How To: LED Conversion

[SidewayzS15]

After I got a lot of PMs and a few requests about doing this tutorial I finally got it done. I know there a similar threads that have been done but I felt when I was looking around I had to look through like 6 threads and I tried my best to make one big one with all the lights.

Before I begin I would like to give a big thanks to o2_designs for helping me with all my questions about this! BlazingCopperZX3 for the how to on the door lock lights! Focusonentrtnmnt2 for the awesome walk through and pictures, and really the inspiration for me to do this!

Focusonentrtnmnt2's thread - Click Here

Sites to get lighting from:
www.superbrightleds.com

What you will need:
3mm LED
5mm LED
Resistors
Surface mount LED
Little length of 20 gauge wire (or similar, this is if you making your own circuit (ie. gear selector see below))
Twist in #74 LED bulbs (superbrightled)
Solder and soldering iron
Solder removal braid

What will be converted:
Power lock switches (and how to make them work in the first place) (3mm)
Window switches (3mm)
Sunroof switch (2 Small surface mounts)
Headlight switches (3mm)
Center console lights (automatic) (74 bulb, will be replaced with four 5mm)
HVAC controls (twist in 74, replace with 5mm)
HVAC accesories switches (AC, defrost, cabin air) (Surface mount)
Stock gauge face (Twist in 74s)

Power Lock and Power Window Switches:

Step 1: Take off the door handle surround. To do so remove the plug in the center behind the door handle, take out the torx screw in there (T8). The get a flat head and pop off one of the clips. The easiest for me is to start at the top corner closest to the dash. Once one clip is out pull the handle is if you were opening the door and pull the rest of the clips out.

Step 2: Unplug all the harnesses and pop out the switches. The lock and passenger window switch just pop out. Drivers side window switch you need to pull back those little tabs and push out, kind of fragile so be gentle with it.

Step 3: Now that the switches are out you need to take them apart. I used an an exacto blade to get under it, then propped it open with a flat head screwdriver. Then did the other side and pulled it apart. It is really tight so be patient with it.

Note: When you pull it apart try to keep it upright as ther are two brass pieces that can fall out. I dropped mine the first time spent ten minutes trying to find the damn things

Step 4: Now that the switch is apart we can see how the 3mm Led and the resistor is installed. This is relatively easy to do as you can see all the connections and get an understanding. I cut the leads where they attatch to the spades then soldered the new leads on. Make sure you bend the leads on the resistor and LED in a similar fashion. The side with the resistor is the positive side of the circuit, so make sure you keep the polarity the same. I have read you dont have to swap out the resistor though I recommend doing so. You may also need to modify where the LED sits on that black pedistal. I just had to cut the tabs off to allow for more room and then I use a little hot glue to keep it in place.

For the drivers side window switch you will really need to do some work. I had a problem removing the black pedistal thing so I cut if off around the leads for the LED with a dremel. Then cut the LED off and soldered the new LED onto the old leads. Not the prettiest but gets the job done!

Note: to maintain polarity on this look at the LED before you cut if off. See which lead has the smaller piece of metal inside and make sure the new light is installed in the same direction.

Step 5: Re-assemble the switch. Nice thing about this is only goes back together one way so you cant mess it up

Step 6: This step is purely optional as this will illuminate the LEDs in the lock switches as the factory chose not to run wires to them

Click here for BlazingCopperZX3's How To

Step 7: Re-assemble the door panel and ejoy your new lights!

Sunroof Switch:

This is similar to the lock adn window switches but they have small surface LEDs that need to be swapped as opposed to the 3mm lights.


Headlight Switch:

Step 1: Take off the panel under the dash board via four 9/32 bolts.

Step 2: Take out the screw holding the surround for the headlight switch located on the tab on the bottom.

Step 3: Remove the phillips head screws and put out the switch and unplug.

Step 4: Take the switch apart the same way you took the other switches apart. Once it is apart you will see some bridges. To undo these I took a small flathead screw driver and slide it in bewtween the two contacts, and turned it to push the contacts apart. Do this on all off them and pull out the board.

Step 5: Once the board is out it is time to swap out the LEDs. Do one at a time so you can remember the polarity of the LEDs. Be careful when desoldering these as too much heat will destroy the board. I recommend the use of desoldering braid for this as it was very helpful to me.

Step 6: Before you re-assemble everything make sure you take a pair of pliars and push the two contacts that we seperated together onto that bar again. Also make sure the dimmer module is positioned correctly.

Step 7: Put everything back together and test everything to make sure it work!

Note: My LEDs for the dial crappe dout after about a week of use. I talked to o2_desigsn as well about this and he experienced this on both switches he did, so it seems to be something with circuit not being able to handle non OEM LEDs

Center Console Lights (automatic):

This swap is a little more involved as I feel the best way to do this is to add your own LEDs. You CAN just swap out the 74 bulb for an LED one but it wasnt cutting it for me.

Step 1: Take out the center console to reveal your gear selector.

Step 2: You will see a bulb base going into the white part of the gear selector. Untwist that and pull it out. Also be sure to unplug the overdrive on the passenger side.

Step 3: Using a small allen key take out the screw for the knob and pul it out. Now you will see a series of clips holding the gear selector in. Unclip it and pull out the gear selector.

Step 4: Looking at the selector you will see a series of black pegs holding teh top in, just push them out and the top will come off.

Step 5: Now that the top is off you will need to grind off the green film under the letters so the colored light will shine through. To do this you can use sand paper but it will take a long time. I opted to use a dremel with a fine grinding bit. Taking your time and be gentle with this as you dont want to poke a hole in the top of it.

Step 6: I them drilled 4 holes where the bulb twisted in and inserted 4 5mm LEDs. I wired two LEDs to one resistor. So I had 2 resistors and 4 LEDs. I then attetched the power wires together so I had one wire for the power. Same with the ground wire. The LEDs were then mounted with hot glue.

Note: I recommend filing down the tips of the LEDs for this!

Step 7: To wire this new circuit to the existing wiring I cut the wires for the bulb that was in there and wired to my new circuit. The red is power black is ground.

Step 8: Put everything back together and enjoy your new lights!

HVAC Controls:

Step 1: Remove the radio bezel and unplug everything. To remove the bezel pull out the radio and remove the four 9/32 bolts holding it in. Then pull out the bezel as it is clipped in. Taking out the ashtray/cointray prior to this will make things quite a bit easier. Unscrew all the HVAC controls.

Step 2: Remove the face from the HVAC. To remove the face pull off the knobs and push the clips on the back. You will need to grind the film on this as you did on the gear selector. This is more advanced as it is fairly thin and is easy to poke a hole through it so be careful!!!

Step 3: Once again you can replace the 74s with bulbs or solder in new LEDs, really up to you here. I would also suggest filing the LED tips down here as well!

Step 4: Once the LEDs or bulbs are swapped re-assemble everything and test it out!

HVAC Accesories Switches:

Step 1: Pull out the switches same way the HVAC came out, by removing the bezel and unscrewing it.

Step 2: You now need to pop off the back off this assembly, similar to the headlight switch. After doing so you will see the board. However it will not just pull out.

Step 3: To remove it you need to remove thoe little black tabs, as it is plastic melted over the board to hold it in place. The can be dremeled off to remove the board.

Step 4: Once removed you will see the surface mount LEDs in there. Once again look at the polatiry of these and do it one at a time.

Step 5: Once swapped out reassemble. You can use hot glue for this as well just be careful when applying it!

Step 6: Reinstall and enjoy!

Gauges:

Step 1: Remove the bezel around the gauges. (three screws and some clips). After that is out of the way you will see four 9/32 screws holding the gauges in place. Take those out and remove the gauges. To unplug you need to push that black part on the plug to the opposite side and it will push the plug out.

Step 2: Remove the trim on the gauges attatched to the clear plastic. Then pull the needles off and remove the small torx bits holding the face on. Once that is off you will need to pull the face away, becareful with this as well!

Step 3: Once the face is off you will need to sand the film off of the face so the new colored light will shine through. best way to do this is to take a flat head scewdriver adn attatch some sand paper to it so you have some control over it. I opted to use an exacto knife with a curved blade. I felt that I had more control and it was removing more of the film.

Step 4: Once everything is sanded down you will have to swap out the bulbs. They take twist in 74 bulbs. You can buy twist in LED replacements for this, which I feel is the easiest route to go for this. You can also solder in your own LEDs.

Step 5: Test out the lights to make sure everything is lit properly. Once everything seems to be correct re-assemble everything and calibrate your needles.

Step 6: Put everything back together and enjoy your new gauges!!!













^^^^ Pegs cut off to remove board ^^^^

[SidewayzS15]

I will post up more pics as I get oppurtunities to take them! If anyone has pictures they feel would be helpful let me know and ill add them!

[orionlion82]

I will post up more pics as I get oppurtunities to take them! If anyone has pictures they feel would be helpful let me know and ill add them!

ill try to get some, but my last attempt was mostly worthless.

my camera HATES led lighting of any kind. and windows movie maker HATES videos of car just as bad...ive been promising forever, too...

[Zephyr763]

I've always wanted to do this to my Focus, I will have to print this out and try it. About how long did this take to do and how much did it cost, if any?

[SidewayzS15]

I've always wanted to do this to my Focus, I will have to print this out and try it. About how long did this take to do and how much did it cost, if any?

Depends on where you get yours lights from. I get my lights from Oznium and Superbright so they are relatively cheap, probably cost me like 30 bucks for everything if I had to guess, possibly lower not really sure to be honest.

Just added more pics!!!!

[o2_designs]

Nice Write up. I don't have the time or patience to actually write one up...

[LOW FOCI]

Thank you so much. I just placed my order for the leds I was missing thursday. so hopefully next weekend well get snowed in and I can tear it all apart again.lol By the way,... you did a really nice job on the conversion both on your car and on the jet! you da man!!! Thanx again!

[LOW FOCI]

This is to anybody who has done the conversion,... Ive just finished all of the dash lights but the center of the headlight switch is not working. (Im talking about inside the knob itself). If anybody has any possible solutions to this please let me know,.. Ive changed all the leds like 3 times! Im out of ideas to try. But on the BRIGHT side the dash looks bad a$$. Now I need a new stereo with blue lights!!

[o2_designs]

The knob on mine does'nt work either. I've learned to just deal with it. If anyone finds a solution with this, let me know.

[SidewayzS15]

Yea me too I noted it in the write up though Mine did work but crapped out on me. Im living with it, but whenI turn the parking lights on the inside lights sometime do not always turn on and the dial needs some wiggling soemtimes

[greyZXtre]

awesome man. im gettin started on this project at the beginning of the month.

someone should sticky this so it doesnt get lost in the pages

[SidewayzS15]

I tried sending a PM to danny to update it but no reply lol. Just did my HVAC so I will get pics of this tomorrow night. Doing the gauges tomorrow w00t w00t!

[SidewayzS15]

New Pics Added!!!!

[ZtsFucus]

where can i get the twist in leds for the gauge bezel?

[ThundeR]

First of all, thanks for the great write up.

When you guys say that the knob on the headlight switch doesn't work, what do you mean? Is it just the little line on the knob that does not work and all the symbols around it and the dimmer still works? Or is everything not lighting up? And I supose that this does not affect the functionality of the switch itself.

I don't have power nothing, so if I get it correctly I can just use twist in 74s for the gauges and HVAC controls, replace the 3mm in the light switch and replace the SML in the HVAC accessories. So no need for anything overly creative like I've seen in previous how-tos...

And what did you do with the trip computer (doesn't seem to light up). Did you just remove a light bulb and left it like that, visible at day, not at night?

My radio is already all blue, so I think i'll do it soon, since your write up make it look less mcgiveresque than some others i've seen.

Does anyone know what type of leds would be required for the heated seat switches?