Blue LED switches. A pictorial journey - Pt1

**Baj** · Thursday 21st September 2006, 22:49

Door window switches

Tools needed:
Wire cutters
small flat screwdriver
Heatshrink or electrical insulation tape
3mm LEDs
Soldering iron
(Some thin guage wire may be handy if you get stuck)
A V70 or similar

Step 0: Order some LEDs
I bought 50 from a nice man in Hong Kong for £1.58 plus a few quid P&P. Makes Maplins £2.50 for 2 seem a bit expensive.
Mine are 13000 thingies in brightness which in retrospect may be a little too bright.
They are 3.5v but come with 50 resistors for 12v use.
Dont try them without the resistor, the smell is nasty!

Step 1: Take apart the door switch

We are working with the passenger door switch here (more space to practice with).
Using a small flat screwdriver gently pry up the cover over the catches (circled), starting from one end and working round.

Step 2: The green LEDs

Here are the buggers on their little black towers.

Step 3: Cut the LEDs off

Cut off the window switch LED about halfway.

Cut off the lock LED near to the top. Unless you have a long, thin soldering iron it will be hard to solder the wires if they are too short.

Step 4: Its solder time (switch LED)

Solder the resistor to the LED. Marvel at my great soldering and my high-tech solder mat.
When doing the drivers side you may want to plan the length of the wires as the space is very limited but here you have room to move things about a bit.

Place the LED at the top of the tower moulding, curve the wires down and solder to the old LED wires. Cut off the excess wire. Fold the resistor out the way and insulate with heatshrink or bodge-tape. (circled) Ensure the wires will not touch the window switch components.

Bung some heatshrink over the LED and wires (putting the heatshrink on first may help hold the LED in place)

Step 5: Its solder time (lock LED)

Positioning the resistor is a little tricky here as the switch for the locks runs over the front and back of the LED. Stick it to one side, again insulating it with heatshrink.

It is worth noting at this point that you check the polarity before soldering so you dont have to unsolder & resolder (voice of experience

)

Step 6: Finished

Reassemble and marvel.

Epilogue:
There is some reflected glow under the switch. This is mainly due to the intensity of the LEDs chosen combined with the white underside of the switch. I may fix this.

For the drivers door switches you can tuck the resistor behind the LED pillar as the casing is slightly raised.
If you get LEDs with a rim at the base you may need to either sand off the rim or cut off the small tubes that are under the switch button (not pictured as they arent on the passenger side [I did the drivers side first and didnt photograph it])

Next week:
Dash switch lights (once I work out why the ones I have done are shorting out the stereo!)