Re: Shaved doorhandles and Remote Popper
 

Another one I did at HA

First, props to KayJai in this here for all of his info. It was from this info that I decided to do this mod.

Used: 2 blue 3.7v 20mA 2600mcd 5mm LED's ($1.50 for both)
This took me about 30 minutes including removing and reinstalling the door panel.


First you need to pop the door panel off, which most of us already know how to do.
Once the door panel is off you will need to pop the window switch out. It simply pops up (versus down which in turn would make it fall inside the door panel if the panel were on)with a little prying on the tabs holding it in.

Once it is out you need to pop the top gray trim piece off, it should look like this afterwards
http://www.brendanandliz.com/images/diy3.jpg


Now you need to take the window switch buttons off. There is a black plastic rod that slides thru them. All you need to do is poke the rod with something small and then pull it out. Keep in mind the window switch buttons are spring loaded, so it is a good idea to push down on them while removing the rod to keep them from flying away.
http://www.brendanandliz.com/images/diy1.jpg


You will need to desolder the two joints above circled in red in order to remove the circuit board the LEDs are on. Once it's desoldered you can remove it by gently prying on it with a screwdriver. It may help to pry while you have a hot soldering gun on the joint. Once it is removed you need to flip it over and desolder the existing LEDs circled in red (below). The big red arrow pointing down is for reference for the polarities of the LEDs. The LED has a big metal flange inside of it on one side. That big metal flange faces the direction the arrow is pointing.
http://www.brendanandliz.com/images/diy2.jpg


Just do everything in reverse to put it back together and your done. Hopefully it should look something like this:
http://www.brendanandliz.com/images/diy4.jpg


My digital camera does not do this mod justice. It is really a deep, rich blue, not a washed out bluish green color.

I would have posted some more thorough pics but I am quickly running out of much needed space on my web server.

Good Luck.

I did this DIY (i know its old) but instead, why not use 3mm LEDs (the same size as the OEM ones). Then you will have no problem doing the passenger window switch, and the window lock button.
after I completed it it looks wonderful.

lol, i guess i just assumed that 3mm leds were used. yeah,3mm is the size you want.

maybe its because it is hard to find blue 3mm leds at common stores. i think ive only seen 5mm blue ones at radio shack.

i believe i used the 5mm ones because thats all I could find in blue. And my pasenger side one works, and the auto windows works as well....

If you need more colors of LEDs in either 5mm or 3mm, let me know, I have tons of everything.

Thanks for the DIY, ill get right on this.

Anyone else have problems with their buttons sticking after this?

Idk, I wouldn't be able to tell you, my buttons stick now, and the window doesn't like to go smoothly down or up...lol..

The sticking button thing seems to happen whether you do this mod or not.
It's the crappy buttons.
Best advice I can give to try to limit it from sticking is to blow some contact cleaner followed by some compressed air to get rid of the crude that sticks to the bottom of the buttons.

spray graphite will work wonders for anything that is sticking. just be sure not to get it on electrical contacts.

...

Hmm.. So get some electrical spray cleaner and clean the hell out of it the next time I have it out. THen lube up the pivot pin and the little balls?