First off, this is all taken from Craig Brace's maxima mod website and no credit should go to me at all. I think that this will apply to a few of our buttons, and give someone a chance to further 'tweak' their ride.
Putting LEDs in your instrument
control buttons
(The buttons surrounding the
steering wheel)
Lets start by adding up the number of LEDs
you will need to do this and also what other parts you may need.
1a. You will need 4
3mm LEDs for the normal running lights.
1b. You will need 3
3mm different color (or the same...I just went with a different color) LEDs if
you want to change the light color for the "ON" position of the cruise
control, rear defrost and mirror defrost.
2a. You will need 4
1/4 watt 470 ohm resistors for the regular running lights.
2b. You will need 3
1/4 watt (or smaller if you can find them) 470 ohm resistors if you want the
light color of the "ON" position of the cruise control, rear defrost
and mirror defrost.
3. The ability to solder
(recommend) or at least crimp resistors into a wiring harness (must solder if
you want to change the "ON" position buttons).
4. Wire cutters, strippers,
crimpers (if not soldering), phillips head screwdriver, small flat head
screwdriver, solder, crimp connectors (if not soldering), and tape (or heat
shrink).
Now lets start taking the buttons apart to
get to the lights and where the lights go. Click on all pictures to get
a larger view.
Go
Here to
see how to take panel around the steering wheel off.
Here is a picture of the plugs on the left
hand side. Push down on the tabs and pull them out:
Here is the right side plug. Push
down on the tabs to pull them out:
Finding the illumination wire and
putting a resistor in:
All of the illumination lights are
red/yellow so look for that color wire in each plug except the mirror
plug.
Now once you find the wires
1. Cut them back far enough
to give you plenty of room (you will probably have to un tape the wires...we
will re tape them later anyway) and strip a small portion off of each end.
2. Now put the 470 ohm 1/4
watt resistor in between the the wires, wrap the stripped wire end around each
end of the resistor and solder them on (or crip if that is how you are doing
it). It should look like this (if soldered):
3. Tape up all the
wires...first tape up the resistor and then tape up the bundle. It should
look like this:
Installing the LEDs into the light base
for the buttons that have twist in type bases:
1. Looking at the light base
put a screwdriver in and turn counter clockwise to loosen the bulb base...then
simply pull it out (you may need some needle nose pliers for this).
2. Now un-wrap the bulb wire
on each side and pull it out.
NOTE: The next set of
instructions are only for the illumination bulbs. Do one at a time because
on some we will need to bend them.
3. Slide the LED all the way
into the base making sure not to put the anode and cathode in the same hole
(there are 2 holes):
4. Wrap the leads of the LED
around the same way the factory bulbs were. Make not of where the anode
(longer of the 2 leads) is because that is important when we go to put them back
in...here are a couple of pics of that:
Other image
Installing the LEDs with the base into
the buttons.
1. For the illumination
adjustment button you will just have to put the LED and base back in and
turn clockwise. NOTE: Looking at the back of the button with the
connector part facing down the anode goes to the left here is a picture:
2. For the rear defrost
button you will need to take the piece apart in order to make it shine
correctly. Since LEDs are very narrow in their light output if you simply
put the LED in the base and put it in then that button will be lighter than the
rest. Here is how you fix it:
a. Take the switch apart.
To do this you need to separate the edge of the bottom piece and the top
piece...here is a pic to help you out:
Do this on both sides but...NOTE:
Be careful because the front will jump out since it has springs don't lose any
of the parts.
b. Here is what it should
look like after taking it apart:
c. You need to put the the
LED in the base but not all the way in because you are going to angle the LED
once you get it in there. Leave just a little of the lead showing between
the LED and the base.
d. Install the left
(illumination) LED with the anode facing the very front (looking at it
from the bottom with the front facing up...like in next pic)...here is a pic
to help out
Notice the resistor on the right that is
for the "ON" LED...we will get to that later.
e. Now bend the tip of the
LED 90* facing the front so it looks like this:
You may have to twist it some. Make
sure that it is pointing straight out though and that it doesn't go past the
black plastic around it or you will have trouble putting it back in.
f. If you want to change to
an LED for the "ON" position then do the same thing (even the 90* part)
except solder a 1/4 watt or smaller if possible 470 ohm resistor on the anode
end and wrap the other end of the resistor around the other end of the base.
Here is a pic to help out:
You will need to bend it down to match the
resistor in the pic a couple lines above so it will clear.
NOTE 1: If you decide to do
this you will need to alter your panel where the switch goes in to make the
resistor clear. Just cut a little piece out where it will go (do this by
sliding it in a little and seeing where you need to cut). Don't worry you
will not cut into any of the parts that show...just the edge where the button
sits.
NOTE 2: There is a color tile
connected to lens of the button for the "ON" light. I took
the lens off and then took that colored tile off and stuck the lens back on.
g. install the switch back
together. to do this make sure that the springs are on the little studs
for each one and push the button in. Then you need to put the sliding part
in. It should look like this:
Now install the part with the LEDs by
sliding it down n this part. It should snap back together.
3. Installing the LED into
the fog light button.
a. First we need to take the
fog light switch apart. To do this you need to be careful because there
are 2 little metal balls and small springs that will come out if you are not
careful.
b. Turn the switch up side
down and pry it apart like the rear defrost button (also watching the front
cover coming out too).
c. Now you will notice that
the light connection looks different from the others on this one. What you
need to do is pull the white connector off and un twist the wire on it. It
will be similar but a little harder than the other type of base...here is a pic
of mine...unfortunately this is after I already put the LED in:
d. Now we need to cut the
excess white that was around the old bulb because you have to have the LED flush
with the plastic under it or it will not go back in.
e. Now you need to wrap the
led in there. This is pretty hard since the bulb had think leads and the
leads on the LED are thicker...Here is a pic of the LED looped back into the
white base:
f. Now slide it in with the
anode facing the right if you are looking directly in front of the open
switch...a good idea is to make sure the leads are in the center of the
connector you are plugging into because that will give it the best contact.
Here is a pic:
g. Now make sure that the
button is pushed in (springs on studs) and that the 2 balls are on their springs
it should look like this:
h. Now slip the part with the
LED down on top of it until it snaps in. Just go slow and be careful.
4. Installing the LED into
the cruise control button.
a. Open the switch by prying
on the bottom and to rear around the locking tab. Here is a pic to help
show you where:
b. Now you will notice that
there are 2 bulbs in there. One is the illumination and the other is for
when the cruise is "ON". We will get the the "ON" in a
minute.
c. With the button open and
on the table we will be working on the right bulb first...Yours will look
different because I have already done the LED swap here is a pic:
d. The wrap the bulb around
the base like you did for the fog light switch and slide it onto the connectors
with the anode on the right (in the pic):
e. For the "ON" LED I
soldered the resistor in line with the LED anode because I couldn't get it to
work with the base. See above pic for that. I angled it that way
because that is where the "ON" hole is on the front cover.
f. To put it back in you need
to make sure the plastic slider is in the center and push the cover shut until
it clicks secure. Here is a picture of the slider in the middle position:
5. Changing the "ON" indicator
for the side mirror defrost.
a. Take the bulb out of the
unit by turning it counter clockwise and replace the bulb with an LED with a 1/4
watt 470 ohm resistor on the anode just like when you did the illumination
control switch. The anode goes on the side closest to the
connector...here is a pic:
b. Install the LED into the
base with the anode in the correct location and turn the base counter clockwise
to lock it in. Here is a pic of the LED installed:
Well that should do it for the buttons.
Test them one at a time and then stick them all back in the panel. Then
turn the lights on to see this (well depending on the color you use):
