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If you are going to do all that work just covert to LED, it was much easier than I had thought. Just need some time and patience. I don't have patience and I still was able to do the swap easily!!
How well do the LEDs dim??
I answered my own question... I built up a small circuit with a variable resistor and they dimmed just fine.
I'm now wondering how the light level would compare to the incandescent bulbs throughout the car while dimming.
IE the radio which is nearby.
Another thing comes to mind. Do these suggested LEDs have an internal resistor and if not how do they hold
up to high voltages/current?
Send to Tstar and have him upgrade the unit. Do a Search and you'll see tons of examples of his work.
Originally Posted by VJD2
Like Tim said, buy a solder sucker. It saved me soo many headaches trying to get the darn solder out of the pass thru holes.
If you are going to do all that work just covert to LED, it was much easier than I had thought. Just need some time and patience. I don't have patience and I still was able to do the swap easily!!
I answered my own question... I built up a small circuit with a variable resistor and they dimmed just fine.
I'm now wondering how the light level would compare to the incandescent bulbs throughout the car while dimming.
IE the radio which is nearby.
Another thing comes to mind. Do these suggested LEDs have an internal resistor and if not how do they hold
up to high voltages/current?
Most of the car uses a PWM signal to dim the lighting not a variable resistor like you tested with, HOWEVER the LEDs do dim just fine BUT they will dim at a different rate then the OEM incandescent bulbs. Once you convert all the lighting over to LEDs then you'll be nice and consistant...
I definetely agree! I replaced just the burnt out bulbs and then when I was reinstalling the control more burned out and I had to remove it and get more bulbs. Just do it all at once.
As far as getting the bulbs you can get them at Radio Shack. When I asked the nitwits that work there, they said they didn't carry them. I decided to look through their bulb draw display and found the exact same bulbs that McMaster-Carr sells. They were even cheaper and you can buy the amount you need. McMaster only sells packages of 10. The trade # is 7219. The Radio Shack part #272-1154.
Just did this a couple days ago with my HVAC. The 7219 bulbs at Radio Shack are actually part number 272-1092. Lighting looks just like factory bulbs. Actual bulbs are a little smaller.
Did a little test before putting in the bulbs. I had in the past bought the lights from McMaster-Carr for when my bulbs would burn out. Before installing now, I went to Radio Shack and bought a package of each the 1154 and 1092 bulbs. Powered them all up and the 1092 bulbs were the brightest and least yellow. The 272-1092 bulbs at Radio Shack are 7219 bulbs just like the McMaster-Carr bulbs are, but they are brighter (at least the set I have are)
But in the end I put in the 1092 bulbs from Radio Shack and I can't tell the difference from the stock bulbs. The 272-1154 bulbs are 50ma and are a tad too dim and yellow. I think those would work well in the IC around the side (i.e. options,reset buttons area) as well as the center console area (i.e. traction control switch)
I'm going through this again right now. A couple of years ago, I replaced them all but here we are again. I had one go bad, took it apart to replace it and sure enough, just handling the unit, more filiments let go too so I'm replacing all of them. This time, I'm attempting to use the Radioshack lamps but sure enough their warehouse is empty. I cleaned out the couple of stores around me and still not enough. My unit uses 17 of them total so at the moment, still short 10. A local Radioshack is attempting to contact other stores in the state to obtain more for me.
I'm going through this again right now. A couple of years ago, I replaced them all but here we are again. I had one go bad, took it apart to replace it and sure enough, just handling the unit, more filiments let go too so I'm replacing all of them. This time, I'm attempting to use the Radioshack lamps but sure enough their warehouse is empty. I cleaned out the couple of stores around me and still not enough. My unit uses 17 of them total so at the moment, still short 10. A local Radioshack is attempting to contact other stores in the state to obtain more for me.
Yeah I know what you mean. I went to 3 Radio Shack stores to get the 14 I needed. Cleaned out south San Diego of them.
And it was about 2 years since I had to do this again as well. But only seems to be the HVAC ones going out. Well I don't have the stock stereo in the car, so I don't have the problem of those going out.
I'm going through this again right now. A couple of years ago, I replaced them all but here we are again. I had one go bad, took it apart to replace it and sure enough, just handling the unit, more filiments let go too so I'm replacing all of them. This time, I'm attempting to use the Radioshack lamps but sure enough their warehouse is empty. I cleaned out the couple of stores around me and still not enough. My unit uses 17 of them total so at the moment, still short 10. A local Radioshack is attempting to contact other stores in the state to obtain more for me.
17?
Two years of life huh? That sucks! I have some customers out there that are older then that on the 7219, no news from them about any failures... YET.
I experimented with a larger and slightly brighter bulb that would work also trade number 2162D, although I've found the 7219 to be the best match. LEDs might be the only permenant solution...
Yeah, this time around, the solder sucker is having issues getting the holes cleaned out too...oh well, will use some wicking and flux. I'll try the radioshack lights this time as they have the plastic base. Wish they had the same style base in 70ma lamps as that would be better. Worse comes to worse, I'll switch out to LED's but it means doing the radio as well. Yes, there are 17 in mine for unknown reasons unless 3 of them aren't really needed.
Yep, I'm familiar with that board very well... I like it for extra LEDs under the Passenger script.
You only need one bulb in the middle for the Passenger Script area (there are three positions for it). I still only count 16 locations though... I think you're hitting the sauce again Dave!
Yeah, must be messing up....retired earlier this year so maybe I lost a few brain cells...lol. Was trying to find the soldering iron with the builtin sucker but those are really expensive now.. will just use the normal
Yeah, must be messing up....retired earlier this year so maybe I lost a few brain cells...lol. Was trying to find the soldering iron with the built-in sucker but those are really expensive now.. will just use the normal
Solder suckers require a lot of maintenance to keep it working well..
Solder suckers require a lot of maintenance to keep it working well..
I've found solder wick works better for me...
When I get the rest of the lamps, I already bought some wicking so will get on it then. Wick with liquid flux should work real well. Out here, I can't find the good blue water based flux but oh well...alcohol and a brush after will take care of this.