DIY Change LEDs in Speed/Tach Gauge

[572HP]

Originally Posted by anglwngss

Are you changing the LEDs in the HUD too? not the switch, but what displays on the window?

I probably would have attempted melting the tabs on the switch, but I didn't think I'd be able to get them back through. The image in my mind had plastic melting and dripping all over the place.. Either method works though, which is always good!

I would like to do the HUD. Kinda waiting for your lead! I'll have to go back and review the HUD installation instructions. I remember it required removing the dash. Hopefully I'm wrong though.

Looking back through your pics in the first post, I see that you removed the speedometer trim with the rubber piece and top of the steering column plastic in place. How does the top of the steering column come off? I have been pulling the rubber tabs out of this plastic. Easy coming off, but very difficult to get the rubber tabs back in. I think that pulling the steering wheel column trim may be a lot easier.

[572HP]

I have completed the steering wheel. Twice actually. I put in white LEDs, which is what I was planning for all of the switches. I have already completed the headlight and HUD switches. Unfortunately the color of the white steering wheel LEDs did not match the white LEDs in the headlight and HUD switches. The steering wheel switches have a rubber membrane with tinted covers over the LEDs. I believe that this is to dim the LEDs, since they are right there in front of your face. Unfortunately this changes the color. These LEDs look more like incandescent after going through the tinted covers. So I pulled them back out and replaced them with red. Looks better. I guess I could have cut out the tinted covers, but I was afraid that the LEDs would be too bright, and it would be very difficult to put the tinted covers back in.

I'm still in the process of doing the overhead console. I've replaced the LED for the convertible top switch. I'm getting ready to put in some fiber optics for the homelink buttons. I'm going to use 0.02" instead of the suggested 0.03" since I already have that size. Quite a bit smaller, but I think it will still be sufficient. I hope to get that done tonight. Unfortunately the overhead console on the convertible is much more difficult to remove than on the coupe. The whole overhead trim and pillar trims have to come off.

I also finished the LED in the automatic shifter. As stated before, this is a 5mm LED that is just soldered onto some wires with a diode and a resistor, all of which was reused with the new LED.

Still to do: Radio (tonight/tomorrow), finish overhead console (tonight), window switches (tonight or tomorrow). Then try to figure out the HUD. Come on Angel!

[anglwngss]

(giggles) Well.. HUD, yeah. lol I've got a car show to go to this weekend and one in the middle of November as well. And.. since I can't solder, plus I don't have a clue how to get to it, etc. It'll be a while before that even gets attempted. Seems I read somewhere it takes several hours (5 to 6) to take apart the entire dash just to get to the HUD. So my car will be down for a few weeks, I'm sure. So.. it'll be a while before this one even get started.

[The Stig]

Taking out the dash is 4+ hours yea.

[anglwngss]

yuck.. I'm so not ready for that next mod.. I'm ready to go all green, I'm just not ready to actually DO that last part!

[wylde1]

This is awesome. I'm doing the planning and gathering of parts at the moment to get crackin' on these and I have a couple of quick questions for you smart folks.

- is there a way to power up the board on the bench to test the LED's before re-installing in the car to verify the LED's work? I'd hate to have one backwards and not find out until it's all installed already.

- does anyone have a good picture of the sideways LED's mounted for the DIC and stereo screen? I think you guys said you coulnd't find 90 deg. LED's so you mounted some PLCC2's sideways? I'm curious what that looks like, to save me time when it comes to it.

Thanks!

[572HP]

Originally Posted by wylde1

This is awesome. I'm doing the planning and gathering of parts at the moment to get crackin' on these and I have a couple of quick questions for you smart folks.

- is there a way to power up the board on the bench to test the LED's before re-installing in the car to verify the LED's work? I'd hate to have one backwards and not find out until it's all installed already.

- does anyone have a good picture of the sideways LED's mounted for the DIC and stereo screen? I think you guys said you coulnd't find 90 deg. LED's so you mounted some PLCC2's sideways? I'm curious what that looks like, to save me time when it comes to it.

Thanks!

No way to safely power up the boards. I'm sure you could figure out which wires...but that could take awhile. I just would go out and hook it back up in the car. For instance, on the speedo/tach, I hooked up just the circuit board before I put it back together. I'm not sure this works with all multi-meters, but on mine I can put it in continuity test mode, and then touch the leads across an LED. If the polarity is correct, it will light up VERY dim. This is how I check polarity of all of the LEDs whether they are on the board or not. I test the one I am about to desolder, put a little dot on the board with a sharpie, then replace it. I test it again after I'm done. The dot also lets me know which LEDs are finished.

On the first page, is a picture that Angel posted showing the LEDs on the side. The way that the PLCC2 is made, the entire side of the LED is the solder pad. There is nothing difficult about it. Just stand it up on the side, and solder it to the pad. It just works that easy. I was wondering the same thing. Nothing to worry about. I didn't take any pics of the speedo/tach, and it is back in the car. I will be starting on the radio tonight or tomorrow, so I'll take some pics then.

One suggestion I have is to use a small screwdriver-shaped tip for your solder iron. This is helpful to pry up one side of the LED at a time. Work each side a little at a time so that you don't pull up the solder traces. Professionals have SMD tweezers that heat both sides at once and you can pull the part off in one motion.

For those that are not sure about their soldering skills, there are people that will do this for you...like creektrack.

[anglwngss]

It's the two pictures immediately before this statement "I didn’t change all the LEDs. In addition to the LEDs under the screen, I only changed the blue ones to green and the red ones surrounding the needles to white."

[572HP]

Originally Posted by anglwngss

(giggles) Well.. HUD, yeah. lol I've got a car show to go to this weekend and one in the middle of November as well. And.. since I can't solder, plus I don't have a clue how to get to it, etc. It'll be a while before that even gets attempted. Seems I read somewhere it takes several hours (5 to 6) to take apart the entire dash just to get to the HUD. So my car will be down for a few weeks, I'm sure. So.. it'll be a while before this one even get started.

I talked with Ofer and he said that the dash wasn't too difficult but would take 6-8 hours. Ouch. I'm not going to tackle the HUD anytime in the very near future.

[wylde1]

Originally Posted by 572HP

No way to safely power up the boards. I'm sure you could figure out which wires...but that could take awhile. I just would go out and hook it back up in the car. For instance, on the speedo/tach, I hooked up just the circuit board before I put it back together. I'm not sure this works with all multi-meters, but on mine I can put it in continuity test mode, and then touch the leads across an LED. If the polarity is correct, it will light up VERY dim. This is how I check polarity of all of the LEDs whether they are on the board or not. I test the one I am about to desolder, put a little dot on the board with a sharpie, then replace it. I test it again after I'm done. The dot also lets me know which LEDs are finished.

On the first page, is a picture that Angel posted showing the LEDs on the side. The way that the PLCC2 is made, the entire side of the LED is the solder pad. There is nothing difficult about it. Just stand it up on the side, and solder it to the pad. It just works that easy. I was wondering the same thing. Nothing to worry about. I didn't take any pics of the speedo/tach, and it is back in the car. I will be starting on the radio tonight or tomorrow, so I'll take some pics then.

One suggestion I have is to use a small screwdriver-shaped tip for your solder iron. This is helpful to pry up one side of the LED at a time. Work each side a little at a time so that you don't pull up the solder traces. Professionals have SMD tweezers that heat both sides at once and you can pull the part off in one motion.

For those that are not sure about their soldering skills, there are people that will do this for you...like creektrack.

Originally Posted by anglwngss

It's the two pictures immediately before this statement "I didn’t change all the LEDs. In addition to the LEDs under the screen, I only changed the blue ones to green and the red ones surrounding the needles to white."

Aha! Much appreciated, I didn't notice those pictures before. Very helpful. I'm excited to dust off my soldering skills, I haven't done anything this intricate since school. Probably going to start with the window switches and such to get back in the swing of it before dismatling anythign major

[572HP]

Originally Posted by wylde1

Aha! Much appreciated, I didn't notice those pictures before. Very helpful. I'm excited to dust off my soldering skills, I haven't done anything this intricate since school. Probably going to start with the window switches and such to get back in the swing of it before dismatling anythign major

I haven't done the window switches...but the headlight switch is pretty easy (and even easier to get out...just carefully pry it out, and unclip the harness). The 4-pack gauges (if you have them) are really easy too.

[572HP]

Here is a link to the HUD installation instructions:

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=146851

[anglwngss]

Be easy on the headlight switch. When I took mine apart, it ALL came apart, thankfully I was able to find some different DIYs here on the switch so I eventually got it together. It took a while to line up the knob again. When Jason (Lightner75) did his headlight switch, his did not come all apart, so his was much easier to put back together.

[572HP]

Good news: I finished the radio.
Bad news: I chipped a corner on the LCD. Several rows of pixels across the middle of the screen do not work. Looking for a used dash unit from someone who swapped theirs out with a metra kit.

I have to imagine that it happened when I was taking it apart. I wasn't sure if the LCD had to come out of the frame. IT DOES NOT!!! You have to unsolder the two heater wires, and then pop out the PCB by itself. This is only if you want to change the backlight.

The radio was very challenging. What makes it so difficult is all of the 0805 LEDs, all of the screws, and getting to the two LEDs in the middle of the volume and menu button/knobs. I ended up desoldering the rings for the knobs so that I could get to the LEDs.

Not knowing what the HUD has in store, the radio is definitely the most challenging of everything.

Window switches still to go, then I'm done until I have a wild hair for the HUD. (Oh yeah...replace the LCD in the radio when I can find one.)