SmackDown85

guys..i cant get the blue leds in my window switches to work..im 100% sure i matched positive to positive and negative to negative, no question about that..the solder is on the board pretty good, but then again maybe i might not have soldered good enough..im also 100% sure that i got the right bulb number from radioshack..when i plug it into the wiring harness, the window still functions perfectly..the ONLY thing i can think i did wrong was that i pushed a very very thin needle through the board to clear an opening for the wire...maybe that was it?



im just glad i didnt do it to all the switches then find out i f***ed up..

please guys ANY COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS would help, and also let me know if i can still put it off with the same board i attempted with..thanks a lot

Ramius83

Take the switch apart and see if any of the wire leads (the tiny little strips of metal on the board) are broken. I had broken two of mine, so all I did was run a wire from each solder point to the other solder point where it runs to on the board...

SmackDown85

wire leads..u mean the wires coming out of the actual LED bulb..no those are not broken..actually i tried another brand new LED just to make sure that the first one wasnt defective, and sure enough it STILL DIDNT WORK! DOH!

guys please help me out..i want this mod so bad but i dunno what i did wrong..thx

Midknight MAXX

iTrader: (1)

No, he's talking about the "runs" the little silver strips that connect each component. If you poked a pin threw the hole you might have torn the run at the hole. Like he said, you'll have to connect the LED lead to a good point on the run.

abstrakt79

iTrader: (12)

the LEDs you got, which ones are they? what are the specs? they should be 3mm...and i can't remember the voltage...hmmm...lemme check when i get home.

SmackDown85

im 100% sure i got the correct LEDs..the radioshack 276-311 i think

if i poked a pin through the circuit board, is that board completely ruined and thats why it doesnt work?

abstrakt79

iTrader: (12)

you should have just used the solder iron to open up the hole...but i don't think that opening the hole w/a pin would damage the board...but i'm not sure...if you want you could go to a junkyard and get another window control and try it again...

greenmax95se

iTrader: (4)

my friend tryed it aswell, and told me that if you put the LED in the wrong way the 1st time it will short it out and get burnt out. did you try both ways? maybe thats the problem.

SmackDown85

wrong way meaning matching positive to negative and negative to positive? cuz i think i did that at first, then switched the bulb around the other way and i never got any light at all from the bulb, but the window still went up and down

djshawnee

iTrader: (2)

i did this at first... and i just switched the things around and they worked. try another LED.... maybe the one you are working on is messed up for some reason.

multiplexor

Hey

what you gotta do is remember these leds are + - sensitive

i'm totally positive that's the only problem..... remove all your leds from the board. If one is the wrong way, the others are probably not going to light up...

now plug you whole thing back up without any leds in it... bring one led with you. turn your lights and and put that one led in the unsoldered holes. Make sure the led contacts touch the metal in the holes...

if it doesn't light. flip the led around and try again.

if it lights up. remember the position of the led....
If i remember correctly the pin that goes straight up is the positive
and the one that goes in the led then 90 degree turns, is the negative....

Your controller will have like 6 leds i think it is...
you have a drivers window control and a passenger window control.
Put the led in the drivers window control, and note the polarity... then do the same with the passengers window control.

that should do it, i would say

good luck

maxspeed96CT

iTrader: (9)

Get your hands on a volt meter and check if there is ovltage before the led, maybe you bew a fuse.
Help me out cause i just ordered 5mm, and 5 volts, will these be ok???

SmackDown85

actually i tried mine only with the right passenger switch..im hoping someone can pinpoint the problem EXACTLY because i just bought another complete window switch from a junkyard..thing cost me $20 but at least i have another chance..

someone PLEASE give me a damn-close reason why my switch isnt working! i would really really appreciate it!

greg82

iTrader: (2)

Personally, I ruined two master switches, so if anyone knows how to do it the WRONG way, it's me.

First of all, use a solder remover to get rid of the xtra solder on the board when you remove a lamp. Next take out and replace ONE light at a time. This way you can be sure of the +/-, if one is wrong, it will cause the other LEDs on the same circuit to fail, even if they are in correctly. Just remember to use patience and a small soldering gun designed specfically for electronics.

Hope this helps,
greg

SmackDown85

my question though is could i have fried and completely screwed my circuit board by putting negative to positive instead of positive to positive? cuz i tried putting the led in both ways and neither way worked..also can too much solder around the wire make it not function?

GarthG

iTrader: (1)

I would recommend what greg82 said. Take all the LEDs out of the board and replace them one at a time. I know with my board if one was installed wrong, or not soldered securely, then half the board didn't work as these things are wired in series so if one isn't connected, none are. Also have you just hooked the board itself up without the casing and tried moving them the LEDs around? Sometimes they will light up if you do that, and will normally tell you if your soldering is not up to par.

Also, if you have a volt meter, check the voltage on either side of the power source for that board (If I remember right the LEDs on the main board are on a seperate board than most of the other electronics). If you aren't getting any reading, then more than likely you fried something, but normally you can tell because the trace will have burned up.

Finally I would recommend testing the LEDs to make sure they are still functional. I don't know if you have access to an adjustable DC power source, but if you do, hook the LED up to it and make sure it still lights up.

abstrakt79

iTrader: (12)

maxspeed96CT, the 5mm LEDs WILL NOT work in your doors...they will work for your climate control...you need the 3mm LEDs for your door

multiplexor

actually 5mm leds will work in the front part...
check it out:
http://www.geocities.com/multiplexor...edinstall.html


but for the rear passenger controls, you'll need 3mm to make it easier...


oh and only use 3 volt leds for this application... and to make the blue alot nicer..... find leds with a wavelength under 470nm...
something like 430... and MAYBE 468... the 430nm should give a nicer piercing blue, like that of the playstation machines

anywho, check out my post above.... just remove all leds and start over with one, as mentionned above....

You did not fry your board. I fried one led once on that board, and a window switch stopped working. But i'm sure you fried nothing

abstrakt79

iTrader: (12)

i thought the 5mm LEDs would be too big to fit in the space available in the window switch assy...but if you say so...

multiplexor

oh, one could use 3mm leds also... but if someone bought 5mm leds... they can use those too

though i recommend 3mm leds for the rear passenger window switches

greg82

iTrader: (2)

Simply putting the LED in wrong wont fry your board. If your windows still work, your switch is fine. Most likely the problem is on the LED circuit board. By pushing the remainig solder out with a pin, you may have ripped out a wire i.e. one of the light green strips. If that happens, all the solder in the world wont complete the connection. Then you either have to live with a couple unlit lights or buy a new switch.
I'm not an expert, but too much solder may cause a short (I think)somebody with a little more electrical backround could clear this up for you. I do know that if you have too much solder on the leads in this case, there is the potetial for one of them to pierce the rubber over the main circuit and cause the whole switch to fry.

greg97


QUOTE]Originally posted by SmackDown85
my question though is could i have fried and completely screwed my circuit board by putting negative to positive instead of positive to positive? cuz i tried putting the led in both ways and neither way worked..also can too much solder around the wire make it not function? [/QUOTE]

SmackDown85

but my whole switch isnt fried cuz my window still goes up and down with that particular window's switch..most likely it was pushing the needle through the hole..what do u guys think?

maxspeed96CT

iTrader: (9)

I got 5 volt leds so hopefilly mines will still work, as for making it fit, i took one apart today and i think i could make it fit, i wish i new this before i bought them. owell, thanks

multiplexor

The 5 volt leds will work

But your light will be pretty dim...

if you have the stock radio... you could always put one of those leds behind the lcd display that displays the radio frequency... It's what i did.

I'd say, get 3.5 volt leds...

Jepht20

iTrader: (10)

someone on here should sell these already done, at a price that covers the led's, a lil charge for labor, and core exchange. that would be nice.

multiplexor

if I wasn't so lazy with the shipping, i'd gladly do it.....
doing that stuff is a bunch of fun!