LED conversion of Dash and door switches

[Ford_Forgotton]

This topic is for the modification of your door switches and dash lights.

A few years ago, I modified my truck from GREEN to BLUE lights.

http://www.forgotton.net/diesel/dash/index.htm

Some of you have asked how I did it, and I will be answering questions here about it.

The factory ford switches use LEDs and its simply a matter of unsoldering the green and soldering in blue.

You may need to change the resistor also, as blue LEDs are VERY bright, and it too bright even thru the switches. I believe I used a 5.6k ohm resistor.

The dash is the hardest part, as you have to remove the clear cover, mark the needle locations while the truck is running, and then remove the needles.

Then you PEEL the overlay off the cluster, and use fingernail polish remover (NOT high strength acetone!) to gently scrub the green coloring off the back. Repaint in the color of your choice. I used marker and it faded, so I suggest a small airbrush and model car paints.

Reinstall the overlay, and start the truck, place the needles back in the correct location. The speedo is hardest, as you will need to have a pace car, or GPS and cruise control to install the speedo needle in the right position. Do not press them on too far, or they will stick!

I purchase my LEDs from Ebay. The doors of my truck use 3mm LEDs. However, I have seen that the F-150's use "surface mount" LEDs that look nothing like what your used too. You may need to open up one switch to verify you have 3mm. If you do have SMC's, you can still do the mod, its just a little harder to solder.

 

[draftlover]

I layed down an apology for hijacking the other thread. Now where were we...So you just paint the under side of your dash after removing the green coloring with fingernail polish remover? And for all the other switches its a matter of changing out the LED's. You mentioned a "hot spot" with the blue bulbs...as in heat hot or bright light hot? (I don't know much about LED's, do they even put off heat?) Do all your factory dimmers and such still work as normal?

 

[Ford_Forgotton]

hot spots as in bright spots, yes. LEDs can put off heat, but nothing compared to a regular bulb.

I found that by shaving the LED down with a dremmel tool and sander it takes some of the directional focus out of the LED and spreads out the light some more. I also would dap a black permanent marker across the shaved portion and that helped too. I didnt have to put much ink on tho.

Yes, the dimmers still work. Dimmer is not tied to your door switches, only dash.

 

[draftlover]

Do you think this: http://www.autoanything.com/products/product_mv.aspx?p_id=2308&se=us_speedo_gauge_faces_stainless_steel_gauge_overlay_kit Here's a look at the color they would emit: http://www.autoanything.com/generic_pages/product_image.aspx?p_id=2307&g_id=1188 Would this match your other home designed switches? They call it cool blue, but it looked close. This would ease the pain on the somewhat difficult dash cluster. There are also these:http://www.truckaddons.com/Catalog/subpages/street_scene_guages.htm But they didn't seem like they would match as well. What do you think Ford Forgotton.

 

[Ford_Forgotton]

huh, I think every one of those looks horrible.

I wanted the stock face, black background, but just change the colors of the letters/numbers.

Those change the WHOLE FACE, or have a crappy background, or poor light reflection.

Its impossible to find what I want, its why I always have to "roll my own".

 

[Blane]

i wanted to do this in my mustang A LONG time ago, but never knew how to even go about it. now that mustang is gone and the cobra has green electroluminescent guages so i cant exactly change that out. maybe ill do it to my truck, looks badass.