Author Topic: 99c Lighting Mod (Read 5657 times)

Krosbow · « **on:** Jul 6, 2005, 05:23PM »

I was buggerising around with my U12 dash today when i noticed the LED that lights the area near the ignition was pushed up and made hardly any light. This mod requires no skill at all and a 99 cent 5mm LED from dick smith. Firstly undo the 6 screws under the steering colum (one is under the height adjustment). Then on the bottom half there is a little LED holster, pull it up gently. I was amazed that Nissan didnt solder the LED to the wires! It simpily plugs in! Next get your new LED and trim its legs to about 8mm and slide it right into the space where the old one was, wammo! If it aint work, try inserting it in the other way! Clip it back on and reinstall the cover around the colum. I am too scum to buy an LED so i scumed one out of a old laser mouse... Its darn bright! Hope you like my little idea.

Day.

Night.

Tell me what you guys think.

Jecks · « **Reply #1 on:** Jul 6, 2005, 05:29PM »

damn... thats a good, cheap mod... good find, shall be attempting that on the w/e...

Rake · « **Reply #2 on:** Jul 6, 2005, 07:03PM »

Yeah I did that mod. It's so simple, I never really even mention it, or posted it, or, well, anything.

Grabbed a bright led from DSE, popped it in, voila. I too made mine red wihch blends in great with my dash and door lights.

Carbon-goodness · « **Reply #3 on:** Jul 6, 2005, 07:54PM »

yeah when i 1st got me beast i noticed that the stocko green light so u could c the iginition wasn't workin but hav totally forgotten about it till now after reading ya post

will definately fix it up in the next week or so. Hopefully dicky's will have blue LEDs that'll fit!

RichTRX · « **Reply #4 on:** Jul 12, 2005, 12:44PM »

I might use a blue one

Carbon-goodness · « **Reply #5 on:** Jul 13, 2005, 07:15PM »

hehe, just replaced the stocko LED with a VERY bright blue one!

however, richard smith didn't seem to have any of the blue LEDs for $0.99, only green, red, yellow and clear. so had to spend big and got a "super bright blue" for $3.00.

anyways, the install was pretty easy, tho it was a bit fidly. still the "blue" theme bits continues in the car....

Rake · « **Reply #6 on:** Jul 13, 2005, 07:39PM »

Hmm, newer 'exotic' LEDs like White and Blue cost more. Red/Green/Amber LEDs have been around for ages, It's only been in more recent years that LEDs have become available in white/blue/etc colours and been available in bright varities.

Jono · « **Reply #7 on:** Jul 13, 2005, 08:02PM »

You can get LEDs cheap off ebay - about $15 for 20 of the suckers with mounting bezels, resistors and heatshrink as well.
Linky:
http://search.ebay.com.au/led-kit-installation_W0QQsofocusZbsQQsbrftogZ1QQcatrefZC6QQsacatZ-1QQfromZR10QQsacatZ-1QQcatrefZC6QQsargnZ-1QQsaslcZ2QQsadisZ200QQfposZ4127QQga10244Z10425QQftrtZ1QQftrvZ1QQfsopZ1QQfsooZ1QQcoactionZcompareQQcopagenumZ1QQcoentrypageZsearch

Edit: I've bought about 140 LEDs off that guy.

Carbon-goodness · « **Reply #8 on:** Jul 13, 2005, 08:33PM »

man, that is a lot of LEDS! what in god's tacho shell are ya gonna do with em all?!?!

Jono · « **Reply #9 on:** Jul 14, 2005, 01:14AM »

Well, 12 of them have gone into my parents' houseboat navigation lights, another 16 or so are going on dad's tinnie as nav lights, I made a led 3rd brake light for a friend using 16 of them, and I have used 6 in my parkers. I worked out that the resistors they came with weren't resistive enough to drop the voltage down from the 14.8 volts that my car has at the parker sockets. The current pair have lasted a couple of months so I think I've fixed that problem.
Oh and I put a pair in the bottom corners of my front number plate but I was getting too much attention from the cops so I disconnected them and I haven't been pulled over since

Edit: that's 52 leds so far

Edited edit: Also thinking of putting a heap in my hood lining when I eventually do it (I want black velvet!) as interior lights. (Hood lining = ceiling)

SMI7HY · « **Reply #10 on:** Jul 14, 2005, 11:30PM »

Does anyone know if the pintara T has the LED there? i just pulled it apart and i cant find an LED or even the wires for itÂ $:-\$

Jtas · « **Reply #11 on:** Jul 15, 2005, 01:27AM »

Nope, only the Ti and TRX got an "Illuminated Ignition" from the factory (according to the original sales brochure)
You could find the wires for it hidden somewhere in the loom behind the steering column, I think it has a long black plug.

(they used the same interior wiring looms (Except for higher spec stuff that was totally seperate from the basic wiring) in all pintaras, I've found several plugs under my dash for stuff that the Ti has that TRX's dont)

SMI7HY · « **Reply #12 on:** Jul 15, 2005, 07:25PM »

well that explains it then..... thanks

herbal · « **Reply #13 on:** Aug 5, 2005, 07:41AM »

what about corsairs?

Rake · « **Reply #14 on:** Aug 5, 2005, 10:33AM »

Corsair Ghia has the key barrel LED. Not sure about the GL though.

weasel · « **Reply #15 on:** Aug 5, 2005, 12:23PM »

to do this in a series that it didn't come standard in you'd just have to tap into your door switch for your interior light yeah???

would you need to run resistors or a small circuit board or something??

Rake · « **Reply #16 on:** Aug 5, 2005, 12:32PM »

I actually think that the led ONLY comes on when the drivers door is opened, and not for any of the other 3 passenger doors. Bit odd..

It'd be cool if someone could check that out.

Might make the wiring for the door lamps and such a bit more complicated .. But at the same time, might indicate clues to how it works.

Jecks · « **Reply #17 on:** Aug 6, 2005, 10:18AM »

yea, it does only come one when the drives door is opened... and mine turns off when the drives door is shut... which makes it kinda useless at night when i actually need to find the keyhole and the lights is off coz the door is shut...argh

Rake · « **Reply #18 on:** Aug 6, 2005, 11:49AM »

Er, why npot just leave your door open while you put in the key?

Not that the U12 key barrel is hard to find anyway. I hate how commodores/falcons/other cars, the barrels arent angled to point backwards like the pinnies, they point out sideways and they're a barstard to find and use, especially on newer cars.

Carbon-goodness · « **Reply #19 on:** Aug 7, 2005, 03:38PM »

hmmm, after reading those last few posts, my "door open" lights (interior and LED for ignition) stays on until i turn the ignition on or unitl the immobilser automatically kicks in. tho i think when i got me alarm/c'locking/immobiliser done, it was wired up this way

Jono · « **Reply #20 on:** Aug 8, 2005, 02:47PM »

Quote from: herbal on Aug 5, 2005, 07:41AM

what about corsairs?

GL Corsairs have the same wiring harness as the GLi and Executive Pintaras. The Ghias have the Ti/TRX harness.