LED's Inside Vents?, How do i do this..? Options

[cnelson]

I saw this is a couple pictures on here, how would i install LED lights inside the vents on my 1994 celica, is it hard? I dont' know anything really about wiring and all that, so would it be hard to do? Thanks. -cnelson.

[Negative]

I saw this is a couple pictures on here, how would i install LED lights inside the vents on my 1994 celica, is it hard? I dont' know anything really about wiring and all that, so would it be hard to do? Thanks. -cnelson.

Probably incredibly easy if you have an aftermarket stereo. There is usually an unused orange wire on the harness for your radio. This would be the positive lead for any lighting you may want to do. Then you will need a negative - just tap into the black wire on the back of the radio harness and there you have the two wires needed to power most LED sets you can find in an autoparts store's ricer section. I know Autozone has a 3 pack of small LEDs in various colors that you could easliy wire in. I have used them to make my LED dome light.
As with wiring anything there are some precautions you should take:
1. Disconnect the negative wire to your battery so as to avoid shorting anything or shocking yourself.
2. Try to have someone with you who knows what they are doing to show you how to wire the circuit you are creating. In adding something new and original to your car you may accidently ruin something you already have [in this case your radio]
Anyway - hope this helps and welcome to the world of simple modding.

[pittfirefighter]

Do you have an aftermarket stereo to do what he said? Otherwise i could walk you through the longer way to do it...

[cnelson]

I don't have one yet but plan to get one soon, so should i just wait, or would it be safe to do it now? Thanks. -cnelson.

[Negative]

It'd be fine to take it off the dimmer or radio fuse something like that but if you are already getting an aftermarket radio it would be easiest to do all of the instal at once. Your car - your choice.

[cnelson]

well i was going to have someone install the radio and speakers, so maybe i'll just do the LED lights myself? I'd really like to learn how, but at the time can you walk me though change the climate useing LED's also? -cnelson.

[pittfirefighter]

changing the climate LED's involves taking apart the circuit board and unsoldering and soldering new LED's in the old positions, unless you're comfortable with doing that, i really wouldn't recommend trying to do the climate controls...

[cnelson]

ok.. so is there anyway to make them blue without doing all that? Like painting it or no? -cnelson.

[pittfirefighter]

to install LED's without an aftermarket radio, you will need: (some parts can vary, this is how i usually do it to other people's cars cause its the easiest and safest)
1: add-a-fuse (mini) this will add a fuse to an existing line in your fuseblock in order to run the lights off and can be found at radio shack or automotive store
2: wire (i use 18 gauge stranded - i find its the easiest to solder and splice while still being small
3: switch (unless you want the lights to always be on) - i used the fuse that also controls my parking lights gauges etc, so my LED's turn on when i turn all my other lights on for the nighttime
4: LED's - radioshack has a nice assortment but i would recommend the "super bright" LED's from pep boys or advance auto or any automotive store (you won't have to worry about resistors with these LED's)

[pittfirefighter]

here's for painting climate controls in our how-to section
WARNING: for the most part: this how-to is permanent adjustment to your climate control lights
climate control - painting

[cnelson]

will spray painting it give me the same effect? If i do go with LED lights, if i don't have an after market radio can i still do it? Also is there a more detailed walk-though for the LED lights? And, is the spray painting methiod as easy as it sounds and will it still look nice?

[Zimluura]

i wrote up a massive howto for the cc unit. covers lots of approaches in lots of detail. it's about 1mb in size with all the pictures. so if you pm me with your email address i'll send it to you.

in general it is better to do the cc unit after you do your gauges and stereo. 'cause it takes allot longer than the others, so it's nice to have some successful projects behind you to boost your confidence.

[cnelson]

I'll PM you with my email address, but i think that someone is installing the stero for me.. and i don't know how to do the gauages at all.. and i knwo this is going to sound bad, but what is a cc unit? -cnelson.

Nevermind, CC, climate controll duh. lol. my bad.

This post has been edited by cnelson: Dec 12, 2006 - 2:53 PM

[pittfirefighter]

the gauges have a few different options, the easiest was buying bulb covers from pep boys and putting them over the bulbs, i picked up red but they also sell blue, if you want me to explain how to take your gauges out then we can go over that, as for the LED's, if you pick up the stuff i mentioned above, i will walk you through step by step how to install blue LED's in your vents, you will need 6 LED's, be sure you get everything in that list...

[cnelson]

Pittfirefighter, i would like you to walk me though it, could you go over everything in detail that i would i need? Also, if i installed a after market stero after this, would that mess anything up? Along with after market speakers? Cause i'd like to try to install them myslef? But anyways, could you list everything i woudl need for the gaguges and for the LED's? Thank you very much. -cnelson. Also if you could put the stores where i could pick them up.. hope this isn't asking too much. Thanks.

[Negative]

Just a suggestion:
1. Do the LEDs first just exactly the way pittfirefighter says. Make sure to buy the ready to go LEDs like he detailed or the ones I detailed. Doesn't really matter but you are not ready for resistors and such yet.
2. Install your own radio using the adapter from Walmart [easiest way to go]
3. Do your own gauges following the how-to in the sticky. [very easy to do]
Then if you feel you are ready follow the how-to on how to do the climate controls. By the time you have done the rest of these other mods you will have a basic understanding of wireing and lighting effects. Attempting to do the Climate controls or any other in-depth lighting mod like that before you do these other steps will probably result in you f*cking up your climate controls.
Just take it one step at a time.

[cnelson]

Ok, just a question.. my guage lights are pretty dim so what if i want to put new blulbs on? And are there certins blubs to change the nedle color, and differant blubs to change the numbers and stuff? -cnelson.

Also, sometimes when i turn my lights on, the lights for my shifter, like where it says "P, D, N, 2 etc.." Sometimes they don't come on. But other times they come on n/p. Any idea why? -cnelson.

This post has been edited by cnelson: Dec 13, 2006 - 10:01 AM

[Negative]

Ok, just a question.. my guage lights are pretty dim so what if i want to put new blulbs on? And are there certins blubs to change the nedle color, and differant blubs to change the numbers and stuff? -cnelson.

Also, sometimes when i turn my lights on, the lights for my shifter, like where it says "P, D, N, 2 etc.." Sometimes they don't come on. But other times they come on n/p. Any idea why? -cnelson.

Thats a common short I've seen in a bunch of Auto's so IDK. I don't own autos so you might have to ask one of those guys. o0black0o has this same problem.
As for changing the bulbs in the gauge cluster, I edit my list above: That should be the first thing you do. Doesn't involve wireing and will give you some idea how these things work. You can get you some colored 194 bulbs with gels [looks like a condom for your bulbs - stock is green] with the same color and get a deeper tone to the color. Play around with those and the 194 LEDs you can buy on ebay and the ricer sections of larger parts houses. Different combinations do different effects. Our gauge cluster has 3 main lights for the gauges and needles together not seperate. There is a sticky in this forum that goes into detail.
Then do the vents, radio etc. as shown above. It's a learning process.

[cnelson]

Ok, so if i change the bulbs in the guage culster, it would then change the nedle color also? Could i get the 194 bulbs at like autozone? -cnelson.

[Negative]

Ok, so if i change the bulbs in the guage culster, it would then change the nedle color also? Could i get the 194 bulbs at like autozone? -cnelson.

Yes and Yes and don't forget the gels cause the color will not be well defined without them. I.e. Red will look pink.