Interior lighting converted to white LED

[dj92]

Two things p***ed me off from the start when I got my Yaris:
1)The green LEDs in the stereo, AC controllers etc.
2)The weak interior lighting.


Now I've fixed them:
1)
I threw out the green LEDs and replaced them by white SMD-0805 ones from ebay.
It was a bit tricky because I have no tweezers, but in the end, I even managed to solder them into the AC lights :biggrin:

The stereo's display seems quite bright, in reality it is not bright enough to make me take it apart again and insert a damping plastic strip behind the LCD :smoking:

I decided to throw in two red LEDs for the CD slot as a tribute to audi because they did not run away fast enough.

http://files.brauchmer.net/imghost/up/small_e7cd4130e468e1ba6d6cac7d0fe8fca9.jpg (http://files.brauchmer.net/imghost/up/e7cd4130e468e1ba6d6cac7d0fe8fca9.jpg)
http://files.brauchmer.net/imghost/up/small_2a2e125bfec07b95cc5b8c68e5788559.jpg (http://files.brauchmer.net/imghost/up/2a2e125bfec07b95cc5b8c68e5788559.jpg)
On the left you can see my still experimental selective CAN reader:
http://files.brauchmer.net/imghost/up/small_f7f9fdfaac7be48698687e242aac0159.jpg (http://files.brauchmer.net/imghost/up/f7f9fdfaac7be48698687e242aac0159.jpg)


Later on, I fixed
2)
I ordered a map light and the dome light to modify them because I did not know whether this would be a success.
I took out the bulbs, soldered a bunch of SMD LEDs to a PCB and glued them in there.
Some Wiring, then it was done
http://files.brauchmer.net/imghost/up/small_ae3d8b1aa4877034c23a6e69ce159d26.jpg (http://files.brauchmer.net/imghost/up/ae3d8b1aa4877034c23a6e69ce159d26.jpg)
http://files.brauchmer.net/imghost/up/small_af063fac41684f67fd4aec73e5e1bb40.jpg (http://files.brauchmer.net/imghost/up/af063fac41684f67fd4aec73e5e1bb40.jpg)

For the dome light, I ordered 5360 type LED strips, put them on an aluminium sheet (energy drink can's wall :D ) and glued that to it's position, too.

No photos from that, sorry.

By using a lot of the available space, I could maximize the design power without getting thermal problems (the dome light consumes about 10W now) thus getting far more light than with the universal bulb replacements.

[TOLMACH]

^ So envy about your digital instrument cluster ))

[dj92]

You can get one @ ebay
Sadly quite expensive :(

[IllusionX]

haha nice job on the SMD LED plate. :)

I should do the same with mine.. but i'm kinda lazy LOL

[dj92]

Today I finished the second stage:
I mounted some white LED stripes under the seats and in the two compartments beneath the AC.
What's special about it?
I'm switching them with the dome light control pin of the body ECU via two paralleled PNP transistors (don't know how far I'll extend this, but I prefer to build something once and have it done forever then ;) ), additionally, these LED stripes are switched via a 150 ohms resistor with an optocoupler that is connected to the "headlights on"-wire.
That way, I have a dim light to see what is where while driving in the darkness without getting blinded by it.
I used an optocoupler because the "headlights on"-wire is switched to Vbat, but the dome light controller switches to GND.
A diode prevents the dome light from being lit ;)
No Pictures up to now, the dim light is almost invisible to the camera anyway.

[IllusionX]

btw, what is the button next to the side mirror adjustments?

[dj92]

It adjusts the angle of the headlights if the car's end is heavily loaded, a mandatory feature here since more than 30 years.
Xenon equipped cars don't have it because they have to have an automatic adjustment unit.

I wondered where the Instrument lighting rheostat was, until I realized that there is nothing to adjust :D

[IllusionX]

ha..that's interesting.. maybe that's why the smart has the adjuster here...

[dj92]

Yup, I guess every better european car has it, Mercedes/BMW/Audi don't have as many configurations as Toyota.
If they don't have it, they might have Xenon ;)

[dj92]

...Aaaaand
it's done :D
Today I received the luggage room light from CTScott (thanks again) and some moments ago, I finished putting it into place: the hole in the hatch cover!
It was a bit of work, but totally worth it.
With a bright LED light fitted in, I have no hassle anymore with the textile parts hanging before the standard light on the side :)
Pulling the wires is not that hard, but don't try to press out the plastic part on the car side of the gasket+tube assembly which contains the wires.
Instead, gently pull off the rubber part and pull the wires through.