Amerikaner83's new ride (w/ cheese and large fries)..)
02-13-2012, 05:55 PM
#41
dude, not expensive at all man. I got them from the OP here:
http://forums.maxima.org/general-max...ory-parts.html
Just give him a call, and he'll let you know price plus shipping...I paid 35 bucks IIRC. He's in Denver area, I recommend :-)
http://forums.maxima.org/general-max...ory-parts.html
Just give him a call, and he'll let you know price plus shipping...I paid 35 bucks IIRC. He's in Denver area, I recommend :-)
02-13-2012, 08:11 PM
#42
02-16-2012, 05:40 PM
#44
Finally figured out the damn shifter...with some .org forum assistance :-)
the bulb is located under the "N". The connector is oriented East--West. Twisting the connector counter-clockwise to North--South will let it release. I just used one of the T-10 bulbs I had left over (WLED-x6: 6 LED T10 Wedge Base Bulb), and below is the result...you can see the hotspotting on the N, right above. Mounting it back was a b!tch but I finally got it.
I plan on ordering one of the T-10 base 360* HP LEDs in the Cool White to make it even and avoid the hotspotting.
I also did the following:
Dome light arrived (36SMD w/ festoon adapter):
Key ring LED:
So I ended up removing the whole steering column trim since I was a dum-dum and didn't actually realize the key ring area pops out. Whoops :-)
I also re-installed the instrument cluster LED that came loose last week.. fulll illumination FTW!
the bulb is located under the "N". The connector is oriented East--West. Twisting the connector counter-clockwise to North--South will let it release. I just used one of the T-10 bulbs I had left over (WLED-x6: 6 LED T10 Wedge Base Bulb), and below is the result...you can see the hotspotting on the N, right above. Mounting it back was a b!tch but I finally got it.
I plan on ordering one of the T-10 base 360* HP LEDs in the Cool White to make it even and avoid the hotspotting.
I also did the following:
Dome light arrived (36SMD w/ festoon adapter):
Key ring LED:
So I ended up removing the whole steering column trim since I was a dum-dum and didn't actually realize the key ring area pops out. Whoops :-)
I also re-installed the instrument cluster LED that came loose last week.. fulll illumination FTW!
Last edited by Amerikaner83; 02-16-2012 at 08:48 PM.
02-22-2012, 06:03 PM
#45
More LED work:
^^^Thinking of re-doing this...with a 1k resistor instead of the 470 ohm I used...way bright. OR I could use a 3mm amber or red led here as well...what do you guys think?
Thinking of changing these out to blue, or maybe to LEDs that are not quite as bright...? Will decide after driving for a few nights.
So now I have to change out the Hazard switch as well LOL compared to the defrost switch I can barely tell it's illuminated :-) I'll probably throw a orange LED with a 1K resistor on that baby.
I am in the process of ordering some 360* LEDs from SuperBrightLEDs.com for the manual climate control setup...thinking pure white / cool white background, with BLUE indication LEDs.
^^^Thinking of re-doing this...with a 1k resistor instead of the 470 ohm I used...way bright. OR I could use a 3mm amber or red led here as well...what do you guys think?
Thinking of changing these out to blue, or maybe to LEDs that are not quite as bright...? Will decide after driving for a few nights.
So now I have to change out the Hazard switch as well LOL compared to the defrost switch I can barely tell it's illuminated :-) I'll probably throw a orange LED with a 1K resistor on that baby.
I am in the process of ordering some 360* LEDs from SuperBrightLEDs.com for the manual climate control setup...thinking pure white / cool white background, with BLUE indication LEDs.
02-22-2012, 10:05 PM
#46
ok, bought more LEDs for the keyring, climate control, and window switches (not so bright ones this time lol). Once I get a handle on what looks best I'm going to make a list of everything.
Going for white background and blue indicators on the CC unit. Ideally I'll have the LEDs by Saturday...so I can take them into work on Monday.
Going for white background and blue indicators on the CC unit. Ideally I'll have the LEDs by Saturday...so I can take them into work on Monday.
02-23-2012, 11:25 AM
#48
Yeah they look nice :-)
I'm going to post this here, mianly as a reminder for myself. But when I did my LEDs above they turned out HELLA bright....and very very white. So I tried something with my defrost LED that I will replicate with the bulbs on the window switches....blue silicone cover. When I pulled the defrost switch I noticed the colored cover on the bulb. I was like "sure why the hell not, try it out"...LOVE IT! Blue tint matches VERY WELL to gauge cluster, AND it's not as bright. Win-Win. Now I probably won't have a need for the other 3mm LEDs I purchased that are half-brightness when I can just add one of these little babies to each LED
They can be purchase at www.mcmaster.com . At their website, do a search (light bulb cover), you will be pointed to page 597 on the catalog, scroll down almost to the bottom page says "Colored Light Bulb Covers". The T1 3/4 covers are for the 5mm LED, and the T1 covers are for the 3mm LED. Colors are red, blue, amber, green, and yellow IIRC.
You buy them in packs of 10 for like 6 bucks...I know it's the same price as buying 3mm LEDs but with this, you don't have to muck up the PCBs again if you want different colors. Just swap the covers. I bought a pack of the blue ones, I'll see how they work on my window switch and update.
I'm going to post this here, mianly as a reminder for myself. But when I did my LEDs above they turned out HELLA bright....and very very white. So I tried something with my defrost LED that I will replicate with the bulbs on the window switches....blue silicone cover. When I pulled the defrost switch I noticed the colored cover on the bulb. I was like "sure why the hell not, try it out"...LOVE IT! Blue tint matches VERY WELL to gauge cluster, AND it's not as bright. Win-Win. Now I probably won't have a need for the other 3mm LEDs I purchased that are half-brightness when I can just add one of these little babies to each LED
They can be purchase at www.mcmaster.com . At their website, do a search (light bulb cover), you will be pointed to page 597 on the catalog, scroll down almost to the bottom page says "Colored Light Bulb Covers". The T1 3/4 covers are for the 5mm LED, and the T1 covers are for the 3mm LED. Colors are red, blue, amber, green, and yellow IIRC.
You buy them in packs of 10 for like 6 bucks...I know it's the same price as buying 3mm LEDs but with this, you don't have to muck up the PCBs again if you want different colors. Just swap the covers. I bought a pack of the blue ones, I'll see how they work on my window switch and update.
Last edited by Amerikaner83; 02-23-2012 at 08:31 PM.
02-23-2012, 08:16 PM
#49
Hazards with 3mm white LED + 470 Ohm resistor (plus re-using stock orange bulb cap), clock modded to never dim (and red sharpie on face of display, poor boy cellophane), and defrost switch with blue stock bulb cap...much better!!!
edit - that is one weird time on the clock LOL
edit - that is one weird time on the clock LOL
Last edited by Amerikaner83; 02-23-2012 at 08:30 PM.
02-28-2012, 09:26 PM
#50
Keyless entry now works! Thanks to a new BCM and receiver module from Maxima Joe!
Blue condoms on all my window switch LEDs all around...nice blue interior coming together nicely!
Yesterday I installed LEDs on Dimmer switch and Cruise Control switch...bluer and bluer each time!!!
Speaking of bluer and bluer...blue LED on keyring and now blue LED on auto-shifter...coming along, now to do the Climate control and radio with LED and I'm done!
Blue condoms on all my window switch LEDs all around...nice blue interior coming together nicely!
Yesterday I installed LEDs on Dimmer switch and Cruise Control switch...bluer and bluer each time!!!
Speaking of bluer and bluer...blue LED on keyring and now blue LED on auto-shifter...coming along, now to do the Climate control and radio with LED and I'm done!
03-05-2012, 04:43 PM
#55
I LOVE this type of snow...wet snow, less than one inch. Doesn't freeze so its no biggie to drive in...the ***** is when it freezes, our snow up here in Seattle is so wet, everything is ice...and not the NE deep freeze ice...its the hover around freezing ice...a real PITA if you don't know what you're doing.
Ampire...I am not sure about the lowering...this car is already low with regard to driver positioning above road level... I have to bend down pretty good to get in the thing...but OTOH the tire gap is insane... my wife's Subaru Outback has a smaller gap.
IF I do end up lowering, it will be no more than 2 inches... but tbh it's not that high on the list of things to do.
Ampire...I am not sure about the lowering...this car is already low with regard to driver positioning above road level... I have to bend down pretty good to get in the thing...but OTOH the tire gap is insane... my wife's Subaru Outback has a smaller gap.
IF I do end up lowering, it will be no more than 2 inches... but tbh it's not that high on the list of things to do.
03-07-2012, 08:35 PM
#57
Finished the LED interior...got her all buttoned up again.
^^ Center console (Radio with white LEDs+blue bulb covers=nice faint blue backlighting)
^^Blue filter from LEE Filter media shown above, in radio display
^^ Slightly darker blue filter from LEE media shown above, in clock.
Changed out shifter LED from the bright blue to a less-bright white. Goes better with the subtle-blue of the radio. Mee likey!
^^ Center console (Radio with white LEDs+blue bulb covers=nice faint blue backlighting)
^^Blue filter from LEE Filter media shown above, in radio display
^^ Slightly darker blue filter from LEE media shown above, in clock.
Changed out shifter LED from the bright blue to a less-bright white. Goes better with the subtle-blue of the radio. Mee likey!
03-08-2012, 07:31 AM
#58
I LOVE this type of snow...wet snow, less than one inch. Doesn't freeze so its no biggie to drive in...the ***** is when it freezes, our snow up here in Seattle is so wet, everything is ice...and not the NE deep freeze ice...its the hover around freezing ice...a real PITA if you don't know what you're doing.
Ampire...I am not sure about the lowering...this car is already low with regard to driver positioning above road level... I have to bend down pretty good to get in the thing...but OTOH the tire gap is insane... my wife's Subaru Outback has a smaller gap.
IF I do end up lowering, it will be no more than 2 inches... but tbh it's not that high on the list of things to do.
Ampire...I am not sure about the lowering...this car is already low with regard to driver positioning above road level... I have to bend down pretty good to get in the thing...but OTOH the tire gap is insane... my wife's Subaru Outback has a smaller gap.
IF I do end up lowering, it will be no more than 2 inches... but tbh it's not that high on the list of things to do.
03-09-2012, 04:00 PM
#59
Finished the LED interior...got her all buttoned up again.
^^ Center console (Radio with white LEDs+blue bulb covers=nice faint blue backlighting)
^^Blue filter from LEE Filter media shown above, in radio display
^^ Slightly darker blue filter from LEE media shown above, in clock.
Changed out shifter LED from the bright blue to a less-bright white. Goes better with the subtle-blue of the radio. Mee likey!
^^ Center console (Radio with white LEDs+blue bulb covers=nice faint blue backlighting)
^^Blue filter from LEE Filter media shown above, in radio display
^^ Slightly darker blue filter from LEE media shown above, in clock.
Changed out shifter LED from the bright blue to a less-bright white. Goes better with the subtle-blue of the radio. Mee likey!
03-12-2012, 03:44 AM
#66
03-12-2012, 03:51 AM
#67
03-12-2012, 04:46 AM
#68
lol you know how low my car is, my mud flaps only scrape going over speed bumps and steep driveway entries. i rarely scrape my crossmember now that I'm used to driving slammed and it's no more than 2 inches off the ground.
03-12-2012, 07:11 AM
#69
so just hypothetically...if I were to look at a very very VERY mild drop on my car (under 2 inches) I would be looking at lowering springs and new struts, yes?
Probably not enough low to justify coilovers, especially since it's my DD and future family car, not anything track or show-worthy.
G_hustle / Wes - you mentioned driving like it's stock... the drop in GHustle's sig is pretty extreme (compared to what I would do, if anything)...how must one drive differently when lowered? Aside from the obvious, don't blow thru speedbumps at 30MPH or anything...I ask becuase my driveway has a lip on it, and I already turn in at a slight angle to it, so that's pretty much it, right?
Probably not enough low to justify coilovers, especially since it's my DD and future family car, not anything track or show-worthy.
G_hustle / Wes - you mentioned driving like it's stock... the drop in GHustle's sig is pretty extreme (compared to what I would do, if anything)...how must one drive differently when lowered? Aside from the obvious, don't blow thru speedbumps at 30MPH or anything...I ask becuase my driveway has a lip on it, and I already turn in at a slight angle to it, so that's pretty much it, right?
Last edited by Amerikaner83; 03-12-2012 at 07:21 AM.
03-13-2012, 05:27 PM
#70
Looking at y pipe info and iwhat not...I think I have a FED-SPEC Maxima... God I hope so!
According to the faq... the 12th character in the model info line designates emission spec... V for cali and U for US, non cali.
I have the U...hense I have a fed spec 99 yes??
According to the faq... the 12th character in the model info line designates emission spec... V for cali and U for US, non cali.
I have the U...hense I have a fed spec 99 yes??
03-23-2012, 07:58 PM
#74
Clean car tho, interior looks sweet.
04-09-2012, 10:58 PM
#75
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Maine
Posts: 1,528
To LED your Climate Control required soldering and resistors and all that stuff I am not familiar with, right? I just put the LEDs in my Cluster and they are VERY bright...almost too bright for me but I like the color and clarity so i am keeping them in and just use the dimmer. But, the problem is when I dim the cluster lights to my liking, the climate control lights are too dim and I can't see them. Do you (or anyone reading this) know if there is a way to make the climate control lights stay always bright like you can do with the clock IE they don't dim when you use the dimmer switch? I don't think I am going to LED them but I'd just like to keep them bright and i'll be happy.
04-10-2012, 06:23 AM
#76
Hmm I'm not sure, but it makes sense that in theory the dimmer circuitry can be bypassed in the climate control unit... lol mebbe the fsm has a wiring diagram for the dimmer circuit? I'm not entirely sure...but when I did my cluster LEDs they weren't a huge difference in brightness like it sounds like you have...
04-10-2012, 07:18 AM
#77
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Maine
Posts: 1,528
Lemme know what u come up with in the fsm 
but yeah, I guess I'll look there if no one replies. Just was hoping someone could chime in real easy and say snip this and splice here. yeah, the difference in light output is huge.
but yeah, I guess I'll look there if no one replies. Just was hoping someone could chime in real easy and say snip this and splice here. yeah, the difference in light output is huge.
04-10-2012, 07:26 AM
#78
Haha yeah don't hold your breath 
now that you mention it there was a difference with gauge leds and climate control regular...I just don't notice it now because I LED'ed everything. You might find the answer in the 4th gen LED interior thread, I'm not sure. Depending on how things are wired it could be super easy or not.
now that you mention it there was a difference with gauge leds and climate control regular...I just don't notice it now because I LED'ed everything. You might find the answer in the 4th gen LED interior thread, I'm not sure. Depending on how things are wired it could be super easy or not.
04-10-2012, 08:11 PM
#79
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Maine
Posts: 1,528
For anyone following your thread, I am about to jack it with my pic of my cluster. These are plug and play #194's for the 95-97 cluster. 5smd Led's cool white. They are a lot clearer in person and are very bright. I have to turn them down at night.
04-10-2012, 09:07 PM
#80
the blue hue is pretty, ain't it?
EDIT - Took a quick peek at the FSM for a 96, it looks like the only way to really get the CC to not dim is to tap into the cig lighter wires, or glovebox wires, which are not controlled by the the dimmer switch. HOWEVER, I think if you do that, you have to activate those circuits by opening glovebox or by opening the ashtray (activating those associated lights).
Not sure you wanna get into that can o'worms or not...I wouldn't.
EDIT - Took a quick peek at the FSM for a 96, it looks like the only way to really get the CC to not dim is to tap into the cig lighter wires, or glovebox wires, which are not controlled by the the dimmer switch. HOWEVER, I think if you do that, you have to activate those circuits by opening glovebox or by opening the ashtray (activating those associated lights).
Not sure you wanna get into that can o'worms or not...I wouldn't.
Last edited by Amerikaner83; 04-10-2012 at 09:29 PM.