This post is for anyone who has wanted to get rid of that damn amber lighting once and for all! I did this to my xB in about 15 minutes, and got rid of the amber lighting in the A/C control for good! Enjoy.

First thing to do is run to your local Autozone and pick up some little rubber bulb cover things in the color of your choice.. (I chose green)

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ac_color_change_xb/01.jpg

Of course, this is not the same size as the ones covering the LED's that light the A/C controls... They didn't have the correct size, nor did the 100 yr old man that I asked know that they had EVER had any that small... But hey, a pair of these things were $1.25.. If they weren't going to fit, oh well...

So anyway, get yourself a pair of these little rubber caps.. Now to install them.. First, remove the center dash piece by removing the A/C dials, and then the 2 screws on either side.. I marked where the screw on the right side is... The left one should not be hard to find, as it is in the exact same place, only on the left ;P

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ac_color_change_xb/02.jpg

Now to remove the center dash piece.. pry the bottom corner of the silver-colored piece up enough to get your fingers under it.. I used a flathead screwdriver for this procedure.. You may want to cover it in a piece of cloth, or just be very careful so that you don't scratch the plastic.. Also do not pry too hard.. If you are prying hard, then you are prying in the wrong places ;P... Once you can get your fingers under the corner, just pull:

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ac_color_change_xb/03.jpg

Just pull around the whole thing until it all comes lose... Then disconnect the 3 wiring harnesses connected to this piece, then pull the whole piece out...

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ac_color_change_xb/04.jpg

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ac_color_change_xb/05.jpg

Now, flip the piece you just removed over... You'll see this:

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ac_color_change_xb/06.jpg

Those 2 little grey circles are the LED's =) ... Ok... Take off that whole damn cream colored piece there... It snaps out, really easily... Be careful not to disturb the circular..err.. thing below it with the spring.. I do not know what this piece is, and I didn't mess with it..

These are the LED's you'll see poking through the underneath of the cream-colored piece that you just removed... Take off the yellow rubber cap..

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ac_color_change_xb/07.jpg

Now if you are like me, right now you are thinking,"Hey, I could just leave this rubber piece off and have white lighted controls".. WRONG... These LED's shine in the color of old-assed headlights... kinda that dull white/yellow color... uhg.. You don't want that... Ok... you got those off, now looking back at the dash piece, you'll see 2 holes where the LED's shine into...

(I've already stuck a green cap into the left side in this pic)

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ac_color_change_xb/08.jpg

Just put your new caps in the holes...

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ac_color_change_xb/09.jpg

Now then, put everything back together... Should be cake...

Next: wait until night-time, hop in your xB (or xA I suppose, this guide was done on an xB)... Flip on ya headlights and enjoy your new, color of choice A/C controls... Here is my horrible, horrible picture of the finished product.. Believe me, it looks like it came from the factory with green lights in person.. My digi-cam just doesn't like the dark.. Enjoy!

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ac_color_change_xb/10.jpg

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/ac_color_change_xb/11.jpg

Nice write-up. This should be a Sticky for any console removal related questions.

I did mine with a sharpie and added a small LED bar behind to supplement. If I can find blue jimmie hats, I'm gonna have to give it another shot.

good job!

will be a sticky now!

until darren add it to the tech section

hehe, cool... Had a bunch of people asking me how I changed them... Sorry about the blurry pics... My digi-cam was just not co-operating at all today =(

nice info man, especially for the removal, I know myself and others will make good use of that info... any possible SKU on the little light condoms??

I threw away the package before I knew people would be asking me how I changed the color =(... I'll try to drop in autozone and find out the exact size... They stand about 3/4 as tall as a quarter.. or there abouts

Just updated a different pic of the controls, this one is kinda grainy, but still better than the other pic ;P

awesome! doing it today. thanks man.

jon

nice!

I ended up just putting in some new ultra-bright blue led's in place of the ones that were in there. It took some playing around and the right resister so I wouldn't blow the led's, but it looks pretty good. I'll try to get some pics.

finally did mine today
you can check out the install pics on my site
gonna take pics at night

i used blue
here is the item
http://www.dje2.com/scionmaintech06climatecolor0004.jpg

Great walkthrough. Glad someone finally did it. Doing mine tomorrow.

Is it really impossible to get the A/C/defrost switches done also?

Just did the mod this morning, took all of ten minutes. The hardest part is getting the harnesses out, and even that's no biggie. One thing I would mention is that when you pull the console off, it is better to just pull down on the top two vent openings and the console will pop out as it was designed to. No need to go prying down below with a screwdriver or anything. Then to replace the console, use the same method, work from the top down, there is a hinge there. The bottom will just snap in. No scratches, no boo boos. :D

This car just snaps together! Gotta love it!

Although, I am probably going to take them out, the BLUE COVERS actually project GREEn LIGHT and they are a lot less bright. :roll:

I accidently bursted one of the bulbs while doing this :oops: anyone happen to know what replacement size they are and where I can find them, I tried everywhere, even the freakin toyota dealership and they told me I had to replace the whole control panel and I just laughed at him.

The bulb just fell out of my hand from the grease and burst :oops:

194 or 168 should fit...

I don't think a 194 will fit it, at least in the same way. They have a screw-in plastic thing they're mounted to. They're a very very small thin light.

BTW - You don't need to remove the bulb to do this procedure. You shouldn't even have to touch it. The bulb cover technique (which I do not recommend) goes in the opeings underneath the off-white piece. The only think you really need to do is pull the yellow condom off of the existing LED.

That's my 2 cents.

I wish someone new how we could just replace these existing bulbs with new bulbs entirely. There's gott abe a way.

If we could find out what size they are, we could replace them with brighter different colored LEDs. They are really small, I couldn't find them anywhere, even OEM Replacements.

Any Scion/Toyot dealer rep, please ask your parts dept. to find out the size for us, thanks

Dave

If we could find out what size they are, we could replace them with brighter different colored LEDs. They are really small, I couldn't find them anywhere, even OEM Replacements.

Any Scion/Toyot dealer rep, please ask your parts dept. to find out the size for us, thanks

Dave

YES PLEASE PLEASE PLEAS.....otherwise I will have to fabricate AMBER cold cathodes... :wink:

If we could find out what size they are, we could replace them with brighter different colored LEDs. They are really small, I couldn't find them anywhere, even OEM Replacements.

Any Scion/Toyot dealer rep, please ask your parts dept. to find out the size for us, thanks

Dave

YES PLEASE PLEASE PLEAS.....otherwise I will have to fabricate AMBER cold cathodes... :wink:


Dude anyone have a part ## for the light condoms? or even a size? Company that makes them.. anuything?

Pb

It still changes the airconditioning control color even though you left the blue and white piece in the dash? The blue and white piece I am talking about is in picture #6 on the right side where the air control is. Wouldn't this still light up blue since the blue piece is on it?

added to tech area.

I did this with my xA. Much of the disassembly of the console was the same. I couldnt find the rubber light covers in blue (AutoZone and Pepboys can suck it) so i attempted to use blue permanent marker. So far, seems to work. I am concerned about the bulb temperature burning off the ink, however. (Thats what happened when I tried the permanent marker on the dome light.)

I can take pictures of the process if anyone wants them. Shouldnt need them though, taking the thing apart is pretty cut and dried if youre cautious and look before you start yanking on stuff.

UPDATE:
Blue permanent marker is too dark. Gonna try turquoise. Guess its a hit or miss thing. Im thinking I might just have to jerry rig a series of LEDs into the console. Why Toyota tried to route such a low-wattage light through cheap clear plastic is beyond me... seems to be a stupid way to do things.

how do you take off the xA's front panel? I don't want to break it.

GeneShaft

Do you know if this would work on the tC as well?

how do you take off the xA's front panel? I don't want to break it.

GeneShaft

-pull off the silver sides
-remove left and right knob
-remove screws behind two knobs
-lift up the piece from the bottom of where the knobs are, this piece extends up to where the stereo is

hope that helps :)

how do you take off the xA's front panel? I don't want to break it.

GeneShaft

-pull off the silver sides
-remove left and right knob
-remove screws behind two knobs
-lift up the piece from the bottom of where the knobs are, this piece extends up to where the stereo is

hope that helps :)

but very carefully :D

the silver accents may scratch your AC panel if you pull too hard...

also, watch out for the little ball bearing in the center knob assembley (it's greased up) That's the key to the CLICKY!

http://www.superbrightleds.com/index.htm

why no just go here and get whatever color leds you want
direct fit or replacement :idea:

anyone got a part number for this thing?

i work for michaels scion in bellevue WA.
there is no separate part number for the little led's behind the dash or speedo

sorry :(

cool pics. i think i can handle that. .. wish i woudl have done it when i put in my JVC head unit, does it look like you could pull the bulb out of the gray colored base? .. i changed the color of my shifter console bulb from whtie to red LED.. bulb #74 if those are the same they should pop in if the gray base pops off
2005 XB thundercloud metallic http://members.sounddomain.com/silyotter

cool pics. i think i can handle that. .. wish i woudl have done it when i put in my JVC head unit, does it look like you could pull the bulb out of the gray colored base? .. i changed the color of my shifter console bulb from whtie to red LED.. bulb #74 if those are the same they should pop in if the gray base pops off
2005 XB thundercloud metallic http://members.sounddomain.com/silyotter

i found some blue light bulb covers at autobarn.com

anyone know how to change the light behind the clock cuz if u chance the a/c controls to any color then the clock wont match it.

stephen hull
2005 black xb

As I was too lazy to buy the bulb covers (it was late) I just used a sharpie on some scotch tape and taped the bulbs with that. Seems to work from what I could see so far, might be a little dark though.

mine turned out sweet thanks for posting it

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v393/scionlife89/ac.jpg

scionlife89, did you use the bulb covers?

Go to www.speedhut.com and into their "accessories" section and click on the "6 high bright LEDs button. Here's what it says about them:

6 High Bright LEDs

Set of 6 LEDs. These LEDs will replace factory bulbs and change the stock lighting to a blue, red or green color. Use These LEDs to replace your stock bulbs to a different color. These LEDs never burn out. Most cars have 6 or less bulbs.

http://www.speedhut.com/images_products/LED-kit.jpg

Wonder if these would work for the dash lights and what not??? Is somebody willing to get them and try them?

When I go to Autozone what do I ask the clerk? Where are your rubber bulb cover things? What i'm getting at, is there a more technical name that will not make me look like the dumb blond?

go to autobarn.com in the search box put light bulb covers.

well i just put my blue light bulb covers.have to wait till tonite to see how it looks.now how i`nm i going to change the shifter and the clock light to blue.

ok,now the on button just slides into the next slot.before it used to click into the next slot.i as careful on removing the thing. :oops: :cry:

ok,now the on button just slides into the next slot.before it used to click into the next slot.i as careful on removing the thing. :oops: :cry:

I am assuming that when you say the "On" button you are talking about your A/C Knob?? It also happened to me but I decided to leave it like that...If you use the search function you might be able to find a thread with the fix to that problem... :D

no i`m talking about the 3 big knobs.the one in the middle that if its on off no ac or heat.it use to click everytime you went from off to low to medium low to medium to medium high to high.that button! plase any help because i call dealer and they said that part costs $115.damn i was careful. :cry: :oops: :x

thank you .......im saving this one.......will be trying this soon....

the ones i got at autobarn are to big.going to try the ones at autozone.there a little smaller than the ones i got.

I changed my dash lights last night, and with your instructions it was super easy. Thanks for the good idea! Now my dash looks even better. :P

ok,now the on button just slides into the next slot.before it used to click into the next slot.i as careful on removing the thing.

Okay this is my first post, I hope it helps. Just received my brand new xB yesterday and already completed this mod. This will solve your problem with the a/c knob.

After removing the panel and the white piece where the LED's are if you look ar the center knob where that springy thing is located (panel), the one we are not supposed to touch, mine had some creamy lubricant, you will see a white plastic part. There is a little ball bearing that should be placed between the white lubricated piece and the panel. if you take a close look at the inside of the panel you will see where there are some grooves, as you turn the knob the ball bearing Clicks as it goes over each bump.

I discovered this because i was having trouble replacing the white part with the LED,s back in to its housing. After the ball was in the right place it just "clicked" right in. Good Luck.

TheKook ':D'
2005 XB

does anyone know if the green rubber ones from autozone match the optional scion interior lighting well?

I did this today and the instructions were great. It is a little different on the xA, but I would have never done it without this post.

I changed condoms on the easy-bake oven and the overheads while I was at it, although blue covers resulted in turquoise lighting...not sure if anyone else had a similar experience. I'll probably redo it with new lights when I figure out which bulbs to use.

Thanks.

I know it's been stated, and it might be overkill, but would anyone mind posting pictures of this process with teh xA? It'd really help, thanks.

Do you know if this would work on the tC as well?

Has anyone tried this yet on the tC? Like many others here, I want to have a blue theme inside and the amber lighting of everything else seems to clash. I'll try to stop by autozone this week but figure i'd save the 3 bucks or so if blue covers on those amber lighting don't turn out well on the tC.

so where do you find these bulb covers i have yet to find any even remotly that small ive only seen ones for the 194/168 bulbs which seem way too large . help me out pm me please

part # or size of the covers at autozone or kragen? let me know.....thanks..... :D

i've found some bulbs for the change and i've also found some led replacments the bulb is #74 i just got my hyper white and blue bulbs in both incandescent and leds so i'm gonna see what looks/works best

i'd like to retract my last statement. apparently i was told bum information. the #74 bulb is not correct so....... i used a blue sharpie and colored the light tubes works great so i think the sharpie to the light tubes is the best way cuz i know i certainly could never find the light bulb condoms. they do sell replacements online at like 2 wwbsites total but they're expensive so.... just an update

I'm not sure if it's the right part or not, but the bulbs look a lot like a #24 bulb that is sometimes used for side marker lights. Like I said, I'm not sure if it's exactly right, but the 24's are really small, so it's worth a try if you need a replacement bulb.

I sharpied the bulbs red. Looks good, and its bright. Doing the tach tonight.

unfortunately if you just sharpie the bulbs in the a/c the sharpie will burn off cuz incandescent bulbs get hot so in a few days it'll be an ugly yellowish white color. thats how i tried to blue mine at first. you gotta sharpie the light tubes behind the bulbs. trust me you will likey

Ok, I'm gonna redo this then. As far as the tubes go...Are you talking about the ports with that clear plastic that branches out and curves downward around the backing of the knobs? Similar to that plastic that behind the odometer piece?
I wasnt sure If that was what I was supposed to do, so I just did the bulbs.

I did the same thing but used Rosco Colorine Transparent Coloring. It's a dye used for dying light bulbs. It comes in a wide range of colors and can be bought a most Entertainment lighting sale places or a good scenic paint shop.

tried to do this took out the bulbs colored those and it doesn't work (colored using sharpie and ink just rubs off) colored the the yellow condom w/ the sharping and it doesn't work .... i can't take off the white part that consists of the bulbs i just screwed out the bulbs :( ... anyone can help me ? i took off the condoms anywayz so it looks a bit brighter but still amber.

had problems taking out the three connectors tho and prying the center console out on the bottom nearly took my nails off with it :(

tried to do this took out the bulbs colored those and it doesn't work (colored using sharpie and ink just rubs off) colored the the yellow condom w/ the sharping and it doesn't work .... i can't take off the white part that consists of the bulbs i just screwed out the bulbs :( ... anyone can help me ? i took off the condoms anywayz so it looks a bit brighter but still amber.

had problems taking out the three connectors tho and prying the center console out on the bottom nearly took my nails off with it :(
ok take off the center piece and then sharpie the backs of the dial faces. know what i'm talkin bout? yeah that worked for me. with the addidiot of the clear plastic light"tubes"

the problem is i can't take off the center piece( the one covering the light tubes) !!! feels like i'm going to break the whole thing !!!

you just gotta unscrew the two screws holdin it in then just pop it out. then pull the light tube out

very nice.

I bought blue T1.5 Instrument LED bulbs from www.superbrightleds.com just to see if I could rig something up. I took out the A/C bulbs (the ones with the white base), unbent the wires so that I could remove the bulb from their housing, then I did the same with the LED instrument bulbs by pulling the LED from their housing, unbent the wires and removed the bulbs. I then put the LED bulbs in the original white housings. The LEDs will not work unless they are placed in the correct position (one wire is positive, one is negative, they won't work when put back into the dash in the reverse). They look really good; very bright, much better than the rubber condom thing (I had the condoms on before I did this bulb changeout). I've heard of people taking out the bulbs and running LEDs off of their interior light kit, but I figure since there is a spot for bulbs to go and it already has power going to it, I didn't have to run any new wires and mount lights that weren't already there. I wish all of the lights in our cars were this easy to switch out.

this is helpful- thanks...
any one know how to change the color of the dashboard lights (speedometer, gas gauge, etc.)? I searched but couldn't find anything (doesn't mean it's not out there, *I* just couldn't find it).

this is helpful- thanks...
any one know how to change the color of the dashboard lights (speedometer, gas gauge, etc.)? I searched but couldn't find anything (doesn't mean it's not out there, *I* just couldn't find it).
http://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=28496

There are two ways of changing the speedometer color, the cheesy way using marker (http://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=20758) and the best (but most dangerous) way which involves switching out the LEDs (http://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=28496). I haven't done either, but I hear that the marker fades quickly. I plan on doing the LED change as soon as I get the balls.

Hey pdrizzle,

How many bulbs are there to replace for the ac knobs and instument panel?
Was it a perfect fit for the bulbs in these areas or did you do something extra to hold it in place?
I am assuming all these instructions would be relatively the same for the xA. Would this be a correct assumption?

There are two bulbs behind the A/C knobs. In my method, you will be using the bulb housing that came with the car, so there isn't anything extra needed to hold it in place. The bulbs are very close to the original bulbs' size, but the LED bulb had some extra plastic molding that I had to break off (it was like a 1mm piece that I snipped off with a needle nose, nothing major). I'm pretty sure the xA is the same, but I can't confirm that.

is there an easy way of changin the clock's light color?

I bought blue T1.5 Instrument LED bulbs from www.superbrightleds.com just to see if I could rig something up. I took out the A/C bulbs (the ones with the white base), unbent the wires so that I could remove the bulb from their housing, then I did the same with the LED instrument bulbs by pulling the LED from their housing, unbent the wires and removed the bulbs. I then put the LED bulbs in the original white housings. The LEDs will not work unless they are placed in the correct position (one wire is positive, one is negative, they won't work when put back into the dash in the reverse). They look really good; very bright, much better than the rubber condom thing (I had the condoms on before I did this bulb changeout). I've heard of people taking out the bulbs and running LEDs off of their interior light kit, but I figure since there is a spot for bulbs to go and it already has power going to it, I didn't have to run any new wires and mount lights that weren't already there. I wish all of the lights in our cars were this easy to switch out.

i found the page listing the T1.5 Instrument LED bulbs sizes and part numberr but when i went looking for it on the LED products i couldnt find it? what ws the bulb name that you used?

I just went to my local auto zone and couldn't find the rubber bulb caps. Would there be another place that I can purschase these rubber caps

Thanks

I used the rubber covers at first and they were too dim for me. The LED bulbs cost just as much for just as much labor and a better result.

Thanks

What size and where can i purchase these led bulbs

Thanks

number 74 can work if u extent the wires.

Count 11 posts up from this and start reading. PM me if you have any further questions.

yeah but a number 74 will also work. thats all i was sayin the bulb u are referring to is less common to get ahold of.

is there an easy way of changin the clock's light color?

Assuming that you don't want white color, you can change the color of the clock by using colored clear plastic dividers and then cutting them to size. You can slip them right behind the LCD display so that the combination of the amber LED's and the color of the divider you choose will create the color you want. However, I'm biased to changing the LED's because like pdrizzle said, it looks better and you don't have that dim bulb cover effect.

After a few months I'm filled with dissapointment. The red has completly faded on the speedo, as well as the ac knobs. I colored the yellow plastic covers in that white peice, on the speedo housing. I did not directly sharpie the bulbs. This method is a quick, yet short fix.......In the end 'm highly unsatisfied, and have no motivation to take apart those damn needles ever again.

I think I'll just buy a replacement....to bad I cant find the flame cover, like they make for the Chevy trucks.

well, for some reason I cant edit my post. I just wanted to add, the walkthrough was extremly helpful. I couldnt have done it without the walkthrough.

oh they make the flamed ones good luck findin em tho they were very prevalent on ebay a few months ago but now u can only find the silver ones.

i got my gel cap bulb covers at pep boys cost arround 2 and some change, its says it fits 194

yeah too bad the ac lights arent 194 and with the gel covers the lights look like crap . i just got some good led holders that accept #74 bulbs so u can still switch colors. lemme try n find the link. it's from japan so it might take me a day.

i did a half ___ job on mine :lol:

i have the right side blue and the other side the yellow i want to do it with blue knobs but i'll just get green results :roll:

yeah too bad the ac lights arent 194 and with the gel covers the lights look like crap . i just got some good led holders that accept #74 bulbs so u can still switch colors. lemme try n find the link. it's from japan so it might take me a day.

Did you find led holders that work? I got some from superbrightleds.com but they were too big. If you have that website that would be most helpful.

yeah too bad the ac lights arent 194 and with the gel covers the lights look like crap . i just got some good led holders that accept #74 bulbs so u can still switch colors. lemme try n find the link. it's from japan so it might take me a day.

Did you find led holders that work? I got some from superbrightleds.com but they were too big. If you have that website that would be most helpful.I gotta get ahold of sean (mybox) he can get some more for about 5 or 10 dollars so I'll let ya know he's in our team so i'll find out soon.

I bought some LED condoms from the local electronics store for 49 cents and 20 minutes later i have green controls! great write up. MY only concern is that with the green dash, the red on the heater control does not light up :( Anyone else have this happen? I have tried trimming the condom so some white light comes through but, it then makes a wierd looking mess when lit up.

yeah too bad the ac lights arent 194 and with the gel covers the lights look like crap . i just got some good led holders that accept #74 bulbs so u can still switch colors. lemme try n find the link. it's from japan so it might take me a day.

Did you find led holders that work? I got some from superbrightleds.com but they were too big. If you have that website that would be most helpful.I gotta get ahold of sean (mybox) he can get some more for about 5 or 10 dollars so I'll let ya know he's in our team so i'll find out soon.
That would be cool. I wasted some $ on the superbrite holders as well. I was ____ed so I took the bulbs out of the holders and tried soldering them in. Well... no go. I'm assuming it has to do with the fact that the circuit is carried by copper on the back of the white plastic thing that the stock bulbs twist into. Perhaps I'm not using enough heat on it because the 60/40 solder is beading off of it. Problem is that its really easy to melt the plastic and screw things up. Back to the red bulb covers for now.

No you are correct the copper is very hard to solder.

I got the leds to work from superbrightleds.com. What you have to do is break off the plastic wedge piece were the wires come out. Then take out the OEM bulbs from the holders. Put the leds in the OEM holders and bend the wires around it like the OEM ones. Then just put them back in and they work. The only thing is that the leds sit farther or cloder to you, so they light up the center of the dash nicely but are dim on the edges. So again back to the drawing bored. I was thinking of putting some foil in there some how to disperse the light more.

changing the dash color would be great, but can we chg the stereo illumination to match it. i have the 6 disc, so i can chg the display color, but all the other buttons stay that hideous shade of amber. any ideas?

I got the leds to work from superbrightleds.com. What you have to do is break off the plastic wedge piece were the wires come out. Then take out the OEM bulbs from the holders. Put the leds in the OEM holders and bend the wires around it like the OEM ones. Then just put them back in and they work. The only thing is that the leds sit farther or cloder to you, so they light up the center of the dash nicely but are dim on the edges. So again back to the drawing bored. I was thinking of putting some foil in there some how to disperse the light more.To me anything and everything is better than amber crap , I would just live with it , or try using an incandescent #74 bulb the main reason the light doesnt disperse is because led's don't disperse very much at all , even the wide angle.

changing the dash color would be great, but can we chg the stereo illumination to match it. i have the 6 disc, so i can chg the display color, but all the other buttons stay that hideous shade of amber. any ideas?Yes but you need alot of patience and yeah alot of led's too , I believe the number is 813 or something like that. , That's one of teh reasons I ditched the stock (crap) deck and went with a deh 7600 pioneer unit.

rough estimate how many to chg the ENTIRE dash AND radio back. i have no problem spending the time or money, but i want to chg the WHOLE thing not just part of it. i would like to keep the stock 6-disc, i have a million mp3s and that is the way to go for me personally. thanks

oh yeah, how sure are you about that number being accurate? and is this something that would be easier to just buy from a toyota dealer instead of pep boys? i know the dealerships rip you off w/ prices on parts, but something like LEDs would be worth it due to the fact you know they would fit. would they even carry them in other colors???

I HATE AMBER!!!

changing the dash color would be great, but can we chg the stereo illumination to match it. i have the 6 disc, so i can chg the display color, but all the other buttons stay that hideous shade of amber. any ideas?

You could drive with your headlights off, or close your eyes when you use the stereo!!!

I bought some LED condoms from the local electronics store for 49 cents and 20 minutes later i have green controls! great write up. MY only concern is that with the green dash, the red on the heater control does not light up :( Anyone else have this happen? I have tried trimming the condom so some white light comes through but, it then makes a wierd looking mess when lit up.Yeah, I continue to have this problem. If you replace with LEDs you get some faint illumination on the red sections.

I'm planning on shoehorning a 4" cold cathode in there for ultimate brightness.

oh yeah, how sure are you about that number being accurate? and is this something that would be easier to just buy from a toyota dealer instead of pep boys? i know the dealerships rip you off w/ prices on parts, but something like LEDs would be worth it due to the fact you know they would fit. would they even carry them in other colors???

I HATE AMBER!!!
dealerships dont even carry any of this stuff , a #74 fits the superbrightleds.com holders and disperses light better than the leds that they come with . The clock is 1106 or 1206 . the speedo is 1412 i beleive

Max2k, you have pics of that cathode? its a good idea, i wanna see how it works out.

yeah, if you pull that off i would luv to see pics on how you did it... mounting location, size, wiring, etc etc etc. that's an awesome idea, but i have never attempted something like that. i am sure it would be a HUGE hit, sounds like the majority of people have the same pet peeve we do.

would it be too far of a road-trip to get you to help me do mine??? (ha ha). i'll buy the beer! (ha ha, from San Diego)

I think ywo would be needed to adequtely light up the area one below one above.

I've noticed a really bad tendency on boards, with people using "LED" when it's actually a lamp, and vice versa. There's a BIG difference in this... LEDs run on a much much lower voltage (i.e. 1.2 to 2.8ish) than the lamps, which are usually the automotive standard 12v. LAMPS can be tiny and look like LEDs almost but again, can be 12v. Lamps can be changed easy with condoms, but you can't simply toss an LED in a lamps' place because of the voltage difference.... So please.. everyone.. be clear which type you are talking about.

I've noticed a really bad tendency on boards, with people using "LED" when it's actually a lamp, and vice versa. There's a BIG difference in this... LEDs run on a much much lower voltage (i.e. 1.2 to 2.8ish) than the lamps, which are usually the automotive standard 12v. LAMPS can be tiny and look like LEDs almost but again, can be 12v. Lamps can be changed easy with condoms, but you can't simply toss an LED in a lamps' place because of the voltage difference.... So please.. everyone.. be clear which type you are talking about.Yes but for the center console led holder and such the holder comes with resistored leds.

Can some post a picture of where the spring suppose to be located? The spring pop out and now the ac is not working after I put everything back. I've found the spring but don't know where it goes. Thanks.

What i did


used this tutorial to remove and take everything apart........
i used a file and filed the tips of my leds flat to defuse the beam.....important

then cut the + lead on my leds really short and added a 520 ohm resistor

then cut my - led lead short and put a tiny 90 degree anngle on it

soldier the negative in first buy passing it thought the back side, allowing it to hang

then used needle nose pliers to bend the resistor lead in a full u-turn cutting the

excess off then putting a tiny 90 degree bend in it soldiered it in

just for giggles i also changed the green led in my ac on/off button to white too

you can go to my web page to view pics,

http://www.dcustoms.0catch.com

just enter the site and go to scion page to see all the pics if you are in the kissimmee orlando area and need some help with this, hit me up well talk and i will try to help you out.

The little collored bulb condoms should be available from Autometer.

They use them to determine the illumination color of a lot of their gauges. Find a local shop that does a decent volume of autometer sales and they should have them.

You could also try www.summitracing.com since they sell a lot of autometer stuff.

For the guy with the blue cots producing green light - did you take off the stock yellow cot?

-Justin

yeah too bad the ac lights arent 194 and with the gel covers the lights look like crap . i just got some good led holders that accept #74 bulbs so u can still switch colors. lemme try n find the link. it's from japan so it might take me a day.

Did you find led holders that work? I got some from superbrightleds.com but they were too big. If you have that website that would be most helpful.I gotta get ahold of sean (mybox) he can get some more for about 5 or 10 dollars so I'll let ya know he's in our team so i'll find out soon.
That would be cool. I wasted some $ on the superbrite holders as well. I was ____ed so I took the bulbs out of the holders and tried soldering them in. Well... no go. I'm assuming it has to do with the fact that the circuit is carried by copper on the back of the white plastic thing that the stock bulbs twist into. Perhaps I'm not using enough heat on it because the 60/40 solder is beading off of it. Problem is that its really easy to melt the plastic and screw things up. Back to the red bulb covers for now.


there is a protective cover on the copper.......you must rough this up with by shoving a small wire brush in there and you your also try using flux separate from the solder

my parts list


super bright leds (2)

520 ohm resistors (2)

solder

flux

1/16 heat shirnk tubing

tools
phillips screw driver
wire brush
file
soldering iron
and
PATIENCE

I've figured it out. It wasn't contacting it. Thanks. :doh:

saving post for later. Great info.

Hey everyone, for those who wouldn't have a freakin clue on how to replace the actual leds in the compartment, I have a picture by popular demand of what the box and the part number of the led condoms. These are not direct fit like the yellow ones on the original LED. These are the ones that fit perfectly into the hole as shown on page one on the acutal install. I just did the mod today after waiting weeks to see if my local autozone had them. They had the green ones, but NOOO they didn't have the blue ones. I finally waited two weeks and decided to try autozone again off of a gut feeling and I found the last blue one. Hopefully this helps all you guys who don't know the part number!! (Note - They aren't in the package, i forgot to take a pic beforehand)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/MacMAster761/HPIM1027.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/MacMAster761/HPIM1025.jpg

Brand Name - Pilot
Name - Gel Cap Bulb Covers
UPC - 7-5755870825-3
Model number - WI-801B - blue, WI-801R - red, WI-801G - green and thats all i know that exists

those gel caps didnt do crap for me , a range of blue to green and almost whitish.

sounds like a lot of dissappointments going on with the changing of the color..has there been a easier way to do it yet?

i used the superbrite led.com led holders and modified em they work perfectly.

now has anyone changed the clock color? I want in to match my new climate control color.

anyone been brave enough to attempt the radio color? if drop me a message

um wgee76 i believe is his name did a radio , I've done the clock , the clock require de-soldering and then resoldering different leds number 1106 or 1206. the clock has 4 leds. hope that helps

I think I like justinb's method. It is a point of no return but effective and obtainable. I am still curious as to those that have replaced the bulb with an LED and holder. Can someone please post a picture of what you are using or a link to where they can be purchased?


Thanks

http://www.oznium.com/corvette-led-door-switches.php

Those are the same plugs we have in the xB. Anyone looking at doing this with LEDs should look at this.

Anyone know the reason they are attaching a resistor to the LED's in the corvette article??

because the LEDs would burn out if you didn't..

I did mine with a blue sharpie marker but it seems just alittle too darkso im gonna redo it and see if i can get it abit brighter postpics when im done in my gallery

I got some blue ones at Auto Zone, the lights ended up being too dar

too dark and I ended up putting the yellow ones back for the stock look

Just to add to the foray, I successfully changed my amber lights over to blue LEDs last night. It was a pretty simple affair, I'll post more details if anyone cares.

Basically, I was sitting in a friend's dorm room, bored. We decided to go to Wal-mart. Well, I saw a package of Tire-flys for like 4 bucks. We bought them, ripped them apart, soldered some resistors to the LED so as not to fry them (I'm not sure what kind they were, if details are wanted I'll get them). Anyway, here's the proof in the pictures.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b356/iratelizard/Photo_090105_001.jpg
Resistors.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b356/iratelizard/Photo_090105_002.jpg
Blue-1

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b356/iratelizard/Photo_090105_003.jpg
Blue-2

And for the record, be careful when pulling off the dash piece. I was having a hard time with the cable connecting the A/C switches, and I managed to smack myself in the face with the dash when it finally came lose. Bled for a good 20 minutes.

Well, let me know what you guys think, and as I said, if more details can be put down if anyone wants.

iratelizard, I am highly interested in this. The LEDS look pretty bright in the pics. The bulb covers I got now just aren't cutting it.

iratelizard, I am highly interested in this. The LEDS look pretty bright in the pics. The bulb covers I got now just aren't cutting it.

Whoo, that sure was quick.

Let me make a couple of calls about the resistors; I'll post back with the exact info.

I'll tell you now, I'm not 100% satisfied with it yet, but I think that it may just be due to the way the LEDs are aimed. Otherwise, it looks hella good.

At the end of the day, it was a super cheap mostly reversable mod.

Just so you know: there issoldering involved.

iratelizard, I am highly interested in this. The LEDS look pretty bright in the pics. The bulb covers I got now just aren't cutting it.

Whoo, that sure was quick.

Let me make a couple of calls about the resistors; I'll post back with the exact info.

I'll tell you now, I'm not 100% satisfied with it yet, but I think that it may just be due to the way the LEDs are aimed. Otherwise, it looks hella good.

At the end of the day, it was a super cheap mostly reversable mod.

Just so you know: there issoldering involved.

I can solder. Did you sand the ends of the LEDs or no? Is the resistor in parallel with the LED or series? Can I get more info on the LEDs you used? I just may try it this weekend.

iratelizard, I am highly interested in this. The LEDS look pretty bright in the pics. The bulb covers I got now just aren't cutting it.

Whoo, that sure was quick.

Let me make a couple of calls about the resistors; I'll post back with the exact info.

I'll tell you now, I'm not 100% satisfied with it yet, but I think that it may just be due to the way the LEDs are aimed. Otherwise, it looks hella good.

At the end of the day, it was a super cheap mostly reversable mod.

Just so you know: there issoldering involved.

I can solder. Did you sand the ends of the LEDs or no? Is the resistor in parallel with the LED or series? Can I get more info on the LEDs you used? I just may try it this weekend.

Alright, here we go.

Here's the product: you can get em' at Walmart, Target, wherever fine overpriced car crap is sold.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b356/iratelizard/tireflys.jpg

Now, the next thing you'll need is a pack of Resistors from Radio Shack. they were $0.99, for like 5. You'll only need four.

330 ohm 1/2W 5% Carbon Film Resistor pk/5

$0.99 Brand: RadioShack
Catalog #: 271-1113 Model: 271-1113

Now, here's what we did.

Broke apart the TireFlies, they come apart REAL easily. You'll be left with a circuit board and a stack of three batteries. discard the batteries, and use your soldering iron to seperate the LED from the PCB board. I probably don't have to tell you, but be careful not to melt the LED...

From there, clip the resistor down a bit so that it won't be difficult to close up the compartment upon completion.

Head out to your Scion, and remove the dash as previously instructed on page 1 of the forum. The only difference (Which i]may[/i] have been covered already )is that you will need a small flat-head screwdriver to gently insert into the gray bulb area and turn. You'll find that this will release the bulb and allow for it to easily be removed. You'll now be faced with copper pads, at an easy-to-work-with twelve volts.

Now, set up your circuit just like the one in the picture. Left copper pad to resistor, to resistor, to LED, to right copper pad.

You're gonna hate me for this, but that's all I remember. Personal reccomendation: jury rig it up to ensure the proper polarity for your LED and Resistors. before you do your final solder-job. I believe the smaller end inside the LED (you'll have to look inside, but trust me, it's easy when you know what I'm talking about) is positive.

Check back a little later on, there's a good chance that I will update with a little more info. the guy I was with last night is the real electronics guru, but I can' seem to raise his lazy ___ on the phone. when I talk to him I'll post back again, he'll remember more detail than I did. Remember, however, that LEDs are pretty strong little beasts. even if you miswire them, so long as you remove current from them quickly, you can swap and use them again.

Either way, you now have a shopping list to work from. ^-^

Let me get this straight:

There are four total resistors, two on each LED. The resistors are in series with the LED, not parallel.

Can I ask why you used two resistors when one would do the trick

Let me get this straight:

There are four total resistors, two on each LED. The resistors are in series with the LED, not parallel.

Can I ask why you used two resistors when one would do the trick

Yup, you're following perfectly. They're wired in series.



the reason why we used two is because one of the 330 Ω. resistors would put about 33ma through the LED, where the max an LED can handle is about 20ma. Now, we're thinking that a single 470 Ω resistor will do the trick, since it'll put out almost exactly at 20ma. So, they'll be brighter than the ones I have rigged up right now.

Wait a minute, wouldn't a 600 ohm resistor be ideal? 12V/600Ohm=20mA, right?


If I am wrong with assuming the voltage is at 12V, I'll put in a 470 ohm resistors in series.

I am probably going to work on it on Monday.

I can post pics when I get it done.

Wait a minute, wouldn't a 600 ohm resistor be ideal? 12V/600Ohm=20mA, right?


If I am wrong with assuming the voltage is at 12V, I'll put in a 470 ohm resistors in series.

I am probably going to work on it on Monday.

I can post pics when I get it done.

Theoretically it should be 12v, but in reality it's more beween 13.2-13.8. However-resistors are dirt cheap. I'm going to try swapping out for a couple of 470 ohm resistord this weekend to see how much more color I can pump through.

So, let's make our respective changes and compare notes, eh?

Well... I don't have a voltmeter, so I am gonna go with the conservative side and get somewhere around a 690 ohm if I can.

13.8V/20mA=690ohm

The amount of light I am getting now is very low, and it's not as blue as I would like. It's more turquoise.

I'm also gonna do some looking around RadioShack for perhaps some white or UV LEDs.

I'll update this thread when done. It'll be a couple days.

Well... I don't have a voltmeter, so I am gonna go with the conservative side and get somewhere around a 690 ohm if I can.

13.8V/20mA=690ohm

The amount of light I am getting now is very low, and it's not as blue as I would like. It's more turquoise.

I'm also gonna do some looking around RadioShack for perhaps some white or UV LEDs.

I'll update this thread when done. It'll be a couple days.

Hmm, that's interesting. But you are also limiting more current than I am. LEDs will burn for thousands of hours at their peak. So, even pushing them a little harder than they were designed to be ran will still allow for them to run for a very long time. Try a resistor that limits a little less, that's what I'd do.

Edit: Nevermind... I figured it out.

Edit: Nevermind... I figured it out.

So how'd it turn out? Do you have any pics?

I got it done, but the colors and dispersion are way off. I went with RadioShack LEDs. I may go get the TireFlys, but I have a question: Are the wires coming out of the Leds very long? The way I did mine, I did not solder to the pads, but used the grey screw in holders. Without long leads from the LED, I would have to solder to the pads, and I don't want to do that. If the leads are not very long, I'll order some LEDs from superbrightleds.com, so I'll have to wait a while.

I got it done, but the colors and dispersion are way off. I went with RadioShack LEDs. I may go get the TireFlys, but I have a question: Are the wires coming out of the Leds very long? The way I did mine, I did not solder to the pads, but used the grey screw in holders. Without long leads from the LED, I would have to solder to the pads, and I don't want to do that. If the leads are not very long, I'll order some LEDs from superbrightleds.com, so I'll have to wait a while.

The leads coming off the LED are not very long at all, unfortunately. I just soldered to the resistor for length. I just set the grey screw-things aside.

I changed out to a 470 ohm resistor, and things look better now. My color comes out as a deep rich blue. It's a little weak towards the far left and right of the console, but I think that two more LEDs will solve that problem I'll just put them on either end of the light track that runs behind the console. I'll post pics when I add them.

The leads coming off the LED are not very long at all, unfortunately. I just soldered to the resistor for length. I just set the grey screw-things aside.

I changed out to a 470 ohm resistor, and things look better now. My color comes out as a deep rich blue. It's a little weak towards the far left and right of the console, but I think that two more LEDs will solve that problem I'll just put them on either end of the light track that runs behind the console. I'll post pics when I add them.

Looks like I am ordering some LEDs.

The pic you posted earlied looks much better than mine. There is way too much unevenness, even after I tried filing the surface of the LED. That made little difference. In addition, the color between the two LEDs was different, one was perfect in color, but the other was more purple. I did try changing out resistors, but at $5 apiece, I didn't have any spare LEDs.

I think we need something with a good visible angle. Something with more like a 45 would do better than my 30 degree. I'll order some and report on the results.

Are these 3mm or 5mm leds?

greg

Are these 3mm or 5mm leds?

greg

I used 5mm and they worked fine. 3mm may fit into the grey piece a little better, but 5mm works just fine.

I followed the walk through here:
http://www.oznium.com/corvette-led-door-switches.php

as well. the light holders are the exact same, I used a dremel with a sanding drum to sand the 5mm led's down to a "close enough" size and wired em up with a 440 ohm resistor. I have only looked at it during the day but they are very blue. I replaced the 2 bulbs for the knobs as well as the light for the a/c indicator and the defrost indicator. the a/c indicator was already a LED but it was a PITA to get to. The defrost indicator was a smaller version of the same thing used for the knobs, I had to sand the hell out of the 5mm led to get it to fit, it was a smallish rectangle (basically all non-diode-protecting plastic from the casing is gone)


Worked like a charm, and only took about 30 minutes start to finish (but I am a champ at disassembling the console at this point)

I got mine done tonight, after replacing the RadioShack miscolored LEDs. One was blue, one was more purple, and they were both dim. I went with super bright blue LEDs from oznium.com, and got the included resistors.

Since I did not want to solder to the factory pads, I put the LEDs in place using the grey twist on holders which the stock bulbs use. First I sanded the ends of the LEDs flat to disperse the light. There are two small holes which the leads from the 5mm LEDs slip right into. I wrapped the shorter lead just like the factor bulb was. I then wrapped one wire of the resistor on the other side of the grey piece, keeping the resistor on the opposite side of the grey piece as the LED. Connect the other wire of the resistor and the unused side of the LED together (I soldered, but anything to connect them together should work, provided it's not that big.) Plug in and reinstall that's it.

I was not intelligent enough to snap some pics, and I doubt I'll be in the dash any time soon, but if my directions are not clear enough, I can come up with a wiring diagram.

Here's a crappy pic. It seems the lights are really tough to capture at night. It looks amazing in person.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/xbscion/DSC00461.jpg

Funny. all this work you ladies and gentlemen are going to, and I'm lucky enough that Orange/Amber is my favorite color!

In fact, I'm looking to light up more areas with orange. Looks great on the Polar White xA (I think)....

Anyhow, soon enough you'll all have changed your LED's and I'll be the only one w/ Amber, thus making me cool again!

Great thread all the same... :silly:


mrC

Funny. all this work you ladies and gentlemen are going to, and I'm lucky enough that Orange/Amber is my favorite color!

In fact, I'm looking to light up more areas with orange. Looks great on the Polar White xA (I think)....

Anyhow, soon enough you'll all have changed your LED's and I'll be the only one w/ Amber, thus making me cool again!

Great thread all the same... :silly:


mrC
lol yah i have a yellow xb and the amber matches it..... well as close as i can get to yellow..... even though i don't like the amber color, no other color goes with my white/black theme

Yellow is my accent color of choice with my BSP TC. I have full yellow headlights, highbeams, very yellow fogs, PIAA Crystal Ion in the accent lights, and in the dome (silly bright BTW)... in the garage is a yellow LED underbody kit, then it's the yellow cathode under teh dash and seats, yellow LED in the OBX mesh gear shift.

I'm ____ed, my remote radar dector display is a blue LED, dang you !

Just so I know, does anybody know the size of the original bulb? The wires snapped from the grey base and in case I don't do the whole LED process I want to be able to put this one right back in. I haven't seen it listed...

Plan to go to Radioshack down the street in the morning to see about this though.

Ok guys I found some LEDs that appear to be what I would need in brightness and size.

http://cgi.ebay.com/100x-White-3mm-LED-5000mcd-Lamp-Light-Free-Resistors_W0QQitemZ7553646990QQcategoryZ66952QQcmdZViewItem

or

http://cgi.ebay.com/100x-Blue-3mm-LED-5000mcd-Bulb-Lamp-Free-Resistors_W0QQitemZ7553773461QQcategoryZ66948QQcmdZViewItem

Do you guys think these would work? If so, would I need any resistors or anything else?

Nice Job

:bow: :bow: :bow: Max that looks great :clap: :clap: :clap:

Max could you just give a once over on the whole install I would love to change all LED's this weekend and I would like to have a step by step guide :silly:

Thanks for all the info everyone :clap:

:bow: :bow: :bow: Max that looks great :clap: :clap: :clap:

Max could you just give a once over on the whole install I would love to change all LED's this weekend and I would like to have a step by step guide :silly:

Thanks for all the info everyone :clap:

All the info on how to get in there is on the first page of this thread. The only different thing I did is outlined in my post on the 6th page of this thread. Contact me if you have any further questions, but there should be enough info there for you to do it.

Hey guys love the site and all the suggestions. I am having one major problem after doing this color change thing. My A/C fan dail in the middle doesnt work now. That silver thing popped out and I put it back where I thought it was now it doesnt work. If anyone has ran into this or knows how to fix it please please let me know. I would greatly appricate it.

-- brookevin@netzero.com

Just to clear things up with ACCURATE information.
The stock 2 lamps that light up the Ac Console are regular halogen bulbs with filaments. they are NOT LED's.
For the ultimate best result you must you LED's. Do not try to color the bulbs with a sharpie, bulb condoms do not work.
I used 2 Super bright Blue LED's. Ordered from www.superbrightleds.com
Part Number: RL5-B4630 Super-Blue LED

Pull the old lamps out.
Solder 473 ohm resistor to each LED and resolder onto Copper surface where original lamps sat.
Plug console back in but do not insert back into dash yet. Power up the console and physically move the LED's in different angles to obtain best light disbursement then put console back onto dash.

I guarantee you will be amazed and happy with the change. My console is very bright and lit very evenly. Any questions, just post and I'll answer.

Good luck, it's a great mod.

Solder 473 ohm resistor to each LED and resolder onto Copper surface where original lamps sat.

I agree with everything you wrote except for the part where soldering to the copper pads is required. It is not.

Run the resistor's lead around the grey piece as the factory bulb is, solder the other end of the lead to the LED, and run the lead from the LED around the other side of the grey piece. Screw it back in place.

This way if you want to replace your colors, or somehow screw up your LED, you are not soldering to the copper pad multiple times and screwing it up.

Yes, excellent point to make future changes easier. Great additional info.

I should point out that if you use my method and use the grey pieces, you will need to trim the leads and keep the LED and resistor close together as space gets pretty tight.

I did this but bow my ac fan switch does nothing just spins help anyone?

is it dark?

haha no not the actual ac button but the spinning dial that turns the fan on or off.Goes up to 4 for power. Than thing is not activating at all just spinning i put the ball bearing back and the spring back no luck

Ok I fixed it a post on page 2 details It, if it doesnt click its because u are putting it in the wrong place the part with the ball bearing goes on ther bottom in the grooves then the spring then the metal peace sign thing then put it back in.

Ok ladies and gents I found a seriously easy way to mod with no breaking of lights or soldering. All you need are some prewired LED's with the resistor already there, some wire connecters and one additional piece of wire, " I used 16g speaker wire"

I guess I should say do this at your own risk and I am not resposible for mistakes bla bla.

So, when you pulll the dash cover off you have to disconnect three wire looms.
One small white one on the left
One bigger Gray one in the middle
And one big white one on the right.. This is the one you are going to have to work on.

With the loom facing you, you wil notice two rows of wire.
On your left should be a white wire with a black line.
This is the ground for the entire loom.
You need to cut this wire approx. mid way.

At the end coming from the car, connect one butt connector.

Now is where that one piece of speaker wire comes into play. I separated the wire so you have one wire."not two" Normally positive and negative.
Now at the end of that wire crimp a quick connector male or female your choice.
At the other end of that same wire twist it together with the white wire with black stipe.
Now put the white wire back together using the butt connector already installed.
*****

Now looking at the same big white wire loom locate a green wire on the top row.
It will be second from the right on the top row.
Cut this wire half way back.
Next crimp a quick connector to the side of the wire coming from the car.
That is all you need to do with that wire.
***

Next remove your standard lights, as shown in previous page.

Next use a quick connector to crimp both positive wires of your LED's together.
Also do the same to the negative side.
****

Fix your LED's how ever you want to so that the glow into the pod. I used double sided tape.
***

Plug your positive LED connector to the Green Wire and the Negative wire to the white wire.

Put is all back to gether and Presto! your new LED's will turn on When your turn on your parking lights and your headlights.. and only then.
Sorry for the wordy how to but it got dark and I did not want to take crappy pics of the wires in the dark. This mod took me about 30 min. And that is including testing the wire loom to see what wires to use. I'll try to post picks this weekend. Sorry for the gramatical errors.

Good luck!

I just did this using the gren Pilot Gel Bulb Covers I picked up at Pep Boys using the original DIY. Completed in 15 minutes and it was dark out! Look o much better than the amber garbage.....

Now that I know how to pull that part of the dash an LED in the cubby is next!

Used the exact gel cap bulb covers posted by MacMaster on page five of this post. I had to get mine from pep boys and got raped on the price of $3.99 per set of two covers. The local autozone didn't carry them anymore because they did not move fast enough. They work great for me in red. Not sure if anyone else has posted this, but you can use those same gel caps to cover the bulb in the easy bake. It's the perfect size. Thanks to all who contributed to this thread. Red looks great with the blue led lights on the auto-dimming mirror.

Thanks again.

I could not find the gel caps at any auto store near me, and didn't feel like ordering online, so i went to the local craft store and bought some stained glass window paint, i got it in the form of a pen: (click for bigger pic!)
http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/1628/scion8sp.th.jpg (http://img91.imageshack.us/my.php?image=scion8sp.jpg)

The Lable says: Vitrea 160, its made by a company called Pebeo... *This is a transparent paint* The same brand sells very similar looking porcelin paint aka not transparent so anyone who goes shopping for these make sure you grab the right one.

Cost me 3.99 and i just basically colored the little bulbs. I stuck em in and its a nice bright lime green. I waited a couple hours for the paint to be set *enough* to try out, but not fully set in case i needed to recoat it (or in case it sucked). I missed a tiny little spot on one of the bulbs that just so happened to make the center dial yellow-white ish, so i used a tiny bit of rubbing alcohol on a paper towel to remove the paint and i just recoated it.

Once this other bulb is dry i'll take some pics for you guys. There were a LOT of different colors available, and im absolutly sure that they would work great on white LEDs too to get a certain tone of orange, green, blue, purple, etc. There was a lighter blue pen there that im positive would provide an indigo look.

I could not find the gel caps at any auto store near me, and didn't feel like ordering online, so i went to the local craft store and bought some stained glass window paint, i got it in the form of a pen: (click for bigger pic!)
http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/1628/scion8sp.th.jpg (http://img91.imageshack.us/my.php?image=scion8sp.jpg)

The Lable says: Vitrea 160, its made by a company called Pebeo... *This is a transparent paint* The same brand sells very similar looking porcelin paint aka not transparent so anyone who goes shopping for these make sure you grab the right one.

Cost me 3.99 and i just basically colored the little bulbs. I stuck em in and its a nice bright lime green. I waited a couple hours for the paint to be set *enough* to try out, but not fully set in case i needed to recoat it (or in case it sucked). I missed a tiny little spot on one of the bulbs that just so happened to make the center dial yellow-white ish, so i used a tiny bit of rubbing alcohol on a paper towel to remove the paint and i just recoated it.

Once this other bulb is dry i'll take some pics for you guys. There were a LOT of different colors available, and im absolutly sure that they would work great on white LEDs too to get a certain tone of orange, green, blue, purple, etc. There was a lighter blue pen there that im positive would provide an indigo look.
WHAT STORE DID U BUY THE PEN FROM?

Awesome write up guys just saving for later :clap: :clap:

I have a quik question iv noticed in basically all pics of this mod done that the red part of the temperature selector is dim to dark with no color. im here in my house thinking about it and havent done anything yet to my car. but from experience with taking things apart most inserts that go between a light source and a console ie, speedometer. are painted to give off a specified color such as red or blue. So would it help if the red on the temperature part is just sanded off using a fine sandpaper. and if not does anyone know how to fix this problem?

Just finished installing red LEDs into the AC controls, and have to give props to this thread. The color looks amazing, but it does fade as it reaches the left and right side of the controls. I guess it's back at it tomorrow to try to even it out. Anyone have any tips or solutions on evening out the light?

The LED that has the prewired resistor is the #74 LED and you could get it from www.garage1217.com and it goes into where the halogen bulb is. Also you have to break off the small tab at the bottom of the LED. This LED is flat on top which progects a little better than regular LEDS.

I am not the greatest tech guy here.

I was wondering if there was a LED that I can use without having to sodering

I am not the greatest tech guy here.

I was wondering if there was a LED that I can use without having to sodering

what are you gonna use it for?

for the ac control

unfortunately you need to solder it but it is fairly simple to do you just attach the led's positive end to the resistor and when you insert it back in you need to test it first becuase you cant really tell which side is the positive power part on the white piece

for the ac control

read my post before your first post.If you got and Q's pm me!

Ok, I think I figured out how to distribute the light more evenly, at least a little more evenly.
I installed real super white LED's in place of the crappy ol dindgy yellow lamps from the factory as indicated in this thread. I was reading how some of us were having problems with the edges being dark.

this is not a complete fix, but it helps.

I dont think i read about anyone doing this yet, if i missed it andsomebody has already done this, sorry.

ANYWAYZ....

Disassemble everything the way you would to remove the old lamps,

In addition to sanding the round head flat, sand an angle on the leds using sandpaper or a file.
Make the angle on the inside of the led's to where it angles to the center of the dash. this helps reflect light to the opposite side of the led which is the dark part we currently have.

After you have the angle, sand the rest of the led to make it look like a frosted bulb.

Next...
There is a clear plastic piece that distributes the light to all of the dials,
Take it out, (its not too hard, you gotta remove another piece first, and be careful with that ball everyone keeps losing) sand it down as much as possible to make it a frosted piece of plastic instead of clear. This helps distribute the light evenly acroos the plastic.

I tried this and it helped distribute the light more evenly, it doesnt have those hard bright spots in the center anymore. The center is still brighter than the outter edges, but it is not such a harsh contrast. Smoother througout.

I might try and paint the back of the plastic white around the round areas toward the outside of the piece of plastic to see if that helps reflect light even more

I think the only way to light up the ends as much as possible is to run a couple more LEDs, which means more wiring and soldering....

Anyways, hope this helps or inspires better ideas

in theory this idea is really cool, but i just did mine and im not so impressed

has anyone found the bulb cover condoms online? i cant find them anywhere.

Here is a pic of my white led's sanded down and everything, installed...

As you can see it is still brighter toward the middle of the dash, but its not as bad as it was before I sanded everything.

http://www.signsofhouston.com/ScionZone/Dash1.jpg

:eyebrow:

too dark and I ended up putting the yellow ones back for the stock look

ditto.

the blue bulb covers didnt work out too well and werent nearly as blue as my cathode lighting

Hmmmm.... Cathodes... I wonder If you could get them to fit behind the a/c controlls. Maybe the 4 inch cathode. Or cut the plastic off of it and then run it back there. Will it work? :ponder:

that would be pretty sweet i must say

anyone find the bulb condom covers online anywhere?

http://www.electronicplus.com/content/ProductPage.asp?maincat=la&subcat=lmi

Try that bro :pray:

Why dont you put LED's in, instead of the lamps w/ covers?

LEDs are definatly the way to go. I just did mine with LEDs and they look great now I just need to do my clock.

LEDs are definatly the way to go. I just did mine with LEDs and they look great now I just need to do my clock.

Where can I find a DIY for this? I want it to match my Cathodes, and the rubber caps cannot be found at my local Kragen and Autozone. Plus lost of feedback state its not bright enough.

Just follow this DIY thread, but instead of putting the Rubbers over the bulbs, remove the bulbs from the bulb holder, and replace them w/ LED's.
You will need to solder a resistor on one of the LED's prongs. I put the resistor on the short one cuz thats what I read was the positive.


You will have to do some trimming to the LED's prongs (I dont know what the LED"S wires are called, they are too stiff to be wires so I'm calling them prongs, somone help me out here)

Wrap the LED's prongs around the holder like the original wireing was, and put them back in. If they dont light up, then you have them in backwards... simply remove it and then twist the LED holder 180 degrees to match up the positive and negative properly.
There's pics around here somewhere, try the search button
Its really easy.

Where can I find a DIY for this? I want it to match my Cathodes, and the rubber caps cannot be found at my local Kragen and Autozone..

HELLOOOOO?????

Read the thread you just posted in. All your info is here.

Of course it would be a big job, but wouldn't it be nice if on these big DIY posts, all the real good DIY instructions, links and technical info could be seperated out into one or two pages?

Where can I find a DIY for this? I want it to match my Cathodes, and the rubber caps cannot be found at my local Kragen and Autozone..

HELLOOOOO?????

Read the thread you just posted in. All your info is here.

There are 8 pages of questions and answers. I cannot seem to separate them.

What is easy/effective method of changing the A/C light?

If you read the first page, the first post, you will be able to at least remove the light bulbs. Then you can replace them with LED's. You will have to Solder a resistor onto one side of the LED wires first, then re-wrap the wiring into the plastic housing like the original bulb was.
Its really easy, and when you get everything taken apart its easier to see what we are talking about.


Talk to SquallHeart about LED's. He's really knowledgable in that area. And he is very generous with his knowledge.
Here is a link to his profile, click the Private Message button to send him a message.
http://www.scionlife.com/profile/SquallLHeart

Pm'd him, thanks. Where can I get cheap LEDs that fit?

www.oznium.com
Cathodes & LEDs galore

These?

http://www.oznium.com/led

What size and do I need resistors

yes those, you can get either the 5mm or 3mm. I used the 5mm. They dont sit down completley into the plastic holder, but it works, you can sand the edges down a little to make it fit. Or you can just get the 3mm, they cost more tho'
And YES you do need resistors, read up on LED's on the link you posted to see why and how to connect them.

Has anyone tried trimming the led itself, to get the light to spread out more? Oznium's site says you can do that...

Yes I "trimmed" mine down w/ sandpaper. You can just sand it down. You can flatten the head to make the light spread out more. I put angles on mine to shine in the direction of the dark areas I had.

Allright, here is how you can modify (trim) LEDs.

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/3971/trimmedledsuk3.jpg

Take a new LED and chuck it in your drill with the leads and the bottom flange sticking out of the chuck. Dont tighten it too hard or you'll crack the LED. Then use a coarse file and just turn down the flange.

Then flip the LED around in the drill chuck. Now you can turn down the front of it. Again, using a file turn down the LED. I use various conical shapes to get more diffused light out of it. Also leave the turned down part rough (don't polish it out). That difuses the light better than a polished surface.

Hmmmm.... Cathodes... I wonder If you could get them to fit behind the a/c controlls. Maybe the 4 inch cathode. Or cut the plastic off of it and then run it back there. Will it work? :ponder:

LED's are not the way to go... you can fit 2 4" Cathodes in behind the A/C controls once you take the clear diffuser out. LED's will always be brighter in the center and dim at the edges no matter how much you modify them. The Cathodes are even and bright all the way across and can still be dimmed.

Here's a pick of mine using 2 4" Cathodes purchased from Oznium.com

http://se-detroit.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/13_front%20dash.jpg

Sweeeet! I thought that might be possible, Nice job!
Did you do the LED's in your HU yourself?
Also whats inside your AC Vents LED's or Cathode?

Sweeeet! I thought that might be possible, Nice job!
Did you do the LED's in your HU yourself?
Also whats inside your AC Vents LED's or Cathode?

Thanks.

Yes, I did the HU myself... not to "toot my own horn" but I was the first one to do the LED swap on the head unit... I just dragged "butt" on getting a DIY out there... I'm not very good at write-ups. :doh:

The vents are all LED's also purchased from Oznium.com.

Here's a link to my gallery at se-detroit.com, please feel free to check out some of the many LED mods I've done to my xA and shoot me a PM if you have any questions.

http://se-detroit.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=10

Sweeeet! I thought that might be possible, Nice job!
Did you do the LED's in your HU yourself?
Also whats inside your AC Vents LED's or Cathode?

Thanks.

Yes, I did the HU myself... not to "toot my own horn" but I was the first one to do the LED swap on the head unit... I just dragged "butt" on getting a DIY out there... I'm not very good at write-ups. :doh:

The vents are all LED's also purchased from Oznium.com.

Here's a link to my gallery at se-detroit.com, please feel free to check out some of the many LED mods I've done to my xA and shoot me a PM if you have any questions.

http://se-detroit.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=10

Wow, there's a DIY on the HU too? I can't seem to find it.

How difficult was it to find a location to mount the cathodes in the A/C Controls? Can you turn it on/off? Also, how did you get the LEDs in the AC Vent?

ok, you aren't looking hard enough :P
Here is how you use the "look around the website" feature. haha :lol:

go to "features" at the very top of this page
go to "tech"
filter to the xB
go to "radio color change"

the pics aren't working for some reason. I'll PM the guy who wrote it.

Hey Blue_Estel, would you mind posting a pic of how you mounted the tubes into the dash, behind the AC controls? Thanks, great idea.

Nice mod Blue_Estel!

I'm doing my HU now. That thing has a crapload if 0603 LEDs in it! What a pain. My plan is to wire in RGB LED under the "color" button, so that it changes color with the display. This is the new iPod unit.

Also, my LED A/C mod illuminates pretty evenly. Looks good to me. I also put white LEDs in the clock/odometer display (xB).

I'll post a picture once everything is finished.

this is awesome how to do you guys get to the inside of the headunit to where the LED;s are?

EVERYONE READ FOR EASIEST METHOD WITH GOOD RESULTS

go to ur local pep boys and pick up a 3 pack of "PIOLET LED Anywhere" LEDs for about 5 bucks. i suggest u get a few packs n some nice switches cuz these things r addictive and way too easy. they come with snap in holders and are ALREADY WIRIED W/ RESISTORS. now as stated awhile back u can tap into the brite white wiring harness for ur power n ground connections. green wire=power and white w/ blk stripe=negative. these particular LED's snap-in holders are a 100% PERFECT FIT in the hole where the lamp plugs in. so pop in ur holders insert the LEDs and run the wires into the harness. i that easy. i suggest u sand the tips of the LEDS with sand paper for an even glow, this was also stated on page 5 i think. you may want to run some other LEDS while ur in there too. i did the controls, the oven, and my AC vents. looks sick and only took bout 45 min to do everything.

Or u could wait 2 weeks n order leds form japan, or bust plastic wedge tips off, or attempt to fight with miniscule resistors to save $1.50...i thats ur thing... :nope:

this is awesome how to do you guys get to the inside of the headunit to where the LED;s are?

Pull the radio out. There are 2 screws on the sides of the faceplate - remove them. Then release all the faceplate tabs (all around). Faceplate pulls right off the radio. Then you need to unscrew 8 screws with white arrows pointing to them. Don't mix them up as some are different. Those 8 hold the green circuit board. Pull up the circuit board. All the LEDs are solderd to the circuit board.

i found these condom caps for mine on ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=9126283739&category=48696

Here's my dashboard mod. I used white LEDS for backlighting everything, with some color sprinkled on the radio faceplate. I also used an RGB LED under the radio's "COLOR" button and I wired it into the display backlight circuit. So the "COLOR" button's backlight changes color with the display. I also left the warning lights in the original colors, so they stand out better from the backlighting when they illuminate.

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/6049/dash4pi5.jpg
http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/3916/dash3dx3.jpg
http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/8763/dash2qs7.jpg
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/7818/dash1pa9.jpg
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/614/colorsog8.jpg

Too sweet (almost) for words. :bow:

I'd love the details on how you did the A/C fresh air/recycle lever. That one's been bugging me. Given my experience and skills (i.e., lack of), I'd love to see how it's done by someone who actually knows what they're doing.

Thanks!
As far as that silly lever goes, it was bugging me too. Originally I thought I could just cut a slit in it and put in a piece of clear acrylic in it as a light "pipe". I was planning on just pointing it down towards the fully illiminated center cavity. But there is a big dvider between where the lever is and the bottom illuminated cavity. So, that wasn't going to fly.

But I still drilled through the lever and using a very small jigsaw I cut the slit. On the inside I drilled a hole into the slit to accomodate a white T1 size LED. I then put in a piece of 1/16" thick acrylic inn as a light "pipe" then at the visible (outside) end I glued in a strip of .0.20" white styrene (to diffuse the light). Since the lever handle is hollow I had to glue pieces of black styrene on the bottom to prevent light from scattering down.

I then uses a dollhouse zip-cord (very fine 2-conductor flexible wire) to hook it up. I drilled through the lever's pivot point and threaded the wire through the hole. Then I ran it to the blower switch assy. That is where my other white LEDs are installed. I did put a in-line connector in case I have to take the dash apart again.

This mod was a bit of a pain but I think it was worth it.

Wow. Thanks for all the details - I was afraid you were going to say something like that... guess I'd better just swallow hard, get my materials together, and get to it.

I used bulv condoms to make my climate controls blue, but after seeing some of the above pics I may just have to go and spend a little more time!!!
http://members.verizon.net/~jdlitton/forums/ac_controls.jpg

looks good man good post i think bright led would be cool but more money and work..

I like GREAT JOB

Check out this site: http://autolumination.com/74.htm. Scroll about half way down. These bulbs seem to be a direct replacment for the ones installed at the factory. I ordered some the other day and I am just waiting for them to get here. Should only be a day or two. I will post again with my results and hopefully a pic or two.

hey carefreetoast4, please let us know if the ones from that site work. I deffinitely need something brighter than my bulb covers.

It would be cool of you could wire rgb leds into the ac controls so that when you changed the radio color, all the leds would change.

If you can re-wire the color button's LED that way, I don't see why you couldn't do your whole instrument panel. Might drive you a bit batty...

You got it - IMO, that would be a bit much (and batty). But just having the "COLOR" button change color makes a statement.
Besides, installing RGB LEDs is not plug-n-play conversion, like yellow-to-white. They have to be wired totally differently. Each of the three LEDs has a separate circuit. And since the radio head unit has the driver, there would not be an easy way to turn them on and off.

If you want a changable colors instrument lights, get a new Ford Mustang. It uses RGB LEDs in the entire dash and it lets you change the color at will.
:)

I put the blue leds in the polar white tonight. They look pretty good. I might go with something a little brighter. I used the brightest ones radio shack had and 470 ohm resistors. I might try sanding the tip for better refraction. As is I sanded them flat. Took about 45 minutes from start to finish. Thanks for all the great write ups. If I can do it, anyone can.

The neo wedge bulbs I ordered from the site listed above work great. Even color from end to end and they are a direc fit for the bulbs that come out. I couldn't be happier with how they turned out and they were much easier than trying to find light condoms or wiring in LEDs.

*edit* didnt realize my post would start the next page. the website is autolumination.com (http://autolumination.com/74.htm)

I think I might give those a try. I did the LED install and am not really happy with the light dispersion.

You can always try the cathodes like the dude did earlier in this thread

Thanks for posting up your results carefreetoast4. Which size of the neo wedge bulbs did you get? I have a guess, but wanted to ask. I'll probably measure mine before I order too just to make sure.

I ordered the 10mmx13mm glass bulbs one becuase my girl wanted purple (its her car). They look great too. Can't ask for an easier install and the color is from end to end. The blue washes out a little because the light source is purple but it is not that noticable. I will post a pic when I get off my lazy butt and finally take some!

Thanks for this awesome mod!

I've always wanted to change the color of my a/c controls and I had NO IDEA that it was this easy!

I changed mine to blue,

although it's really dark...

=/

I think I'm gonna change it to green!

I know that would be just a little bit lighter!

Thanks again!

:bow:

working on a better way to do this and have it even and very bright with leds....

stay tuned... :)

awsome thanks !!!

So does anyone know a site to buy the green Caps shown in the tutorial that actually fit. Thanks

http://autolumination.com/74.htm
Look for Neo Wedge Based LED bulbs in middle of page. You can buy any color you want. These just replace the existing inc. bulbs. Polarity is important, so if you try it the first time and it doesn't work, turn it 180 degrees and try again.
These are MUCH brighter than using the colored rubber light covers.

there's 4 different kinds, which ones???

Neo - Wedge Instrument Panel Bulbs are 10mm (3/8") diameter x 13mm (1/2") high

http://autolumination.com/images/auto_bulbs/neo_b_led_wm.jpg
http://autolumination.com/images/auto_bulbs/neo_w_led_wm.jpg
http://autolumination.com/images/auto_bulbs/neo_r_led_wm.jpg
http://autolumination.com/images/auto_bulbs/neo_g_led_wm.jpg

cool, figured those were the ones...

I just swapped my lights for those
Neo wedges. I just swapped the whole unit, someone was talking about removing the bulb and swapping the LED and resoldering, too much to do. It was an easy swap, havent had any problems.

How many neo wedge bulbs to you need? and is this the same type of bulb that would be used in the "easy bake oven" storage area in the xA?

thanks

Yyou will need two of the neo wedge bulbs. These are totally different bulbs than the "easy bake oven" uses. The easy bake uses 194/168 wedge base bulbs like the one in this link.

http://autolumination.com/194.htm

okay so i bought the neowedge led and the light bulb version and guess what the neowedge looked just like my led saoldered version but the lightbulb version looked just like the orig amber but GREEN haha i showed my freind and she said "wait what are you showing me?" he couldnt tell that there was dif it looked as it came with the green car so evry1 just skip the leds and buy the lightbulb serios it looks waaaaay better plus they are only 1.49 a piece!! http://autolumination.com/74.htm

i also bought new license plate lights i bought the 5 led wedge matrix 194 bulb and wow stunnin its WHITE with a hint of blue absolutly amazing even the parents were saying WOW
http://autolumination.com/194.htm
P.S a hint with the license bulbs is if they shine thru the top put a piece of tape on top of the light bulb housing.
Any qs just ask
~yigs

yeah but the LEDs wont burn out as fast. Longer life on the LEDs

huh? okay the oem are light bulbs so replacing with lightbulbs = same lifetime as stock lights i would think but anyways they work wonderful for now so im keeping them
~yigs

so to recap, i can just get those neo wedge things from autolumination and its a direct replacement? just take out the entire oem base and bulb, and stick the neo wedges in??

yup basically thats all you have two choices led (bright in the center dim on outer edges of console) or incandecent bulb (a little dimmer than led but looks stock but dif color)

this is similar to my write up, but i have LEDs...

yeah i just put in the led neo wedge and i looks just like my soldered version just like yigs said. hopefully it will look better at night but i dont think it will. are these the ones you used yigs?

http://superlumination.com/images/auto_bulbs/neoall.jpg

they are about half way down and 1.49 a piece?

anyways, thanks for all the help!

There is no way you can get those neo-wedge bulbs like @ a automotive store say like pep-boys/autozone etc.. ? or just online?

yea emfomas those are exactly the ones i used (i personally used the green ones and they look real good) i will also probably be ordering the blue ones soon for my gf