2nd Gen LED dash light Change DIY

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wermbang

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This was from another forum but I have done this mod myself, the pictures were better for this one.
Now before we get started, listen: I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY SCREW UPS, PROBLEMS, OR INJURIES. YOU ARE DOING THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK. Not that there is any risk in injury, there is the potential for breaking something, which is typical with all modifications.You will need all LED's and tools listed below before beginning any work. So lets get started!
This is what you need:
1.) Needle Nose Pliers
2.) Flathead Screwdriver
3.) Phillips Screwdriver
4.) Small pick or screwdriver (to pry with)
5.) 7 of WLED-B5 LED WIDE ANGLE BULB (Page 1)
6.) 1 of T1.5-B INSTRUMENT LED BULB (Page 2)
7.) 3 of 5mm NEO5-B (Page 2)
8.) Go to AutoZone or Advance Auto Parts and purchase a small pack of pre-wired LEDs. They come in packs of four. That’s the only way I can describe it.
9.) Hacksaw
10.) Drill with bit. (Not sure what size)
11.) Aluminum Foil
12.) Tape
Procedure:
1.) With your hands, pry the black bezel surrounding all the instruments VERY CAREFULLY. I’ve cracked mine in two places. Those of you who know, they crack very easy.
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2.) Underneath the steering wheel column, the gray panel needs to be removed to access the gear shift cable. Notice the three small screws underneath the panel. Remove with Phillips screwdriver and pry the TOP towards the seat. It will pop loose in the same manner the black bezel did. Remove and place out of the way.
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3.) Inside the removed panel area, there is an orange cable located on the left side of the steering column. Twist sideways and remove. The cable is still connected to the white tube. Pry downwards and remove.
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4.) Notice the four small BLACK screws securing the instrument cluster to the dash. Remove all four and place in a safe place to avoid loss. Place ignition in the ON position, but don’t start. Put parking break on tightly, and place gear shift to first. This is obviously optional for manual transmission.
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5.) Cautiously wriggle from the bottom of the cluster until it releases from the two connectors behind it. Pull out away from its holding area and turn over. Notice the 7 orange-brown colored twist-locks and 1 light gray smaller twist-lock.
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6.) All twist locks will unlock with a slight turn to the left. Pull each one out one at a time. The next process takes place with EACH twist-lock, so only undo one at a time. Unlock one, I started with the High Beam indicator light for reference. I forgot to take before and after pictures, so I’m showing you what you should DO, not what you see in my picture. You will have a stock bulb connected rather than the LED. I started with the High Beam indicator light pictured below:
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7.) Once removed, pull the stock bulb out of the twist-lock. You will notice on the inside of the twist-lock two metal connectors. DO NOT LOSE THEM. Take your new LED (T1.5-B INSTRUMENT LED BULB) and bend the two wires down into a V shape. Your new LED replacement and empty twist lock should look like this:
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8.) Once bent into V shape, bend them so they touch the OUTSIDE of the LED. You will understand what I mean if you study the twist-lock. The two connectors on the twist-lock are what your trying to touch the wires to. You might have to double them up to make it a snug fit.
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Finished should look like so:
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9.) Install the High Beam Indicator back in place and remove one of the seven orange colored twist-locks. This next process is slightly tricky and is the same process for ALL SEVEN orange twist-locks, still noticing that my LEDs in the pictures are already installed. Yours will have the stock bulb. On the bottom of each twist-lock, you will see two small metal parts that are part of the connections on the other side.
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10.) Take a small prying tool, and push both metal connections upward simultaneously. This will release the glass stock bulb. ::CAUTION:: There is the potential for broken glass. Watch your fingers and handle carefully.
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11.) This may not release the bulb completely, which calls for a small amount of force. I used needle nose pliers and pulled the metal tabs out. The stock bulb wires will be soldered to the tabs for reinforcement.
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12.) Break the wires from the tabs, but KEEP THE TABS. Do not lose them. It is extremely difficult and time consuming to fabricate new ones. Trust me, I know from experience. Bend the wires on the new LED’s ( 7 of WLED-B5 LED WIDE ANGLE BULB ) into a V shape, but this time, do not bend to the sides.
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13.) Place the LED inside the twist-lock, allowing the ends to protrude from the bottom.
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14.) Place the two small unlost connections back in their slots, ensuring a secure fit. Bend the two small protruding wires around the connectors, and tuck them into the twist lock. They should look similar to the way the stock bulbs did when they were installed.
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15.) Once finished with the lights on the back of the cluster, ensure once more that everything is secure and has a good connection. Reinstall the cluster in the same manner that you removed it. Keep in mind that the gear shift cable needs to also be placed in the right slot that will allow you to access it from underneath the dash. Push cluster into dash, and you will notice the lights to indicator lights to come on. Hold in place and test your new LED’s. If there are problems, review your steps and ensure all connections are connecting and secure. Keep in mind that they may be directional. If so, untwist and rotate 180 degrees and replace. Replace gear shift cable and proceed to step 16.
16.) This next step is slightly tricky as well. We will install the one LED inside the headlight switch. Remove the three black screws and pull the headlight switch from the holder.
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17.) Unlock the red tabs securing the wiring and remove. There should be one small one and one large one. Pull them from the switch and turn switch over. You will notice a small light gray circle on the back. Using your flathead screwdriver, twist slightly to the left. It should come loose. Remove. The tube is long with a bulb mounted on the end. Untwist the bottom and remove the bulb. Using a hacksaw or something of the sort, cut the tube in half. Using a drill bit, drill through the tube just to the end. Do not penetrate the end. Using a pick, clear the two holes. Using one of the LED’s that you bought from Advance Auto Parts, cut the wire to about two inches, including the blue shrink wrap sleeve. Splice the ends so that the two wires will enter through the twist-lock holes. Pull the LED through the holes as close as possible. It will be a tight fit. Wrap in the same manner you removed the stock bulb. Should look similar to this. Disregard the black wire protruding from the rear of mine, I will discuss this later.
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18.) Replace the twist-lock and plug in both other wired connectors. Test the LED. This one IS DIRECTIONAL. If it doesn’t light up, remove and turn 180 degrees. Replace. Once it works, replace the headlight switch.
19.) Now on to the Climate Controls. Remove the four black screws securing the Climate Control Unit and pull out. Do not remove any wiring or vacuum hoses.
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20.) Looking above at the rear of the unit, you will notice two more light gray twist-locks. Remove them now. They are not as long as the headlight one.
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21.) Unwrap the wiring and pull the stock bulb out. Using one of the 3 of 5mm NEO5-B LED’s, unwrap them from their twist locks as well. You will notice they are not the same size. My mistake. Replace stock twist locks with the removed LED’s, but do not reinsert into unit quite yet.
22.) Using your prying tool, remove the front cover by prying the 8 tabs located on the sides of the unit.
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23.) You will have to pull slightly to release the knobs from their positions. WATCH CAREFULLY. The mirror defrost button has TWO SPRINGS. The button is likely to fall off, along with the small springs. Keep and eye on them. Remove it slowly enough and they should stay intact. There will also be a clear plastic reflector.
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24.) You will notice in my picture that I have wired in two more of the lights I bought from Advance Auto Parts. The two LED’s by themselves are not bright enough, so I made it into four. I also placed aluminum foil behind them to help reflect the light. Just tape the aluminum foil onto the inside, leaving all holes open. Wire in the two extra LED’s into your replacement twist-lock LED’s and put them in front. You can test this one right away. Remember that they are directional and may have to be flipped 180 degrees.
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25.) Replace all the climate control components back together when lighting is complete. Remember the way you removed it, and replace in the same manner. Keep in mind that the two springs can bind themselves, so put it back together carefully.
 
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wermbang

wermbang

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26.) This optional cubby hole installation is really easy. Remove the three screws mounting the cubby hole in place, and remove it.
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27.) Drill a hole large enough to accommodate the third 5mm LED. Glue the LED into the hole and simply splice some wiring from it to another lighting source, keeping in mind that it is directional. I wired mine to the LED inside my Headlight Switch, which is what the black wiring is in the pictures.
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Well guys that’s how you do it. I really hope this helped a lot of y’all out there. If anybody has any additions to make this DIY better, please do so! When you accomplish yours, post some pics on here so we can all get a look at it! If anybody needs help, message me and I'll do what I can to help. Thanks everybody and GOODLUCK!

here's a picture of the finished view:
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wermbang

wermbang

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Here is mine. I also made my needles clear
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Luke(MI)

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How did you make the needles clear? is there a film on them you scrape away or did you just swap them out?
 
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wermbang

wermbang

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I used acetone with a q-tip to remove the orange/white strip on the back of them. Got to be careful though as the acetone eats the plastic so you have to wipe off with paper towel quickly after. You can see it made one of my needles (RPM) brittle and it broke.
 

Luke(MI)

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I will trade you gas gauges lol. and thanks.
 

thunda23

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i Have a 95 with the previous type of gauge cluster and canot get it out, any tips or ideas how to get it out?
 
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wermbang

wermbang

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You have the screws removed, shifter cable removed and gave a tug to the cluster itself?
 

crispycritters4

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Cool mod. I got the gauge overlays, like the "jet cockpit" look they give, but really diggin this. Definetely gonna do the climate control one!
 
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wermbang

wermbang

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Yeah no dimming. I have read somewhere about something you can add but for me its not that bad at all.
If you do red ones, its is much easier on your eyes too.
 

Rogan68

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Yeah, thanks. Old like to do red it orange (like my BMW) the blues look great, but I can imagine my 43 ye old eyes trying to not catch a glare.

per Tapatalk on my EVO
 

SkRam

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Yeah no dimming. I have read somewhere about something you can add but for me its not that bad at all.
If you do red ones, its is much easier on your eyes too.

Do you know what part is needed to get the dimming working again? I am very critical and its bothering me lol.

btw thanks for the right up. I ended up using different LEDs because the light wasnt even throughout the bezel. no need to yank out the metal pieces. all you have to do is remove the old twist locks and bulbs and put these in!

WLED-xHP5-PC: LED T10 Wedge Base Bulb w/ Twist Lock Socket @superbrightleds
 

the codes

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awessssommeeee! I'm about to order some stuff from them...mind as well throw those in the cart!


Tapatalk Addict
 
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wermbang

wermbang

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I don't know how to get them to dim. In my research I don't think its possible
 

SkRam

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Well I decided that the window switches needed to be done too. heres a pic of what it looks like done. I didnt take pictures of the process but its pretty straight forward.

tools needed

needlenose pliers
soldering iron
solder
3mm LEDs Link
some type of soldering remover

-remove the switch from the door.
-carefully remove the white bottom cover with a flathead.
-locate the 3 bulbs on the drivers side and 2 on the passengers.
-get some desoldering wick and remove as much solder as you can from the bulbs.
-you might have to wiggle the wires loose.
-I ended up taking needlenose pliers and pulling lightly as I heated up the solder to free them.
-go to ur truck, plug the switch back in (no need to put it all back together) and touch the -leds on each side of the hole to find out what direction they go in.
-then just slide the leds all the way through the hole and solder in. make sure not to use to much solder as the connections might touch each other.
-make sure to test one more time before you but the wires down and put back together

imag1019q.jpg
 
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wermbang

wermbang

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thats cool. Wish I were good at soldering
 
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