Climate Control lighting question, Regarding the buttons that tell you which vents the air is blowing out Options

[GriffGirl]

This is totally a nitpicky thing but it's something that really bugs me about my car. You know the little buttons that you push to control which vents the air blows from? Mine don't light up all the way - meaning, the little green rectangles light up to indicate which button has been selected, (orange for the defrost, etc) but the little icon below it doesn't light up. All the other buttons light up completely, green squares, icons and all. It's just that top row that doesn't light up.

So before I go and pull the entire CC out I thought I'd ask - is there actually a bulb for that part, or does mine just not light up? I've seen some pix on here where other people's light up, and it drives me crazy that mine doesn't. Am I just SOL?

[6strngs]

I think they are supposed to light up. I don't think mine do either though, I think one of my bulbs went out.

[kerosene]

each button has a seperate bulb, then theres a little plastic tab that goes in every button that lights up the button itself... if you get a bright enough light, you dont need it... if it doesnt light up you might be missing the clear plastic peice, and at that point its easier to change the color of the lights then find that bugger

[GriffGirl]

Okay, I'm rippin' it apart then! It just drives me NUTS! I want the tiny person sitting in the seat with the arrows to LIGHT UP, DAMNIT!

While I'm at it, I may attempt to change the color of the little green indicators that light up, too. Might as well, eh?

Thanks!

[kerosene]

http://6gc.net/howto/change_climate_control_light_color use that as your referance,

http://6gc.net/photo/howto/122/4

the little clear thing, is the thing i was talking about

[GriffGirl]

http://6gc.net/howto/change_climate_control_light_color use that as your referance,

http://6gc.net/photo/howto/122/4

the little clear thing, is the thing i was talking about

That's totally awesome, I didn't know which clear thing, I just figured I'd figure it out when I got it apart. I know about the how-to, I've read it a couple of times but must've forgotten about that picture, but fully intend to use it to do the CC!

It's this part that won't light up though, the part highlighted in pink:


Thanks so much for your help!

[kerosene]

yea, you might be missing that clear peice... if you are, get some led's and change your climate contol... might be hard to find that clear peice

[GriffGirl]

yea, you might be missing that clear peice... if you are, get some led's and change your climate contol... might be hard to find that clear peice

I'm on it like white on rice then!

Expecting 194 LEDs today or tomorrow from this guy. If they work out well maybe I'll do something similar w/CC, make the little men bright white-ish and the little green squares blue.

[kerosene]

hm, didnt have to get those... super brights work, those might be a little big, those ones are needed for the knobs and ac ...

[GriffGirl]

Oh I didn't mean that I'd use 194s on the CC, I meant I'd use hyper white whatever size they are to make everything really crisp. I figured the CC bulbs are more like or similar to those tiny ones like in the "ash tray" or the cig lighter ring

[kerosene]

you can put regular size leds... the vleds guy is a good seller, ive bought from him

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/100-pcs-5mm...1QQcmdZViewItem

you can use those, best off using em since they fit...

[GriffGirl]

you can put regular size leds... the vleds guy is a good seller, ive bought from him

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/100-pcs-5mm...1QQcmdZViewItem

you can use those, best off using em since they fit...

I don't know what I'd do with 100 of those though! Plus, they're from China, by LED they actually mean leAd, it's only a matter of days before they're recalled...

For instant gratification I can actually pick those up at Frye's Electronics, it's across the street from where I work anyway. (not that the ones at Frye's won't be Chinese or anything though, LOL it's all about INSTANT gratification!)

[kerosene]

you can put regular size leds... the vleds guy is a good seller, ive bought from him

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/100-pcs-5mm...1QQcmdZViewItem

you can use those, best off using em since they fit...

I don't know what I'd do with 100 of those though! Plus, they're from China, by LED they actually mean leAd, it's only a matter of days before they're recalled...

For instant gratification I can actually pick those up at Frye's Electronics, it's across the street from where I work anyway. (not that the ones at Frye's won't be Chinese or anything though, LOL it's all about INSTANT gratification!)

Fry's has expensive led's... IF you find any... i couldnt find any blue ones... you get 100 but 10 or so will be duds... and you can always use it in the future for other things....

[94celigts]

Guys sorry to bud in. Is it an overall hard process to change the CC lights. Id like mine to light up the little guys a good white, the button LED's red, but keep the blue to red heater control the normal colour, I remember seeing a video of someone who had something similar but failed to find it again. Just wondering if its a hard process to do so, or it just takes time and trial and error?

[GriffGirl]

I don't remember the LEDs being expensive at Frye's, but I know they have them, they're in the section where you get all the individual components to build your own computer, like near the electrical stuff. Anyway I figure it'd cost about the same for a few LEDs from Frye's as it might off eBay; eBay's DEFINITELY a better deal, no doubt, but again, it's about instant gratification and not wanting to wait around for the shipping.


94celigts - as for actually changing these bulbs, I don't know if it's hard or not, I just figured I'd dig in and find out. Use the link kerosene posted up higher to change the little green parts to red, that won't affect the blue to red heater control part. Maybe with white LEDs it'll make it brighter (not a bad thing!), but the bulbs aren't what make the green buttons green. See link.

[kerosene]

well, not hard at all... just delicate, you cant have a cheap walmart soldering iron because it will heat up too much, and if you put it on the pcboard it will take the solder directly off the board... then your pretty f**ked...really not too hard though...the part that is tricky is setting the lights so they point into the area where it is bright, so it looks bright... i can get the light info, which are needed if anyone needs em

you need about 10 3mm(if you cant get 3mm..5mm will also work)superbrights with resistors... get 15-20 just incase
you need 3 Inverted Cones it has a resistor built in

by link, griffgirl means
http://6gc.net/howto/change_climate_control_light_color

This post has been edited by kerosene: Oct 24, 2007 - 5:37 PM

[6strngs]

there was a member on here, pittfirefighter or something like that, who was doing it for you. you remove you CC unit, send it to him, he changed it to whatever color you wanted, and sent it back. and it was only like $30 or $40. you might want to see if he's still doing that.

[GriffGirl]

there was a member on here, pittfirefighter or something like that, who was doing it for you. you remove you CC unit, send it to him, he changed it to whatever color you wanted, and sent it back. and it was only like $30 or $40. you might want to see if he's still doing that.

On account of being of "moderate means" i.e. damn broke, I'm more of a "do it yourself" kinda girl, so I will be tackling this one myself. I think I'll go the three inverted cones route, too, just seems like less hassle.


I figure if I can get a tranny into a 4Runner with no prior mechanic's knowledge whatsoever, a light bulb shouldn't be unsurmountable. (Now if I can just figure out why my car runs like CRAP when the engine is cold, I'll be a happy camper!)

[kerosene]

there was a member on here, pittfirefighter or something like that, who was doing it for you. you remove you CC unit, send it to him, he changed it to whatever color you wanted, and sent it back. and it was only like $30 or $40. you might want to see if he's still doing that.

I also do it.... need lights provided though