2brosgixxer

Ok, so obviously there is a how to on how to make the clock always bright, but is there any way to make the climate control always bright? I put some LED's in my gauge cluster but if I use the dimmer to dim them, I cant see the climate control buttons. Yes, I am well aware that i can LED the climate control, but I dont want to. So, anyone know if it's possible to snip a wire to make the climate control NOT dim with the dimmer?

See post #20 for the how to with pics.

Hectic

iTrader: (20)

Regarding the clock, the illumination wire doesn't power anything, it just acts as a signal for the dimming feature of the display. The same circuit/wire powers the bulbs inside the car, so if you snip it at the climate control, you're killing power to the bulbs. So the answer is no, but you could create an isolated illumination circuit. Best to use a relay powered by the stock illumination circuit to toggle a constant source. That way the headlight switch will still control the climate control illumination.

2brosgixxer

I would think there has to be a way to splice into the wire that controls the lights of the CC to override the dimmer??? Any idea how to do the relay idea you mention?

Hectic

iTrader: (20)

Well, you could place a diode followed by a resistor at the illumination wire going to the instrument cluster in order to bring the brightness of the LED's down to where you want them in comparison to the climate control.

Or you could simply put the incandescents back into the cluster, or install LED's in the climate control.

For the relay wiring, you would want a normally open relay and wire it up as follows.

GND - coil a
Illumination wire - coil b
Constant source - terminal A
CC Illumination input - terminal b

It will be easier and more efficient to perform the diode/resistor mod. Ideally you would want a very small relay if you chose to go the relay route.

2brosgixxer

Yikes!! You lost me LOL. I am good at a lot of things, but electrical has never been my strong place. Guess its just gonna be easier to get some LED's for the CC and swap them out. I was not aware at the time of this thread that superbrightleds.com had plug and play led's for the CC for $2.49 a piece. I'll probably just go that route and save the headache. I was just hoping to do this CC mod would be as simple as the "always illuminated clock" mod but I guess it's not....atleast not for me. Thanks for your input.

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

It can be done and it really isn't that complex. Not all of the lights in the interior dim. Some are not wired through the dimmer switch. It would be a matter of cutting and splicing wires to remove the climate control lamps from the dimmer circuit and put them on the constant circuit. Find the 2 wires and cut and splice.

2brosgixxer

The only light I've found that might remotely work would be the.glovebox or ashtray. but, the glovebox light does not come one unless the glovebox is open and the ashtray light I don't know cause the bulb has been blown since I've owned it. So id have to override that feature somehow as well. But yes, I was thinking this exact thing, just splice into something else. Like I said, electrical is not my strong field so hoping someone can lay it out for me... like which wires to cut and splice. I looked at the fsm last.light but I was.like reading a foreign language to me lol

JSutter

iTrader: (46)

IIRC the dimmer sends ground. Locate that wire on the climate control and gound it.

2brosgixxer

Wait, locate the wire from the dimmer switch to the cc and ground that wire at the cc? Can it really be that simple? I'll look tomorrow. If anyone knows what color that wire is behind the cc, let me know.

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

Either way you might as well try it. If it doesnt work just tape it back up. Just hi-jack the wires instead of cutting so you can reverse it if need be

Amerikaner83

iTrader: (17)

It does NOT work like that. Since the dimmer switch is a VARIABLE...a sliding scale, if you will. It's not simply on/off...there are varying levels of brightness.

Edit.........The only way it would work like that is if the dimmer switch, at it's brightest setting, grounds. Its worth a shot actually.

2brosgixxer

Wonder if it will be simple to follow the wire from the dimmer switch to the cc...or what color wire I'm looking for. Anyway, ill tear into it tomorrow and see what I can fck up

Blackwind

iTrader: (9)

Orange/black or blue/yellow. Can't remember which

2brosgixxer

So one those, you say, will be the ground behind the CC for the lights? Are both colors back there or will I only see one of them?

Blackwind

iTrader: (9)

Check the dimmer switchit will match up to the plug on the vent control, I'm without the fsm now but you'll be able to see it

2brosgixxer

Ok, I just looked at the back of the dimmer switch and there is a blue/yellow wire back there. There is also a black/silver and red/(I forgot the tracer color) on the back of the dimmer switch. So the theory is that there should also be a blue/yellow wire behind the CC and If i ground that wire (we know 100% that this is a ground???), I should get "always on" CC lights?? Do I need to cut that wire or just tap into it? I am guessing cut it the ground the wire from the CC to a known hard ground point. Cutting that wire wont make me lose my dimming to the cluster right?

Hectic

iTrader: (20)

Dennis is right, I made it too complicated. At least as far as the relay method is concerned. For some reason I was thinking the bulbs were body grounded, with the dimmer adjusting voltage on the positive side (not the case). I still think the diode/resistor solution would still be the ideal way to do it, because it would retain dimmer control for all lamps while equalizing the brightness of the LEDs to match the rest of the bulbs in the circuit.

I spent some time checking out the diagrams for your 97.. In order to bypass the dimmer for the climate control, you need to cut the red/yellow wire from the two connectors and ground them. Seems weird saying that. All I ever do is work on 3rd gens, and R/Y for the 3rd gen is positive. On the 4th gen, it's the color of the resistant negative lead from the dimmer.

If other bulbs within the dimmer circuit are also too dim, you'll have to ground those as well. Which is why I think you should consider using a diode and resistor at the gauge cluster and call it a day.

Hectic

iTrader: (20)

The blue/yellow wires are positive. Ground those, you'll blow the fuse. Cut and then ground the R/Y wires as described in my previous post and you'll get full voltage to the climate control bulbs. LB/Y (+) comes from the headlight switch, so they'll be on only when the parking/headlights are on.

2brosgixxer

What 2 connectors are you talking about....the ones behind the CC i am assuming?? Where did you find that in the FSM? I am about to go out and rip into this so we'll see.

2brosgixxer

Done! Thanks to all who helped, especially hectic for looking at the fsm and giving me the right wire to cut.

There is one red wire with a yellow tracer on it behind the cc. Cut that wire, then run a direct ground from it to a good ground point. Pics will come in a bit.

This will override the Dimmer switch and make you climate control lights remain bright even if you dim your cluster lights.


Here is where you will be looking for the red/yellow wire. Behind the Manual Climate Control.



Here is the wire cut and stripped...you will be grounding this wire.



Here is where I grounded that wire to, but you can ground wherever you want.

Amerikaner83

iTrader: (17)

NICE!!!

2brosgixxer

How to Always Bright Manual Climate Control Maybe this can be added to the 4th Gen How to section?? I imagine there might be someone else who may want to do this.

JSutter

iTrader: (46)

You're welcome!
You could also tap into the black wire right next to it.



Where in Maine are you located?

2brosgixxer

I am up about 15 minutes east of waterville. yeah there's not many of us on here. And yeah, thanks for starting me in the right direction of the dimmer being a ground...I just realized you were the one that mentioned that and I didn't give you credit in my "thanks" post.

2brosgixxer

Is the black wire also a ground? If so, that may make it easier than having to unscrew the current ground i did if i want to remove the whole center piece...that way all the wires are still connected to the same harness.

JSutter

iTrader: (46)

Yes black wires are ground.