If you decide to do something to your car because you saw it here, please give me credit where it is due! (link to my page w/ my name or something) Thanks.

Interior LED Modifications, Page Updated July 19, 2008

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Project Completed in Summer 2008, Started in Summer 2007

On this page, I describe how I took apart all of the buttons and things to put LEDs in. I used the same LEDs that I have been using for all my previous projects (20 mA superflux LEDs from Ebay). On my car, taking apart the dash and the buttons was pretty self-explanatory, but it is different for every brand of car. My dash is the only one I know how to take apart lol. So, if you do anything I did here, be careful not to brake anything or screw up your electrical system.

For my center dash, I put a blue LED behind all of the symbols, except I put red, white and blue LEDs behind the temperature slider. I also lit up the sliders with blue LEDs facing to the sides.

I started hot-gluing LEDs in there, one facing towards each symbol

Finished LEDs and wiring

Lit up from the back

Lit up from the front, almost complete, no overlay

Lit up from the front with stock overlay

This is the new overlay from alloverlays.com. I got this overlay because it has blue symbols, it is glossy, and it says "corolla." Normally, this piece goes over the stock piece, but when I did that, the overlay blocked most of the light. So, I just didn't use my stock overlay. But, light still shines through the black around all of the symbols at least a little, but I might put another overlay on top of the first one to fix that problem. If your overlay is white, everything will light up brightly.

You can see how I had to cut out the plastic so that light would shine through the word "corolla"

This is what it looks like now lit up from the front with new overlay. You can see how the light bleeds through everywhere.

Since then, I have colored the back of the overlay black everywhere so that light doesn't shine through, and I got rid of the LEDs behind the sliders and put LED strips above the sliders instead (much nicer).

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For some reason, my AC, defroster and hazard buttons never lit up at all. I changed that with a blue or red LED in each of the three.

I took the buttons off of the centerpiece and removed the covers, revealing light bulbs that never worked. The covers just slip over the button and click into place. Then, I took out the bulbs, since I would not be using them or the stock wiring.

For my AC button, I removed the green lens, and replaced the green LED with a white one to show when the AC is on. The AC symbol lights up blue with a separate LED. I wired all of the LEDs (except the white one) to the center dash.

I completely took the AC button apart; I do not recommend doing this since it is very hard to get back together, and it is easy to fry the electronics.

I replaced the green LED with a white LED.

This is the blue LED and wires that I used to light up the AC symbol. I did the same thing for the defroster button, and the same thing for the hazard button (but with a red LED). The LED just sits inside of the button behind the cover, and the wires come out where the stock bulb used to mount.

No more green anywhere (except the stock radio)! After this pic, I painted the slider LEDs with some black to block the light from glaring out so much (as you can see from all the other pictures). And, now I have a stereo that lights up all blue so it matches. You can see the little white LED in the A/C button that lights when the A/C is on. This was before I got the new overlay.

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I got tired of the green turn signals, so I made mine blue!

I took the gauges apart (very easy to do, just remove some screws and bend some tabs), and removed the two little green turn signal lenses.

Then I put little clear blue color gels over the turn signals and glued them in place. The gels are the ones that are used professionally for stage and theater lighting. I just cut two small pieces out of a larger piece.

Then, I put some blue 74 LED bulbs in place of the stock bulbs.

Now, it is very bright and blue! I also put some white LED bulbs to light up the gauges, so now that is not green, either! There sure are a lot of miles on this car....

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I also decided to put blue LEDs in the dimmer switch, but they would not dim with the switch (so that you could see the wheel if the lights were dimmed).

I took the dimmer apart

I glued two blue LEDs to the back of the controls so that the light would come out around the wheel. When wiring them up, it was a matter of finding where the power came in, and that is where I wired them.

Finished! Now, when I dim the lights, all of the other lights in the car dim, but these two LEDs don't, so I can find the dimmer again in the dark lol.

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Since the driver's side window lights up the word "AUTO", I had to put a blue LED in there! Again, I do not recommend taking this thing apart, it is really hard to put back together!

Switches all taken apart, you can see the green LED I am going to replace.

I cut away the LED surround to make room for the larger LED and to reveal the green LED.

The blue LED is now in place with it's own wiring.

Finished!

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Lastly, I put LEDs in the rest of the center pieces. Sorry, the interior is really dirty by now for these pics.

I put an LED in the place where the armrest goes by drilling a small hole and gluing a single blue LED there (off/on):

But, I didn't like that as much as an LED strip around the top.

I put two LEDs under the middle dash thing to shine up on the emergency brake:

I put LEDs in the automatic shifter light (1 LED per letter)

I drilled holes and put three LEDs right above the tape holder, underneath of the AC controls facing down, to light up the tape holder (there are no cassettes there anymore) and the change holder where my CD player was (off/on):

I put blue LEDs behind the cigarette lighter (circled in red). They plug into the stock harness (circled in yellow). You can see the blue LED strip on top that I replaced the three LEDs with.

Here is how I lit up my vents, with a strip of LEDs just inside of the vent.

This is what it looks like now. You can see the ring around the lighter lights up, as does everything else now.

Old pic when I had the slider LEDs, and the three LEDs facing down.

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Don't forget that if you have any help, advice, comments, criticisms, or questions about my car and future mods, please sign my Guest book!

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Table of Contents

My Corolla Today
Page 1: Current Exterior
Page 2: Current Interior
Page 3: Current Engine
Page 4: Current Audio

Corolla Time Lines
Page 5: Phase Time Line
Page 6: Detailed Time Line

Other Stuff
Page 7: Photoshop
Page 8: Look at this page before you buy replacement LED bulbs
Page 9: Details on my current and future mods
Page 10: For Sale!

DIYs and Project Write-ups
Page 11: Bumper light LED retrofit 1
Page 12: Third Brake light LED retrofit
Page 13: Diablo Mirror LED replacement
Page 14: Taillight LED Retrofit 1
Page 15: High Beam DRL Mod
Page 16: Bumper Light LED Retrofit 2, PLUS detailed description of how I do LED mods
Page 17: Painting preparation (details on my fenders, grille, trunk, and Bondo)
Page 18: Side marker LED retrofit and installation
Page 19: HID fog lights and headlights
Page 20: Interior painting, modifications, and exterior trim painting
Page 21: Installing Halo/LED/Projector headlights
Page 22: Mirror cover LED replacement
Page 23: Installing a new stereo and speakers
Page 24: Body kit installation, front end conversion, and other body work for round 2
Page 25: Retrofitting LEDs into my third mirrors and front turn signals
Page 26: Putting interior LEDs behind the dash and in all the buttons and all over the interior
Page 27: LED tail light retrofit 2 and baking your lights in the oven to remove the lens