This is an indication of low quality LED's or the wrong resistor value used. I have used LED's from Ozinum.com with 560 ohm resistors with white 8000 mcd LED's.

Gary

 

Cool, I'll give oznium a try. I thought it could have been caused by when you close the car door and the lights dim out.

 

I replaced all mine myself also. I have not heard of this happening.

Are the resistors still reading the correct resistance values on the blown ones ? (See below)
470 Ohm are used for Blue, White, Green, Aqua & Pink LED's
560 Ohm are used for Red, Orange & Yellow LED's
Make sure and verify that the resistors are all the correct values for the specific colors above.

Here is a chart showing you what the resistor colors should be for 470 ohm, and 560 ohm.
http://www.bpesolutions.com/atechnical/ResistorQV.pdf

470 ohm = Yellow, Violet, Brown (4th bar is % tolerance)
560 ohm = Green, Blue, Brown (4th bar is % tolerance)
4th color bar is Tollerance (Gold = 5%, Silver 10%, No bar = 20%)

As you can see the resistors with the 4th bar as being GOLD is the best. It will better keep you in the voltage range you need.

Also.....

Next time this happens.... Check the resistance between the (-) and (+) of ALL the LED's on the board (before you replace any LED's). Make sure they ALL read an "open circuit". If you find one with any resistance then that may be your cause. Usually LED's blow due to a higher than recommended voltage/current. That why your (-) and (+) need to be isolated (Open circuit). If its not completely an open circuit then the LED's will blow.

Hope this helps...
Toque

 

Thanks! I'll check them when i take the hvac out of the car when the new LEDs and resistors I ordered get here.

 

So, on my second unit I was a bit sceptal especially since the new one off E bay was brand new (150 bucks). Anyway mine was in bad shape. I replaced the LEDS with red LEDs and was going the stop there. But this time I was very careful, I did as little disassembly as possible (left ***** attached and soldered with board just pulled out with no disconnection of mother board. After soldering in the LEds I decided to take no chances and ohmed out the LEDS, they were good! Then I brain farted and measured the bulbs and got shorts (duh). Any way I began desoldering the lamps and then remembered they should be shorted (some ohmage). 4 careful hours later all lamps were chamged out with leds, red on everyone except the 2 cool blues for temp.
Some notes I had;
First off the LEDs are in parallel (one line for the indicators, one for the lamps that were replaced) thus to check for shorts one only needs to check one set of each, not the whole run!
Second, I found that by placing the soldering iron on the back side you can rock the LED/Lamps and back them out by alternatly applying heat to each leg (these boards are very robust compared to the ones I worked on in the NAVY)
Third, a easy setup is to solder the resistor dirrectly to the positive leg, the solder the LED negitive leg in and then cut leads of resistor and positive lead of the LED and then solder them together and then slide your heat shrink over it. Most resistor can stand up this eliminates problems with the switchs laying correctly later.
Forth, I checked and double checked ohmage after install of leds, after adjustment of them and after I layed it back down in place for final fit, it pays off (I can keep a wooden nickle for that).
I had to minute discrepances, 1 the "driver" has a tint of pink color torards the left end (I am going to try to put a backing in to eliminate the blue led from mixing color with the red. 2 My center buttons "circ/recirc" has a bit more brightness on the left side and needs to be redirected a bit.
Fith, cleanleness is paramount! Any leads bent, any solder spillage (that board loves solder) and any metal from you cutting your leads can cause strange things to happen like burning out a Led, getting flickering, LED lit when car off, or worse. Use a bright light when you are done and do a good viaual of the boards.
Another note is that my unit lights up much brighter that the rest of the LEDs in the car at full brightness but by backing it down about 1/4 power they seem to look acceptable.
A good deal of work, but the end result as awsome! Pics to follow once I get the double din completed and installed (I did a check fit with the din unfinished and was very pleased)

 

Just wanted to correct one note. The button LEDs that come in when you push the button are not on the same line and need to be checked individually for ohmage (meter to resistance reading, open value). Don't want anyone to get the puff of smoke!

Now here is a good question, what can I do with the remaining spare LEDs? Done the door switches, mirror, back interior lighrs, footwells, traction conyrol, fog/trunk release.
Changed out my carpet so I have 2 spare light holders and plan on installing them under the seats.

 

Great stuff!!! When you did the lights for the heads up, did you have a way of making the "PAGE" button glow as bright as the others??
It is offset and needs to fo through a white rubber piece so it loses all of it's light except a slight glow.

 

Quick question of advice from you guys...seems like an easy yes...BUT gotta make sure. if I were to do my door controls and didn't finish, could I still drive around while they were out laying on the workbench and just use my key to manually lock and unlock doors?

Thanks!

 

wascaps - I don't think he has HUD, but I snake an LED down into the switch so it's touching the back of the Page button...

Vertigo - Yep! And FYI two cycles of the key unlocks the Passenger door, three the trunk lid.

Tim

 

man thats sweet.

 

The door controls are easy. The entire job (both sides should take no more than an hour or so). They are the big connectors not the small ones like the heads up DIC 3mm.

It really is simple once you get into it.

 

I am wondering if anyone has a issue with their HVAC led mod being too bright? The mod came out great, maybe too great! I used 5mm leds with 580 ohm resisters. The rest of the indicators I used the neo wedges plug and play except the traction control which I also used the leds to make brighter. I know I could replace the door switches with leds and the fog/trunk but the DIC would still be at a lower level with the neo wedges.
Has anybody played with the input dimmer wire (I believe it is the cream colored wire on the input plug) and put a in line resistor to reduce voltage and thus reduce the brightness to match the rest of the lights in the car?

 

I haven't, your best bet is to get dimmer LEDs or dull your current ones with a black sharpie. The car uses a PWM signal to control the interior lighting brightness. Placing a resistor on a PWM signal would accomplish nothing other then possibly making the signal nonfunctional.

Tim

 

I am not too keen on resoldering smaller Leds in. The sharpie idea seems a bit odd but could work.
I think I will tinker with putting a inline potentiometer in line and see what happens, if it doesnt' adjust the LEDs then I can just turn it fully open on the circuit and be back to square one.
I guess I could change out the rest of the other lights in the car with the same ones used in the HVAC. The door switches will be easy along with the fog/trunk module. I hate to take apart my speedo for the switches. I can see it now! Order on E Bay a used cluster with HUD (another upgrade) and change those LEDs prior to install. Boy it never ends does it?

 

Even using the same LEDs through out the car there will be intenity differences. The HVAC and Radio have very little material blocking the light transmission while some og the other buttons TC Button, Page, and door controls have more button material and/or the light must travel further and not be in a direct line with the LED so they will be dimmer then the HVAC and Radio... By experimenting with different mcd ratings and different resistors you can get it perfect, it takes time though.

If you shaved the tips of your LEDs down, place a dot right over the emitter with a black sharpie and it tones it down nicely...

I have placed a potentiometer on HVACs but I wired it to the harness between the power board and the displat board... Don't use a cheap one!

 

The sharpie idea sounds like option "A".
Maybe play with a material bearier on the buttons (red tape for the red lights?)
I will try the sharpie first, right now the lights on the hvac are just too bright.

 

I have a single bulb on each side of my rear view mirror. I ordered 2 Super Star 10mm x 44mm bulbs from this site (about a third of the way down the page)....

http://autolumination.com/festoon.htm

When I popped them into my rear view mirror, they did not fit snug, so I went back to the stock bulbs. Looks like I ordered the wrong bulbs? Maybe I should have ordered a pair of the bulbs listed right below these? 212 festoons? A few of the festoons on that page appear to replace a stock 212 festoon.... Which one works best?? Ugggh....confused!

 

Welp I'm new to both Corvette's and to the forum!! I'd like to thank the main contributer's to this thread as I'm now hooked and knee deep in a full interior light change. First thing I fixed was the dim HVAC display for free(perks of working in acft maint.) Got the door switches changed out today, waiting till it's dark out to see the low spots. Stereo is torn apart on the kitchen table(might end up going aftermerket) and HVAC will come back out tomorrow after some errands. I live in TX so it's freakin hot from about 10am-9pm lol. I'm getting ready to have some serious down time from work (spinal fusion) so pics will follow once I'm complete.

 

Just curious.......Not really up to the soldering task as my eye sight is less than perfect.....Do any of you guys do these swaps on the side for extra coin????....Have no problem paying to have it done the right way.....Wanted to start with my rearview mirror lights.....

Oh I have a 2003 Z06 FYI

 

contact jw motoring. He has techs that can do it all.