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pacificshack

LED Colour on dash

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It has been done to death, but I don't think there's any one definitive thread on exactly what to do so...

 

Dash switches - prise them apart carefully, remove the green plastic filter and replace with red cellophane OR remove the filter and replace the illumination bulb with a 12V red 3mm LED

 

Window/sunroof switches - carefully prise apart, remove the green LEDs and replace with std voltage red 3mm LEDs

 

Heater panel - afaik, no1 has yet converted an early spec to red...

 

Cigarette lighter - scrapyard, get the lighter from a 95-on Passat, or a 90-on SEAT.

 

Instrument cluster - remove from car and dismantle. replace green overhead strips with red cellophane, remove displays from circuit board and replace green filters with red or blue cellophane depending on preference. you can also reverse the polarising filter (red on black instead of black on red) but you'll need to wire up the backlight bulbs to come on with the ignition, not the lights.

 

Think that just about covers it! :lol:

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Instrument cluster - remove from car and dismantle. replace green overhead strips with red cellophane, remove displays from circuit board and replace green filters with red or blue cellophane depending on preference. you can also reverse the polarising filter (red on black instead of black on red) but you'll need to wire up the backlight bulbs to come on with the ignition, not the lights.

 

To reverse the polarising lense youll need a stanley knife blade and a hair dryer to heat up it up while you slice the film off. fairly easy. Also you need to get hold of some quite dark red film (ive still not found one that im happy with) to light and it just looks tacky. Also some led replacements for the crappy bulbs.

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sand the leds with fine sand paper and leave the orginal white filter in as well as the colour that works quite well

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I'm thinking of doing the whole dash and all (that I can) switches.... So if anybody has a spare instrument panel let me know as I'm bound to need one in a few weeks when I've burnt this one out ;)

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Heater panel - afaik, no1 has yet converted an early spec to red...

 

Done the heater panel, it's a fiddle as the green filter is paint and overlaid with black and white for the pictures of the seats, screen etc...

you need to very gently rub down the plastic film with everything printed on it with wet and dry, taking care not to rub off the bottom layer of white and black or you end up with nothing but a clear bit of plastic film!, this also involves carefully breaking apart the two plastic halves of the panel.

I used a red plastic filter to get the new colour.

cruddy picture attached, but you get the idea, looks much better in real life, honest :)

 

David.

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I've also done the early style heater controls, by printing out a new design on acetate and fitting that in instead of the green one. At the same time I fitted a couple of extra bulbs as well making it all a bit brighter. Also done all the interior switches (thanks for your help GradeA) and fitted the DDI dials...

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JMC, liking the guage pod idea.

 

did you get it finished and was there any cutting of the plastic involved?? pics?

 

got my gauges and senders but am a bit reluctant to start cutting away

 

cheers

 

ben

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JMC, liking the guage pod idea.

 

did you get it finished and was there any cutting of the plastic involved?? pics?

 

got my gauges and senders but am a bit reluctant to start cutting away

 

cheers

 

ben

 

Thanks ben16v, yes it is finished (see attached for a rather shaky picture). There was a small amount of cutting needed at the bottom of the slot where the ash tray used to live. With hindsight I would probably have removed a little bit of plastic from the top of the slot rather than the bottom to improve access to CD's below. Maybe next time :D :D

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David Wort - have you done all your interior switches? Any advice?

Cheers

 

the dash switches use filters and bulbs, I simply used some filters from some old audi switches to do these some needed a bit of super-glue to hold the filters in place, the roof and window switches need to have a red LED soldered in place of the green ones, everything can be prised apart and reassembled fairly easily, just take a bit of care.

 

David.

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you got a day pic by any chance?

 

thanks

 

Here you go...

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