LED_Headz LED Swap & 3rd Brake Light (No 56K!)
10-03-2006, 06:24 AM
#1
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LED_Headz LED Swap & 3rd Brake Light (No 56K!)
I met up with Trung (SquallLHeart) to get my stock LEDs swapped out. While I was there, I decided to get on his nerves by snapping lots of pictures. This bunch of photos is the result.
We started off by taking out the center console, my iPod radio, and the gauge cluster.
Trung got to work right away on the iPod deck. The LEDs for the radio are ridiculously tiny! Even Trung's surgical precision couldn't save a few of these 0603 LEDs from being disintegrated by the soldering iron!
Testing out the radio's circuit board...
Here's the master making short work of the driver and passenger door controls. After working with the tiny radio LEDs, the rest of the LEDs seemed HUGE by comparison. They were much easier to work with! See those little specs on Trung's workspace? Those are the radio LEDs! No joke! There are a couple regular LEDs with a radio LED between them at the bottom of this picture. How's that for scale?
The gauge cluster...
Interesting side note....Trung looks kinda hot with clips in his hair!
HVAC...
Time to hack up the steering wheel! A few of us warned Trung about disconnecting the battery so the airbags wouldn't punch him in the face, but this man knows no fear!
And here is the result...
I'll paint the needles whenever I make up my mind what color I want them to be.
Door controls. They don't look bright in these pictures, but they're way brighter than stock!
Same with the steering wheel controls...
Here's the HVAC. I love the gradient effect over the temperature ****!
And then there is the iPod deck. I just can't decide what flippin' color to leave it on since no color matches the other LEDs. So I just leave it on "Mixer."
My only real complaint was that the whole setup was just too damn bright! Then I remembered there was a dimmer switch!
Ah, but the story doesn't end there! Sometime between the radio and the door controls, LED_Head #2 walked in. I asked Ed (etli) about his 3BL (3rd brake light) creation. He says "Are you gonna be here for a while? I can do one for you right now!" SWEET! Might as well; right? Here's the resulting hole in my hatch.
Ed taking a dremel to my 3BL.
Measure twice, cut once!
While the epoxy dried, I couldn't have the 3BL on the hatch, so Trung ghetto rigged a "red pimple" 3BL for legality's sake. I don't know if it was entirely legal, but I didn't get pulled over!
And once the epoxy dried, Ed’s creation made its public debut!
I want to cut off other tCs and brake just to blind them with my new 3BL, but that would be kind of a jackass thing to do! I love driving around and not having an annoying amber glow in my face. I'm very happy the way everything turned out. These LED_Headz did an excellent job and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to do similar mods. Keep up the good work, guys! 
We started off by taking out the center console, my iPod radio, and the gauge cluster.
Trung got to work right away on the iPod deck. The LEDs for the radio are ridiculously tiny! Even Trung's surgical precision couldn't save a few of these 0603 LEDs from being disintegrated by the soldering iron!
Testing out the radio's circuit board...
Here's the master making short work of the driver and passenger door controls. After working with the tiny radio LEDs, the rest of the LEDs seemed HUGE by comparison. They were much easier to work with! See those little specs on Trung's workspace? Those are the radio LEDs! No joke! There are a couple regular LEDs with a radio LED between them at the bottom of this picture. How's that for scale?
The gauge cluster...
Interesting side note....Trung looks kinda hot with clips in his hair!
HVAC...
Time to hack up the steering wheel! A few of us warned Trung about disconnecting the battery so the airbags wouldn't punch him in the face, but this man knows no fear!
And here is the result...
I'll paint the needles whenever I make up my mind what color I want them to be.
Door controls. They don't look bright in these pictures, but they're way brighter than stock!
Same with the steering wheel controls...
Here's the HVAC. I love the gradient effect over the temperature ****!
And then there is the iPod deck. I just can't decide what flippin' color to leave it on since no color matches the other LEDs. So I just leave it on "Mixer."
My only real complaint was that the whole setup was just too damn bright! Then I remembered there was a dimmer switch!
Ah, but the story doesn't end there! Sometime between the radio and the door controls, LED_Head #2 walked in. I asked Ed (etli) about his 3BL (3rd brake light) creation. He says "Are you gonna be here for a while? I can do one for you right now!" SWEET! Might as well; right? Here's the resulting hole in my hatch.
Ed taking a dremel to my 3BL.
Measure twice, cut once!
While the epoxy dried, I couldn't have the 3BL on the hatch, so Trung ghetto rigged a "red pimple" 3BL for legality's sake. I don't know if it was entirely legal, but I didn't get pulled over!
And once the epoxy dried, Ed’s creation made its public debut!
I want to cut off other tCs and brake just to blind them with my new 3BL, but that would be kind of a jackass thing to do!
I love driving around and not having an annoying amber glow in my face. I'm very happy the way everything turned out. These LED_Headz did an excellent job and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to do similar mods. Keep up the good work, guys!
10-03-2006, 06:30 AM
#4
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aww and no cameo pics of me slowing down the progress of your stuff? lol. and yes i said : clap : in aim expecting this dude to appear. ahaha. hella nice man. no you gotsa CHANGE THAT ORANGE!!! lol
to appear. ahaha. hella nice man. no you gotsa CHANGE THAT ORANGE!!! lol
10-03-2006, 06:38 AM
#6
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Yeah, I need to hit Trung up so I can get mine done in GREEN to match up my Alpine and Interior lights. 3rd Brakelight looks hot! Hmm...I have custom red TYCs and I wonder how that 3rd LED Brakelight would look with them? 
Great work done by the both of you!
Great work done by the both of you!
10-03-2006, 06:47 AM
#7
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Originally Posted by snowbuddytC
how much did it all cost? for everything you did..er they did ahaha
3BL - $80
LED Swap - PM Trung (SquallLHeart)
Trung wearing pins in his hair - Priceless
.. i didn't know where my scion visor was.... i needed something to keep my bangs from getting burned by the soldering iron and to keep it out of my face.....
10-03-2006, 07:43 AM
#10
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Very impressive guys, awesome job. You know, I'm so tempted to drive my car to Cali JUST to beg you to do my LED's. I'm too scared to practice surgery on my baby though.
And I agree, nice hair SquallLheart. ;)
And I agree, nice hair SquallLheart. ;)
10-03-2006, 04:02 PM
#12
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that looks HOT! i got the white led gauges too, gonna get the hvac next, and the guy who does it for me isnt to sure on how to do the radio but it looks so hot it has to do them!
10-03-2006, 04:30 PM
#14
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Originally Posted by Whocares05050
Looks very nice. makes me wanna do mine =]
Originally Posted by web
Are the radio LEDs PLCC-2?
Originally Posted by Jowie
Originally Posted by WhiteBlazer01
Just for perspective purposes, here is a picture I took of the factory radio board, done with LED's. The white LED is for the gauges, and that needle thing is my 1/64" soldering iron tip. And there is a dime. 
10-03-2006, 06:12 PM
#19
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Originally Posted by Papispico
that 3rd brakelight mod is by far one of the sexiest/classiest mods ive seen. whered u get the LED's for that?
https://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=138909
10-03-2006, 11:41 PM
#20
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Originally Posted by web
Those are the same as the ones in the door and steering wheel. I used the PLCC-2s and they work great and are nice and bright. Is that going to mess stuff up?
the 3rd brake light supplies can be provided thru a kit at us LED_Headz sell, but the arrays are no secret, they're from lumileds.
also, my labor prices vary abit due to different circumstances and situations, and colors.
typical pricing can be found in this thread:
https://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=141228