Blue Led Dash, Climate Screen And Clock

[GHT70 R33]

Ok guys, ive had alot of soarers and supra's and pretty much every car i own i change the factory lights to blue led. Factory dull green sucks so naturally when i got my new skyline i started working on changing them.

I havent completed the whole interior but all thats left is a few like the climate buttons,key surround and pwr window button light.

For the interior roof light I just have a replacement multicluster led in blue,and for the boot curtesy light I have a T10 wedge multi led in blue which are both just replacing the bulbs so dont really need explaining.

Anyway for those who want to change the dash, the easiest way is to buy 4 x multicluster blue wedge style led's either from any autobarn/dicksmiths or better yet get the kits on ebay,sometimes they work out cheaper.

Once you have them just remove your dash cluster and on the back there will be 4 major bulbs(plastic surround is usually brown) and just replace them with the blue ones. Here is a link -

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Blue-6-LED-Dash-Lig...=item19b708ca91

Check first before you put the whole dash back together as sometimes they might not be the right way around,but dont worry you cant blow them by putting them in the wrong way. Remember they have to be multi directional cluster led's, which mean they have a bunch of led's facing in multiple directions, otherwise you dash wont light up evenly and look like crap.

Now for the climate screen and clock, there is a few ways you can do this.

What I did for my r33 is remove the climate controll unit and clock, take measurements of the plastic that covers the display. Then go buy some tinted perspex in whatever colour you want, cut it to size, and place over the display. I dont have a place around where I live that sells perspex like this so I ordered 2 x precut sections in blue from "Northern Plastic Supplies" (they have a website you can email them with an enquiry)

It comes in 3mm thickness. For the r33 skyline you need= 1 of 5cm x 4.5cm and 1 of 8cm x 2.5cm square section of tinted perspex. So it needs to be coloured but not a solid colour( light needs to pass through it) Cost me $32.50 posted to me and took 1 working day.(yes i know i got ripped off, but where I live there is no other choice really)

I didnt have to attach it in any way, i just sat it over the light then put the covers back on and it held together, but if you have trouble with this you might need to apply some silicon or glue to the corners to hold it there.

Now the problem I had was that the blue perspex was that it wasnt dark enough, it ended up lighting up more of a aqua colour. So what I had to do was cut apart an old hair gel container that was made of clear dark blue plastic and cut sections of it to cover the perspex to make it darker. Turned out pretty good not perfect but I didnt want to have to re order another 2 bits of perspex.So when you get some blue perspex make sure its a very dark blue otherwise it wont light up a regular electric/cobalt blue.

But as i said, you dont have to make it blue, you can make it any colour you want.

As for the button lights, all that needs is to remove the 2 x factory bulbs in the screw wedges found on either side of the back of the unit and replace with 2 x blue ones, they are T5 size. You can either buy these already in the little holders that just screw straight in off ebay,only like $2.00 for a packet of 2(make sure you get the right size). Its easy to tell the different sizes, they are basically either T3(3mm),T4(4mm)or T5(5mm).Here is a link -

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/2pcs-T3-T4-T5-Neo-W...=item2eaedf9146

Or you can do it the hard way and carefully remove the led off the screw holder and replace it with a blue one,but becuase the polarity is different you will have to solder on a resistor or it will just blow the bulb. Thats something i never do becuase its just easier to buy the ones off ebay because they are always high polarity resistant so dont blow, unlike soldering on resistors to single led's becuase its a bit of trial and error and mucking around.

Anyway, sorry i dont have a full picture diagram but i have a few pics off my fone as I was doind the climate and clock screen to give you an idea of whats involved, very easy to do,and cheap as. Well worth doing if you hate your factory dull ass bulbs, if you want to improve the dash but not have it coloured you can always install white led's as they will make the dash look brand new and alot brighter.

Soon I will do the key surround and pwr window button lights and write a tutorial on that aswell.

pm me if anyone has any questions, cheers,rob.

[SL33K]

WoW Sweet man.

Me Likey!

I was looking for more info on this as i want to do something similar.

Thanx for the links and Instructions.

Great work

Cheers.

[shadybeaverguy]

Nice!

So the clock - you made a new cover for it?

The AC control - The blue plexi goes between the LCD and the smoked factory cover?

[GHT70 R33]

Nice!

So the clock - you made a new cover for it?

The AC control - The blue plexi goes between the LCD and the smoked factory cover?

Cause the perspex they sent me wasnt the colour I wanted( a darker shade of blue) i cut some dark blue plastic to go over both peices of perspex to make them both darker,then yes put the covers back on.

[show.it.off]

I did my electric window button, Very good. Its not all that heard either

[Mandingo]

Thats f*kn gold mate love it.

Could really spruce up older models too. Im thinking Red in a GTR

[GHT70 R33]

I did my electric window button, Very good. Its not all that heard either

what sort of led did it need, did you have to re solder a new one onto it? Oh and when i said "tinted" i meant it has to be coloured perspex but still able for light to pass through it if you know what i mean.

I might do my pwr window button tomorrow and put some pics up

[bluejeans]

ooer i want mine all red!

[BlazenR34]

It looks very neat, nicely done!

[GHT70 R33]

Ok guys, did the pwr window button yesterday, very easy!

All you need is a-

phillips head screwdriver

a couple of flatblade screwdrivers

soldering iron

tinsnips

1 x 3mm or 5mm led in any colour you want(as you guess of course i did blue)

Now the led on its own i always buy from a Dicksmiths,Jaycar or Tandy electronics, I bought about 50 of them so i'm not sure what they cost individually but I think around $1.50-$2.50.

First remove the whole plastic cover arm thing from the door, unscrew the 4 phillips head screw holding the pwr unit to the plastic bit

Pop the window lock button off,use a few flatblades to carefully remove the 2 halves of the unit,then remove the circuit board from the plastic.

You will see the single green led in place,now remember which way the little metal bit inside the led angles down because this is the difference in positive and negative. Im not sure which is which, so i just remember to re-solder the new led the same way.

So cut the green led leaving at least 1cm of legs poking up, then cut the legs on the new led doing the same thing and leave a bit of legs on it to play with.

Heat up your soldering iron and resolder the ends together, arfter solder has cooled check how strong it is cause somtimes when you put the cover back on it can push on it and break the connection.

Now becuase the led is round and bigger than the factory green led,what i did to make it fit was turn the pwr window button cover over and where the little slot is for the led to sit i put the soldering iron in it and melted around it just a little to make the gap wider and round,so this way the led will fit easier and have a better chance to light up evenly.

Now before you put the whole thing together,just put the circuit board back in cover to make sure it fits good,put the back on,plug it in ,turn on the ignition and see if it works first.If its all good,put it all back together and bobs your uncle.

This was pretty easy considering i'm used to doing about 4 or 5 led's in a soarer or celsior pwr window unit,and they are alot trickier to remove beleive me.

Ok I did take pics but the quality is too big and wont let me upload them,once i figure out how to make them smaller i'll put them up.

All thats left to do know is the key surround,climate controll buttons and cig lighter so keep and eye out i will be posting up the "how to do's" on them next.

cheers,rob

[Boof R33]

this is areal handy thread gonna try my climate control screen thanks mate

[Boof R33]

i done the ignition barrel one today its 1 led needs a resistor as all do. take all panels around it of it slides of the standard globe is soldered in it does not pull out. not to long bout half an hour of mucking around

[GHT70 R33]

i done the ignition barrel one today its 1 led needs a resistor as all do. take all panels around it of it slides of the standard globe is soldered in it does not pull out. not to long bout half an hour of mucking around

Cool, i gotta do the ignition barrel light next thanks,here's some better pics i got my camera working.

[george_afc_23]

Nice work man...i want to do a similar thing to my 32 but in red

[DJSimmo]

Nice one Rob!! Looks Tops!!

Are the climate control bulbs that light up the buttons T5 also? same as the hazzard and demister ones?

cheers!

Simon

[666DAN]

A/C are T5neo, the hazard and demiseter you're better using a small globe with a resistor to fit into the rubber base holder.

[DJSimmo]

A/C are T5neo, the hazard and demiseter you're better using a small globe with a resistor to fit into the rubber base holder.

Thanks for the confirmation!!

Cheers

Simon

[wilderboy]

hey 666DAN do you sell a full kit for a r33 series 2 skyline? ( dash ac clock hazard and demiseter)

[J'son]

What did you do round the gauge arms light? Did you put white leds, leave the originals or still use the blue and all still glows red for them?

TA!

[wilderboy]

how did you change the Key illumination ring???? iv dont my dash ac clock and sunroof light and interiour light and i just dont know how to change the Key illumination ring

i was wondering if theres a straight swap out or soldering and shit