LED Dash with Pics DIY

[AWE Daniel]

Okay well this got started a while back and recently one of my LEDs crapped out on me so I decided that while I was changing it out I would take pics of how to do this, because its dirt easy.

First things first you need your parts list, props to OklaHemi and where he pulled this from. http://www.ramforum.com/f76/led-dash-conversion-1495/
Remember as I am sure it says there, 02-05 have 11 leds behind there, 06+ have only 5 so order appropriately and make sure to buy a few extra JIC.

Okay so I am assuming you know how to pop off the radio bezel so take that off. Next thing is to pop off the AC vent/headlight switch trim to the left of the steering wheel, just pull there are no screws here (the panel under the steering wheel should all-ready be pulled down because you took off the radio bezel). Move the steering column all the way down to give yourself more room. Put on your parking brake, and put the gear selector down to the lowest gear so thats out of the way.

Okay so now we need to take off the plastic trim piece that surrounds the dash cluster. This is held on by two screws at the top (phillips) and pressure clips at the bottom. Take out the two screws and pull gently from the bottom and it pops off and you can pull it right out.

Now to take out the cluster itself. This is held on by two screws at the top, and two at the bottom, all at the corners. Once these are removed the only thing holding them on is the wiring harnesses.

The two at the bottom

The two at the top. You will notice that once you loosen theses the cluster can slide out before they come fully out, best to just take em all the way out so you dont lose em.

 

[AWE Daniel]

Okay so now you have the screws out but the wiring harnesses are holding that cluster in, well these can be a Pain in the rear so here is what they look like.

Left side

Right side

So what I recommend is to start with the left side, get those two out by reaching in there and pulling them up like any other harness. For the right side, slide that side of the cluster toward you because it is no longer anchored on the left, then pull that harness out, now you can take the whole cluster out.

This is what it looks like on the backside of the cluster.

See all those white round things? Those are the lights, I was replacing my LEDs so those are leds in mine, the stock ones are flatter. Now the ********* box in the middle with the sticker on it is the door chime module, that pulls right out and there is one more light hiding under it, sneaky I know.

Okay so now start at one side and start pulling out the old lights and pop in the new leds. You will see that the hole they go into has two notches on opposite sides, and the terminal connectors on the lights have silver contacts. Put in the leds with the contacts through those notches, and turn them TO THE RIGHT, all of them the same way, there is a reason for this. Once you have them all in, put the cluster back in the dash and re-attach the wiring harnesses.

Next turn on your driving/parking lights. Damn! Some areas are not lit up! Well the leds are polar, meaning there is a positive and negative side. No worries, remember we turned them all to the right? Well take the cluster back out, remember which areas were not lighting up, and turn those suckers 180 degrees the other way. Now pop the cluster back in and make sure they are all lit up. Now that they are all lit up re-assemble the dash and enjoy the new look!

 

[AWE Daniel]

Final look at what we did

 

[Trupiano]

Wow man! That looks amazing!

 

[AWE Daniel]

Thanks man, the high power blue ones are way nicer than the white ones, the first time I ordered I didnt know about the blue overlay so I thought I would get white, well I ended up with light blue.

This DIY is for the people who gotta see it before they have the confidence to start doing it, people like me.

 

[Black Hemi Demon]

Sweetness man, I wonder if it'd look good in red

 

[AWE Daniel]

Sweetness man, I wonder if it'd look good in red

There is a blue colored film inbetween the gauges and the lights, if you put red LEDs in there it would make it purple-ish. I suppose its possible to take apart the whole cluster and remove that film, but I wouldnt do it.

 

[OklaHemi]

daniel did i send you the film to do the gear indicator and mileage things. i have some that will make them blue as well.

 

[AWE Daniel]

No I never asked for it, but thanks for the thought.

 

[OklaHemi]

i have a whole role. i sent some to a few guys one here it matches peferctly. 2.00 and an address and ill send you enough to do both of the ones in the dash and the overhead. if you want it just completes it. or i can give you the website i got it from if you would rather buy a sheet. it was 20x24 huge. the strips i used were like 1/2" by 3" and less

 

[OklaHemi]

what settings did you have you camera on the lights came out good my seem dark and show hotspotting real bad in pics. did you use the 100* or 120*?

 

[AWE Daniel]

Im not totally sure what you mean by the numbers, but my pics were taken with macro mode on and flash off obviously, and my camera has a night-time setting so that was on too.

Did you get the high power ones, those cost 2.50 a piece, thats what I used, the brightness of them virtually eliminates any dead zones, the whole dash is a hot spot basically.

 

[Trupiano]

If it's not too much trouble and you still have the numbers, can you throw up what bulb numbers/part numbers you used. I wanna make sure I get the right bulbs. I would like to do my guagues, overhead readout (Okla sent me the film for those), the a/c panel, and the head/fpg light switch. Damn that blue looks amazing man!

 

[OklaHemi]

B8 series Instrument LED bulb$ 1.59

1-LED B8.7D B8.5D B8.4D B8.3D series Twist Lock Instrument Cluster and Gauge illumination bulb
2 lumen
Smaller version of T1.5 seen above




Quantity:
B8-HP series Instrument LED bulb$ 2.59

1 High Power SMD LED B8.5D B8.4D B8.3D series Twist Lock Instrument Cluster and Gauge illumination bulb
6 lumen
Smaller version of T1.5 seen above



i used the b8.5 regrettably, i should have ponied up the extra cash and gotten the hp version. i was going off a old old write up. just get the same bulbs just make sure they have the hp after, they are brighter with a bigger spread angle and are actually recommended by superbrightleds.com . ill be replacing mine with the hp hopefully next week.


so instead of this for the dash lights

B8.5d-(your color) quanity 11


get these instead


(your color)B8.5d-BHP

they will give you the option when you click on the 8.5 series

 

[AWE Daniel]

Just sucks that the High power ones cost 2x as much but man they look so much nicer.

 

[OklaHemi]

just a dollar more per bulb. but in the end worth it for sure. mine hotspot like hell right now. over all the 02-05 will spend more on this mod but i love it. i should have done it right the first time. oh well

 

[Redneck]

Does the dimmer function still work. As for the dead spotting have you tried lightly sanding the LEDs with 500 or 1000 grit helps with the light diffusion or you could try frosted bulbs.

 

[AWE Daniel]

the dimmer works a little, not nearly as much as before, and there is no dead spotting with the high power bulbs

 

[korby05]

What color LED's would I need to keep the stock color?

 

[AWE Daniel]

yellow i believe. There is a blue film in the dash that turns the yellow halogens to green light, but if you get yellow leds in there they will overpower that film some, youll probably end up with a very light looking green