I just joined scionlife today and after reading through several posts, I am now ready to just ask a few quick questions. I (like it seems TONS of other people) want to change the color of my gauge cluster. I cannot stand the stock amber gauges and I have the RS2 TC so I want to change them to a nice blue. It seems everyone is changing the color of the LEDs, but what is the effect on the actual needle? It seems like having a blue light emite through the orange needles would look funny. I seriously want to try this LED swap myself, but how difficult is it really and what are the risks of messing up and are they high? I am sure that someone can do it for me, but I really want to get the experience doing it myself. For those of you who have done it, how easy is it to do? Thanks.

 

If you can solder pretty well then it isnt that bad of a job. Just working with really tiny LEDs sucks. I have an 06 Nautical Blue and I swapped mine with blue LEDs. I kept the needles the orange color and it looks really good that way. Well I really like it at least. If you havent soldered much I would definately practice before attempting it.

 

See my walkthrough on the harder part (the hvac mod) under the tech section for LED replacements center console. That is the hardest part to deal with. The gauges are cake.

The needles will still look the same color with blue LEDs. If you dont want orange, you can strip them and paint them red.. which looks great with blue leds.

 

I would recommend throwing more then one color in your guage. I just got my LED's in the other day and am hoping to have time this weekend to do the install. It's not to difficult, just takes about 2 hours to do all of the guage and HVAC cluster. I am doing a combination or Red, White and Green. I know, I know, really f'd up Christmas, but when it's done it will look good. I'll post some pics when I get it finished

 

Here is a link to what I am talking about.

http://www.garage1217.com/MYSCIONTC/GAUGES/1.jpg

Plus you can order anything you need from Jeremy. His username is Garage1217 if you have any questions about what you will need to do it

 

Yep, I did mine blue with red needles. HVAC all blue with the **** changed to a gradient effect. I am thinking of making some changes, but am trying to get a lighting controller design finished first for testing.. so I want to wait till that is done before I tear it apart again.. mine has been apart enough times already I swear I can take the interior apart with my eyes shut now!

 

Lol yeah man the LED swap was definatley worth the $!!! Engifineer did a sweet job on mine!


Blue needles on blue doesnt look half bad

^Engifineer's gauges i think...

 

Thanks for the props! I think bottom ones are some that I did.. or at least I have done some like those. They blue LEDs and blue painted needles really make them stand out. Mine are actually blue with red needles. Glad you are enjoying yours.

 

My writeup on changing the needle color if you are interested:
https://www.scionlife.com/forums/vie...973&highlight=

Green led's just make the needles look yellowish vs. amber:


I hear blue led's don't really bleed into the amber needle at all.

 

Engifeer that looks hot. That is exactly what I had in mind. My next question was going to be if it was possible to also change the color of the panel with the clock and temperature gauge. I seriously want all the lights to be blue and not amber and then I was going to change my cd deck. Is their a walk thru for both the gauges and the center console? That looks really cool. I was also wondering on the color of the needles if it is possible to remove the amber color? Is it the color of the needle or is it painted to be removed? I wouldnt mine clear needles with the blue light shining thru.

 

The green looks good. Haven't seen it in a tC yet, but a few xb's around here have it and it looks good also.

 

damn green looks really nice, props to the first tc ive seen with them.

 

well Jorge is getting them brian. U'll see its gonna look hot. I like that green a lot!!!
I wonder how those blue needles look in the daytime when the gauges arent on. Anybody got pics???

 

I definitly want to go with the blue leds. I wonder what would look better clear or blue needles?

 

I like that green a lot. I ordered my leds back in April and they're still on back order till August 22. I'm not doing the whole thing green it's gonna be mixed up all over the place

 

wow.. still on backorder? Where from? I have recieved stuff from three different vendors multiple times since then. Green, blue, red and white.

SCV, you will be getting a pm from me shortly in response to yours.

 

I've changed my guage lights and my speedometer needle isn't working. Can someone halp me out? I can't reset it properly.

 

Does it not move at all?

 

Nope. Well, actually, it flinches a little like it's trying to go up, but it just doesn't go up at all.

 

Try taking the clear plastic off and looking at the needle from the side, if it is touching the face at all they wont move many times. There should be about 1/8" of clearance between the needle (the bottom of the round part) and the gauge face