AC Controls Disassembly - Pics

EDIT - To see how I ended up modding my AC controls and clock check out this thread -
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/lighting/106431-my-ac-controls-light-mod-how.html


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I took apart my AC controls today to see if I could figure out a way to mod the lighting. I am going to try to make some clear plexi knob inserts, to replace the orange ones, and then tent them blue with something. That combined with swapping out the two button LEDs should at least help the AC flow with my gauge LEDs.
I figured I might as well post the exploded pics so maybe someone else can come up with something. The last two pics show how the detent ball is supposed to go for reassembly.

 

I think you can replace the orange clips with hot glue. I am going to try that eventually. No matter what I can't get them to turn blue with the orange clip in there.

Some notes:

Be very careful with the white clips, they will snap with too much pressure. Also popping it apart is made way easier by pushing up on the metal shafts the knobs connect to while prying the tabs with a small flat-head.

Work on a towel or you will scratch up the paint on the face. If you do scratch it up silver sharpie will work as touch-up paint.

If you reassemble and the fans only turn on when in HI but then only as if it was in Low you forgot to put the big spring in the fan speed selector.

LEDs for AC and Int Circ can be swapped with any 3V 3mm

All the knobs are interchangeable

No, the big clear thingy isn't necessary if you are tight on space after adding LEDs or something.

No the million screws aren't all necessary except for the two that hold the speed selector in place.

Power to the stock bulbs is ~12V

 

I hadnt thought about that. Im going to look around for some blue plexi first, but if I cant get some I'll try it.

lol, yeah, you can see I broke one in the last pic

Great, Im heading to Radioshack in a few to try to get some.

How much dimmer do the controls get without it though? It would seem that some parts, the buttons in particular, don't get any light other than from the "light pipes."

 

thanks! appreciate the pics. i have been wanting to do everything red in there (as any other color wont work!), but wanted to have a game plan before i tore in there!

 

$5 all you have to do is hit the stock light with a red sharpie.

LEDs I had to order online.

The clear thing does make getting light to the knobs impossible stock, but if you actually need to leave it out after adding a bunch of LEDs you aren't going to have that problem anymore.

 

My pleasure, glad I could return the favor. Your posts have given me the motivation to start all these lighting mods.


Flight, I didnt end up having any luck finding the LEDs at Radioshack, but the guy there sent me to a little place down the street that hooked me up. Thanks for the info, its been instrumental!


I have continued my exploration of the AC controls in a new thread, so if you want to see what I ended up doing check it out here-
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/lighting/106431-my-ac-controls-light-mod-how.html

Thanks all.

 

u should try to dye the glue get like rite dye or food coloring and just leet the gluse soak.
maybe it will work

 

up

 

anyone know if this is normal? I forgot when the first click is supposed to happen when you turn the fan dial.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOCHIhExjFk&feature=youtu.be

 

This is not normal. I would pull it out and take is all a part and see what is not lining up right. It should click at each turn between the locations.

The spring that pushes the little red ball might not be in there right.

 

cool, when I was taking it all apart (R.I.P. the two tabs for this dial, thank goodness for the other three), I was paying more attention to not losing that red ball, and when I set the dial down, the stem and all got pushed up, I just made sure to not lose any of the parts while continuing the disassembly.

 

FIXED!!! lol, I didn't poke the red ball in where that one small spring is. Has to fit inside it, I used a small flat head screw driver to poke it in.

 

ok so now for some reason the second light (the one that lights up the a/c and the direction knob, the one that directs the air flow) won't light up with the rest of the lights unless I take out the directional dial knob. anyone have this problem? the light isn't bad or anything, I just HAVE TO take out the directional knob just to get the damn light to turn on.

 

Putting everything back together, my fan speed selector seems very mushy/ill-timed clicks/and stiff at one-from-"HI". I haven't put it back in the truck yet, but I'm assuming the fan speeds will no longer correlate with the face plate.

What did I do wrong? I have grease, the little red ball, the little spring below the ball (though, that spring doesn't stick out much), and the large dial spring.

WHEW! Fixed as well. The little red ball needed to be pushed down to seat with the small spring.

 

Hi, does anyone know where the bigger stubby spring goes?