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Instrument Cluster Lighting

Discussion in 'Technical Chat' started by scutch10, Aug 7, 2007.

  1. Aug 7, 2007 at 11:12 AM
    #1
    scutch10

    scutch10 [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Does anyone out there have any idea how to change the lighting of the instrument cluster. I'm sure it's probably easy (just open it up and swap out the LED's), but I was curious if any of you guys have done it and if there is anything I need to be aware of before hand.

    Thanks.
     
  2. Aug 7, 2007 at 12:04 PM
    #2
    nd

    nd Radical Town. It's a hell of a place!

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    I hate to post anything from another site but i came across this on TN a week or two ago. The guy did an AMAZING job documenting the entire process. It's not something i would call "easy" but you and i may have different definitions. hope this helps....

    http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/t180314.html
     
  3. Aug 7, 2007 at 12:58 PM
    #3
    007Tacoma

    007Tacoma I dub thee malicious!

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    NOOOOO... It is definitely not easy. Check out the link above. I was going to do it until I read throught the process. I have finally gotten accustomed to my orange/amber dash.
     
  4. Aug 7, 2007 at 1:14 PM
    #4
    The_Hodge

    The_Hodge Volunteer Moderator

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    Seeing the third gen section forced me to get a Ford...
    i wish i could flip a switch and make it blue to match the pioneer head unit.
     
  5. Aug 7, 2007 at 1:17 PM
    #5
    007Tacoma

    007Tacoma I dub thee malicious!

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    That would be awesome. Especially since I plan on installing overhead LEDs (guess I will just have to go with red).
     
  6. Aug 8, 2007 at 7:44 AM
    #6
    nd

    nd Radical Town. It's a hell of a place!

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    I've always liked red lighting in cars. My beamer had all red dash and instruments. It felt like i was in a submarine. This is done by car manufacturers that have a good design team. In the visible spectrum, red light is the least "abrasive" to your eyes. It's also the most dificult color light for your eyes to pick up. which means when you're driving down the road they dont distract you from everything else you need to be looking at. The dash just kinda fades into your peripheal (sp) vision, which is a good thing. you don't notice the dash until you actually look at it, then you can see everything fine. I hate driving cars with white or blue lights in the dash, they make it harder to see outside the car, its called visual interferance. same thing as when you are trying to talk on the phone at a party, the "audio interference" is too high and you cant hear what you're trying to focus on. It may not be asthetically pleasing but red lights are the safest behind the wheel. i like 'em. although i wish it was all red instead of the red/amber mix.
     
  7. Aug 8, 2007 at 8:49 PM
    #7
    scutch10

    scutch10 [OP] Well-Known Member

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    I too have a pioneer head unit w/ the blue lights and I'm wanting to change the background of the dash to blue. I'll probably look around for another cluster and experiment with that. I had an electronic course when I joined the military and the swapping out the lights isn't hard, just tedious. If I do it, and it works, I'll post some pics and maybe set something up so I can do it for you guys out there.
     
  8. Aug 15, 2007 at 9:29 PM
    #8
    bloodbrother31

    bloodbrother31 New Member

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    Flowmaster Duel Exhaust K&N Cold air intake Pilot Fog lights Chrome Altezza Taillights Stainless Nerf Bars Chromed dash Interior tinted windows Pioneer Stereo XM and HD and probably more to come.........
    I have the same idea, Blue Pioneer stereo and Nav amber dash and gauge lights
     
  9. Aug 16, 2007 at 4:14 AM
    #9
    007Tacoma

    007Tacoma I dub thee malicious!

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    Yes, but you are lucky. Changing the lights in the 03's is much easier than in the 05+'s. There are a few guys on here and on CT that have done it.
     
  10. Aug 16, 2007 at 9:24 AM
    #10
    bloodbrother31

    bloodbrother31 New Member

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    Yeah it it easy, the only pain is you have to take everything apart.
     
  11. Sep 27, 2008 at 1:22 PM
    #11
    awoit

    awoit Well-Known Member

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    so im doing this project with my dad. the other day we did everything as instructed but we only changed 1 light cuz its all we had time for, put everything back together and i had 1 blue light and the rest were orange so we knew we were doing everything right. Today we replaced all the bulbs and now to my surprise once we placed the cluster back in the truck and tried out the lights they dont turn on. Ive checked to make sure everything is plugged in and i messed around with my dimmer and nothing seems to work. We took it back out but we cant think of whats wrong. The weird thing is everything else in the instrument cluster works, the other lights and such. Anyone have any ideas on what went wrong and how to fix it?
     
  12. Sep 27, 2008 at 1:28 PM
    #12
    neontrail

    neontrail ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈

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    De-badged, Tint 20%, Blue 48 LED dome-light, .......
    Soo clean...What would it cost to have this done at a shop?

    [​IMG]
     
  13. Sep 28, 2008 at 7:23 AM
    #13
    luk8272

    luk8272 Poodoo

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    I absolutely love the way that looks but don't have the skill or balls to do it.
     
  14. Sep 30, 2008 at 10:55 AM
    #14
    pidro_el_pirata

    pidro_el_pirata Well-Known Member

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    Has anyone done this on a 1st gen? I assume it would be easier...
     
  15. Sep 30, 2008 at 11:17 AM
    #15
    montgomery_30824

    montgomery_30824 Well-Known Member

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    K & N airfilter, custom built 10" sub boxes, pioneer head, mag-lite mod, Blue LED dash lights, custom painted engine cover, mud flap removal mod, alarm/remote start installed,
    this was fairly easy to do. this was my first experience with soldering on a circuit card. http://www.oznium.com/plcc-2 this is where i got the LED's from. here is the directions i followed. not real descriptive on the actual soldering part but i figured it out. just a little solder on either side. the removal for the whole dash is in the link at the begining of the article. hope this helps.
    http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/sh...d.php?t=180314
     
  16. Nov 9, 2011 at 2:08 PM
    #16
    awoit

    awoit Well-Known Member

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    It has been a while since I first successfully put in my blue LEDs for my instrument cluster. I now have an issue with the lights on the gas gauge and temp not lighting up. Everything else is still blue cept for the right side and so my guess is that the leds are still connected correctly because the rest of my panel is working. Do I just need to solder on new LEDS for the ones that dont light up anymore because they have gone out? Just wanted to clarify before I go in for surgery =] Thanks!

    [​IMG]
     
  17. Nov 9, 2011 at 2:11 PM
    #17
    eagle5521

    eagle5521 Member

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  18. Nov 9, 2011 at 2:13 PM
    #18
    awoit

    awoit Well-Known Member

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    Trying to make good use of search instead of making my own thread
     

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