The LED Q&A Thread

[bob1234]

I was browsing around V-LEDS site when I noticed some bulbs were on clearance. So if you want leds I would say now is the time to buy them. This is the first time that I noticed that Jake has done this.

[bt2580]

Originally Posted by bob1234

I was browsing around V-LEDS site when I noticed some bulbs were on clearance. So if you want leds I would say now is the time to buy them. This is the first time that I noticed that Jake has done this.

I think you spend too much time on that site...since they were just put on clearance a couple of days ago...LOL I was there right after he got done doing it. These are older designs that they have quite a few of.

[bt2580]

I promised awhile back to do this mod, and I have finally gotten around to doing it. I decided to use a rocker switch mounted under the hood rather than a pin switch because I have the hood open at shows. This allows me to control when the light is on or off rather than being constantly on when the hood is open.

Materials Needed...
36" strip light
Fuse tap
Rocker switch
Zip ties
1/4" split loom
Electrical tape
1/4" female disconnects
Butt connectors
16g wire (app 2ft)
20/2 gauge wire (I had some small speaker wire floating around)

I'll update this with a few more photos after I replace one part...


^-First of all, choose the mounting location. Clean it really well so that the adhesive on the back of the strip has a bare surface to stick to. Remove liner from back of strip and stick it down.
TIP-I use some masking tape over the strip to help get everything aligned before pulling the liner.

^-Fuse block tap and lighted rocker switch. I picked both of these up from the local Schuck's/O'Reilly's.

^-Switch mounted in the side of the fuse block located near the windshield washer fluid filler tube. The main large cover comes off, and so does the little cover that goes over where the wiring exits towards the passenger fender. The main housing of the fuse box will need to be trimmed to allow the smaller cover to go back in with the switch attached.

I used the fog light circuit to tap into(see fuse box cover for location)...Normally 15A. Upgraded to 20A and added a 5A fuse for the strip.

^-Wires routed down to the fuse box. I tucked them under the underhood cover. At the bottom where they exit near the windshield washer tubing, I used 1/4" split loom to give a factory look. Zip ties to the w/w tubing and routed down to the fender area. From there I removed the 3 bolts that hold in the factory wire loom shroud on the strut tower, and ran the split loom and wires under it. Down to fuse block, and it looks OE.

^-Ran the ground wires for the switch and lights to this OE ground on the fender.

^-Strip lit up...

^-Underhood lighting!!! You can see the location of the rocker switch in this photo as well.

[UzumakiNaruto]

wow thats a pretty nice job man, i was goign to do something like that...then i use the strips for my headlights

[bt2580]

Finally got some photos of the new bulbs from V-LEDS...

License plate frame...



92 LED Bulbs...



There are some other photos on my CarDomain page...

[bt2580]

Following outlines how I changed the little light bulbs inside of the seat heater switches in my 04 Altima to LED bulbs...


-First remove the rubber gasket that surrounds the shift indicator bezel from the finisher piece on the console(silver piece pictured). Simply pull it up and out.

-Remove the finisher piece around the shifter. Place towel or something to protect shifter bezel, and use screwdriver to pop panel loose.

-Remove phillips screw inside box in bottom of cup holder

-Pull E-brake up, and open console storage compartment.
-Pull up on cup holder assembly from where the other console piece was removed.
-Guide assembly over E-brake

-Remove plugs attached to seat heater switches
-Remove switches from panel

-Switch removed
-Begin disassembling switch by removing the rocker portion. Use a small screwdriver to pop the sides over the little retaining pins
-Finish disassembling switch by popping the guts out from the bottom. There are 2 tabs that have to be released, and they are a PITA. I slide a jewelry screwdriver under each one at the same time.

-Pic of the guts of the switch.
-The yellow/green piece on the left side is the LED that lights orange. This piece slides off of the contacts
-Normally there would be a similar holder to the LED for the bulb that backlights the whole switch white...I replaced mine awhile ago with a modified LED bulb that needs to be replaced again.
-I used a #74 white LED bulb that I cut apart. This gave me the LED and the resistor needed.
-I installed the switch to check polarity on the LED, and then soldered the legs to the contacts of the switch.
-Pay attention to the way that the white plastic piece that moves inside is oriented...

-Pic of white plastic piece and the contact piece removed

-How the contact piece is assembled. The forked copper piece kind of clips into the white plastic holder with the rounded edges of the forks facing you.

-Switches reinstalled, with bright white backlighting
-Reassembly of vehicle is reverse of taking apart.

[Altastic2]

Those are some nice mods, man... if only I had more coin I'd be right there with you.

Wheel well LED's look absolutely sick, and you can see them from the side as well as angled off from the back. Charging up the digicam right now for some night shots (fsking dead battery...) and will post them once I get back from meeting up with some folks later on. It looks like... well... luxury. The 12" might have even looked nicer, but may also be overkill.

One unit arrived cracked (they folded them into a little mylar envelope and it broke the strip clean in half... bt2580, you might want to tell them to find a better way to ship 'em) and so only one side is done ATM.

It was pretty easy to do, I just tap spliced into the turn signal wires just aft of the bulb and ran some 16g wire back to the well... there's a little hole in the splash guard right next to the bumper cover's top that's perfect for running the wire through to the inside of the hood compartment next to the air filter/washer fluid reservoir (depending on what side you're on). I would *definitely* recommend that you wire from the "top down" by wiring the unit up and dropping it down into the well space while reaching up with your other hand from inside the wheel well to grab it.

[EBAN44]

Not to rain on your parade but I hope you used a in-line fuse since it seems like a place where there would be a lot of water and could short something out easily.
Also I actually do like the idea something totally different never seen before will have to see the pics but could there be anything illegal about them? I don't see having any problems if they are yellow/orange but just wondering....

[pbwillz]

i've searched and i haven't come across any write-ups on how to change the auto shifter light for the 02-04 models...

[bt2580]

Originally Posted by pbwillz

i've searched and i haven't come across any write-ups on how to change the auto shifter light for the 02-04 models...

As with the gauge cluster, it is painted orange on the reverse side, and that cannot be easlily removed. If you are looking at mine in post #16, that is done with a completely re-fabbed diffuser.

As to just changing the bulb, that is easy.
-Remove the finisher piece around the shifter as outlined in post#169 here.
-Remove shift knob (unscrew it)
-Pull up on the gear selector housing, it is a pretty hard tug to free it
-Look on underside of housing, you will see the bulb socket. 1/4 turn and it is free.

[bt2580]

I am basically going to create a foot well/under dash lighting kit for another member here over the next day or so, using V-Leds strip lights. If I can get it to where it is basically almost a plug and play kit, would anyone else be interested?

The kit I will be making for this individual will only be a manually operated kit, but I could also make it as one that comes on with the dome circuit, or both.

Give me some feedback...

B

[200hpAltima]

extremely interested. I think if you made a guaging interest thread more people would respond. However, I would be willing to pay about $100 shipped for this kit. And describe plug and play please? lol

[bt2580]

Originally Posted by 200hpAltima

extremely interested. I think if you made a guaging interest thread more people would respond. However, I would be willing to pay about $100 shipped for this kit. And describe plug and play please? lol

If I can put the kit together successfully as I envision doing it, it will be very simple for someone to install. All of the wires will be pre-cut and have the terminals crimped onto them, clear and easy to follow instructions, and access to photos of install as well.

I want to do this kit for the one person first and then see how well my instructions and everything work for him. From there, I can judge whether or not it will be feasible for others to do, etc.

[200hpAltima]

amazing! as you know, im not a wiring retard, so if you need another test dummy.....im here lol

[Altastic2]

Well, here's the pics and video is to come later. As far as the wiring and waterproofing goes, I used gel-filled tap splices and heatshrink tape around the connections underhood to keep it dry. Only way for water to get in there is if the tape was sliced somehow, which I doubt, but I wrapped electrical tape around it just to be safe. Wiring for turn-signal functionality: positive goes to the green striped wire coming off the back of the turn signal bulb, negative/ground goes to black wire. If you want them to be on with your parking lights, just wire the red to the other wire coming off the harness.

Off:


On:


On from a distance offset: