How do you put this thing back together?! I took it apart to do the LED mod and it came apart in like a million pieces, and I can't seem to figure out how to place springs back in and stuff like that...

 

Nevermind



Up next, brand new climate control unit with more of the same. Notice how my current one doesn't even have any lit up?

 

put an led in each button... the result is much better, trust me

 

Yeah I saw the thread you had a while back and I plan to use your write-up for that particular part of the climate control.

 

ok cool. but make sure you add a diode to them.. otherwise they will inevitably die out prematurely.

 

A diode? =X

 

yes, a diode or diodes.

 

Is that in the write-up anywhere? I don't remember seeing it. Where do I put them? What kind(s) do I need to use? I have never used one with anything before.

Also, does anyone have experience taking headunits apart? I'd like to take mine apart and change all the green lighting for the buttons to blue. Likely few people have done this and I'll probably end up taking the case apart and having at it, but oh well.

 

ill try to show you later today when i get home from work, no it wasnt in the write up, i later modified mine...

i would highly suggest against this (leds in radio), if its aftermarket i mean. they are verrrry very small leds and its really easy to brake something once you're in there.

 

Ehh that's what I was afraid of. Looks like I may be shopping for a new headunit, then.

 

How about a pion 860MP?

 

I roll cheap with audio stuff, you know that

<--- still using stock Bose speakers

 

So mendon, how exactly do I add to it?

Also, I'm right in the middle of it now, and didn't read your write-up all the way through the first time, so, is it NECESSARY to cut up the light bar the way you did? (cut off the "legs") Also, how did you wire up the A/C light since it's all by itself, and, do I HAVE to wire up each set of 2 LEDs to it's own power source or can I power them all on one source? I have them all wired up to one thing for now, but haven't installed it or even put it back together yet. Yet again, didn't follow your write-up so closely

 

no, you dont have to. you're right, you can daisy chain all the leds together and go to 1 power source.. but you must either add a diode to each LED, or get a regulator and add 1 diode to the whole sha-bang, otherwise they will burn out in a few weeks (constantly switching back to AC).

you kinda have to chop off the legs because of space issues, but if i were to to it again, i would use SMT or Superflux LEDs which are way smaller than those i used in the write up, and just as bright and easy to work with, etc. see metalmaxima's worklog (PM him) about his climate control, he used smt leds. can get those off ebay as well.

Let me dig up my hack-@ss drawings on how to wire up the regulators and diodes. gimme a few and ill pm ya..

 

Sounds good.

Yeah, I've realized space is an issue. I tried to put the "lower" board back in and it simply doesn't have the room to push down in the whole way.

I've already done everything with 3mm LEDs, so I don't really feel like going back and re-doing it now.

 

Hey mendon, any way you could post the link to your thread that Tatanko is talking about? Interested in what you did/found out. Thanks man.

 

hrmm lemme find it..

 

found.

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=431406

 

Great. I didn't shave down an LED enough (the A/C "on" light) and tried to put it back in and it destroyed the solder points Good thing I'm doing all this work on a spare climate control unit that I can swap parts over from later if needed. Just another frustration I didn't need, though

 

Nice writeup, I think that deserves to go in the HowTo Interior section. Worth it IMO. Ill try that on a spare light rod I have.

Haha Tatanko...j/k man, GL with it all and enjoy the end.

 

Yeah I'm sure I will. This climate control is turning out to be a real pain, but oh well. I already have the doors and hazard/defrost done. After that comes guages, then I'm making a custom switch panel using LEDs as well.