he gauge faces all the same colors (lines and numbers the same) then you just use the color led you want. So if you wanted blue, you would just use blue leds.

I will add though that if you want pink or purple, dont use pink or purple leds. There is no such thing as a true pink led.. so they add a phosphourescent coating to make the color.. which has been proven to fade over time. Purple is the same and is many times created by using UV leds, which are bad for your eyes.

So, for the above, or if you want to create multitone look on the faces (like blue numbers, white lines for example) then you use white leds and order a colored translucent film to apply to the backs where you want the other colors. If you do the two tone look using the colored film, I recommend doing the resistor swap on the gauges as well to make them a bit brighter. (Just to clarify, you ALWAYS need the resistor and regulator swap on the HVAC unless you are using red leds)

For warning lights, turn signals and the HVAC buttons you can just buy the correct color leds for each one since they are all lit by individual leds.

Any of us that do the swaps can sell you the colored film, leds, resistors, etc that you need.

im glad this topic is still active. i have a few questions. i have a little experience with soldering but never small leds and stuff. how would you rate this conversion in difficulty? and about how long does it take from disassembly to reassembly? if i was to send it to you about how long is the turnover time? thanks.

Turn arouns is super fast. I perform the work the day I get the items and ship the next via express mail 1-2 day shipping which is included in the price of any of my gauge cluster + hvac swaps. Difficulty depends totally on your soldering experience. If you have soldered any basic SMD devices, you should be fine.

it seems pretty straight forward. i think i might take it on. i was thinking about going to a pull and save and rippin out a gauge cluster to try it out on. this way if i mess it up permanently im only out the few bucks it cost at the junk yard.

Very smart idea!

Very smart idea!

Yes. I get that a lot.

:silly: :silly: :silly: :silly:

... kidding

FRIDAY BUMP! Thank goodness for the weekends!

ok so for a red led swap i don't need any resistors right, just buy the red LEDs and do the swap and if it's done right it will work correct without changing anything else right?..what about the 1 blue LED that is at the top led on the HVAC behind the a/c knob, would i need a resistor for just that 1 LED or no?

no

ok cool, thanks.

Thanks, Joyride is correct. You will be good to go! No resistors required.

What a nice weekend BUMP!

Weekend BUMP!

Almost the 4th WOOHOO! I hope everyone has a SAFE & outstanding holiday weekend! And do not forget why we are celebrating it!

Monday BLUES bump!

TGIF BUMP!!! The new forum is running great!

Weekend BUMP! Order parts today, they ship tomorrow "Monday"!!! Expected arrival would be Wednesday - Thursday!

Tuesday blues BUMP!

The highly desired aluminum ringed 194/168 bulbs will be back in stock any day now! Get yours before this next large shipment sells out again! Oh and BUMP haha :)

:clap: nice write up.. I'm not good enough wit ha iron to do this. :( how much to do my 2008 xB gauges and HVAC in RED?maybe even the other misc dash lights ie: trac control, fog light button, hazard button pretty much ALL of them??

Gauge cluster would be $45 shipped back priority mail in red :) I am sure I can do the other items, but would have to see them first!

just cause I am a space cause sometimes.. is that $45 shipped with or without the leds? I am getting ready to tear my dash apart to get some stuff painted... this might be a good time to do the LEDs as well. :) OH, and have the sreen flipped to red as well. thanks. :)

No prob! That is with LED's. And the screen is already reversed stock, but I can make it normal / bright red. Would run $30

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Wednesday bump! Friday here we come!

Holidays are coming BUMP! I would sure love to earn your business! Hit us up anytime via PM, Email, Aim or Yahoo! I have been around for years rocking the scion community & plan many more years of quality LED work & products!

DUDE!! your Lights ROCK!! I love mine.. now I just need to save the $$ to ship you me dash gauges and all the others little lighted stuff too.

Right on! I knew you would dig them, everyone does after they get them installed!

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! Hope all travels were safe!

Christmas is coming BUMP! Cannot wait! get your orders in asap for a quick delivery!

Happy Holidays! I hope everyone stays safe on the roads and may you all have an excellent Christmas!

Weekend bump! Wow 2010 already?

Been a very busy few weeks with the new products on the website! Do not forgot to check out the new flagship LED dome lights! They are wicked!
http://store.garage1217.com/new-flagship-36-chip-dome-light-36led-output-wi3636.html

We also now stock a longer festoon for the xA as well!
http://store.garage1217.com/new-aluminum-3175-festoon-bulb-color-matches-the-194168317519416839.html

And for those that have older clusters with twist style bulbs, we have our custom built led replacements that cast a very even light! Mr2 guys are going nuts for them! I bet the Lexus guys will catch on quick as well!
http://store.garage1217.com/custom-twist-socket-aluminum-ringed-high-output-bulb.html

Monday BUMP!

Friday BUMP! This week has gone by way to slow!

my question is how do you accomplish a 2 tone effect with the stock gauge faces. do I have to use some screens of some sort? I want the numbers to light up white and the outter lines red. or am i stuck lighting up a single color?

You use white leds to back the gauge faces and then use translucent vinyl to make the areas you want a certain color, that color.

:icon_juggle:You use white leds to back the gauge faces and then use translucent vinyl to make the areas you want a certain color, that color.

I suppose thats easy enough, just will need to do resistors and get some color pieces :P

All of it is available in my webstore :)
http://store.garage1217.com/

out of curiosity, i just ordered a set of leds for the conversion. last night i took apart my hvac controls just to see what i was up against, and came across one issue. how do u swap out the leds for the lcd display? do u have to undo all the little solder pins holding the lcd connectors because there is a plastic bezel that the lcd sits on thats in the damn way of the led? any input would be appreciated.

i remove the LCD by desoldering all the pins.

Correct, you need to de-solder all of the pins with a solder sucker and carefully remove the screen. If it is not done properly and if you pull on the screen at all with one of the leads attached it will crack and be useless. This is the #1 issue I see from diy customers. Just take your time and make sure each pin is free.

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TGIF BUMP!!!! Man this weekend could not come soon enough!

whats the best way to remove the old IC off the HVAC board? desoldered the two contact legs but the body is pretty reistant in coming off the board. also, what weller iron would you recommend to a DIY'er for doing these swaps? the 15w iron from radioshack gets me by on clusters, but looking to upgrade. any suggestions welcomed.

The only budget iron I will recommend is this unit. They are many times better than any irons you will find in the $200-$500 range, and I mean leaps and bounds better and I stand by that statement. Once you use one, you will know why I recommend it :)
http://www.circuitspecialists.com/prod.itml/icOid/9749

For a tip, use either of these for plcc work.
http://www.circuitspecialists.com/prod.itml/icOid/8401
http://www.circuitspecialists.com/prod.itml/icOid/8402

For de-soldering the IC, I set my iron to 350C and set the tip at the edge of the metal on the top of the ic. Let it sit for about 5-10 seconds until you see the flux start to boil on the sides of the ic, then lift hard using the tip of the iron and it will pop loose.

just ordered the blackjack unit you recommended, along with the tips, some braid and some better tweezers. thanks for the recommendations Jeremy. much appreciated.

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Correct, you need to de-solder all of the pins with a solder sucker and carefully remove the screen. If it is not done properly and if you pull on the screen at all with one of the leads attached it will crack and be useless. This is the #1 issue I see from diy customers. Just take your time and make sure each pin is free.


hmm I don't exactly get what you guys are saying here. anyways someone could get a picture or video to explain this better? I'm going to get started soon nd would like to not screw up

from the little experience i have doing it (only done 3 of them) you place the iron tip on one side on a pin and as the solder liquifes you butt the sucker up to the other side of the pin and suck it out. you may have to do it twice to get most of it out. try and keep everything close together to help create the suction effect. ever after sucking out the majority i still went over each pin with my iron and tweezers to make sure each pin was loose in its socket, just in case. i guess some people were trying to use copper braid to remove the old solder and the amount of heat they were sending thru the pins was cracking the screens. its not to hard, just take your time. hope this helps.

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^^ Good post, I feel he covered it :)

jeremy, any chance you would be willing to put a diagram on your site for swapping the leds and resistors in a basic scion headunit?
i ordered a green kit a few days ago to try and mod my wife's tc. also, on your store you sell the option for the tc gauge cluster resistor upgrade; is there a way i can buy the resistor kit to do the upgrade per your diagram? thanks for everything, all your write ups, parts and diagrams have been really helpful in modding my xd and tc.
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Hello,
The diagram for the display led kit I sell is on the site, it is the same for all non color changing scion pioneer radios "except the new model premiums" As for the leds, not much to do for a diagram, I just open them up and change out every single led. Usually around 35-40 0603 sized units.
Not understanding the question on the gauge cluster resistor upgrade? Shoot me a PM anytime to discuss!

pm'd.

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Super ninja Wednesday BUMP! 3 day weekend, here we come!

You use white leds to back the gauge faces and then use translucent vinyl to make the areas you want a certain color, that color.

so How much vinyl would I need for the gauge cluster and hvac? i'm assume its the same thing for the hvac.
I'm about to get this done and really would like to order some but i don't want to order too much or too little. I'm going to be needing red, so do you happen to have any pictures that shows the difference between 1 layer and 2 layers of the red vinyl?

You will want 2 layers of red vinyl rather than 1. makes it more vivid so 2 sheets total. Each section of the hvac is lit individually so no vinyl is used on the hvac. Just pick the color leds you want.

hmm, wouldn't that make the shade of red be off between the gauges and the hvac?

2 layers matches the red leds very very well. That is why I recommended it.

alright, not trying to doubt you just want to verify before i go and do this and end up angry hahaha i'll be placing my order now then :D

No prob :) Will get the order right out!

does it matter which way the resistors are faving? i'm guessing no, but some clarification

They are not directional so it does not matter. Leds however are directional.

yeah I got that :P I've been practicing on a spare cluster. i'm not great at it but I know i'll be able to get the job done :D I just have to be sure not to F up my gauge screen olike I did with the spare trying to put the red layers on how I want them.

So Back to the HVAC. I'm trying to desolder the screen and don't want to break it. I'm trying to use the solder sucker but it just isn't working well. the tips on the two different suckers i've tried aren't small enough so i can't get close enough to get the solder while its hot. any differen tips for me? I know you said not to use a desoldering braid but maybe its time for me to give it a try anyways?

You can try braid, but I definitely do not recommend it / I never use it. Sorry you are having trouble. Do not stay on any one pin for to long if you are having problems, move to another pin and keep working it.

Don't be scared to bend the tips if the prongs coming off the screen, you can bend them back easy enough after you un solder them all. My solder sucker was causing the same problem, I just pushed it against the prong a little harder to get a little suction.

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You can try braid, but I definitely do not recommend it / I never use it. Sorry you are having trouble. Do not stay on any one pin for to long if you are having problems, move to another pin and keep working it.

There is nothing wrong with using braid (solder wick). As a matter of fact... many times it is the best option. The braid just runs a higher risk of damage due to heat. You need to use good flux when you use braid.

I typically use the braid to finish soldering fine-pitch components. You can glob the solder on when initially soldering down the part, then use flux + braid to wick most of the solder back off of the part. This should leave you with near-perfect joints.

For removing parts, the braid can be useful as well. I would add solder first. Definitely use flux. You will notice that when you use flux, the solder tends to flow straight into the copper braid. This is a good sign that you are not overheating your components or PCB. If the part that you are trying to remove is connected directly to heavy ground plane in the PCB, then you are going to have a really hard time wicking the solder away from the board. There is no graceful way to beat a heavy ground plane unless you have a reflow oven (which I doubt).

Of course there is nothing "wrong with it" but for a beginner, I DO NOT recommend the use of braid ever. You have no idea how many emails I get saying "oh crap I cracked my screen, I was using braid blah blah" or "why does only part of my screen work? I think I overheated it useing braid" and to quantify that, I get at least 1 email like that a week compared to around 1 or so a month using a solder sucker. I have to recommend to my customers the easiest way to get a screen off without damage and I recommend by years of experience doing this and helping my customers.

For the specific task of removing the LCD from this particular PCB / through hole pins, I recommend a quality solder sucker & iron for individuals with limited to hobby level experience.

I figured that is why you didn't recommend it. Those stats don't surprise me either.

I just thought I would add some solder braid illumination since it came up.

Gotcha, no offense taken at all or intended. It just sucks when I get those "help me" emails after they crack a screen and there is nothing I can do for them since the screen is not sold separate.

Another swapper on this forum recommended braid openly and wow did I get a flood of emails and repair calls after that which is why I try to keep that option limited.

It's not terribly surprising that parts get ruined often when people are doing something that is admittedly risky :)

We use vacuum hot air stations and re-flow ovens at work, and it is still a risky process.

Exactly, I have a vacuum system here but we do not have a full oven. I use a smaller hot air bath if I have to with quick chip or just flux "usually do not have to use either depending on what I am doing"

i would love to make my gauge lights blue,how much would that cost

Happy heatwave BUMP!

PM me a price for an LED swap, blue needle color change, HVAC LED swap all in blue shipped to 28384 please kind sir! Give me a few quotes for faster shipping methods too please.

PM Sent

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To note, all colors of all bulbs are back in stock! And of course all other items are in stock and good to go! Browse around our web-store at http://store.garage1217.com/

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How much heat can these LEDs handle? I want to make sure I don't burn them :)

Standard rating is 270C for 5 seconds MAXIMUM. If the bodies are deformed at all after install or if you keep a standard cheap 25-35W, non temp controlled iron on them for more than a few seconds, you can damage them, same goes with any leds.

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