Replacing Dash Lights with LEDs

By Kiril (Aprilia)

Introduction

You probably know how it’s annoying when one of little switch lamps blows suddenly. It’s damaging the look of the panel and it’s very difficult (boring) to replace/fix. Also the quality of modern aftermarket lamps is poor so you can find yourself doing the same fix the month after.

Now you can take this chance to replace all of them to LEDs. This will guarantee it's almost eternal life, cute look and you can choose any colour you want.

There were some discussions about how Blue leds (or any other colour) will shine through Mazda’s green buttons. It will light blue if you use a blue LED.

Instructions

1. First of all you will need LEDs (use 3mm small ones), resistors approx 500 Ohm -1 kOhm, knife, sand paper, solder, multimeter.


2. Before extracting buttons it could be good to check and mark +V on lamp pins. LEDs need to be connected with the correct voltage polarity.


3. Extract all switches/buttons from the dash.


4. Disassemble them. Usually they contain the plastic body, back cover, circuit board with pins, lamp holders with lamps (you can extract them using screw driver). Take these all out of a switch body, don’t bother about removing button itself.


5. Remove the lamps from the holders. Take an LED, stick it inside the holder and bend it's pins in the same way as it was with the lamp. Don’t bother that pins are thicker – that’s OK. Mark +V side and cut pin's excess.


6. There are two types of switches – one with the lamp pointing directly to button cover and second with the lamp pointing up 90 deg to the button cover.


7. For the first type of buttons, mask the LED reduce it's brightness. Use a small piece of white plastic and glue it from inside of the button cover so the LED will shine through and would be a bit darker.


8. For the second type of button, point the LED 90deg to the side of a button cover. First of all, install the LED and it’s holder into the switch and ensure you have it installed with the correct polarity. Then mark the side of a LED opposite to the button cover. Use sandpaper and sand the LED tip 45 deg. This will make the light shine up, reflecting from the sanded side and will shine towards the button cover.


9. Now locate the best place on a circuit board to place a resistor. Ensure you can put circuit board back into the switch body after this without problems. Locate the electric wires for the lamps on a circuit board. Decide on the easiest place to cut one wire and solder the resistor connecting the cut wires. Solder it.


10. Re-assemble the switch, install the LED in holder, connect the button, check the polarity and brightness.