DIY - Camaro Dash ABL Install - GM Parts House

[2012-2SS]

Originally Posted by edgehead2000

I was just going to post this same comment!

I just upgraded to a 2012 2LT and while the car was in the shop for add'l dealer incentives, they gave me a 2011 Buick Lacrosse. I was amazed at the dash's interior lighting and angry that they left Camaro owners in the cold. I wanted to take the dash apart before returning the car but didn't have time.

FYI: 2011 Buick Interior Dash

I've located some parts on the GM Parts House Website: 2011 Buick Lacrosse Dash Parts

There is a gap between the wood painted panel and the upper dash for the tube to peak through but I think we could steal the light rod for ourselves! However, why don't I see it in the parts list?

For whatever reason your link didn't work for me, but I found it on my own:
http://store.gmpartshouse.com/partlo...layCatalogid=0

The problem is that there is no part number or price listed
If I can get a hold of this I would definately try to pioneer this with all factory parts!

EDIT: Your link started working but it looks like it includes the trim piece and the light tube. I just want the light tube which doesn't have a P/N.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by 2012-2SS

For whatever reason your link didn't work for me, but I found it on my own:
http://store.gmpartshouse.com/partlo...layCatalogid=0

The problem is that there is no part number or price listed
If I can get a hold of this I would definately try to pioneer this with all factory parts!

EDIT: Your link started working but it looks like it includes the trim piece and the light tube. I just want the light tube which doesn't have a P/N.

The light tubes are sold by 2 SSRS here on the forum

[2012-2SS]

Originally Posted by patrickt

The light tubes are sold by 2 SSRS here on the forum

Yes I am aware that he sells light tubes but I was looking for information on using factory Buick Lacross parts.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by 2012-2SS

Yes I am aware that he sells light tubes but I was looking for information on using factory Buick Lacross parts.

i understand what yioy are looking at now. GM only sells it with the trim piece

[2012-2SS]

Originally Posted by patrickt

i understand what yioy are looking at now. GM only sells it with the trim piece

Well that figures... Is there a way you can get a hold of this piece and take a picture or measure it? If it's long enough and will fit under the Camaro trim then this would be worth the price.

[meissen]

Hmm, it appears my last post just mysteriously disappeared on its own, interesting... I'll pose my question again:

Can someone please explain to me what is so special about the GM LEDs that you're buying? I'd reckon the $30-$45 for the three LEDs are for the plastic trim that comes on them (which ultimately isn't used). You can pick up pre-wired LEDs on Oznium.com for $1.50 each. Am I missing something that the GM LEDs would have but the Oznium.com pre-wired LEDs do not? I'm just trying to help us all out, if there's nothing really special about the GM LEDs we could buy them from Oznium.com and help future modders save a good chunk of change.

[Saint Alban]

Originally Posted by mifbody

Hmm, it appears my last post just mysteriously disappeared on its own, interesting... I can only assume that I must be going insane and it was not that a moderator deleted my post because I could only imagine on a legitimate forum such as this that a deleted post would get a PM from a moderator explaining such actions.

That said, since I must be going insane, I'll pose my question again:

Can someone please explain to me what is so special about the GM LEDs that you're buying? I'd reckon the $30-$45 for the three LEDs are for the plastic trim that comes on them (which ultimately isn't used). You can pick up pre-wired LEDs on Oznium.com for $1.50 each. Am I missing something that the GM LEDs would have but the Oznium.com pre-wired LEDs do not? I'm just trying to help us all out, if there's nothing really special about the GM LEDs we could buy them from Oznium.com and help future modders save a good chunk of change.

Ssshhh!!! They'll hear you! lol. Actually, when I did this mod, I did order the GM LEDs because I thought there was something special about them. When I got them and opened them up, I had to roll my eyes. They were the same 5mm LEDs I had seen at RadioShack earlier that day when I went to pick up some wire. Your comment would've saved me some money if I had known. All I can think of is maybe the ice blue color is hard to match? I used red.

[SummoneR]

Originally Posted by mifbody

Hmm, it appears my last post just mysteriously disappeared on its own, interesting... I'll pose my question again:

Can someone please explain to me what is so special about the GM LEDs that you're buying? I'd reckon the $30-$45 for the three LEDs are for the plastic trim that comes on them (which ultimately isn't used). You can pick up pre-wired LEDs on Oznium.com for $1.50 each. Am I missing something that the GM LEDs would have but the Oznium.com pre-wired LEDs do not? I'm just trying to help us all out, if there's nothing really special about the GM LEDs we could buy them from Oznium.com and help future modders save a good chunk of change.

When I do my own LED builds, I buy from Oznium. I bought the GM LED's because they match the same color as the rest of the interior, Oznium does not carry the "Ice Blue". Your post may have been deleted because this thread belongs to a Supporting Vendor with whom I purchased my "Ice Blue" LED's from. It's not appropriate to post another source of LED's in a Vendors thread. They pay to be able to advertise and if people come into their threads spouting out "He you can get this cheaper here... blah blah" it's going to get deleted. So respect the Vendors and their threads. Gene and Patrick are nice guys and good to work with.

[ESqezMe]

i just installed my abl but now looking for a new or used, like new, IOM dash panel. It is the long one that goes form the right of the steering wheel to the passenger door.

has to be oem IOM

if anyone has one they want to sell for a good $$ it would be greatly appreciated.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by ESqezMe

i just installed my abl but now looking for a new or used, like new, IOM dash panel. It is the long one that goes form the right of the steering wheel to the passenger door.

has to be oem IOM

if anyone has one they want to sell for a good $$ it would be greatly appreciated.

worst case senario I can get a new one of just that piece they are not that bad please email me at patrick@gmpartshouse.com

[meissen]

Originally Posted by Saint Alban

Ssshhh!!! They'll hear you! lol. Actually, when I did this mod, I did order the GM LEDs because I thought there was something special about them. When I got them and opened them up, I had to roll my eyes. They were the same 5mm LEDs I had seen at RadioShack earlier that day when I went to pick up some wire. Your comment would've saved me some money if I had known. All I can think of is maybe the ice blue color is hard to match? I used red.

Originally Posted by SummoneR

When I do my own LED builds, I buy from Oznium. I bought the GM LED's because they match the same color as the rest of the interior, Oznium does not carry the "Ice Blue". Your post may have been deleted because this thread belongs to a Supporting Vendor with whom I purchased my "Ice Blue" LED's from. It's not appropriate to post another source of LED's in a Vendors thread. They pay to be able to advertise and if people come into their threads spouting out "He you can get this cheaper here... blah blah" it's going to get deleted. So respect the Vendors and their threads. Gene and Patrick are nice guys and good to work with.

My apologies to the sponsors in this thread, I didn't realize reading the first few posts that it was a sponsor who was posting it.

[SummoneR]

Originally Posted by mifbody

My apologies to the sponsors in this thread, I didn't realize reading the first few posts that it was a sponsor who was posting it.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by mifbody

My apologies to the sponsors in this thread, I didn't realize reading the first few posts that it was a sponsor who was posting it.

no problem its all good

[Gene Culley]

That's cool. We're a happy family. The reasons most of us like to use the factory LED's is because they match perfectly, obviously, and Ofer makes a few harnesses that you can plug these right into the factory harness using the factory connectors that come on them. So that is an added bonus. I added two of them to my center console and Ofer just gave me a harness that split off my factory gauge pack and the factory LED's plugged right in.

[OHIOSS]

Anyone near the Toledo, Ohio area that has done this mod that wants to earn some money? I will buy the parts and I will bring the car to you, or you can do the work in my garage. From past experience these type of things never turn out well when I do them. I will gladly pay someone to do the work for me, and I will be happy to help!

Not joking about paying someone to do this for me....PM or email me @ russturbo@aol.com if you are interested.

Russ

[Ricamaro]

Did any of my fellow woodworker-types consider or use a Dremel with a router setup and a ball burr to route a channel in the trim piece to inlet the light tube? Routing a channel about 1/2 the diameter of the light tube should allow it to sit nicely and all but eliminate that 2-3mm gap.

I'm gonna explore this option this weekend, but if it's been tried...

"A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others"

[The Stig]

Dont think that approach has been tried.

[Saint Alban]

That seems like a lot to do for a simple mod. I don't know why such a tiny gap bothers people. No one that has seen mine even notices a gap.

[Gene Culley]

Originally Posted by Saint Alban

That seems like a lot to do for a simple mod. I don't know why such a tiny gap bothers people. No one that has seen mine even notices a gap.

I agree. I actually prefer the backlit look myself anyway.

[Ricamaro]

Some thoughts after installation;

1/4" Vinyl tube is TOO SMALL - I re-sized it by warming it up with a heat gun and forcing a slightly larger drill bit shank into it. It still grips, but not as tightly, and allows for tweaking without breaking the LED wires.

I buggered up the paint on the light tube - I repaired it by repainting it with White Enamel House paint. In fact it seems to be a little better because I was able to slightly increase the width of the stripe.

I haven't done it yet, but I'm gonna paint the outboard end of the LED with Black Liquid Electrical 'Tape' to minimize the overly bright glow (covering the hard wires and very butt end). I'm also gonna use Blue Marker to darken the vinyl a bit.

The Foam Weather Stripping was a great idea - First I put it on in one continuous stripe, but later found that short segments work better

I thought about using a Dremel and Ball Burr to inlet the tube along the entire length; that didn't seem to be a good idea as I first envisioned. But I may use it to inlet the very ends to help eliminate that large gap at the door side ends.

The 3M Tape on Drivers side trim strip failed, leaving me with the mounting tab strip separated from the trim strip - I repaired it with Silicon gasket sealant/adhesive; it seems to be holding well and didn't fail when I pulled the trim off to adjust the tube.

A heat gun works well for warming up the plastic light tube to allow minor bending. Don't over do it and keep the tube moving.

Das ist alles, Gonzales!

[Drago77]

Originally Posted by Ricamaro

Some thoughts after installation;

1/4" Vinyl tube is TOO SMALL - I re-sized it by warming it up with a heat gun and forcing a slightly larger drill bit shank into it. It still grips, but not as tightly, and allows for tweaking without breaking the LED wires.

I buggered up the paint on the light tube - I repaired it by repainting it with White Enamel House paint. In fact it seems to be a little better because I was able to slightly increase the width of the stripe.

I haven't done it yet, but I'm gonna paint the outboard end of the LED with Black Liquid Electrical 'Tape' to minimize the overly bright glow (covering the hard wires and very butt end). I'm also gonna use Blue Marker to darken the vinyl a bit.

The Foam Weather Stripping was a great idea - First I put it on in one continuous stripe, but later found that short segments work better

I thought about using a Dremel and Ball Burr to inlet the tube along the entire length; that didn't seem to be a good idea as I first envisioned. But I may use it to inlet the very ends to help eliminate that large gap at the door side ends.

The 3M Tape on Drivers side trim strip failed, leaving me with the mounting tab strip separated from the trim strip - I repaired it with Silicon gasket sealant/adhesive; it seems to be holding well and didn't fail when I pulled the trim off to adjust the tube.

A heat gun works well for warming up the plastic light tube to allow minor bending. Don't over do it and keep the tube moving.

Das ist alles, Gonzales!

Im swapping out my interior pannels, so I've got a chance to re-work my original ABL... couple questions for you (or anyone...)

I too messed up my painted strip, simple house paint/enamel works to reflect the light????

Has anyone "trimmed" the clips to get the tube lower and push the trim in further? I saw it mentioned in this and another thread early on, but haven't heard of it since. Curious if that helps

Anyone have issues with the weather stripping not adhering? My crap just didnt stick!!!!

My tape seperated also... used epoxy to attach.

Thanks

[irocnroll]

Originally Posted by Drago77

Im swapping out my interior pannels, so I've got a chance to re-work my original ABL... couple questions for you (or anyone...)

I too messed up my painted strip, simple house paint/enamel works to reflect the light????

Has anyone "trimmed" the clips to get the tube lower and push the trim in further? I saw it mentioned in this and another thread early on, but haven't heard of it since. Curious if that helps

Anyone have issues with the weather stripping not adhering? My crap just didnt stick!!!!

My tape seperated also... used epoxy to attach.

Thanks

By pushing the trim in further, what are you trying to accomplish. Are you trying to actually bring the trim piece closer to the dash or are you trying to get the clips to actually clip in? If you are trying to get the clips to clip in but still leave a gap I came up with a pretty simple mod that doesnt require trimming the clips at all.

To do this, you need to purchase some of the Gray 3M double sided tape. I took the clear plastic clip strip off of the back of the panel. I then applied another layer of Double Sided tape to the panel and reapplied the strip to the panel. This allowed me to push the clips in all the way but still managed to leave a gap for the ABL to shine through.

[Drago77]

Originally Posted by irocnroll

By pushing the trim in further, what are you trying to accomplish. Are you trying to actually bring the trim piece closer to the dash or are you trying to get the clips to actually clip in? If you are trying to get the clips to clip in but still leave a gap I came up with a pretty simple mod that doesnt require trimming the clips at all.

To do this, you need to purchase some of the Gray 3M double sided tape. I took the clear plastic clip strip off of the back of the panel. I then applied another layer of Double Sided tape to the panel and reapplied the strip to the panel. This allowed me to push the clips in all the way but still managed to leave a gap for the ABL to shine through.

That's a good idea!

[Drago77]

Also... I understand I need a "gap" to allow the light, just wasn't sure if that trimming stage was necessary to keep the gap from being overly large, or effecting the "evenness" of the light

[bigwayne3000]

I wish these panels weren't a fortune. I own a LS and need IOM panels but just dont have the $300+ to shell out on them although I am dying to do this ABL mod.