Single Zone HVAC LED Swap
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 125
Likes: 0
From: Grand Island Nebraska
Single Zone HVAC LED Swap
Does anyone have information on how this is done? It doesn't seem to be covered like the dual zone HVAC units. I have the unit disassembled, I have 3mm flat top LEDs with resistors to match. The primary piece of info I need is which side of the current bulbs is the positive side or how do I test that to find it? There is a small write-up on a NEW LED MOD thread, page 2 but any addition info anyone can offer would be helpful. Thanks, Jason
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,654
Likes: 5
From: Silver Spring MD
Here's how I did it when I did my dual zone HVAC LED swap... First do one LED in the unit, and with it still apart, plug it back into the car and turn on the running lights and see if it lights up... If it does, your golden, if not, flip it around and try again. Once you have the first one correct, you'll need a 9V battery and a way to get leads off of it to touch the HVAC LED poles... I found an old stud finder around the house that used a 9V, the kind that hooked up to the battery with the leathery looking flat black piece, and stripped the 24 gauge wires to expose <1mm leads.
You'll then want to remove the next bulb and touch these battery powered leads up to the exposed solder points and see if your correctly installed LED lights up. If not, you have to reverse the positive and negative. Do this for each one and you should be golden...
Here's a pic of me doing this with my Radio. As you can see, this is me reinstalling it in the car to check to see if I had the polarity correct...
You can kinda see the battery thingy in this pic...
I'll go find my little battery tool and post a pic in a minute. So hold tight! It's worth the results when you're done!
Best of luck with the project!!
You'll then want to remove the next bulb and touch these battery powered leads up to the exposed solder points and see if your correctly installed LED lights up. If not, you have to reverse the positive and negative. Do this for each one and you should be golden...
Here's a pic of me doing this with my Radio. As you can see, this is me reinstalling it in the car to check to see if I had the polarity correct...
You can kinda see the battery thingy in this pic...
I'll go find my little battery tool and post a pic in a minute. So hold tight! It's worth the results when you're done!
Best of luck with the project!!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,654
Likes: 5
From: Silver Spring MD
Ask and you shall receive! Just a quick word of advice on this, DO NOT let the ends of the leads touch! You'll be using it over and over with each LED you do and the more you pick it up and put it down, the more of a chance it will happen. I was working on my HVAC and didn't even think about this until I went to pick it up after the leads had been touching I guess for about 2 minutes and the battery burnt the $hit out of my fingers!
Hope this helps, I know it made my install a lot easier and no guessing on polarity...
Hope this helps, I know it made my install a lot easier and no guessing on polarity...
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,987
Likes: 18
From: DuBois PA
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
I mapped em out when I did my first one. I'll try and make a diagram or just post up a verbal description if that would be accurate... These are a real PITA to get to look good and to make the temp dial change color;
Those pics were my first attempt, I've since refined it. The whole upper area is lit by only four bulbs which is fine for incandescents but NOT LEDs with thier narrow light beam. I ended up using a LED strip and circled the frame on the upper portion of the faceplate...
Those pics were my first attempt, I've since refined it. The whole upper area is lit by only four bulbs which is fine for incandescents but NOT LEDs with thier narrow light beam. I ended up using a LED strip and circled the frame on the upper portion of the faceplate...
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,987
Likes: 18
From: DuBois PA
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
OK this should work for you, looking at the front of the board left to right;
Top Row
+ - - + - + -+
Bottome Row
+ - + - + - + - (all the same)
To bench test it apply voltage to pins E,J and M and ground to K
HTH
Tim
Top Row
+ - - + - + -+
Bottome Row
+ - + - + - + - (all the same)
To bench test it apply voltage to pins E,J and M and ground to K
HTH
Tim
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,654
Likes: 5
From: Silver Spring MD
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,772
Likes: 3
From: Gastonia NC
St. Jude Donor '10
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,987
Likes: 18
From: DuBois PA
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
I always install a Blue LED under the Blue sweep and a Red LED under the Red one;
Even if doing white;
The only real issue is that the plastic surround around the **** acts as a wave guide and you'll get bleed over in the neutral position making it look purplish. Blue also seems to be a dominate wavelength and over powers Red, as you can see in the "Passenger" script... the pictures make it look worse then it really is though.
CUlookin - I'd love to see some pics of how your's changes color with the white LEDs behind the sweeps! Maybe I'm doing it wrong...
Tim
Even if doing white;
The only real issue is that the plastic surround around the **** acts as a wave guide and you'll get bleed over in the neutral position making it look purplish. Blue also seems to be a dominate wavelength and over powers Red, as you can see in the "Passenger" script... the pictures make it look worse then it really is though.
CUlookin - I'd love to see some pics of how your's changes color with the white LEDs behind the sweeps! Maybe I'm doing it wrong...
Tim
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,654
Likes: 5
From: Silver Spring MD
The line on the **** changes red with the white? I probably messed up my first question, or you answered it and I'm having a slow moment, but that will make the line turn red when you turn it towards the heat, like the pictures Tstar poasted? I think I consufed myself, I'll get a Red Bull and re-read...
Last edited by CUlookin; Apr 17, 2009 at 03:34 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,772
Likes: 3
From: Gastonia NC
St. Jude Donor '10
All rud bulled up and ready to go! Thanks for the help, looking forward to the pics...
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 139
Likes: 8
From: Warrington PA
I know that I am digging this thread out of the grave but I just wanted to give some input on the polarity of the bulbs.
I followed a previous post in this thread and it was incorrect.
Looking from the front of the board from left to right
Top:
+ - + - +- +-
Bottom:
+ - + - +- +-
The whole board was exactly the same for the eight LED's on the single HVAC controller.
Good luck for all of those who come across this thread
I followed a previous post in this thread and it was incorrect.
Looking from the front of the board from left to right
Top:
+ - + - +- +-
Bottom:
+ - + - +- +-
The whole board was exactly the same for the eight LED's on the single HVAC controller.
Good luck for all of those who come across this thread
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 167
Likes: 107
From: Edmond OK
I know that I am digging this thread out of the grave but I just wanted to give some input on the polarity of the bulbs.
I followed a previous post in this thread and it was incorrect.
Looking from the front of the board from left to right
Top:
+ - + - +- +-
Bottom:
+ - + - +- +-
The whole board was exactly the same for the eight LED's on the single HVAC controller.
Good luck for all of those who come across this thread
I followed a previous post in this thread and it was incorrect.
Looking from the front of the board from left to right
Top:
+ - + - +- +-
Bottom:
+ - + - +- +-
The whole board was exactly the same for the eight LED's on the single HVAC controller.
Good luck for all of those who come across this thread